What a wonderful Christms weekend!

Sorry dear friends that I am just sharing what happened last weekend with you. I just have been struggling with my health. Today the Dr. finally called about the results of my blood tests from the other day. My Mono is back and my allergies are way out of control...that makes a bit more sense on why I am struggling soooo hard to do Anything!
Plus, it hasn't helped my blogging, that my computer has yet another virus and not working hardly at all! Man, I feel like we are falling apart over here.
So back to last Friday...John, Amy and girls came and we all went to a Chapel in Bellevue. There... many different churches put together a Nativity Display. Jeff and I and our neighbors went last year and couldn't believe how well done it was, and promised that we would bring the girls next year.

 There were so many things to do, especially for the girls...which was a great way to teach them about the Christmas Season. They really loved it and of course their Nana did too!
I love Christmas, I love sharing the story of Jesus from His birth and His life to the kids. How grateful I am for soooo many people to be willing to share their time, talents and their Nativities with the public and touch as many hearts as they did. It truly brought us the Christmas Spirit!


There were 550 Nativities, some made from all over the world!



Audrey standing still for the first time all night!                                                                                                                Girls doing a Nativity Scavenger hunt

Here we all were being able to do our own live Nativity. I was a Shepherd trying to control a very WILD SHEEP named Audrey! ( just in case you were wondering )

The perfect Angel...Miss Jenny! This truly was a photo that showed the real girl inside!

The rooms and displays were amazing!

After spending an hour there, John, Amy and Audrey headed home. The older girls went with us to have a Sleep Over. On the way home we looked at Christmas lights and then headed to bed. We read a new book called The Night before the Night before Christmas! Fun!

The next morning we got up early so we could go to our church's Christmas Breakfast!

Before Santa's arrival and after a Christmas Breakfast, the kids were able to go back to the tables and make candy ornaments or beaded ornaments. Angie didn't even want to stop and eat breakfast, but just wanted to keep crafting. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree does it? 

Mrs. Santa asking Jenny about her Service Snowflake Necklace!

 Angie with Santa...not so sure about going to see him this year.

 
A dear friend of ours gave the girls a gingerbread house to decorate.


Finished our Gingerbread house, so fun! Thanks Sarah!

Christmas Jar...counting it finally and the grand total was $53.08, the girls were excited! 

Next we get to go shopping for our Secret Friend!

Honoring the true meaning of Christmas!

This photo speaks volumes!
Let us all try to keep the right Perspective, just like Santa!
Merry Christmas Dear Friends

Santa's Workshop is BUSY!

Well, Santa's workshop is busy, busy, busy and this elf is just heading to bed. If you could get a ticket for sewing too fast, I would have gotten one tonight! :)
I am happy, because our son Brad, his wife Krystal and my grandson Kai are in Washington tonight. They flew in to spend Christmas with her Dad and Mom. I don't know why, but it just feels good to know they are only a few hours away and in the same state, and will be here to our home... a few days after Christmas. I am glad that they get to see her parents. They too have been excited to have them. I mean look at this sweet boy sneaking behind the Christmas tree...wouldn't you be excited too?
Good night dear friends, hope you are soaking up every bit of the Christmas Spirit that is out there

The Greatest Gift

My dear sister in law sent this sweet story to me, it won first place in the Women's Day Christmas contest in the 1980's. I spoke in church today and so this is what I began my talk with.

       It was but a few short days until Christmas in 1966.  Two young
elders of the Mormon church walked the streets of Laredo, Texas,
knocking on doors in search of someone who would listen to their
gospel message.  No one, it seemed, in the entire city had time to
hear the teachings of the Savior, so intent were they that the
celebration of His birth should suit their own purposes.

        Filled with discouragement, the two young men turned their
backs to the approaching twilight and began the long walk home.
 Retracing their steps of the afternoon, they came upon a low, wind-
swept riverbank.  Jutting from its brow stood the barest means of a
shelter, constructed of weathered wooden slats and large pieces of
cardboard.  Strangely, they felt moved to go to the door and knock.

