These are a Few of my Favorite things -- THIS Christmas

My favorite "Neighbor Gift" we received:

It's Rudolph the Red-Nosed [E.O.S. lip balm] Reindeer!

The Christensens are always so clever/cute with their gift & "packaging."

My favorite reaction to a gift I gave:

Haylee was SOOO happy (like jumping around & talking giddily) about her PJ's this year!  Namely, she loved the hood, the pockets, & the owl print.

She opened them on Christmas Eve and actually said that she'd be JUST FINE if that was her whole Christmas!  She was fulfilled!

It reminded me of a Christmas several years ago when she had a very emotional reaction to a ROBE she received.

{She doesn't have extravagent wants!  I LOVE it!}

This is not MY favorite, BUT the kids' favorite Christmas wish came true:

The kids were having a hard time FEELING like it was the Christmas season because we hadn't had any snow in December - AND it had been in the 40's & 50's (no coat weather!)

But, THEN they got a WHITE CHRISTMAS.  

It literally started snowing late Christmas Eve, and we woke up to a blanket of snow everywhere. 

THEY thought it was the best thing ever!

My favorite part about Christmas 2014:

Talking to/Seeing Ryan (Elder Brenchley) via Skype!!!

We waited forever - he'd told us it would be in between 3-3:00p.m.......we finally heard from him at 6:05p.m.

BUT, it was worth the wait!

It was so fun to talk to him - we got to be reminded of his playful, amusing personality, but also got to see HOW WELL HE IS DOING and how mature and solid in the gospel he is becoming! 

He absolutely loved the #sharethegift focus this Christmas season.

He testified again & again to us that HE IS THE GIFT.
We got about an hour with him, and 10 min. with his companion (he talked to us while Ryan HAD to go to the bathroom - some things never change! ;) haha. 
We didn't want to hang up and have him call us back because it took SO LONG for him to do it the first time!!)
He also witnessed Haylee smack Kyle while we were skyping....he laughed his head off about that!
Like I said, some things never change!  ;)

**********

What were your "favorite things" about Christmas this year?

A Taste of Christmas

What would Christmas be if not for the food?

We have some recipes/dishes that we have but once a year.  They are reserved for Christmas.  They are practically sacred.  They are anticipated.  They make our mouths water the day of preparation.  Then they are savored - or devoured, depending on WHO you are in our family.  ;)

Do you want to know what they are?

Here's some of the cast of characters:

Christmas Eve Dinner:

Jello Slush
2 sm. (3 oz.) pkgs. jello - any RED flavor dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
5 c. sugar dissolved in 3 more cups boiling water
1 lg. (46 oz.) can pineapple juice
8 more cups water

Mix together and freeze.  Remove from freezer 1 - 2 hours before serving.
Place in punch bowl and mix with 2 liters "7-up" type soda.
Serves 50  (or less if you're like my family and keep going back for more & more & more....)

Ruth's Chris Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potato Mixture:
3 c. cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
1 c. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c. (1 cube) butter, melted
splash of milk (if needed)

To cook sweet potatoes, boil them for 30 minutes.
Combine all ingredients together in the order listed.  Beat thoroughly for about 3-4 minutes to increase the fluffiness of the sweet potato mixture.  Add a splash of milk if too stiff.  Put mixture into a [sprayed with nonstick spray], medium-sized casserole dish.  Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees.  *At this point, dish can be covered and refrigerated for a couple of days.
Crust:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans
1/3 cube butter, melted

Mix together and sprinkle the surface of the sweet potato mixture with the crust mixture and return to oven for 15 minutes.  Allow to set at least 30 min. before serving.
The brown sugar/pecan crust should be slightly browned and crunchy.  
Makes 12 servings.

And this year, for the ones who turn their noses up on sweet potatoes, I added an "alternative."

