Celebrating the Season

The best way to celebrate in December is by remembering the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ, who gave everything for us. That's why we do Light The World, so we can be a little more like Jesus and give a little back to him. That's why we also make sure to learn more of him and in our family that means our Countdown to Christmas scripture study.

As always we read a scripture or scriptures each day and answer questions about them and we each get a mint M&M if we answer correctly. We always tell the kids it's an open book test. They can always turn back to scriptures in order to find the answers or get hints if they're young enough. If they don't participate (because of a bad attitude) or are on their way back from another fair convention, this time in Texas, and are only on the phone for prayer and to listen to the scripture, they don't get an M&M.

 

Nichole and Jr. both had concerts on December 1. Jr.'s concert attire was ugly sweater, which his teacher explained as something very very very Christmasy. He also wore a white and red striped face mask because it looked like a candy cane. 

 

After Nichole's concert, she had an activity so she didn't get home until after we had prayer and read the scripture and got off the phone with Jeremy and Marcus because they both went to the convention together so as they traveled, they both joined us by phone for family prayer. But when Nichole walked in the door, I mentioned that the scripture we read was 2 Nephi 25:26 and she immediately said, "Oh, that's the one about talking about Christ and rejoicing in Christ..." That immediately earned her an M&M. If she knows what the scripture is by the scripture reference, that's an immediate reward. 

The scripture says, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." And that is why we celebrate the season. And that is what we try to teach all year long. That is why family scripture study and family prayer and gospel discussions in our home are so important.

That is the best thing to celebrate, even though it is fun to celebrate other things like Eat a Red Apple Day on December 1 and National Fritters Day on December 2 and National Cookie Day on December 4. And fun Santa things from time to time (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

 

The emphasis should never be taken away from the Savior, however. So we daily have our family prayer and Countdown to Christmas scripture study and we remember Christ and we rejoice in Christ and we teach our children that "...through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (3rd article of faith). That is worth celebrating.

Light The World

Light the World is being done a little bit differently this year.  It's being done on a weekly basis instead of a daily basis.  That's good for us because last year we weren't able to do very much of it at all like we were in 2016.  This year may be more manageable with how crazy our life feels right now.
You can learn more at mormon.org but here are the weekly ideas for serving like Jesus this holiday season.
Week 1- Light the World
Week 2- Light your community
Week 3- Light your family
Week 4- Light your faith

It all started on December 1 with another Worldwide Day of Service.  Jr. has been learning to make holiday balloon animals lately.  He made a bunch that we as a family took to an assisted living facility that evening.  We handed them out to the residents and spent some time visiting with them and singing Christmas carols to them.  Lucky danced around as we sang which was quite entertaining.  Since we forgot juggling equipment with us, they sacrificed some oranges so Nichole, Jeremy, and I were able to show them some juggling.  It was a nice visit.

December 1 is also Eat a Red Apple Day so when we got home we cut up a red apple to snack on.  Yumm.

Earlier that day as a family we went to the Orem Library to watch an abbreviated performance of The Nutcracker Ballet.  Nichole and I had gone to watch The Nutcracker a couple years in a row back in 2015 and 2016.  It was nice to have a little bit of that again this year (and to share it with the rest of the family).

December 2 was National Fritters Day so I tried my hand at making baked apple fritters.  They turned out and were yummy.

We went to dinner at our friends' house and watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.  Lovely time with friends.  When we got home, Jr. and Lucky made snow angels on the way into the house.  Cute kids.

Unfortunately that day we went back to our old tradition of someone missing church on the day of the Christmas Devotional.  Jr. Jr. wasn't feeling well that morning so he and I stayed home while the others went.  He felt better later so I wondered if maybe he was just hungry and that made him feel bad.

Today, Jeremy, Lucky, and I went up to Pleasant Grove to build an igloo for a Young Women's activity for our old ward.  We all helped out with the igloo.

 
It's also the time of year we've started our Christmas advent- Countdown to Christmas scripture study with M&M's. 

Here we go, December.

National Fritter Day 2015

How did we celebrate National Fritter Day on December 2?
We had apple fritters for after school snack

before heading to a party where the kids could decorate their own cookie and eat it,

have food and cider, and a book gift exchange.

Lucky found the nativity scenes he could actually touch.

He enjoyed himself.  All the kids did.

Ah Ha!

We did it.  We celebrated.  We've been lacking lately.  Can you believe we didn't even get around to Pizza With the Works Except Anchovies Day on November 12?

But yesterday, December 1, was Eat a Red Apple Day.  And we did it.  And I'm blogging about it.

And today, December 2, was National Fritters Day, and we were at the grocery store, and we were hungry, and they had apple fritters in the donut section, and they had a dozen donuts/fritters/maple and chocolate bars/etc. in a box, and we wanted them, so we celebrated, and I'm blogging about it.

I'm determined to do some more celebrating- and blogging about it, even if it's the simple kind like yesterday and today.  I think it's good for our family.  It's good for our children's creativity.  And the kids love to look at my blog and get a kick out of how much fun we've had as a family.  So here we are.

In other news, since it's December, we've also started our annual Countdown to Christmas scripture study with mint M&Ms.

This morning we read Isaiah 9:6 where Isaiah prophesies of the different names Christ will be known as.  Last year I had the opportunity to sing with the Pleasant Grove Choir and Orchestra singing Handel's Messiah.  Jeremy and the kids came to watch part of it and Jeremy took a video of that piece, singing the words of this scripture.  After reading the scripture this morning, we all sat down to watch Mommy singing it.
Here's a picture of me the night of the concert.

I look a bit different this year.

There are plenty of reasons to celebrate and it's time for me to get back to blogging about them.  Wish me luck.