        A small, olive-skinned child with tangled black hair and large
dark eyes answered.  Her mother appeared behind her, a short, thin
woman with a tired but warm smile.  In her rich Spanish alto, she
invited the young men to come in and rest awhile.  They were made
welcome and seated on the clean-swept floor.  The little one-room
shanty seemed to be filled with shy, smiling, dark-eyed children.
The mother proudly introduced each of them--eight in all--and each
in turn quickly bobbed his or her head.

        The young men were deeply moved at the extreme poverty they
saw.  No one in the family had shoes, and their clothes were ill-fitting
and in condition beyond mending.  The walls of the little home showed
daylight between the wooden slats, and eight little rolls of bedding
were pressed tightly into the cracks to help keep out the draft until
they were needed for sleeping.  A small round fire pit dug in one corner
marked the kitchen.  An odd assortment of chipped dishes and pots
were stacked beside an old ice chest, and a curtained-off section with
a cracked porcelain tub served as the bathing area.  Except for these
the room was barren.

        The mother told how her husband had gone north to find employ-
ment.   He had written that he had found a job of manual labor
and that it took most of his small wage to pay his board and room.
But, she told the young men, he had managed to save fifty cents to
send them for Christmas, with which she had purchased two boxes
of fruit gelatin.  It was one of the children's favorites and would make
a special treat on Christmas day.

        The next morning, as soon as the local shops opened, the young
men hurried to the dime store and purchased as many crayons, cars,
trucks and little inexpensive toys as they could afford.  Each was
carefully wrapped in brightly colored paper and all were put in a large
grocery bag.  That evening the two young men took their gifts to the
shanty on the riverbank.  When they knocked, the mother swung the
door open wide and invited them in.  They stepped inside and in halting
Spanish explained to the children that they had seen Santa and he had
been in such a hurry, he'd asked if they would deliver his gifts to the
children for him.

        With cries of delight the children scrambled for the bag, spilling
its contents upon the floor and quickly dividing the treasured
packages. Silently the mother's eyes filled with tears of gratitude.
She stepped forward to clasp tightly one of each of the young men's
hands in hers. For long moments she was unable to speak.  Then,
with tears still welling from her eyes, she smiled and said, "no one
ever has been so kind.  You have given us a special gift, the kind of
love that lights Christmas in the heart.  May we also give you a
special gift?"  From the corner of the room she drew out the two
small boxes of fruit gelatin and handed them to the young men.  Then
all eyes were moist.  All knew the true meaning of giving, and none
would ever forget that at Christmas, the greatest gift of all was given.
                                            by Sandra Bateman, American Fork, Utah

The missionaries offered this dear lady the most priceless gift...

Emily Freeman explains it best like this...
"There is a moment of epiphany after the soul had doubted all it knows, when it begins to reach out for solid answers and firm ground. This moment is defined by one emotion that sustains and creates a desire for change. Before faith or knowledge is found, before joy or happiness is experienced, before the healing begins, one emotion starts to stir from deep within the depths of despair.
It is HOPE!

It was hope that the missionaries shared on that visit to this Mother of eight, hope that life could get better, that people still care and that God had not forgotten her and her family.
Now with this HOPE she stands a far greater chance of being open to hear the message of Peace that these two young missionaries had to offer.

Gerald Lund said...
"As long as we have hope,
we have direction,
the energy to move,
and the map to move by.
We have a hundred alternatives,
a thousand paths and infinity of dreams."

This is the Season of Hope for all of us.

It is a time to become better acquainted with our Savior Jesus Christ.

In 2 Nephi 25:26 we read "we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ...that our children may know to what source they may look"

Now, just 3 days before Christmas ...can we truly say that we talk about Christ, do we rejoice in Christ and do we preach and teach about Christ, to our families?

What type of LEGACY of truth are we leaving for our family?

Do we trust that the Savior will guide our lives the right way?

Brother Jeffrey R. Holland said it best when he said of the Savior " He knows the way, because He is the way!

I love the Christmas Song MARY, DID YOU KNOW? written in 1984 by lyrics by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene

Mary did you know… that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know …that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know …that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you?
Mary did you know… that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know …that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know… that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby….you have kissed the face of God?
The blind will see, the deaf will hear… and the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak the praises of the lamb.
Mary did you know… that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know …that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know… that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding ...is the great I am?

