Celebrating Christmas

Right after Thanksgiving we put up the Christmas decorations minus the tree.  The kids loved it!  I hung garland with lights in the doorway to the kitchen and they loved seeing the twinkle lights with all the other lights off; their excitement was contagious.  We made a CD with Christmas songs and played it nonstop in the car and never got sick of it.  Eliza insists we continue listening to it even though it is January now.

This Christmas I had a few experiences that strengthened my testimony of the Savior.  Some things happened that made me really think and ponder about my personal relationship with the Savior and what it means to covenant to be His disciple.  Elder Holland's words, as he quoted the resurrected Lord's conversation with His apostle Peter came to my mind several times, "Do you love me?"  " Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee."  "Feed my sheep."  I wanted to shout within myself, "Yes!  I love thee!" "Then act like it!" was the response I received.  Being a disciple of Jesus Christ is more than just going to church every Sunday and not doing anything illegal or "bad".  I have learned through experience and through difficulty and through prayer that the Savior wants more of me than that.  I felt a renewed confirmation that Jesus is the Savior of the world and that through Him all men may return to our Father's presence and enjoy eternal happiness with those we love.  And I am trying to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ and show my love for Him, my Savior, through my words, my actions, my thoughts and my faith.  The words of all the beautiful Christmas hymns we sing every year really touched me in a more meaningful way this time around.

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.

Eliza was elated to finally get our tree.  She loved decorating it.

I finally remembered to bring the camera to gymnastics....

Eliza and I went to the Nutcracker together and had a great time.  She loved the sugar-plum fairies.  It was a perfect mommy-daughter date!

New jammies on Christmas Eve...