Wonderful Christmastime

This was me on Christmas day 2008.

This is me this year...

Though I miss the real sunshine in my life, and my life is not exactly what I want it to be right now, I have much to be grateful for this year.

1. I can sing, and I LOVE to sing Christmas music, especially the spiritual ones. I love to testify of my Savior's birth and life and light through song. And I honestly think my voice sounds ten times better when I sing sacred music.
2. I sleep beside a natural gas fireplace:)
3. Hoodies and comfy, cozy pajama pants.
4. I can buy just about anything I want to eat at the grocery store 10 minutes away. And we have a fancy new stove to cook it all with. Not everyone gets to eat everyday...
5. I bake like a little Betty Crocker, and hardly use recipes anymore.
6. The frost makes all the trees in our yard sparkle in the morning. I love sparkly things!
7. I have the bestest best friend in the world, who keeps track of me wherever my crazy life takes me and loves me in spite of myself.
8. The little people at church think I'm cool. They are little rockstars:)
9. Four handsome nephews who love me, and I adore them!
10. I still speak french and understand spanish and that's just cool.
11. My dad's movie theatre. I got to serve popcorn to little kids twice last week, have seen 5 movies for fre and eaten way to much candy, soda and fresh buttered popcorn.
12. After 2 piano lessons I can play 2 Christmas carols!
13. My cute clothes that still fit. Cute shoes. French scarves. Jewelry from Italy, Spain, Israel, Peru...
14. Body for Life: my most trusty and reliable weight loss plan that is waiting just around the corner for me in 2010.
15. Hot chocolate
16. Missionaries
17. Love. I have been so loved by so many good people at different times in my life. I'm grateful I know how it feels to love and be loved.
18. My nephew decided to be baptized next month, and I get to help teach him. He is stellar:)
19. The gospel of Jesus Christ is part of my life everyday!! I love it, I live it, and I would glady die for it. He lives, He loves us, and this is the best time to tell the whole wide world!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! JOYEUX NOËL!! FELIZ NAVIDAD!! ZALIG KERSTFEAST!! FELIZ NATAL!! FRÖHLICHE WEIHNACHTEN!! NADOLIG LLAWEN!!

"Of all times, it is Christmas when we must surely realize that there can be no true worship of Him who is the Christ without giving of ourselves. At this season let us, each one, reach out a little more generously in the spirit of the Christ. It is not enough to give toys and baubles. It is not enough to give alms to those in need. That is important, yes. But it is also important that we give of ourselves with our alms. May the real meaning of Christmas distill into our hearts, that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are really not our own, but are to be used in the service of others." - Gordon B. Hinckley