six days and still searching?

Six days till Christmas! Six Days and still not satisfied with my level of christmas spirit. I just now finished putting up all my christmas decorations, hoping that would help, we have been reading the story of christs birth and hannah and I have talked alot about christmas and why we celebrate it, and I have listened to every christmas song about our savior, that i can get my hands on.
I need to find something more. something memorable! wish me luck, I am determind to find my christmas spirit some where, some how!

A lesson well taught.

Yesterday I asked Hannah what she had learned in class at church.
She thought for a moment and then said,"mom, we learned about fasting".
Well what about fasting?' i asked. So then she proceeded to give me the simplest yet most profound lesson on fasting. She told me that when we fast we go without food for two meals so that the money we would have spent on food for those two meals we give to the bishop, and he gives it to someone who needs food or clothes or a house. I told her that that was very good, and I was glad she had listened in class, and then she said but wait mom, thats not the only reason we fast,I asked her well why else, and she said, cause when we fast we get hungry, but when we feel hungry we ask heavenly father to help us not be hungry so we can give money to the poor people, and then he sends the Holy Ghost to help us not be hungry.
If only we could all remember this as we fast. I for one most fast sundays, don't fast, I just go hungry. And there is a difference, it is all in the attitude.
But I have come to realize our whole life experiance depends on our attitude. I remeber growing up and hearing my parents say repeatedly, attitude is everything! So for my parents, I will finally say, "you were right!" In the Book of Mormon, Laman, and Lemuel did everything Nephi did, but they had a bad attitude about it and it made all the difference in how their lives, and the lives of millions of people, turned out.
So my simple yet profound lesson, from my six year old, taught me not only am I lacking in the parenting area for not teaching her more in depth about fasting sooner, but I am lacking in the attitude department. So I vow, this next fast sunday, to not go hungry, but to fast, with the right attitude and an open heart and mind. If anything, I will fast with real intent so that my daughter knows that I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and that I will follow the prophet, and all his teachings. Thank you Hannah! It was a lesson well taught!

Am I the innkeeper

I have thought a lot about the Innkeeper today.
The man who told Mary and Joseph That he had no room for them at his inn.
I have often wondered how he felt after he found out that the savior of the world was born in a stable because he was to busy and didn't have any where for them.
And then today, this analogy really hit home. As I was walking through the store today, I looked around and in amazement wondered how we got so far from the true meaning of Christmas? when did we forget the whole reason we celebrate Christmas? How did we commercialize the birth of our savior, to include santa and elves and reindeer? When did we decide to spend our holiday season stressing over money and gifts and decorations? when did we all decide to be innkeepers? It was a very busy time of year for the innkeeper, his inn was filled to capacity, with travelers and family, he was so busy trying to please his guests that he sent the mother of our Savior away, he sent her to give birth to the savior of the world , in a stable, a place where animals lived and ate and slept. Are we not all innkeepers? I am very guilty of the innkeeper satus. I find myself so consumed with life, that I have not made room for the son of man, the prince of peace, the Son of God, My Savior. I have cast him to the stable, in hopes that I can get through this holiday season without breaking the bank. when really I should be more like the shepherds, they set everything aside to seek the son of god, they left there flocks in the fields, and came in search of the savior. How can I be a shepherd, and leave the Innkeeper status behind? I don't know all the answers, but I do know that trying is the first step, and so I am trying. I do not want to have the regrets that I am sure the Innkeeper had when he realized that he turned the savior of the world away.
So I ask myself, Am I the innkeeper? and the answer is yes, so I am striving to make room for the savior, in this , the season of his birth.

My quest for a christ centered Christmas.

I will have to admit, the holiday season is upon us and I am totally lacking in holiday spirit. Why? you may ask? well that is a very good question! A question I did not know the answer to till this morning. For me the holidays have become just another time of year, not much different from your tipical birthday, or anniversary. I do love decorating for Christmas but I love decorating for every holiday(much to my husbands dismay).
So my latest Christmas discovery came in the form of a phone call from my little sister. She is just recently married and learning the financial
struggles that come with life, especially scince they just signed on their first house, unexpectedly. So buying your first house can put a cramp on anyones budget, especially when the house needs repairs before you can move in. She is very excited but nervous, they close on the house two days after Christmas. Therefore they cannot afford any thing for christmas because they are putting everything into their house. Well last night my sister was having a very, woe is me moment( i have my own share of these moments)because she now could not afford to get her husband the "first christmas together," gift she had been wanting too.
Her husband came home from the bank with a tag off of the angel tree, and she began to scold him for it because they had just talked about no extra spending, he asked her to just read it, she proceeded to tell him they could not afford it, when he told her to just read it, so she did, and as she told me about it she cried and i cried, it was the tag of a five year old little boy, and all he wanted for christmas was clothes, just clothes, no toy or video game or bike , just clothes, i don't know a single five year old that wants just clothes, my six year old has a whole list of toys and books and games she wants, but she would never ask for clothes, why? because she has clothes. As she told me of this i was ever so grateful, as was she, for the great example, of my brother in law, there is always someone less fourtunate than us, who is in need this holiday season. and even when we feel we don't have much, there is always something to give.
So here is my challenge, to myself, and to all those who are lacking in CHRISTmas spirit, find Christ in CHRISTmas! we are lacking in holiday spirit because we dont truly know the meaning of CHRISTmas! it's not about what we can't give, or the money spent, it's not about getting the best gift or giving the best gift, it's not about what or who we can't be with this Christmas! it's about letting the light of Christ shine through us , in everything we do and say, it's about letting Christ back into our homes and our hearts. So my vow is to have a Christ centered Christmas, and to give my daughter the greatest gift I can possibly give, the light of christ! I know my savior lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives! I am searching for my Christ centered christmas!

November Gratitude!

Blogging lost its fame when facebook became the fad, but facebook does not seem as personal and intimate as a blog. So i have vowed to blog at least once a month, not for anyone else, but for me. It has been a long time scince my last blog, but time certainly does fly by when you are having fun! We have made many memories and fought battles, and conquered many wars this past year! But there is not a better time of year to reflect on the past eleven months and realize how greatful i am for those past eleven months, and the people in my life that have influenced this last year! Life is wonderful, and I am so grateful to be alive, I am so grateful to be married to the most wonderful man on earth and be the mother of the most amazing daughter, who will be turning 7 in a month and a half! My life has had its ups and downs, but this month is the month of gratitude, so I am grateful for the ups in my life and for the lessons the downs have taught me. I am grateful, just truly grateful for everything!

April Showers!

The dog was in desperate need of a bath and so Hannah dressed for the occasion!

We love our red rubber boots! And our swimsuit!

March Snow Storm

One day it is 70 degrees the next day we get 8 inches of snow! The birds were a little confused.
but it was beautiful! As the saying goes in Missouri, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes, it will change!