merry christmas!

So I love this video a friend shared with me on facebook. Hope you all have a merry christmas and "save the drama for your mama". :)

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Favorite Christmas Memories

Christmas is upon us yet again and it seems like it's come even faster than last year! Seriously where did 2010 go? I can honestly remember last christmas like it was yesterday. I spent the weeks leading up to christmas working full days at target after finals were over..enduring long nights with angry customers that went on til 1am or longer. :( Christmas eve I worked til about 7pm and came home to watch jim carrey's "The Grinch" with my parents and my sister. This Christmas looks to repeat a similar pattern (minus the working at target thank goodness) and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't help but think back to some of the great christmas traditions/memories my family has had over the years. I thought maybe I'd share some!

1. I remember when i was little my parents bought a train to go around the christmas tree. I LOVED that train! I remember being more excited to play with the train than i was with most of my presents growing up. My mom and dad would get upset sometimes cause they'd given me so many presents yet they all stayed in a pile while i played with my awesome train :)
2. Watching christmas movies like The grinch, muppet christmas carol, elf, and the santa clause. No matter how old i get i can still watch these great shows and somehow feel like a little kid again (not that don't act like one from time to time).

3. Every year my mom's side of the family has a big party at our house where we trade white elephant gifts and have a big family dinner. It's easily one of my favorite things because of some of the stuff my family comes up with for white elephants. This year I got scented candles (which i need to find a place to put :)) 

4. Christmas music! I remember all the way back when I was 4 or 5 listening to two albums in particular during decorating. John Denver and the Muppets Christmas on vinyl, and Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys on tape.  Yep back in my day there were no such thing as cd's (wow I'm starting to feel old) I could sing every line from both albums if I was challenged to do so. Yea I'm just that good. Recently I've found more christmas music to love. From traditional stuff like michael buble (I'm sure i spelled that wrong), and taylor swift to hard rock christmas music like transiberian orchestra. I also stumbled upon a christmas album by the rock band Relient K i absolutely love :). There's so much music to listening to it's impossible to not get into the christmas spirit. 

So these are some of my favorite things about christmas! I hope you all have a safe and fun holiday thats full of family and friends! :)

The True Meaning of Christmas

I'm soo excited for christmas and before I start my christmas blogging i thought i'd share this message my dad wrote for our ward newsletter. I feel like we could all use this as a reminder of what we should be really focusing on while we're getting ready for christmas this holiday season. 

'For to us a child is born
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.'
Isa 9:6

The Christmas season is upon us, a time when we all join together with the rest of the Christian world and reflect and show our gratitude for the greatest gift of all, the gift of the Son of God. 

Christmas is the time of year that brings back memories of childhood wonder for those of us inching up in years, a time when memories are built and traditions revisited.  Even for the hard of heart, the season itself can soften bitter tears, and we can lighten the load of those in distress by opening our very hearts to them.  Christmas is a season to exchange gifts with loved ones, a time to serve with more fervor.  More important of course, is to acknowledge that great gift, the greatest of all gifts that was given more than 2000 years ago.

The spirit of Christmas needs to supersede by the Spirit of Christ. The spirit of Christmas is annual; the Spirit of Christ is eternal. The spirit of Christmas is sentimental; the Spirit of Christ is supernatural. The spirit of Christmas is a human product; the Spirit of Christ is a divine person. That makes all the difference in the world." -Stuart Briscoe

The Christmas Child

"There is a magic in Christmas. Hearts are opened to a new measure of kindness. Love speaks with increased power. Tensions are eased...

"Of all things of heaven and earth of which we bear testimony, none is as important as our witness that Jesus, the Christmas child, condescended to come to earth from the realms of His Eternal Father, here to work among men as healer and teacher, our Great Exemplar. And further, and most important, He suffered on Calvary's cross as an atoning sacrifice for all mankind.

"At this time of Christmas, this season when gifts are given, let us not forget that God gave His Son, and His Son gave His life, that each of us might have the gift of eternal life" (Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Son of God,"

What will you and I give for Christmas this year? Let us in our lives give to our Lord and Savior the gift of gratitude by living His teachings and following in His footsteps as President Monson admonished us to live with an “attitude of gratitude”. It was said of the Savior that He 'went about doing good.' As we do likewise, the Christmas spirit will be ours.

Porter Lane 2^nd Ward Bishopric