"Boat" Potatoes
(more commonly known to the outside world as "twice-baked potatoes")
4 baking potatoes, scrubbed clean
Canola oil
4+ T.  prepared bacon crumbles (conveniently found at Costco) - or you could fry up actual slices of thick-cut bacon
1/4 lb. (1 cube) butter, cut into slices 
1/2 c. sour cream
1/4 c. milk
1/4 t. seasoned salt, such as Lawry's
1/4 t. black pepper
1 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 gr. onion, sliced

Preheat over to 400 degrees.  With a paper towl, rub the outside of the potatoes with canol oil.  Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked inside and the skins are slightly crisp.  Turn the oven down to 300 degrees.
Put the butter, sour cream, bacon, milk, seasoned salt, and pepper into a large bowl.  Cut each potato in half lengthwise.  With a large spoon, scrape out the insides into the bowl with the other ingredients.  Reserve the potato shells on a large baking sheet.  Use a potato masher to mix the ingredients together.  Stir in half (1/2 c.) the grated cheese and add the gr. onions to the bowl.  Stir.  
Fill each potato half shell with the mashed potato mixture and return to the baking sheet.  Top with the remaining (1/2 c.) cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are hot.  
Makes 8 "boat" potatoes.  Double the recipe if you need to serve more.


Potato Rolls
This is actually a "top secret" recipe of my friend's mother that I do not have the rights to put out there in blogosphere.
BUT, luckily, you can get it in her [published] cookbook found at:
www.idocook.com

We also have vanilla pudding as a "starter" (following a "Nut in the Pudding" Danish tradition that has been in my family for 4+ generations.  The REAL Danish way is to use rice pudding, but no one likes that, so vanilla it is!  Everyone is served a bowl of pudding, but only ONE has a nut hidden in it - secretly put in by the chef, who then mixes up the bowls, and then has a third party set them at the table, so it is totally fair.  The person who discovers the nut in THEIR bowl, wins a present right there on the spot!  :)

{Katelyn had the nut this year!}

The rest of the dinner is steak, green salad with [good] Ranch (ONLY Hidden Valley from a packet mix), and fresh
fruit - but no recipes are needed for that, just prepare it!

Christmas Day Appetizers:
I usually mix up the menu here from year to year, with a total of 4-5 dishes, but there's a couple of "constants."

Sweet & Sour Meatballs or Li'l Smokies (or both!)
This one is very difficult, but if you're extra talented, I think you can handle it!  ;)

1 (12 oz.) jar chili sauce
1 (18+ oz.) jar grape jelly 
2 lb. frozen meatballs or 2-3 packages Li'l Smokies, or a combo of both!

Combine jelly and chili sauce in a crock pot and stir until smooth.  Add meatballs or Li'l Smokies and set temperature to low.  Cook for 2-4 hours on low.  Serve with toothpicks.

 Vegetable Dip
(My food snobbery causes me to think the store bought ones are BLEH!  Note: I don't JUST make this at Christmas, I make it whenever I need veggie dip.)

1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
2 t. onion powder
2 t. Bon Appetit seasoning salt
2 t. dill weed

Mix all together.  Chill overnight until ready to serve with any fresh cut raw veggies.


Christmas Treats/Dessert:

Homemade Pepperment "Oreo" Cookies
Cookies:
2 Devil's Food Cake Mixes
2 cubes butter
1/2 c. flour
4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together (Beware!  It is a stiff dough, it could mangle wimpy beaters).  Roll into walnut-sized balls  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Filling:
8 oz. cream cheese
4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
little milk, if needed to thin 
Beat together.
Then add:
little peppermint extract
ground up candy canes (fresh ones, do not use year-old ones - I KNOW from experience!)

(I always have too much filling left over - can reduce measurements to make less!)

Use filling between 2 chocolate cookies = "Oreo"
Then roll edges of "Oreos" into crushed up candy canes before it dries, so it sticks.

Santa Claus Cookies
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. while baking chocolate, shopped
1 pkg. Nutter Butter cookies
red colored sugar sprinkles
vanilla or white chocolate chips
miniature chocolate ships
red-hot candies 

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt white chocoate, stirring occasionally.  Dip one end of each Nutter Butter cookie into melted chocolate.  Place on wire racks.  For "Santa's hat," springle red sugar on top part of white chocolate.  Press on vanilla chip off center on hat for "pom-pom."  Let stand until set.  Dip other end of cookie into melted white chocolate for "Santa's beard", leaving center of cookie uncovered.  Place on wire racks.  With a dab of melted white chocolate, attach mini chocolate chips for his eyes and a red-hot for his nose.  Place on waxed paper until everything sets.
 
Homemade "Magic Shell"
(I found this on Pinterest and now I'm never buying the $3-4 bottle at the store again!) 

It's REALLY hard, are you ready for this?  ;)
1 c. chocolate chips
2 T. coconut oil

Place in microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Continue microwaving and stirring in 15 second intervals until all of the chocolate is melted.

Serve over Peppermint ice cream (only comes out at Christmastime, which is now 3 months out of the year!)
 


