Memories of Christmas

By
Top 5 things about Christmas...

Visiting Carl's Grave. We read the Christmas story in Luke 2 on our way. When we got there we got to explain to the kids that the entire reason we celebrate Christmas was because Jesus was born and he made it possible for Carl to return to live with him and for us all to return to live with him someday. The spirit was so strong. The graves were filled with flowers. It was a rainy day and I loved to see people visiting loved ones. It made me so grateful for my knowledge of Christ and his gospel. It was a great reminder to me and the kids to what Christmas is all about.

Scott's prayer. He said three things...."I am grateful for Jesus. I am grateful that today was Jesus, Carl and Pops Birthday. I am grateful for my guinea pig." So sweet, so genuine.

Santa Letter. We read Scott and Tyler a letter in the morning from Santa (the irony of it all) about the true meaning of Christmas, all the great things they did that year and a couple of things that they can work on. The major thing they needed to work on was being a little more reverent in church, sitting on the pew, etc. and opened a bag dedicated to church. They got bible coloring books with crayons, a water bottle, books, threading tools, etc. It was cute and I think Scott actually believed that Santa wrote the letter. The best part was today in church they knew they couldn't open their bag until after Sacrament, sat very patiently and quietly throughout the meeting. Reverent enough for my dear husband to take a 30 minute nap or so. I guess I need to get him a bag of toys to keep his attention. It worked today and I am stoked. Wish me luck for the future. The bag was inspired by Mardee's FHE on Church Reverence.

Celebrating my Dad. He is the best, most patient and available dad and grandpa. We are so lucky to have him in our lives!!

Playing with the kids during dinner. While Everyone was eating I had the five kids to myself and LOVED it!! Paisley and Kira played, Roman kept saying HI through the glass (which I think referred to Heidi) and I just enjoyed their cuteness and sweetness. I had the kids all to myself, focused just on them and loved it!!

As I reflect on Christmas I recognize how grateful I am for my knowledge of Christ. I have been blessed with experiences throughout my life that have allowed me to get to know my Savior in a very intimate and real way. He lifts my burdens and helps me strive to be a little bit better each day. He is always there for me and my family and gives me hope of eternal life.

I am grateful that we have an amazing family full of love and support. We got to spend it with them and talk to Danny's family throughout the day that we are a little farther from. We got to talk to and email friends that are significant in our lives and think of meaningful relationships we are grateful for.

Every year I want Christmas to be more focused on him and less focused on the world. Danny and I look forward to starting our own Christmas traditions, some of which we did this year and others which we hope to do in the future. I recognize that my kids willn't remember 99% of the toys that they receive, however, will remember the acts of service given, peoples lives blessed and acts of giving instead of receiving. We have such a long way to go.


Comments

Chelle said…
What a neat Christmas! That is how I want ours to be too--full of the Spirit. I kept trying to stress that the reason for Christmas is Christ's birth, but there were still more things I wanted to do but didn't. You guys are so inspiring to me! Thanks for your great example.
12/27/10, 8:49 AM
Lindsey Anne said…
That was such a happy post. I hope I can see as much good in everything as you can. Scott's prayer - so cute, and just like Danny's :)
12/28/10, 10:42 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Update

By
Image
My mom is in town from Utah. She spent the night at the hospital last night and has been holding Tyler quite a bit. He really enjoys being held, so he's less fussy and has responded well to the weaning of the oxygen. He's on regular air, but I guess it's still the high-flow to keep his lungs inflated. He's up to 9 cc's of food per hour, an improvement over yesterday's 2 cc's. The picture is of Betty and Bob Maddox (Heather's in-laws), Jacquie Lietz (Heidi's mom), Heather Maddox (Heidi's sister), and Walt Lietz, Heidi's dad. They did a 5K walk to raise money for the American Heart Association. Thanks to all who donated on behalf of Heather and Tyler!
Read more

Periacetabular Osteotomy "Hip" Surgery

By
Image
Ok, should we just rename our blog the McMillan Pediatrics Medical Journal? Everyone has issues. Our family is congenital medical disorders. Tylers heart, Carls brain and Dannys Hips. Danny had hip discomfort growing up, visited the doc at 17 and was dismissed with "bad hips." He learned to make the best of his hips by monitoring his activity, walking slowly, making me wear hiking packs and taking breaks. After experiencing back pain this year he went to a doctor who took one look at his x-ray and sent him to orthopedics who sent him to a surgeon. We are blessed with a great friend who is amazing hip surgeon and chief of orthopedics AKA John Kronick who guided us in our decision. Our family is always taken care of in miraculous ways. Here are his hips: The Problem: acetabular (hip) dysplasia is a congenital disorder usually formed by age 3. His acetabular is more dish shaped instead of cup shaped. A normal hip would surround the head of his femur. His X-ray shows signs of art
Read more

Swim Lessons

By
The season has begun for summer swim lessons. If anyone is interested in or knows someone who is looking for swim lessons please pass on my information. Thanks and enjoy the summer!! I began coaching 9 years ago at the recreational level and currently coach the Walnut Creek Aquabears United States Swim Team (www.Aquabears.org). I grew up in Walnut Creek, was a nationally ranked swimmer and collegiate record holder for BYU. I specialize in private lessons and customize each lesson to meet your child’s specific needs. I provide instruction in Walnut Creek or in the privacy of your own pool. Beginning Lessons Learning to swim helps children gain self-esteem, independence and motor skills. I use a gentle approach to help teach your child to love the water. I help children learn water safety skills, breathing techniques, floating and the four basic strokes. Advanced Stroke Technique Attention to stroke technique is important for an advanced swimmer to improve efficiency in the water. Pri
Read more