Merry Christmas!! and poem of the month

I got on to upload quickly my 2 favorite pics of my kids from this Christmas, both of which are at the temple when we went to see the temple lights. But I forgot to upload those pics, apparently, and the camera is packed. So instead, I'll leave you with my new favorite painting--I love the very real "how shall this be" look on Mary's face and the depiction of the angel as light. And I'll leave you with a poem of the month. Merry Christmas!

The Annunciation, 1898, by Henry Ossawa Tanner

"In the Bleak Midwinter"
Christina Rossetti

What can I give him
Poor as I am
If I were a shepherd
I would bring a lamb
If I were a wise man
I would do my part
Yet what I can I give him
Give my heart.

ETA: My favorite Christmas pics of my kids, now that I found them.

Santa Stuff

We did the Santa stuff this year, namely the Polar Express, which I loved, and taking the kids to see Santa, which I could have done without.

We've gone to the Polar Express for the past 5 years. It's become a really fun tradition--we drive 3 hrs to the train, singing to Christmas music; eat at an over-priced, mediocre touristy diner; take our 1 1/2 hr North Pole train ride, complete with hot chocolate, cookies, Polar Express book, singing, and a bell from Santa; and stay overnight in a hotel. The overnight stay is sometimes fun (swimming, games) and sometimes not (babies keeping us awake crying all night), but always memorable. I think I look forward to this little trip as much as the kids do!

This Santa might have looked the part, but I didn't think he talked with or listened to the kids very well. But we got some good pics regardless :)

1. Ice packs and heating pads for my bad back, 2. Little H's 2 1/2 hr morning nap, 3. Answers to prayers

Joy to the World

When I was a sophomore in college, there was a period of time when I was preoccupied by the concept of joy, probably because I was not terribly happy, not to mention joyous. Yet according to the scriptures, one of my purposes for being was and is joy.

I was reminded of this during the past couple of weeks, first, because it's Christmas, a time when we all dust off the word "joy," which hardly gets used the other 11 months of the year. We display it in our homes and even sing about it.

Second, I was reminded of it when I was reading my scriptures--Alma 26, where Ammon talks to his brothers about his joy. As I read this chapter, I can almost feel Ammon's joy seep out through the verses: Ammon rejoices, his "heart is brim with joy" (11), his "joy is full" (16), and his "joy is carried away" (35). All this from a man who has been mocked, cast out, stoned, hit, bound and put into prison.

Why the joy, then? Ammon tells us that it is because of the goodness, the mercy, the glory of God to us, who desperately need Him in our "awful, sinful and polluted state" (17) and because God is mindful of all people. In the end, then, it seems to me that Ammon's deep gratitude toward and praise of God is the catalyst for his feeling this depth of joy.

So I don't really know how to end this post--I didn't mean to be preachy. This connection between gratitude and joy is just something I've been thinking about. Given this connection, it seems fitting that Thanksgiving and Christmas are close together. I guess I'll end by saying that I'm glad we have this Christmas time and the music of the season which gives us the opportunity to sing our praises daily. Joy to the world is exactly right.

The Christmas Tree

Here's the story of our Christmas tree in pictures:

1. We picked out the tree. Little H was bored to sleep with our process:

2. Mister and Sweetie cleaned the dirty tree stand, J brought the tree in, still in its net, and we waited for the unveiling:

3. We untangled and tested the lights. Sweetie and Mister got a little hyper, so we read some books while J worked on the lights:

4. Time to decorate!

5. A picture in front of the tree? So fun! thinks Little H. Mister thinks otherwise:

Join me

over here today!

November's gone and I hope I am never again too busy to say

that I am deeply, deeply grateful.

1. Mister, 2. Sweetie, 3. Little H

By the foot

Sweetie: "Mom, this isn't Fruit by the Foot. It doesn't even reach my foot!"

Sunday music

After church today while I was cleaning up lunch, I turned on church music, like I usually do on Sunday. Sweetie, who is into asking "why?"these days, asked, "Why do we have to listen to church music on Sunday?"

"Because I like church music, and it helps me feel peaceful inside," I told her. She ran off to play, and as I loaded the dishwasher and wiped off the table, I thought about church music and Sundays. It's true that I turn on church music and classical music on Sunday because it helps me feel peaceful. But I also turn it on every Sunday because that's what my parents did. The cds I turn on evoke memories of cleaning up Sunday dinner with my siblings, clearing the table, wiping off cabinets, and doing dishes, all interrupted by whirls around the kitchen, either with baby brothers or with my dad, who had me waltzing and swinging long before my ballroom dance teacher at BYU.

So when I was done with the dishes, I picked up my baby boy, and, singing to the oh-so-familiar tune, I pressed my cheek next to his little soft one and took him for his first spin around the kitchen.

1. Good memories, 2. Good parents, 3. Good music

Working on our talents

Mister is nearing the end of another great season of soccer. The kid never stops smiling while he's running up and down that field.

Sweetie loves her tap/ballet class.

And little H is now a pro at bubble-blowing.

1. A day off of school, 2. A day off of work, 3. Bedtime songs

Growing . . .

There are signs of growing everywhere these days. I will not be showing my own growing (due to Halloween candy). J will proudly show anyone his growing muscles from the gym time and all of those protein shakes/bars he's been downing lately. And the kids are growing up and older. (They warned me this would happen . . . ).

Here's Mister, with his 2 new bottom teeth:

And Sweetie, with her new older "do":

And little H with his new thumb (new to him anyway! He thinks that new fist and thumb are the best things to have happened to him lately).

Halloween

Here's Sweetie the Astronaut, Mister as G.I. Joe, and H as a Turtle for the ward Trunk or Treat and then as a Bear on Halloween. Sweetie dressed as a witch for her dance class party because she had to be able to do ballet and tap with her costume (her teacher probably assumed all of the little girls would come as princesses or fairies or butterflies or something, not knowing that Sweetie is apparently above the whole princess thing). Mister also dressed up at school for the annual costume parade. Fun times, but I'm glad it's over and done. I wish I could say the same for the candy . . .