I am not sure if Mary truly understood all that would be required of her and of her Son,  but I do think she was ready to accept whatever Heavenly Father asked.  In Luke 1 : 38 she replied to the Angel ..."Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word."

Will our posterity say that we were full of HOPE, that we were faithful and ready to follow the Savior?

I believe that what these two missionaries saw and experienced on their mission that Christmas night, will never be forgotten. It will be part of their Legacy.

. Christ referred to the Gospel as... The Good News

How blessed we are this Christmas Season to have this Good news in our lives. May we be more willing to share it with those around us this Christmas season and always, so that they can have what the Savior explained in John 10 :10.. ..."I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly"

I told you Santa really reads each letter he recieves!

A couple of nights ago I wrote you about the story of this little girl who was being bullied. It was about how her twin brother wrote Santa and asked if he could help!
Well, like I always said "Santa really reads each letter he receives, and here is the proof!
Good night dear friends!

Nickelodeon band responds to boy's letter to Santa about helping overweight sister (+video)

•                

• 8-year-old writes viral letter to Santa making only selfless requests

A Christmas gift came early this year for one family in North Carolina.
In response to 8-year-old Ryan’s letter to Santa about asking to have class bullies leave his twin sister, Amber, alone, her favorite band, Big Time Rush, gave the family a surprise visit.
“I think somebody up north might have gotten this already,” said Josh Elliott, Good Morning America news anchor referring to Ryan’s letter in the ABC video segment.
                                                  Elliott led Ryan and Amber and their mother, Karen Suffern, into an auditorium where members of Big Time Rush greeted them. The band gave the family a private concert as well as VIP tickets to its next concert.
“She is...such a sweet little girl ... the look on her face when Big Time Rush came out is priceless. I have tears in my eyes,” said Gina Sbarra-Ulrich, a commenter on the Good Morning America Facebook page. “So happy for this little girl and I hope that all the kids that are bullying her will please stop and I hope their parents realize how much it affects children. All children are different but should be embraced not ridiculed.”
Online, commenters praise Ryan for his selfless motives and desire to help his sister. While Elliott interviewed Ryan and Amber, Ryan said he wished the school bullies would pick on him and not his sister. Amber responded that he didn’t have to do that, and Ryan said, “Yes, I do.”
Tony Posnanski, a weight-loss motivator, who originally shared Ryan’s letter on CNN iReport, was happy to hear the outcome of the attention the boy’s letter has received.
“When a story goes viral, it is not one person who makes it happen. It is millions. Millions who take a story and find a piece of themselves in it,” Posnanski said on his Facebook page. “I am just happy I saw Karen's message. I am glad I submitted it to CNN/iReport instead of posting it on my page. I am glad that people on this page responded to it and glad that CNN made it a worldwide story. But I am happy that Karen was brave to want her story out. It is not easy to do ... but worthwhile. Her kids will have a better life from it. A lot of kids will.”

The article was written by Abby Stevens, and you can read it and more of her articles HERE:

An early letter to Santa!

Now I know what you are thinking... and I know that it is early to talking about Christmas, but this story is what I think Christmas is suppose to be about. I think it is what family is all about and especially what Brothers and Sisters should be about!
Hope you enjoy it, thought it was perfect for today, since I taught the 5th Day of Christmas at work today!
Good night dear friends!

8-year-old writes viral letter to Santa making only selfless requests

Fraternal twins Ryan and Amber. 

..

