Unexpected Blessings...

Growing up I can remember rolling out sugar cookies and decorating them with all the different colored frostings ans sprinkles my Mom always prepared. I remember building snowmen in the back yard until my fingers and feet were so cold that I had to go inside to defrost them. I remember looking back at pictures of us on Christmas morning- our hair always sporting a crazy case of bedhead, holding whatever that year's gift happened to be.  I have tried to give my kids the same kind of memories, but this year was different.

Because of the ongoing problems with my wrist- mixing up cookie dough is really hard for me- let alone trying to roll it out. My wrist just doesn't work that way any more and I get frustrated trying to do the things I used to do. Subsequently, I told Matt that he was on "cookie duty" this year. Then a wonderful thing happened. We had so many friends, neighbors and family drop off goody trays and baskets that we had a hard time eating what was already here! The kids LOVED choosing from all the varieties and always wanted to know who made what.  I don't think they even missed taking a year off from making their own. I also think it was a really good lesson for them to see that other people care about us enough to do something so special for our family. We try to teach the kids that it is great to serve others- but I am glad they also got the opportunity to see how good it feels when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for them. Maybe they'll remember that and try to pass it on!


My favorite movie of all is "White Christmas". I just love it and the songs and every year I hope to actually have a white Christmas. Living in Colorado, this isn't usually a problem, but this year it just didn't snow. I admit I was a little saddened by this, but tried to look on the bright side. Some of my kids have had that nasty barky cough all season and wouldn't have been able to go outside anyway. It did finally snow for my birthday on the 30th, and I was surprised that the kids didn't even ask to go out and play in it. I guess the freezing cold temperatures just didn't tempt them!

We woke up Christmas morning and the battery to my camera was dead. No reviving it and no replacements. So I didn't get any pictures this year. I am slightly saddened by this, but in a way it was kind of nice just to enjoy the moment. I got to watch my kids excitement as they opened their gifts and we didn't even have to pause and pose for anything. It really was kind of a blessing in disguise, I suppose. 

Don't get me wrong here- I love all our family Christmas traditions; the cookie making, the romp in the snow, and the pictures. I hope to revisit these traditions in future years and I really hope my kids have fond memories of their holidays. At the end of the movie "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" the Grinch comments that he learned that "Christmas perhaps- doesn't come from a store. Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more."

Like the Grinch, I also learned a great lesson this year; It's okay that things didn't go exactly as I planned. It's okay that I didn't bake all the treats myself... It's okay that we didn't have snow and pictures and all the rest of it. That's not really what Christmas is all about anyway. Christmas is about being with our loved ones and about remembering the Savior and all he means to us. It is about being grateful and recognizing our blessings and in return blessing the lives of those around us. That's what I learned this year, and I am so glad I did.