I also make my MIL's sugar cookie recipe, cut out into Christmas shapes, for everyone to frost & decorate and leave for Santa, but it's not my recipe to share, so ask her!  ;)

There you have it.

Until next year.......Good Bye.  Sayonara.  Adieu.  Adios.   Auf Wiedersehen.  Ciao.  Farewell to all our yummy Christmas food.

All it Takes is 1 Song to Bring Back 1,000 Memories

There was once a magical time, when no one knew what song they would be listening to next. We got our music from the radio.  (I still do!)  Songs are like sign posts in our memory. They point us back to particular points in our lives.  When I tune into "80's night" on the radio, within the first strain of the song, I think of, or remember, a specific time/place/person associated with that song.  And in that spirit, with a Christmas twist, I'm going to fire up FM100 this afternoon and play you the next ten songs (so to speak).  There used to be a time when this station played Christmas songs sporadically in between their regular music in December, and it was just  the 100 hours (get it?  FM100) leading up to Christmas that they played continuous Christmas songs, NOT the TWO MONTHS leading up to it.  (My pet peeve.  It's not allowed until after Thanksgiving in my home/car.)  But, I digress.  Back to my experiment: listen while I spin the Christmas hits....and I'll see what comes to mind.

1.  Angels Among Us

I first heard this song performed at a Homemaking Night I attended in my ward when I lived in North Salt Lake.  (1995-96)  A lady who lived in my same apartment complex was one of the singers, along with a bunch of kids singing with her.  I can still see them standing together on the stage.  It wasn't at Christmastime, but the message of that evening was, "THERE ARE ANGELS AMONG US" helping us, serving us, being [sometimes unknown] answers to our prayers - which is a wonderful Christmas message, too.

2.  Frosty the Snowman

This takes me back to another magical time when all the Christmas TV specials were actually on NETWORK TV (as opposed to cable).  At the beginning of the season, the TV schedule would be printed in the newspaper and we would cut it out and hang it on our fridge, underlining the "must sees" in our opinion.  Frosty the Snowman came on every year - it was one of those underlined ones we made sure to watch.

3.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

This has "Elementary School" written all over it.  I sang this during music time at school.  It's where I learned all the great "echos" such as:
"Like a light bulb"
"Like a flash light"
"Like Pinocchio"
"Like Monopoly"
"Ho Ho Ho"
"Yippee"
"Like Columbus"
How FUN it was to sing it with all my other classmates!

4.  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

I'm sitting in the multi-purpose room, as a 3rd Grader, at Valley View Elementary watching the 6th Grade Christmas program. (1978)  With Dr. Tak (pronounced "talk") at the piano, the [big, cool, head-honchos-of-the-school] 6th graders started singing this song.....AND THEN started "rockin' out" up on stage, too, while they acted out the song.  And I sit there thinking, They are SOOO cool!

5.  You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Neil Diamond

Honestly, I don't know if I've ever heard this song, but I HAVE heard Neil Diamond.  And whenever I hear ANY Neil Diamond song, I'm taken back to my childhood home.  My dad was a fan of Neil Diamond and we for sure played his cassette tapes (remember those?) on our family room stereo.  The most well-loved song of Neil's (we're on a first name basis!) has to be "America" which leads me to remember my first nephew.  Nick was just a tot - maybe 2 yrs. old - and we'd give him all these miniature American flags to hold in his hands, then turn on "America."  He would just stand there waving the flags enthusiastically the whole song through, with a smile on his face.  "Nick-a-roonie" is now 22 yrs. old.  My dad also gave me two tickets to a Neil Diamond concert after my mission - in hopes that I would invite a date, and get onto the next step in life, but I was too chicken to ask anyone out, so I took my brother, Mike.  Other songs I can't forget are, "Forever in Blue Jeans," "Heartlight," "Love on the Rocks," "September Morn," and "Sweet Caroline" which I saw him perform at a real baseball game this summer -- and it was AWESOME!!!

 6.  Sleigh Ride

I did hear this song when I was younger, but a more recent memory has taken over whenever I hear this song.  Ryan played percussion in the Jr. High band for three years (2008-11) and they would perform this song for their Christmas concert.  The percussion section worked extra hard adding all the special sound effects with their various instruments (glockenspeil, sleigh bells, xylophone, temple blocks, triangle, slap stick, timpani, snare drum).  Whenever I hear the "horse whinny" (courtesy of a solo trumpet player) and the "whip cracks" part of the song now, I think of Ryan's band group at FJH and I can see the view I saw from my seat in the venue of their performance.

