Merry CHRISTmas!

2 posts in less than a week?! WOW- I'm shocking myself! :D I just wanted to put a Merry Christmas wish out into the cyber universe. I caught President Monson's talk from the Christmas Devotional on BYUtv last night and it sure made me think about the true meaning of Christmas. It is something I have struggled with in teaching my children. Children get so excited about the gifts and the lights and the gifts and the treats...did I mention the gifts? :D I love the gifts too- don't get me wrong, but I want to instill in my children a pure spirit of Christmas- not the commercialized spirit of gimmegimmegimme! So since Christmas is on a Sunday this year, I decided it was the perfect set up to have an activity each day leading to Christmas from Mon-Sat that helped keep Christ in our hearts and in the front of our minds this season. Here are a few things I found that I plan on doing.
In my search for traditions that are Christ centered around Christmas I found a wonderful story - http://www.haberstich.com/ChristmasStory.htm that explains the symbolism of our everyday Christmas symbols, but how they represent Christ.
Another idea I found was to give Christ gift for his birthday. So we are going to write down things that we can "give" to Christ- like doing service for others this year, praying EVERY day, being kind to everyone, and so on so forth.
Of course baking cookies for the neighbors is also on our list, and watching a nativity video from the churches website.

I don't know if anyone else has had this dilemma, but if so I hope maybe these ideas helped you too! I can't help but cry every time I see a video of the Nativity. It touches my heart in  away that overwhelms me ,and I think it must be my spirit rejoicing at the memory. I love this time of year because of all of it's beauty and mostly because of our beautiful Savior and all he has done for us. I want all of you to know that I KNOW he came to earth and I know he will come again! He loves us all and if we open our hearts to him, and forget ourselves and our wants this Christmas that he will fill our souls with the the true meaning of Christmas! god bless you and keep you all this Christmas season my friends!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Home Sweet Home

Not yet, but in about 6-7 months we will have our very own home sweet home! We are participating in a program that goes through the rural housing development corporation, and the USDA, where you and a bunch of other families ( we have 9 families) build each others houses together. So for about 6-7 months, 35hrs a week we will be out building our first home here in Payson right next to the new Payson Temple! Can you say excited? EXCITED!!! We just signed all the papers yesterday, and January sometime is when construction shall begin! And for those of you who love us SO MUCH, we need volunteers!!! Volunteers help us get our 35 hours each week, and get us closer and closer to finishing our house sooner. So if anyone would like to come wield a hammer with us some time let me know! We would love to have you! I will make sure to update and show off our progress as the next few months go by, but go to http://www.rhdchome.org/ to see more about what we are doing. I would post our house plan, but it is in PDF form...hmmmmmmmm. I'll figure it out :)