for the #LightTheWorld Christmas campaign

Yesterday, I sat down to make a list of things to do with my family this Christmas season, but after just a few ideas I was feeling stumped. I have learned that having the Christmas spirit in our home takes planning and some work on my part, but I wasn't sure what to do about it this year. And then I remembered the #LightTheWorld Christmas campaign on mormon.org. What is the #LightTheWorld campaign? As it says on the website, "No season of the year shines as bright as Christmas--and the brightest light is Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. Once again we celebrate His birth by making Christmastime a season of service. Join us this year as we learn His teachings and follow His example to #LightTheWorld."

I was immediately filled with gratitude for this program. Every day from December 1 until Christmas, there is a scripture, a short video, and a few activities to do as a family that will guarantee that the Christmas spirit is alive and well in your home. I printed off the calendar and copied down one activity to do each day, which I'll put into our nativity advent calendar. Most of the activities won't take more than a few minutes to complete, but I am very much looking forward to spending a little bit of time each day with my family, celebrating Christmas by following the example of Jesus Christ.

There's more info on my sidebar, if you'd like to check it out!

Easter, finally

Do you ever go back to bed after you've sent your kids off to school? Sometimes it is so tempting! I was babysitting nieces and nephews last week and I feel like I am still catching up on sleep. But rather than nap this morning, I feel the pull to write here for a minute.

Easter fell right in the middle of my eight day babysitting stint, so here I am, more than a week later, finally thinking about it. I try to keep Easter as religious as possible at our house. We don't do Easter baskets, or presents, and we hardly ever dye eggs. This year, because things were hectic with all of those extra kids, we didn't even do an egg hunt. I don't think anyone missed it. And I definitely didn't miss having all of that candy around the house. Our one non-religious tradition comes from Mike's childhood. He hides a chocolate bunny for everyone to find on Easter morning.

The rest of the day was spent worshipping at church as a family and with Mike's parents at Sunday dinner. My nieces and nephews went to their grandma's house that day, so it was a nice, quiet break for me.

I love Easter with the hope and rebirth that comes with it. I know that because Jesus Christ lived and died and lived again, so can I. And so can my family. Because He atoned for my sins, I can try again and again, as often as it takes for me to become more like Him. These things bring me peace in a world that is so lacking in peace, and I am grateful for a religion that helps me to know them.

I hope your Easter was a happy one.

some Easter things

If you are looking for some extra Easter inspiration this week, here are my four favorite little videos (each is only about 2 minutes long, but so powerful!):

#Hallelujah - As Easter Message about Jesus Christ

He Lives - Celebrate Easter because Jesus Christ Lives

Because of Him

His Sacred Name - An Easter Declaration


more Easter videos here

some things

We went to the Easter Pageant last night. If you are local and haven't been yet, it is running through Saturday at the Mesa Temple. It is one of our favorite Easter traditions, and portrays the life of the Savior through song, dance, and drama. It is the largest Easter pageant in the world, and I feel really lucky to live so close to it.

Speaking of Easter, my kids and I have been talking more about the Holy week this year. I think it's important that we know what the Savior did during His final week in mortality. The more we know, the more real it will be to us. So we've been taking just a few minutes at dinner to talk about what happened to the Savior each day. And then we've been watching one of the videos highlighting some principles of peace that the Savior taught. These videos are super short, but so relevant to our life today. I really like them.

My favorite quote from General Conference this week is from Mark A. Bragg's talk, Brighter and Brighter Until the Perfect Day. It's a short talk and worth a listen. In it, he said, "May we be strengthened by the light that is available to us through greater participation at church and greater application of gospel principles in our families." I have a testimony of this. I believe that our Heavenly Father wants to bless us with light, and peace, and understanding, and comfort, and everything else that we need, but it takes work on our part. We must make an effort to seek that light. I have found in my own life that as I seek the light through participation at church and application of the gospel in my home, it has come. Little bits of it have consistently come that add up to a bright understanding, which gives me peace and assurance - two things that I really need in this life.

