Let's Go To the Movies!

During the Christmas season the girls went to their very first movie in a theater. They saw the new Disney movie "Princess and the Frog." The show was delightful and Alyssa and Holly really loved sitting in the dark, eating popcorn and candy. They also thought it was cool that there were "Christmas lights" that went up and down the stairs. Their second movie was with David on Christmas day, Alvin and the Chipmunks (the squeakquel).

Christmas photos

Holly riding her new Smart Cycle.


In front of the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve.


Alyssa at the Treehouse Museum on Christmas Eve.

The long awaited "baby monkey" from Santa.

Alyssa with her daddy and her new dolly Julia.

Holly sporting her new helmet and scooter.


Alyssa posing atop her baby monkey's hammock.

Holiday Cheer

Kids bring such an excitement to the Holidays! It's thrilling to look into their little faces and to feel and share in their enthusiasm! This year the holiday cheer started for the three of us as we decked the halls of grandma's house. The girls had a fun time putting the ornaments on the tree and arranging all of the Christmas bears and snowmen. The house became a Christmas wonderland as usual. Alyssa and Holly seemed especially interested in the little nativity and holding the baby Jesus.


A few days after we decorated the house the question started, "when is it going to be Christmas?" In an attempt to demonstrate how many days there were until Christmas, I tried my luck again making a chain (we didn't have much success with it for Halloween.) This time, however, I made them each a Christmas chain and successfully monitored the removal of the links each day. It worked perfectly! Alyssa especially looked forward to removing her link every day.


Taking the girls to pick out a gift for their daddy was especially fun this year! Before we actually got to picking out his present the girls wanted to visit with Santa. They were extremely patient as we waited in the long line. Finally it was their turn. They were a little timid at first, but soon warmed up to him (I don't blame them, he seemed a little creepy to me.) I overpaid to get a picture of the three of them...but the girls got to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas and I got to listen in to make sure I was going to get it right. Then we headed to Macy's for the gifts. We got daddy the usual...a tie and some socks. He had said that he needed a yellow tie, so I picked out 4 or 5 that might work and then let the girls pick one from those...I hope he liked it. I also let them pick the socks all by themselves. I think the highlight for the girls was wrapping the presents. They enjoy cutting the paper and applying the tape.


On the 17th the girls were in a Christmas program with their preschool class. They learned some Christmas songs, (rudolph and jingle bells) and had some speaking parts. They told a joke together. Holly said, "why wasn't the turkey hungry at Christmas time?" then Alyssa answered, "because he was stuffed!" We practiced their lines nearly every day and they knew them perfectly! They performed for a nice group of older men and women at a care center and did a good job. Although she doesn't admit it, I think Alyssa was a little nervous. Holly was just the opposite...she seemed very confident. It was a cute program.

My favorite activity this year was our visit to Temple Square. I loved seeing all the lights and taking a few minutes to think about the birth of the Savior and to focus on the greatest gift ever given to mankind. The girls seemed to enjoy seeing the sheep the most, but they also liked walking up into "heaven" to see the Christus. There is always such a peaceful feeling in the visitor center and on the Temple grounds. We also watched the short movie "Luke 2". I hope Alyssa and Holly were able to start to understand that Christmas is more about worshipping our Savior, than about Santa, decorations, and presents.

God Does Notice Us!

I had an opportunity to attend a Relief Society dinner during the month of December. As i walked in, I noticed that all of the tables were beautifully adorned with Christmas decorations and elegant china. Around the room dozens of nativity scenes were on exibit enhanced with gorgeous linens, twinkling lights and ribbons. In the front of the room was a humble manger scene. It was truly a magnificent display. I began to feel a twinge of sadness as i did an inventory in my mind of the Christmas decorations I posess. I realized that I didn't personally have any...not one. After David and I divorced I left him with all of our decorations, and last year we were living with Grandpa, so we just used his. It was hard to believe that I don't personally own a single Christmas decoration. I didn't dwell on the thought for long, it was quickly forgotten as I enjoyed a good conversation with the women at my table, I ate my dinner and watched a beautiful program. I believe however, that my loving Father in Heaven took note of the small amount of regret that I felt in my heart for my lack of Christmas Decorations. Just 2 days later there was a knock at the door. The girls and I raced upstairs to see who it was. Barb Harmon, a dear, sweet woman in our ward was standing at the door with a box in her hand. She handed it to me and I asked her what it was...she just said it was something she wanted me to have. We took the box downstairs and as we opened it a tear came to my eye. It was a beautiful Nativity set just for me. "God does notice us, and he watches over us, but it is usually through another person that he meets our needs!" -Spencer W. Kimball

"Santa Claus is Coming to Town"

"You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout i'm telling you why....Santa Claus is coming to town." Since becoming a mom I have come to appreciate the brilliance of this holiday classic! This year we implemented another strategy to try to persuade good behavior from the girls during the holiday season. We now have an "Elf on the Shelf." Our elf's name is Spizbee. She came in early December to keep an eye on the girls. She watches Alyssa and Holly during the day and then magically visits Santa each night to report on whether they've been naughty or nice. Another stroke of genious! The girls have had so much fun with Spizbee. They look forward each morning to seeing where Spizbee might be watching from that day. When it was time to say goodbye on Christmas Eve, Holly got very upset, she had built a strong attachment to her little elf. Spizbee will be missed throughout the year, but we look forward to seeing her again next Christmas.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

It seems to happen every year...expectations of a glorious Christmas overflowing with love, happiness, and generous giving always seem to fall flat. That Christmas "magic" so abundant in my heart when I was a little girl seems to have disappeared forever. How do I get it back? How do I make Christmas time the most wonderful time of the year?

A Touch of the Christmas Spirit

Things have been tough the past few days! My relationship with James has come to an end, (once again) and while trying to work through all the emotions involved with that loss, I've been watching my friend's 5 kids so she can take a vacation. It's been a struggle! However, this morning I woke up and had a touch of the Christmas spirit in my heart. Even though I may never see or hear from him again, I wanted James to know how much I love and appreciate him, and an idea came to mind. I spent the next several hours preparing the gift. Since he doesn't have a Christmas tree I decided that he could use a little holiday cheer in his home, so I purchased a small tree and decorated it with lights, a star, garland and with 9 ornaments that represent 12 of the reasons I love him so much. I wrote 12 cards so that he'll open one card a day for the next 12 days and read about each of the decorations on the tree. For example: a snowflake, because he always makes me feel uniquely special and beautiful like each tiny snowflake. I also bought 3 gifts for him to open on Christmas day. I took it to his house and left it on his porch. I don't know if he even got it, but I hope it will make him feel loved!

When I returned home, I sat down on the couch and started to cry, because I realized, that may be the last gift I ever give to James. It breaks my heart! I decided to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional and was really hoping to gain some peace and comfort and feel some love. It was a beautiful meeting, and it did warm my heart. A little while later, I noticed that there was an envelope addressed to me on the counter. I couldn't tell who it was from, the return address was bogus, and I opened it up to find a wonderful surprise. There was a beautiful Christmas card with the word Believe printed on the front. It instantly made me think that I need to have faith and believe that all will be well for the girls and I. I opened up the card and inside were three gift cards. The inscription told the girls and I to have a Merry Christmas and to use the gift cards to add some holiday cheer to our lives. Obviously someone else had felt a touch of the Christmas spirit as well, and to whomever that was, I am so grateful! It touched my heart!