7.  Have Yourself a Merry Christmas

For some reason, my oldest brother, David, sang this around the house.....not in a festive kind of way, but an "In-Your-Face, invasion-of-your-space" kind of way - just to bug us, and provoke us to start swinging punches at or shoving him.

8.  Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

I think of the Kurt Bestor.  Back when I was pregnant with Haylee, my OB asked me if we had any Christmas traditions at one of my monthly appointments.  He shared with me that his family always went to the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert - and he raved about it.  From that moment on, I wanted to go, also.  It took several years, but one December, Matt informed me to "clear my schedule" one Saturday.  I didn't know what we were doing, but he arranged a babysitter for our kids, I got in the car and he just started driving me somewhere.  We ended up at Abravanal Hall in Salt Lake City for the Kurt Bestor Christmas concert -- it did NOT disappoint!  (Why my husband is awesome reason #148).  Kurt Bestor's percussion group were amazing!  During the concert, I remember thinking I hoped Ryan would continue on to that level, but then it turns out, he quit after Jr. High.

9.  Let it Snow

When I heard this song as a boy-crazy teenager (1982-1989), my daydreaming would kick in.  How could it not with lyrics that conjure up images of delightful fires, lights being turned down low, and being "stuck" inside with that special someone?!?  I would fantasize about whichever boy was on the top of my list at the moment and picture me in an actual future scene with him that involved "As long as you love me so" and "When we finally kiss goodnight" and "If you'll really hold me tight."  How romantic?  No?

10.  Up on the Housetop

Back in the day, as part of our family Christmas Eve traditions, we had a talent show.  One year (1978), my little sister, Michelle, and I made up a dance to perform to this song.  I dressed in a red leotard and we wore matching Christmas aprons and tights.  As part of our dance routine, we'd snap our fingers to the "click, click, click" part, and we'd "shimmy" on down to the "down through the chimney" part of the song.  We played the song on a RECORD PLAYER - yes, as in a vinyl record, on a turntable, and a stylus with a needle on it to run around the grooves.  (Any other "mature" adults know what I'm talking/writing about?)

I think I may have a photo in my archives......of us AND the record player......

 {Hey!  I want that red rocking chair in my home, now!}

This Weekend:

* All my sister-in-laws (minus 5 SILs) and I went on our annual Christmas shopping excursion with my MIL

to help her get Christmas presents for her grandkids (my children & nieces/nephews) at Station Park.

We also had dinner at Zupas together.  We were able to crank it out in 5 hours this year!

* Since the night was still "young," (by Matt & I's defintion) we went out for a mini-date to 

get a treat.  Ice cream was OUT since it was SO COLD (it was in the teens!), so we

went to Bowman's for half-price doughnuts (after 7 PM) & chocolate milk.

* Matt & Ryan went to the "basketball draft" on Saturday morning for our Jr. Jazz city basketball league.
Matt is going to be Kyle's head coach, and Ryan will be his "assistant."
Kyle was "protected" due to being a coach's son, so he didn't even have to try out.
They watched the boys run through some dribbling, shooting, passing, etc. drills and were able to take notes/rate them,
then they went into the "Situation Room" and drew numbers to see who'd go first in the draft.
Since Ryan remembers everything sports/stats related, he was good eyes & brain to assist Matt in his draft picks.

* Meanwhile, I picked up my Bountiful Basket - included this time was everything to make guacomole.  Yum!

* Saturday Jobs and I started to make the stew for our ward Christmas party.

* We had told all the kids that IF they were perfect on their check marks for the week,

that we would go to the movies on Saturday.  The boys would go to Thor, and the girls

would go to Frozen.  Well, they did it! 

So, we went!
{Our ONE movie of the year.} 

Although, we arrived at the theater about 20 min. before showtime, all the good seats (by my definition)

for Frozen were taken, so we ended up on Row 3!  

(I guess everyone reserves online ahead of time these days because they definitely weren't sitting in the theater, yet, when we entered.)

It was hard for my eyes to digest everything happening on the big screen so close up.  

Needless to say, I came out with a headache.  

When I announced this to the boys, they started laughing because apparently, Matt had already "called it."
 He had just told them, "Watch, Mom's going to come out and say she has a headache."