Something that has helped me get through my sewing projects this week: the Escape to the Country Collection on Netflix. The show highlights an area of the English countryside, then shows prospective buyers three adorable properties. It is helping me to fulfill my life-long dream of living in the English countryside in a home full of centuries-old character. Plus, it's British, and I think we can all agree that they make better television. Have you seen it?

I hope your week is going well!

the wise men

"As the Christmas season envelops us with all its glory, may we, as did the Wise Men, seek a bright, particular star to guide us to our Christmas opportunity in service to our fellowman.

"May we all make the journey to Bethlehem in spirit, taking with us a tender, caring heart as our gift to the Savior."

Thomas S. Monson


Merry Christmas, friends! We have gingerbread to bake and white elephant gifts to wrap and the nativity play to script and then we will be ready. I hope your home is filled with the peace that only He can bring this Christmas weekend.


More on the Wise Men here.

the babe, wrapped in swaddling clothes

I shared some of this last year, but I love it so much, I think it needs to be shared again.

From Elder Christofferson:

"When we talk about the birth of Jesus Christ, we appropriately reflect on what was to follow. His birth was infinitely significant because of the things He would experience and suffer so that He might better succor us--all culminating in His Crucifixion and Resurrection. But His mission also included the beauty of His service, the miracles of His ministry, the relief He brought to the suffering, and the joy He offered--and still offers--to the mourning.

"With all of that to come, though, I think it's appropriate this time of year to just think about that baby in the manger. Don't be too overwhelmed or occupied with what is to come; just think about that little baby. Take a quiet, peaceful moment to ponder the beginning of His life--the culmination of heavenly prophecy but the earthly beginning for Him.

"Take time to relax, be at peace, and see this little child in your mind. Do not be too concerned or overwhelmed with what is coming in His life or in yours. Instead, take a peaceful moment to contemplate perhaps the most serene moment in the history of the world--when all of heaven rejoiced with the message 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.'"

I'm about to leave for a run, and while I am running, I am going to try hard to think about that little baby. There are a million things I can be doing today--cleaning my house, last minute errands, working on a sewing job, etc. But I am going to set those things aside, at least for a little while, and focus on that quiet and small moment in the history of the world, when a little babe was born in an insignificant town, long, long ago.

As Elder Christofferson recommends, I am going to "sit (or in my case, run) for a few quiet moments and let the Savior's Spirit warm you and reassure you of the worthiness of your service, of your offering, of your life. Sit quietly with that little baby and come away spiritually strengthened and better prepared for all that is going to come later. Let that moment be one of rest and refreshing and reassurance and renewal."

Happy Wednesday, friends.


My favorite painting, a gift, of course from the talented Beth Allen.

Mary

more from Elder Holland:

"Mary, this most favored mortal woman in the history of the world, who as a mere child received an angel who uttered to her those words that would change the course not only of her own life but also that of all human history: 'Hail, thou virgin, who art highly favoured of the Lord. The Lord is with thee; for thou art chosen and blessed among women.' The nature of her spirit and the depth of her preparation were revealed in a response that shows both innocence and maturity: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.'

"It is here I stumble, here that I grasp for the feelings a mother has when she knows she has conceived a living soul, feels life quicken and grow within her womb, and carries a child to delivery. At such times fathers stand aside and watch, but mothers feel and never forget. Again, I've though of Luke's careful phrasing about that holy night in Bethlehem:

'The days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

'And she brought forth her firstborn son, and [she] wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and [she] laid him in a manger.' Those brief pronouns trumpet in our ears that, second only to the child himself, Mary is the chiefest figure, the regal queen, mother of mothers--holding center stage in this grandest of all dramatic moments. And those same pronouns also trumpet that, save for her beloved husband, she was very much alone.

"I have wondered if this young woman, something of a child herself, here bearing her first baby, might have wished her mother, or an aunt, or her sister, or a friend, to be near her through the labor. Surely the birth of such a son as this should command the aid and attention of every midwife in Judea! We all might wish that someone could have held her hand, cooled her brow, and when the ordeal was over, given her rest in crisp, cool linen.

"But it was not to be so. With only Joseph's inexperienced assistance, she herself brought forth her firstborn son, wrapped him in the little clothes she had knowingly brought on her journey, and perhaps laid him on a pillow of hay.

