tinkle bells

"tinkle bells, tinkle bells, tinkle all the way!"...as Tessa walked around the house yesterday with a bell in her hand singing that song....

I'm so excited for Christmas this year. Tessa is finally understanding what is going on. We went and saw Santa Clause a couple of weeks ago and I thought that she would get scared. But she just sat on his lap and looked up at him. Santa's "helper" was trying to get us to look at her so she could take a picture, and Tess just stared up at Santa's face and said "Santa Clause?"...with all of this wonder and curiousity! It was too precious.

Thankfully I'm all done with my shopping and hopefully get to enjoy this week. We, along with Em and Terrill are driving to Utah the day after Christmas to see my parents and brother. I haven't been home in almost a year, and I'm so excited to go! The last time we were there Tessa was barely walking and now she's walking, talking, playing, and getting into everything...This trip will definitely be an adventure!

I talked to my dad today and he is so excited for "bitty" to come. (That's what he calls Tessa.) He keeps buying her presents, which is not like my parents to spoil! I love it that they get to have a grand daughter. It's so much fun for me as the mom/daughter to see this relationship that Tessa has with my parents. I love that trips now are not about me seeing my parents, but Tessa seeing my parents (and brother!) I love that the focus is all on her. There is so much joy as a parent seeing your child with you own mother and father.

I've been feeling the pressure this year that comes with buying gifts on time and making sure that life is in order before Christmas day comes. It's actually been rather frustrating because I feel that when that happens, the true meaning of Christmas gets lost. And then hearing about the employee that got trampeled to death in Walmart the day after Thanksgiving and when they tried to close the store down, customers were complaining that they were waiting in line so long that they didn't want to leave. Where are our priorities? It is unbelievable to me that we place material things over a person's life. After hearing that story and sadly a few others, my heart is saddened by how screwed up our society is. I mean really, it shouldn't be about the presents anyway. Its just been really hard for me to be truly happy this Christmas season after hearing those awful stories. This is a time where we are supposed to be serving and giving to each other....in ways other than gifts. And even though our economy is horrible, people are still doing as much shopping as any other year. I really liked what President Uchtdorf said at the First Presidency Christmas message. He said concerning our economic crisis: "I wonder if this may not be a blessing in disguise. I know from personal experience that the most memorable Christmas can be those that are the most humble." Maybe its a blessing that the economy is so bad because its making us focus of the things that are more important than presents. I am so grateful he said this because I believe its true.

I am so thankful for my Saviors birth and what it meant for this grieving world. I know that we each can, in some small way, give relief through our acts of service throughout the year. I hope that we can reflect on our Savior during this time and ponder on the ways that we can each improve our own divine natures! I love Christmas and am thankful that it's a time for quality time with family.