Happy Christmas Eve

Happy Christmas Eve.

Sunday, December 21, was the Winter Solstice. Our choir director reminded us that on the darkest day of the year, it is important for us to think about Christ's light and share that. It was a beautiful Christmas program at church.

After church we managed to get a couple family pictures of everyone looking pleasantly at the camera.

We also got pictures of Jeremy and me together. It was a great way to emphasize Short Girl Appreciation Day.

It was also Humbug Day but I was so happy because of church. There was only some grumbling later. It happens. 

The kids took a couple days to build our balloon Christmas tree. Sunday, Jeremy decorated it and we had a little tree lighting. We got Jeremy's parents to join with us on a Zoom meeting then we got to chat with them for a while.

Monday, December 22, I got out for a morning walk at the park with the lights. I listened to some Piano Guys Christmas music (great for feeling the Spirit) and felt such strong gratitude for my Savior. After the shortest day of the year, feeling his light meant so much to me. I was crying so much while walking around the park, I don't know how helpful that was for my breathing while I was trying to exercise. Ha Ha.

In the Come Follow Me manual and on Instagram, Elder Soares shared some thoughts about Jesus Christ being our light, our life, and our hope at Christmastime. It went right along with my thoughts that morning. I do feel so much gratitude for my Savior when I've been thinking of some stressful things.

At home that day, Jet and I enjoyed a Discovery Kit from the Provo Library. This time, we read books and did activities (puzzle and fishing game) about Ocean Life.  

That night we went to another Interactive Movie at the Provo Library- The Nightmare Before Christmas. We went to one before when we watched The Princess Bride and unfortunately last Christmas, we missed the one for The Muppets Christmas Carol because too many of us were sick. 

We loved this one. We got to sing along with the songs, cheer and clap, etc. It was great for Jet because he loves that movie so he knows the songs and enjoyed doing the activities.

 

Tuesday, December 23, I got out for my morning walk again. The light of the sunrise was gorgeous. It was National Roots Day so I sent a text to my in-laws telling them we're grateful to all be part of the same family tree. 

That night, Jeremy, Nichole, Jet, and I went for a drive looking at Christmas lights and decorations. We've been so busy this was the only night we could do it. It was nice and we even drove up to see the Christmas Star on the mountain in Pleasant Grove. 

I am grateful for celebrating Jesus Christ's birth this season. My life is so much better because of Him. He is my light, my life, and my hope.

Merry Christmas! 

It's Christmastime!

It is December so it is time for our Countdown to Christmas Scripture Study. Like last year, this year we shared our tradition with another family in our neighborhood, giving them their own jar of flags and mint M&Ms.

I'm grateful to share this tradition we have of every day focusing our family scripture study on what Christmas is really about: our Savior Jesus Christ, His birth, and what He means to us. That's why our last scripture study in this advent calendar encourages us to share our testimonies of Him. Because of Him we have what we have and we are who we are.

Summer Solstice, Midsummer's Eve, and Midsummer's Day (aka more excuses for Fablehaven food)

You know we like celebrating solstices and equinoxes with nods to Fablehaven and sometimes with Fablehaven type food. We did even before the official Fablehaven Cookbook came out. Now we really like celebrating with nods to Fablehaven... through food. Anyway... we were unfortunately really busy around the Summer Solstice and around Midsummer (which are apparently not the same thing?) getting ready for a trip so even though I had good ideas for celebrating and had a menu planned out, I had to simplify last minute. So I didn't get to make Midsummer Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips but I did make Jack-o'-Lantern Pumpkin Pie Bars which are in the "Midsummer's Eve" section of the cookbook.

There is a recipe for Lena's Loaded Crepes in the cookbook but Jr. has a recipe he always uses for crepes so he made us crepes for the solstice on June 20.

There are quite a few fairy related recipes in the cookbook but again, we were too busy to make any on International Fairy Day on June 24. Oh well. There's always next year. You know we'll be using this book for a long time.

Ooh, speaking of the Solstice, that evening (thanks for taking care of dinner, Jr.), Nichole and I went to a Relief Society activity where our good friend, Stephanie, gave us a little art lesson while also sharing her testimony. 