"Then on both sides of the veil a heavenly host broke into song. 'Glory to God in the highest,' they sang, 'and on earth, peace among men of good will.' But except for heavenly witnesses, these three were alone: Joseph, Mary, and the baby to be named Jesus."

Mary's birth experience was far different than mine, but it is not so different from that of many, many women all over the world even today. Consider donating to Healing Hands of Joy, a charity that helps to make motherhood safer for women in Ethiopia. Let's calm the storm like Jesus did and continue to Light the World.


beautiful print of a painting by Beth Allen

Joseph

I found these words from Elder Holland and loved them very much:

"As a father I have recently begun to think more often of Joseph, that strong, silent, almost unknown man who must have been more worthy than any other mortal man to be the guiding foster father of the living Son of God. It was Joseph selected from among all men who would teach Jesus to work. It was Joseph who taught him the books of the law. It was Joseph who, in the seclusion of the shop, helped him begin to understand who he was and ultimately what he was to become.

"I was a student at BYU just finishing my first year of graduate work when our first child, a son, was born. We were very poor, though not so poor as Joseph and Mary. My wife and I were both going to school, both holding jobs, and in addition worked as head residents in an off-campus apartment complex to help defray our rent. We drove a little Volkswagen which had a half-dead battery because we couldn't afford a new one (Volkswagen or battery).

"Nevertheless, when I realized that our own night of nights was coming, I believe I would have done any honorable thing in this world, and mortgaged any future I had, to make sure my wife had the clean sheets, the sterile utensils, the attentive nurses, and the skilled doctors who brought forth our firstborn son. If she or that child had needed special care at the Mayo Clinic, I believe I would have ransomed my very life to get it.

"I compare those feelings (which I have had with each succeeding child) with what Joseph must have felt as he moved through the streets of a city not his own, with not a friend or kinsman in sight, nor anyone willing to extend a helping hand. In these very last and most painful hours of her 'confinement,' Mary had ridden or walked approximately 100 miles from Nazareth in Galilee to Bethlehem in Judea. Surely Joseph must have wept at her silent courage. Now, alone and unnoticed, they had to descend from human company to a stable, a grotto full of animals, there to bring forth the Son of God.

"I wonder what emotions Joseph might have had as he cleared away the dung and debris. I wonder if he felt the sting of tears as he hurriedly tried to find the cleanest straw and hold the animals back. I wonder if he wondered: 'Could there be a more unhealthy, a more disease-ridden, a more despicable circumstance in which a child could be born? Is this a place fit for a king? Should the mother of the Son of God be asked to enter the valley of the shadow of death in such a foul and unfamiliar place as this? It is wrong to wish her some comfort? Is it right He should be born here?'

"But I am certain Joseph did not mutter and Mary did not wail. They knew a great deal and did the best they could."

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

I was going to put up our Christmas decorations today. But then I didn't feel like it. And then I decided to do it anyway, and I'm so glad I did. Stella and Elliot had the best time setting up all of the nativity sets on our bookcase while I arranged the little winter village houses in the kitchen. It seems like every year I put up fewer decorations, so I am just down to our absolute favorites. And because there aren't many things to arrange, it took almost no time at all. Even so, tonight the house feels sparkly and cozy and I am so thankful.

a month of thanksgiving

Happy November! It's my most favorite month of the whole year! Not only does our weather improve drastically in November, but today marks the beginning of my month of Thanksgiving. Every year, during the month of November, I focus on gratitude, and then I post here on my blog something I am thankful for, every day for the whole month. I've been doing it for years and it's the best thing I do for myself. It puts my challenges into perspective, makes me more content, and definitely brings me a lot of joy. Plus, feeling extreme gratitude and contentment is a really great way to enter the holiday season. Have you ever tried it? Why don't you do it along with me? I promise you will see a happy difference in your life.

And so, I am thankful for November, for the opportunity it gives me to take stock of my life and focus on all of the really fortunate blessings I've been given.

Here's a quick look at our Halloween:

We had Kip from Napoleon Dynamite and a banana.

And a really sweet Dorothy and an Obi Wan Kanobi.

The kids had a lot of fun, but I am always so glad when Halloween is over. :)

happy birthday Oliver!