Eight-year-old Ryan of North Carolina’s early letter to Santa did not ask for toys or tech gadgets; rather, it asked for class bullies to leave his overweight twin sister alone.
“Dear Santa … I wanted a (remote-control) car and helicopter, but I don’t want that anymore,” the letter began. “Kid at school are still picking on Amber and its not fair because she doesnt do anything to them.”
Ryan’s mother, Karen Suffern, cried as she read her son’s letter, according to CNN. The boy’s letter continued by saying he wants his sister to be happy.
“I prayed that they will stop but god is bisy and needs your help. Is it against the rules to give gift early?” Ryan wrote. “Can you ask Big Time Rush to come to Amber’s B-day party it will make her so happy. I you can’t get them to come … just get her everything she ask for. Thanks Santa.”
Suffern had a rough idea that her daughter was teased on the school bus but did not realize the bullying was as bad as her son said.
“I try to build up my daughter's self-esteem and tell her she is beautiful, but people say hurtful things to me because I also have a weight problem, and that hurts me," Suffern said in an interview with CNN. "I can't imagine what she goes through."
Suffern shared her son’s letter on social media, where it began to pick up attention.
“This is totally out of my comfort, zone but I think it is worth it,” Tony Posnanski, a weight-loss motivator, wrote on his Facebook page. “A reader sent me a wonderful letter today about her son and asked if I would share it. The letter moved me so much that I wrote about it … on iReport.”
Online, people responded with admiration for Ryan’s compassion, as well as a call to address bullying. The children’s school, Rocky Mount Prep, released a statement on Sept. 16 in response to the bullying.
“Our school mission is to inspire our scholars to Learn With Passion, Lead With Confidence and Live With Character. These are not just words to us. We want them to learn how to be good citizens and good people. This is why we have invested heavily in proven curriculum and training to help them learn to treat others the way they want to be treated. Unfortunately, this does not always happen in our school or any other,” the statement reads. “ We are hyper-vigilant at Rocky Mount Prep to prevent, intervene and protect our scholars from instances such as this. Our teachers and staff have received training to recognize and address these types of behaviors, and we are proud of the way they respond. We are saddened that this has taken place within our school family, and we can assure all of our parents, scholars and community that we will continue to do everything possible to provide them with a positive and safe learning environment.”
I got the story from HERE:


 

Another great Sleep Over and the Stars!

I read this quote and remembered something that happened the other night.

Our two oldest granddaughters had sleep over, it was late but they were so excited to do a sleep over... that they were pretty hyper and just couldn't seem to get their giggles out. Desperate Lauren, Lee and I just went and laid outside on the deck and turned off all the lights. Then we all just looked up at the stars...it was incredible. I love this place that we live. How fun it was to show the girls where the Big Dipper was, what a planet looked like and even to guess every now and then if they saw a shooting star.
At one point we saw something go across the sky and it had flashing red and white lights.  Angie said..".on Christmas eve, I saw two lights" Then Lauren asked "what do you think they were?" Then Angie with her totally serious look and voice said, "Lauren it was Christmas eve, it had to be Jesus and Santa Claus!" Then Jenny leaned over and said " I think that is just a plane!"
Oh how I love my little grandchildren. I love how they see the world, how they love life, how they enjoy every little thing...yes, every day I thank my Heavenly Father for another day with my family. I can hardly wait till Kai and Audrey get old enough to come and do Sleep Overs at Nana and Poppa's house, and listen to all the wonderful things they will tell us too!
As I went outside tonight and saw the same star filled sky... I smiled and felt BLESSED!
Good night dear friend!

 

Christmas Miracle!

When I was a little girl, I remember getting on my best Christmas outfit on and standing in line with my Mom to see Santa at the Sears and Roebucks store. I think we stood there for a long time, because I remember my Mom saying her back was hurting. It felt like forever for me too, because I wanted to get the Christmas ring that changed pictures when you turned it certain ways. I remember seeing it at the store earlier, and then when they said that Santa was going to give them out... I knew I had to go see him.

Of course as kids sometimes do, as soon as it was my turn I turned shy and did not want to go sit on his lap. I remember my Mom being so frustrated with me. I finally started crying, I am not sure if the tears was because I didn't want to sit on that strangers lap ( I knew he was one of Santa's helpers... he didn't really look like Santa). Or the tears could have been because I felt guilty that we stood there so long and then I didn't want to go. Whatever, I remember an awlful ride home without the ring or candy cane. Finally a day or so later...Mom gave it to me. Finally I had the magical Santa Ring!!!

When I saw this phot of Kai's first time visiting Santa... I totally understood!

