The Spirit of Christmas

I have to admit, I had a rough Christmas season this year. I was busy deflecting colds, we were working out family issues, looking for jobs, hoping to reinvent our future (not in residency this next year), finding renters, fixing up our parent's basement, and the list goes on. The whole part where the Savior is born in a lowly manger with no crib for his bed, I missed that. It is so easy to miss the most important things in life. There are so many distractions, so many people to blame, so many problems to complain about. I guess the real "secret" to life, that is not really a secret at all, is that it is meant to be hard-- the Savior was not born into a life of glory and comfort. He was born in a manager. But that birth made all the difference, that birth made it so "hard" wouldn't be "too hard" and that once the "hard" was over, we would have our families (and the other relationships that lifted us through the difficult times) forever. Christ was born so that we might live. So on my Christmas list for next year is to stop fretting and instead lift someone who has been forgotten in the Christmas haste. Wish me luck ;)

Above I've posted pictures of some of our "non-stressful" Christmas moments (cause those are really the only moments that last anyways). You'll see my brother-in-law on a chair directing the very wiggly grandchildren in a Christmas Nativity. Will also took the picture of my dad with one of the grandkids at our yearly walk through the Ogden lights on Christmas Eve. There is also a picture of me making fun of my sister's "skinny pants." I love them but I feel like I am back in Jr. High! And last but not least I couldn't help but post the picture of Will with his new snow shoes! I think he likes his present -- but I have to admit it was very "me" driven. I love snowshoeing!!! And for the past few years he had to wear my pink snow shoes while I wore my old snow shoes. I get my snowshoes back, and now we can spend our winters hiking the Wasatch Mountains!