Oliver turns 12 today, which is kind of a big deal. But you know what? Oliver is kind of a big deal, too--if it is possible to be a big deal in a really quiet, easy going kind of way. To illustrate his easy going-ness: one item on his birthday list said "whatever you want." I mean.

Since the day he was born, he has been a good kid. I know I can count on him to be mature and responsible and obedient.

My dad was in town last night, so we celebrated a little early with dinner out at Johnny Rocket's, Oliver's favorite. Tonight we'll dig into the humongous brownie and chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich cake that Mabel made for him. And then we'll go around in a circle and say all the things we love about him. I'm pretty sure it will be hard for each of us to choose just one. We love him so!

Easter, in a few pictures and one really great quote

Mike rushed home between his meetings yesterday so that we could set the camera on the piano and use the self-timer to snap a family photo all dressed up in our Easter best. I shared this one on instagram, along with this really great quote from Elder Holland:

"One of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so."

I believe that with all my heart. We don't ever need to feel alone in this life, because Jesus Christ is always there. He has felt our pain and suffered for our sins. All He asks is that we follow Him. I am so glad we have a holiday dedicated to celebrating this extraordinary gift.

The girls and I wore our peach and blush and cream dresses, all made by me. I used the same pattern for the girls' dresses (Butterick 3350), and you can see that it lends itself to customization well. Mabel's was made for a school dance and Stella's for her baptism. I used Simplicity 2180 for my dress, which I've made a few times before for myself (seen here at my sister's wedding) and clients. This time I used a blush chiffon, and swapped out the sleeve band for some soft, gathered ruffles. I wanted something feminine and flowy. My favorite part of this pattern is the v-neck back, snapped accidentally by photographer Oliver:

We went to Mike's parents' house that night for dinner and an egg hunt. So many cousins!

It was a really great day. I hope yours was, too.

Merry Christmas!

A very merry Christmas from my family to yours. I hope your holiday is a happy and healthy one. I'll see you back here in 2016!

for the food!

Mike and I hosted my parents and his parents for Thanksgiving today. It was a nice, quiet day at home. But with lots of really good food! We roasted a turkey with all of the fixings, plus pie, of course. We live in a land of abundance, and I am thankful that I am always able to feed my children. It is a luxury many mothers in this world don't have, and one that I am particularly grateful for on this day that is filled with delicious food.

p.s. I tried this sweet potato casserole this year and it was my favorite thing on the table.

roses are red

Stella's valentines contain all of the best things about Valentine's Day: roses, candy, and original poetry. We had lots of fun making these crepe paper roses to give to her classmates. They were a little difficult for her seven year old fingers, but after wrapping a few, she got the hang of it. She penned the poem, which we printed on card stock and tied to the stem of the lollipop.

p.s. Those teeth!

pinterest valentines

Thank goodness for Pinterest. Our valentines are much more creative after a quick pinterest search than they would otherwise be. Elliot and I made these cute wild animal cards for his preschool Valentine's party yesterday. His favorite part was picking out just the right baby animal for each of his friends. My favorite part was watching him write their names.

Happy Christmas

Well, I'm officially shutting down the computer and signing off until the New Year. But I'll be thinking about you and wishing you a very happy and peaceful holiday, friends!

good tidings of great joy

One last video to close out the week. This one sums it all up pretty well. I hope you enjoy it. Now, let's bake some cookies and get ready for the weekend.

mr. kreuger

Last night we ordered a pizza and ate it in front of the tv while we watched Mr. Kreuger's Christmas. It just isn't Christmas without it. In keeping with the unexpected video theme this week, here's a clip of my favorite scene. I hope it brings a little Christmas cheer to your heart on this gray afternoon.

peace is possible

My sister shared this little video on Facebook, and I thought it was too beautiful not to share here. The Christmas Truce happened 100 years ago this Christmas Eve. It is a wonderful reminder that we can love each other, despite our backgrounds and our differences. That we can find peace, even in times of great difficulty. For me, that peace comes from faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ. He makes all of those things mentioned in the video, things like change and hope and healing, possible.

Let's love each other a little more this Christmas season.