This time of the year is so amazing. Today we woke up to a glorious snow. Getting children ready for snow time is incredibly labor intensive, especially with a whining baby. But that seems to be the theme of my life right now. Everything is just a little bit harder than it used to be. But I've never had a tiny baby at Christmas time. It's pretty wonderful.
Still, I have to be realistic. I'm trying to do everything I usually do, but with a baby in one arm and crippling exhaustion. It just isn't going to happen. I'm trying to focus on the things I really want out of the year and discarding the rest. Lucky for me, I foresaw this happening and I got my house decorated and gifts bought and wrapped super early this year.
So it's Saturday night and I have a huge list of things I've got to do. I have a cake to make for our Christmas Relief Society lesson tomorrow, I have to finish the gifts for the women at church and finish planning what I'm going to teach.
I guess it seems appropriate that I'm teaching about focusing on the important things of Christmas, and not to get to bogged down by trying to make things perfect.
I just wanted to share a lovely quote from the President of
my church, President Monson. (
Full talk here)
It is easy to get caught up in the pressure of the season and perhaps lose the very spirit in our lives that we’re trying to gain. Overdoing it is especially common this time of the year for many of us. The causes for this might include too many Christmas activities to attend, too much to eat, too much money spent, too many expectations, and too much tension. Often our efforts at Christmastime result in our feeling stressed out, wrung out, and worn out during a time we should feel the simple joys of commemorating the birth of our Savior.
Finding the real joy of Christmas comes not in the hurrying and the scurrying to get more done, nor is it found in the purchasing of gifts. We find real joy when we make the Savior the focus of the season. We can keep Him in our thoughts and in our lives as we go about the work He would have us perform here on earth. At this time, particularly, let us follow His example as we love and serve our fellowman.
I love that. If you're looking for more wonderful thoughts about Christmas, make sure to watch the
LDS Christmas Devotional tomorrow (Sunday).
Even with it being harder, I couldn't love this season more. Some of our Holiday adventures so far....Thanksgiving in Spokane with my parents and sister Abby and family.
Shane made this lovely log centerpiece for our thanksgiving table. And my sister Abby made the boat place cards.
But, before our guests arrived, my niece set the table on fire. We had to douse the burning tablecloth with water. And then our guest showed up early.
No one was hurt, and it will make for a great story.
And luckily, the food table remained unscathed. My mom makes a mean Thanksgiving spread.
Grumpy Elise. Mommy and Daddy ignoring her to deal with food and arsonist nieces.
But at least they all match. And why that's important? It's not. Needless stresses.
It's a hard thing to get rid of.
Elise perked up the next day when it could be all about her day, and she saw her first snow.
And she could get back to her exclusionary rights to Daddy's attention.
It's already been a wonderful season and it's just started!
(Did I mention that Shane packed the SUV full of luggage, gifts and food and drove the seven hours to Spokane. And I took Elise on a 45 flight there. I'm the smartest person I know.)
It's Christmastime!!!!!!
images via instagram @natssentiments