* The boys then went over to Matt's brother's house to watch the MLS Championship game.....

only to see ReAL Salt Lake lose in a shoot out!  

{Matt was much displeased.}

* We had our ward Christmas party tonight.

It was an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" themed party, so I had gone to Deseret Industries earlier in the week to

get some for my family.  I only found some for the girls.  They didn't even have any for the boys.  

BUT, the thing was, my daughters DID NOT EVEN THINK THEY WERE UGLY! 

They WANT to wear them to school!  WHAT?!?!

Should I allow it?  

I'm hearing my mother's voice in my head, "Don't represent our family THAT WAY!"

We got to the party and realized that there were rolls and baked goodies GALORE - ALL of which

Haylee can't eat anymore as a Celiac.  Her face immediately fell - it was sad.

We didn't even think of that.....there's definitely a learning curve with this new lifestyle....we need to get used to bringing our own things to parties now.

Luckily, they had a soft serve ice cream machine there, also - she just put hers in a cup instead of a cone!  ;)
Santa Claus also came, but Brookelle was a bit nervous and "forgot" to tell him what she wanted!

 So, I helped her write an "official" list when she got home.  ;)

* I helped Ryan get the stuff to answer to Christmas Dance, and then drop it off at the girls house.

* And then he begged me to go do "donuts" and slip/slide around in the church parking lot on our way home since it had been snowing most of the day!
{I obliged}

* Churchey-church and meetings on Sunday.

My Mia Maid adviser taught this lesson.  She had asked the young women's

parents & friends about what each of their spiritual gifts were and

then shared them with the class.  It was cool because some of 

the girls didn't even realize they had those!

* In the afternoon, some of the kids watched, "Miracle of 34th Street" and then in the evening,

the family watched, "The Polar Express." 

We're trying to knock off a couple for our Family Christmas movie tradition on a 

day that everyone is home, instead of running a million different directions!
We remembered about the First Presidency's Christmas devotional at 6:45 PM - woops!
We "dropped the ball" this year - only caught the last 15 min.

* I also spent a bunch of time on the library website selecting Christmas

storybooks that I can read to my family each night this year. (another

family tradition).  The Christmas Train by President Thomas S. Monson

has a long waiting list again this year, so we're probably not going to get it!  Dang!

But, I'm excited about some of the other titles we can hopefully get to.

* We put all the ornaments on our Christmas tree (just the tree with lights had been 

up for for a couple of days) and I finished the last decorating touches in our home.

* I gave both the boys haircuts, but they both had strict instructions for me to 

leave their "wings" and their "Jedi braid" alone.

{They are totally replaying their father's adolescence.}

* One of our friends delivered one of those Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory-esque

caramel apples....that SHE made!!  It had been dipped in Oreo crumbs and

had white chocolate drizzled on the top of that!  Oh. My. YUM!

The family gobbled it down in NO TIME at all.

Seriously, I cut it up, walked out of the kitchen, and came back and it was GONE!
(Thus, no photo.)

But, the little bit I did taste, was just the right "night cap" (at least our version of one!)  ;)

How Did it Get to be the LAST DAY OF NOVEMBER Already?

Before this month passes by, I need to get in at least ONE "Song of Gratitude".

I am so grateful for my husband.

                           
He is everything I AM NOT.  Patient.  Optimistic.  a Peacemaker.  (all fabulous things to have in a marriage!)   ;)
Sometimes he is THE ONLY ONE I can talk to about certain things...when I am so full of concern about something that I feel I am going to burst - or at least throw up - he is my confidante.

I am grateful for these 5 children of mine.

I love the "moments" I have with them.