Angie and Jenny came today and played the whole time with Santa's Reindeers, we even had to make a new collar for Rudolf. Maybe if Kai could have held one of the reindeers, he would have done better! But he is still so stinkin cute, even crying! Love and miss my boy!

Why is it that when this wonderful season comes around, my heart gets to hurting because all of my family isn't near? Just would love a Christmas miracle, where we all could be together for Christmas!

Well, part of my Christmas wish came true yesterday when my brother and sister-in-law called and said that they bought me a ticket to come see them and the rest of the family for 6 days! I leave tomorrow! YEAH! Can hardly wait and then by the time I get home ... Lauren will be coming soon! Thanks Neal and Shirley for making my Christmas wish come true! Now I need to go pack! :)

Good night dear friends!

" The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree; the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. "  ~ Burton Hillis 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Saturday, a dear friend of our family told us that since the girls were visiting that we should take them to see Santa at the Hallmark store near our house. Since Angie and Jenny had snow at their house this morning, we thought this would be appropriate.  Angie this year was perfectly comfortable with Santa, Jenny on the other hand wasn't quite as taken with him ( at least  up close, so Nana had to stay near ).

Then we took a photo of all of us, Angela ( one of my adopted daughters ) Amy, the girls, Santa and I . Now I have to tell you that I have already found out one of my Christmas gifts....if you look at the photo real close and focus in on Amy's belly then you will see what I mean. Can you see it?

Yes, we are going to have another ttle grandbaby in April! We are so excited and can hardly wait!

Details coming in 3 weeks!

"From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other."   ~Emily Matthews

 

"Christmas! The very word brings joy to our hearts. No matter how we may dread the rush, the long Christmas lists for gifts and cards to be bought and given--when Christmas Day comes there is still the same warm feeling we had as children, the same warmth that enfolds our hearts and our homes."  ~Joan Winmill Brown

What is a Saint?

Well, it's New Year's Eve, and my youngest daughter just headed back to college. This is a wonderful thing, but hard on a Mother's heart! She was so excited to get back to school, to see her family (there) and friends!  It's exactly where she needs to be but... I will miss her a lot, we all will!  She is an amazing young lady, and she loves her family, and is a big help to everyone around her. Yes, she will be missed.
I won't write more because I know I am going to either start crying, or start whining to you more, so I will spare us both. Happy New Year dear friends! I hope you enjoy this last Christmas story about Nicholas, a real saint ( which in the dictionary means...a follower of Christ). I hope we can be more like St. Nicholas every day of this new year! If we would, just think what a happier world we would live in? So, let's try and change things for the better, shall we? Good night!

This is the story of the real Santa Claus, St. Nicholas.
To this day people say that St. Nicholas, or Santa, is the special friend of children.

This is the story of the real Santa Claus, St. Nicholas.
To this day people say that St. Nicholas, or Santa, is the special friend of children.

The real Santa lived a long time ago in a place called Asia Minor. It is now the country of Turkey. His name was Nicholas.
Nicholas' parents died when he was just a teenager. His parents left him a lot of money which made him a rich young man. He went to live with his uncle who was a priest.
Nicholas heard about a man who had lost all his money. He had three daughters who were old enough to get married. But in those days young women had to have money in order to get married. This money was a "dowry" and it was used to help the new family get started. If you didn't have dowry money, you didn't get married.
This family was so poor they had nothing left to eat. The daughters were going to be sold as slaves because they couldn't live at home any longer. They were very sad. They wouldn't be able to have families of their own. And they would have to be slaves—no longer able to decide where they would live or what they would do.
The night before the oldest daughter was to be sold, she washed her stockings and put them in front of the fire to dry. Then all of them went to sleep—the father and the three daughters.
In the morning the daughter saw something lumpy in her stocking. She reached in and found a small, heavy bag. Inside was gold! Enough to provide food for the family and money for her dowry. Oh, how happy they were!
The next morning, another bag with gold was found. Imagine! Two of the daughters would now be saved. Such joy!
And the next night, the father planned to stay awake to find out who was helping his daughters. He dozed off, but heard a small "clink" as another bag landed in the room. Quickly he jumped up and ran out the door. Who did he catch ducking around the corner?
Nicholas, the young man who lived with his uncle. "Nicholas, it is you! Thank you for helping us—I hardly know what to say!" Nicholas said, "Please, do not thank me—thank God that your prayers have been answered. Do not tell others about me."
Nicholas continued helping people. He always tried to help secretly. He didn't want any attention or thanks. Years passed and he was chosen to be a bishop. Bishops look after their people as shepherds look after their sheep. And that is what Nicholas did. When there wasn't any food, he found wheat; so no one went hungry. He always helped people in trouble. All his life Nicholas showed people how to love God and care for each other.
The people loved Nicholas. After he died, they told stories of the good and kind things Nicholas had done. Sailors took these stories about Nicholas everywhere they went. Some of the stories were about his special care for children—helping and protecting them when danger threatened. And so more and more people learned about good, kind Nicholas. They wanted to be like him. He is an example of how we should live. And that is why he became a saint.