Even in the hard or dark times, the Lord is always there and if we look, we can see the good, the beautiful. Stephanie is a beautiful person (who has gone through some pretty hard times in her own life) and she brings so much light to so many people. I've always appreciated her example and her testimony and am so happy to call her friend.

Stephanie and Nichole have gotten together several times to do art in the past. I love that.

 

Even when we have the Lord, there are still rough days. On National Selfie Day, June 21, I planned to take selfies while doing things- weeding, dishes, etc. It turned out I had a hard day so the only selfies I took were of me sad.  

Oh well. I still celebrated.

 

On a better day, June 25 was Eric Carle's birthday. We read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

 

On a different but related note, June 23 (that was Midsummer's Eve and the 24th was Midsummer's Day) was National Hydration Day. It's important to stay hydrated.

What They Missed- August 16

Sunday- August 16
I woke to the sound of a child throwing up. Poor kid. I don't know if it was the heat, not eating enough, too much screen time on his device, a stomach bug (from where I don't know), or what. Did the poor kid stay up too late the night before? Lack of sleep makes me sick to my stomach sometimes.
We missed Music & the Spoken Word. I didn't want to disturb the sleeping child. We watched it on YouTube later.
Lucky was a huge help with Jet, getting things for Jr. Jr., setting up TV/movies for a distraction for the sick kid, being Jr. Jr.'s scribe when Jr. Jr. wanted to type on the computer but I wouldn't let him because I didn't want him getting his germs on the keyboard, and watering the dying/dead zucchini plants.

We watched The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and talked about the symbolism of the Atonement. We also likened it to the stripling warriors who were young but were asked to fight on God's side and how youth nowadays are also asked to fight on God's side, not with swords but with their testimonies.
The sick child was up and moving around and enthusiastic while talking with his brother by the end of the day. He had no problem with the food he ate or what he drank. Phew. He also felt up to going out to feed the birds. By the time Jet and I got up there, the boys had already finished. They were quick.
We added some orange halves and called it good.

Plant a Seed

Jeremy won a mini herb greenhouse from Vineyard Garden Center in Orem. We thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share a Family Home Evening lesson about faith. And actually plant an herb garden since I never got around to it when Jeremy bought me stuff for planting herbs 2 years ago for Valentine's Day. (hangs head in shame). But this time we did it.
It had seeds for oregano, basil, and parsley. I showed the kids what the dried store-bought herbs look and smell like. We determined that oregano smells like pizza, basil smells sweet, and parsley smells like... hay or grass.

click on the pictures to see them larger- there are a lot

We put in the dirt pellets, added water, and waited for the dirt to grow.

Then it was time for the seeds. Nichole first with the parsley seeds. Next, Jr. with the teeniest tiniest oregano seeds. Last, it was Mommy with the not so small basil seeds.

Squirt them again with water and place them on the windowsill next to our avocado pit which by the way never sprouted. Sigh. Oh well, next time we have avocados we'll try again.

It only took a few days before we started to see progress. The first to push up out of the soil- the oregano. From those teeny tiny seeds. Amazing.

It wasn't long before the others started poking up as well.

The parsley grew fast.

Pretty soon we had a whole container full of plants.

I think I got more out of the lesson on faith than the kids. All we have to do is start with the smallest bit of faith, but we try. We nurture it with scripture study, prayer, church attendance, Family Home Evening (just like nurturing the seed with light, water, soil to grow in), and it will grow. The more we work on it, the stronger we get. Even from something as itty bitty teeny tiny as an oregano seed. Seriously, those things are ti-ny.

It's fun to see the progress of these little herbs.

And to see our own progress with our faith.

Friendship

The Relief Society lesson at church today was about friendship. I wanted to share a scripture and a quote that the teacher shared with us. I don't have a reference for the quote. It was just something the teacher had read somewhere and really liked. I like it, too.

Proverbs 17:17 "A friend loveth at all times..."

Quote "A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Kristin says: These things really describe Jesus Christ. He is our ultimate friend even when we're not being the best friend to Him. He knows us so well and still loves us even when we make mistakes, even when we don't show enough gratitude for what we are given.
I have been blessed time and time again to have the Savior in my life. So many good things have happened to me from following His example. He is the best friend I could ask for.