We have this Little People Nativity set that plays "Away in a Manger" when you push a button, which Brookelle LOVES to do.....I caught her "leading the music" to that today.  Melt my heart & made me smile.
I had the Young Women over to my home for mutual this week making pumpkin bread.....well, it ended up taking A LONG TIME, so Ryan returned home from young men's before we were done.  He joined in talking with us all....and we were all laughing in no time.  At one time, I was doubled over, hoping I didn't pee my pants!!  Love his "fun-ness."  He stood in as a "Witness" at Katelyn's baptism last Saturday.  As I looked over from my vantage point in the "wings" of the font and saw him standing there reverently, dressed in his suit.....well, THAT was a GRATEFUL moment for this mom!
Katelyn brings me in breakfast while I am working in the morning -- scrambled eggs with bacon bits & toast and some fruit, with a cut out paper heart on the tray with the words, "Hers ur brekfus.  I love you." written on it.  So thoughtful - especially since I don't even have time to eat some mornings!  AND when one of my [unnamed] children decided to "run away" but really was just hiding out in the shed, Katelyn took out cookies & crackers to her sibling - and asked it we had any "take out" boxes, so she could take care of them at dinner time, too!
Kyle doesn't say much around the whole family - or at home in general....he sure listens to everything that other people ARE saying around him, though!!  Sometimes he responds with a slight smile, a shake of his head, or a roll of his eyes depending on how "amusing" he thinks we all are....but he "gathers" all this info that is surrounding him and keeps it all in his heart....AND THEN when I get him in the car with me alone, he let's loose!  All of a sudden, he's got PLENTY of things to talk about.  He brings up all the questions, comments, and discoveries he's been holding onto recently and we have quite the delightful 1:1 conversations together - on the road!
SShhhh, don't tell anyone, but Haylee is all for having her parents "tuck her in" at night still -- AND scratch her back, of course.  Who wouldn't be able to fall asleep with that?  I also find it charming that she likes to "spy" on the Young Women when they are over, or hang out in the "fringes" of the group and admire them - trying to throw out a clever comment whenever she can.  I'm grateful to have her join me with any of my Young Women preparations and deliveries to their homes.  She is always willing to help me when it involves the Young Women!  (I hope the Young Women feel HONORED that they are such a "Rock Star" in her mind, but I also hope they feel RESPONSIBLE - as she is viewing them as an example - good or bad!)

I am grateful for books.

This is one of my little "mommy tricks" I use.  This is one of those things I have always used to cure a cranky child.  Stop.  Sit down.  Cuddle up with them & read a story.  Magic.  Everything is good with the world again!  I was in a bookstore today, and I was lovin' it....it made me almost GIDDY to be surrounded by books, so many I want to read to my children - or have them read on their own.  This love of Children's Books started at a really young age for me - I remember our "reading alcove" in the house where I lived in California (ages 2 to 5).  It had a bookcase full of all our children's books and a padded rocker where my mom would read to us, or we could sit there and "lose ourselves" in a book, too.  (Sometimes I pretended to take my nap by sitting there looking at books real quietly instead, but my mom was not deceived when I came down and told her I was "done with my nap!")  My Grandma knew what THE BEST books were since she worked in the schools, and she gave us some of the "Classics" for gifts.  She always wrote our name & date in the front cover of the book and then signed her name.  Some of them still exist [lovingly used] at my mom's house, and whenever I see them, I get extremely sentimental!  When I've picked out books for my children, I pick those SAME ONES from my childhood!  This "magic" of children's books now spreads across four generations (at least that I can remember).  Tomorrow, on the first day of December, we will start our Christmas storybook tradition each night.  And I love that they only want ME to read them the story - word is that Dad or Big Brother just can't pull it off the same way!  If I'm gone one evening, they will just skip that night since it's "our thing."  And, contrary to the "code-of-cool-conduct" my teenagers still gather round for this ritual.  Another "moment" I am grateful for.

I am grateful for church callings.
Namely those people who are serving well in their callings.

I have always thought "the most important calling in the church" was the calling(s) that currently has stewardship over MY CHILDREN.  So, right now, that would be the Young Men's President and Priests' advisers, The Young Men's 2nd Counselor, Deacon's Advisers, and Scoutmasters.  The Primary Presidency, the Valiant 9 teachers, the Valiant 7 teachers, all the Activity Day Leaders, and the Sunbeam teachers.  They are helping and teaching my children so much.  And they LOVE them and make things ENJOYABLE for them.  Right now - and over the last several WEEKS - the Primary Organization is planning our ward Christmas Party....and that is a TON of work.  They are making a "movie" of the Primary Children by filming them "in action" and "interviewing" them - with the skills & services of our local professional film editor.  What an exciting & fun project!  I'm thankful for all the people who put in some much time and effort to carry out the work of the Lord.  (I, myself, have been in charge of activities before and I KNOW how much work it takes, so I'm ESPECIALLY grateful when someone else is doing it - and I'm on the receiving end!)  :)  I, too, have been blessed from serving in church callings -- remember that virtue of patience I don't have?  I'm sure getting a lot of LESSONS in that category while doing my calling!  :)

The list could go on, but these are the things that come to my mind the quickest here on this last ditch effort to express my gratitude before the month is over!