"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy."  ~ Francis Pharcellus Church

"Santa Claus is anyone who loves another and seeks to make them happy; who gives himself by thought or word or deed in every gift that he bestows"  ~ Edwin Osgood Grover

The Christmas Spirit

The story that I chose for today is... one of the stories from my new Chicken Soup for the Soul Tales & Christmas book, I received for Christmas from one of my dear friends. The story is too long to type, but I will give you the jest of the story and some of the parts that meant a lot to me.
   It was called the LESSONS FROM MY GRANDPARENTS by Beth Cato. The story started out with a mother reminding her daughter while she was home for Christmas, to please go through some of the boxes that her grandmother had set aside for her. Her grandmother was now in a nursing home, but wanted to make sure that some of her favorite things, went to her favorite people. She was surprised to see what her grandmother had passed on to her...her Christmas Santa collection.  Here is what she said about her Grandmother and Christmas. 
   "Her enthusiasm for Christmas rivaled that of any bouncy child. She grabbed Christmas gifts on sale all year long." She encouraged me to start playing traditional carols in June or July.  "Good music is good music all  year long," she said. There's no need to limit to December."
   When I was on summer break, she helped me to start making crafts to give as gifts to my uncles and cousins. More than once, she surprised me with bags of Styrofoam circles and sparkly pom poms. When my grandpa was sick and bedbound, we would sit in nearby chairs and work on little projects while Burl Ives crooned over the sound of the fans and air conditioning.
   Knowing her joy for Christmas, I always bought her Santa figurines. Despite my small allowance, I believed I was giving her something grand. As an adult, I realized the truth.
   "Some of these are outright hideous," I muttered, already sorting through them to make a donate-to-charity pile. "Why did she keep them?" I help up one porcelain Santa Claus with runny mascara and almost nonexistent legs.
   "Because you gave them to her," Mom said.
   My grandma has been widowed almost twenty years now. She needs a walker to get around. Her eyesight is too poor, her hands too shaky to do crafts. But she loves her holiday music and the sight of Santa Claus still makes her squeal. Looking back, I realized how much she and Grandpa taught me about the true spirit of the season.
Now she had gifted me with all of her beloved old Santa Clauses as she prepared for her own death. With my returns home so infrequent, I never knew if I would see her again. Every hug and kiss was precious. She knew I loved her, but beyond that, did she realize how she embodied Christmas for me?

   The story then ends with a letter to her Grandmother, thanking her for all the things that she has taught her and how she hopes to pass all those things on to her children some day. Here is the last sentence of her letter...
   "I'm proud to be your granddaughter. For me,  you'll always be the spirit of Christmas.
Love,
Beth  
 

" A grandparent is a little bit parent, a little bit teacher, and a little bit best friend."   ~ Unknown

"It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air."   ~ W. T. Ellis

"From Home to home, and heart to heart, from one place to another. The warmth and joy of Christmas, brings us closer to each other."      ~Emily Matthews

