Christmas Time!

I love Christmas time, and one of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is Christmas Eve. Gathering around the tree with the family, reading about the first Christmas in the scriptures, singing songs, eating good things and the feeling of anticipation for the next day! I think the anticipation and the secrets are the funnest part. Tonight we did a little last minute shopping and came home from the library with some Christmas books for Lily. It was so quiet in the room with the Christmas tree so we decided to do a little pre-Christmas Eve with just us and Lily. Tomorrow night all the family will be over for an evening of fun and food that will most likely not be quiet, so I thought it would be nice to seize the moment to get a little more spiritual. We read the library books together, some more fun, some more spiritual, and then I got down my mom's nativity set and told Lily the story of Jesus with the little figures. She must have liked it because I had to do it over again, and then she even wanted to repeat it another time. I put it back away and let her play with the less fragile set we had when I was a kid, and the play-mobile set my mom got a few years ago. I love the old set so much my mom said I could keep it this year. Their noses are a little pointy and there are only the three of them, but I have good memories with it, and I like the fact that the baby Jesus is broken neatly out of his manger so you can hold him in your hand and put him back in again. Lily likes that too. My mom and dad came in as we were sitting around listening to music at the end - there is just something about a lighted Christmas tree that draws you in. It was a nice way to end the day.

I'm so grateful for my family and for my Savior, Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas, everyone!