Teach the Children

Well, I believe that we got everything done tonight like we had plan. Dinner at 5:00 with everyone ( except our Brad and Krystal, who are in Idaho), then Amy played the piano and we practiced some Christmas songs. Then Angie and I went outside and sprinkled Magic Reindeer food on the lawn ( that our dear neighbor gave to us ). Next we put milk and cookies out on our special Christmas plate for Santa, and put it by the fireplace ( and of course some carrots for the Rudolph and the other reindeers ). Then the girls got on their Christmas pajamas. Next, I read the Night before Christmas. Then we got the Fischer Price Nativity down ( see photo below, every Grandmother and Nana, needs one of these! ), and the girls and I put all the pieces out on the table as Jeff ( Poppa ) read the Christmas story out of the book of Luke. That went pretty well, with only a couple of arguments over certain pieces of the nativity. After that, we bundled up and went to a home to do some Christmas caroling, it was fun and I believe the family that we visited enjoyed it ( or at least I hope they did ). Then back to our cars for some  driving around to see Christmas lights, and then the girls were home before bed time at 8:00 p.m. ( Mission accomplished ). It was a neat experience and we were certainly grateful for it.
Well, I am not sure anyone will actually read my blog tonight, being that it is Christmas Eve, put I still wanted to share this neat story with you. I hope you enjoy and that you have a wonderful Christmas! 
Oh no, it is late and I need to head to bed, I think I just heard the jingle bells from Santa's sleigh...gotta go!

True Meaning of Christmas
-Author Unknown
Just a week before Christmas I had a visitor. This is how it happened. I had just finished the household chores for the night and was preparing to go to bed, when I heard a noise in the front of the house. I opened the door to the front room, and to my surprise, Santa himself stepped out from behind the Christmas tree. He placed his finger over his mouth so I would not cry out.

"What are you doing?" I started to ask.
The words choked up in my throat, and I saw that he had tears in his eyes. His usual jolly manner was gone. Gone was the eager, boisterous soul we all know. He then answered me with a simple statement: "TEACH THE CHILDREN!"
I was puzzled, what did he mean?
He anticipated my question, and with one quick movement brought forth a miniature toy bag from behind the tree. As I stood bewildered, Santa said, "Teach the children. Teach them the real meaning of Christmas. The meaning of Christmas that nowadays has been forgotten."

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a FIR TREE and placed it before the mantle. Teach the children that the pure green color of the stately fir tree remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. All the needles point Heavenward, making it a symbol of man's thoughts turning toward Heaven.

He again reached into his bag and pulled out a brilliant STAR. Teach the children that the star was the Heavenly sign of promises long ago. God promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of the fulfillment of His promise.

He then reached into his bag and pulled out a CANDLE. Teach the children that the candle symbolizes that Christ is the light of the world, and when we see this great light, we are reminded of He who displaces the darkness.

Once again he reached into his bag and removed a WREATH and placed it on the tree. Teach the children that the wreath symbolizes the real nature of love Christ showed for us. Real love never ceases. Love is one continuous round of affection.

He then pulled from his bag an ornament of HIMSELF. Teach the children that I, Santa Claus, symbolize the generosity and good will we feel during the month of December.

He then brought out a HOLLY LEAF. Teach the children that the holly plant represents immortality. It represents the crown of thorns worn by our Savior. The red holly berries represent the blood that He shed for us.

Next he pulled from his bag a GIFT and said, "Teach the children that God so loved the world that whoever believes in Him shall have everlasting life." (John 3:16) Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift. Teach the children that the wise men bowed before the Holy Babe and presented Him with gold, frankincense and myrrh. We should always give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men.

Santa then reached in his bag and pulled out a CANDY CANE and hung it on the tree. Teach the children that the candy cane represents the shepherd's crook. The crook on the staff helps to bring strayed sheep back to the flock. The candy cane is the symbol that we are our brother's keeper.

He reached in again and pulled out an ANGEL. Teach the children that it was the angels that heralded the glorious news of the Savior's birth. The angels sang "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will."

Suddenly I heard a soft tinkling sound, and from his bag he pulled out a BELL. Teach the children that as the lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell, it should bring mankind to the fold. The bell symbolizes guidance and return.
Santa looked around and was pleased. He looked back at me and I saw that the twinkle was back in his eyes. He said, "Remember, TEACH THE CHILDREN the true meaning of Christmas and do not put me in the center for I am but a humble servant of the One that is, and I bow down to worship Him, Our Lord, Our God, and Savior.

 

Kris Kringle: "Oh, but there is. I'm not just a whimsical figure who wears a charming suit and affects a jolly demeanor. You know, I... I... I'm a symbol. I'm a symbol of the human ability to be able to suppress the selfish and hateful tendencies that rule the major part of our lives. If... you can't believe, if you can't accept anything on faith, then you're doomed for a life dominated by doubt."

No Santa...impossible!

For my whole life, I have defended Santa Claus. I struggle with people who say that there isn't any such person. Now that I have found this story, I decided to rest my case! Yes, there is a Santa Claus, he is as real as we are! I hope you enjoy this story and the lesson that goes with it!

Santa Claus

I remember my first Christmas party with Grandma. I was just a kid. I remember tearing across town on my bike to visit her on the day my big sister dropped the bomb: "There is no Santa Claus," she jeered. "Even dummies know that!"

My grandma was not the gushy kind, never had been. I fled to her that day because I knew she would be straight with me. I knew Grandma always told the truth, and I knew that the truth always went down a whole lot easier when swallowed with one of her world-famous cinnamon buns.

Grandma was home, and the buns were still warm. Between bites, I told her everything.

She was ready for me. "No Santa Claus!" she snorted. "Ridiculous! Don't believe it. That rumor has been going around for years, and it makes me mad, plain mad. Now, put on your coat, and let's go"

"Go? Go where, Grandma?" I asked. I hadn't even finished my second cinnamon bun. "Where" turned out to be Kerby's General Store, the one store in town that had a little bit of just about everything.

As we walked through its doors, Grandma handed me ten dollars. That was a bundle in those days. "Take this money and buy something for someone who needs it. I'll wait for you in the car." Then she turned and walked out of Kerby's.

I was only eight years old. I'd often gone shopping with my mother, but never had I shopped for anything all by myself. The store seemed big and crowded, full of people scrambling to finish their Christmas shopping.

For a few moments I just stood there, confused, clutching that ten-dollar bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for. I thought of everybody I knew: my family, my friends, my neighbors, the kids at school, the people who went to my church. I was just about thought out, when I suddenly thought of Bobbie Decker. He was a kid with bad breath and messy hair, and he sat right behind me in Mrs. Pollock's grade-two class.

Bobbie Decker didn't have a coat. I knew that because he never went out for recess during the winter. His mother always wrote a note, telling the teacher that he had a cough, but all we kids knew that Bobbie Decker didn't have a cough, and he didn't have a coat. I fingered the ten-dollar bill with growing excitement. I would buy Bobbie Decker a coat. I settled on a red corduroy one that had a hood to it. It looked real warm, and he would like that.

"Is this a Christmas present for someone?" the lady behind the counter asked kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down.

"Yes," I replied shyly. "It's ... for Bobbie."

The nice lady smiled at me. I didn't get any change, but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas.

That evening, Grandma helped me wrap the coat in Christmas paper and ribbons, and write, "To Bobbie, From Santa Claus" on it. Grandma said that Santa always insisted on secrecy. Then she drove me over to Bobbie Decker's house, explaining as we went that I was now and forever officially one of Santa's helpers.

Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie's house, and she and I crept noiselessly and hid in the bushes by his front walk. Then Grandma gave me a nudge. "All right, Santa Claus," she whispered, "get going."

I took a deep breath, dashed for his front door, threw the present down on his step, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety of the bushes and Grandma. Together we waited breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open. Finally it did, and there stood Bobbie.

Forty years haven't dimmed the thrill of those moments spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie Decker's bushes. That night, I realized that those awful rumors about Santa Claus were just what Grandma said they were ridiculous. Santa was alive and well, and we were on his team.

"Alas! How dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus!... There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this " ~ Francis P. Church

"Whenever you give someone a present or sing a holiday song, you're helping Santa Claus. To me, that's what Christmas is all about. Helping Santa Claus!"