My Christmas Spirit is on the Rise

I really think my lack of Christmas spirit that I have been experiencing must have been related to the stresses of all the events I was in charge of this year along with a couple other things. Those other things still exist, but I've resolved myself to the fact that I cannot fix those things and now that the events are over, I can focus on my own Christmas and be happy.

We went to church today and Sacrament meeting was really good. I need to write Bro. Baumann a thank you note for his organ music. It's been so wonderful this season! It has really cheered me up. The Primary kids sang a couple of songs, then the ward choir sang, then Bishop Jackson gave a talk, the choir sang again, then Bro. Fuller spoke. It was really a good Sacrament meeting. Then, at the end of a good lesson in Gospel Doctrine, Denise showed "The Nativity" along with "Breath of Heaven" playing along with it. It truly made me feel closer to the Lord and the time of his birth. How horrible that would have been to not have the modern conveniences that we have nowadays such as hospitals and clean sheets, etc. I was hoping the lesson in RS would have also had something to do with Christmas, but it didn't. I was asked yesterday to say the closing prayer today though, so I added my own touch about Christmas into it.

When we drove up to the house, I noticed a little red bag by the front door. I went to get it and inside was a little shepard boy with a lamb. There was no name on the tag as to who it was from. I set it aside for a few minutes and wondered who would have left this for me.

We also came home to another wonderful surprise....Dog met us at the back door. He was in his kennel when we left...how did that happen? Well, needless to say, the alarm company called and had left a message that the alarm went off about 3 minutes after we had left for church. I guess the latch wasn't locked all the way and he got out. That's two times now that the police have had to come out for a false alarm. Third one is either a freebie or that's the one where we start getting charged. :(

C had ham sandwiches and I had some MORE leftover turkey, etc. from the ward party (can we say we're sick of turkey yet? Nope, there are still 2.5 1-gallon bags of it in the fridge!). Both of us started to nod off so C went and laid down on our bed while I fell sleep on the sofa. The phone seemed like it just would not stop ringing. One of the calls was a sister in the ward who asked if we still were looking to donate our old Christmas tree (see picture). We gladly said yes! She knew of the perfect family. A little while later, the sister's husband came and picked up the tree. We are so GRATEFUL that we were still able to use it for our ward party and then suddenly the need came for it for someone else. That is what I had prayed for. I hope it will bring many, many years of happiness for the family who received it and the lights we gave too.

I sat back down (really needing to get the new tree decorated instead) and quickly dozed back off to sleep. Suddenly, the phone rang again, then again, then the doorbell rang. Oh my! My heart was just racing. You know how it is when you just fall asleep and then the phone rings, then you go back to sleep and it rings again, etc. and it kind of freaks you out? Well, when I went to answer the door, there was nobody there. I opened it just to make sure and there again was another bag! This time, it had a little Joseph statue in it that matched the shepard boy. Now, it was starting to come together! I can't wait until tomorrow to see if another piece shows up!

Tonight is also the first night of Hanukkah, so I get to light my menorrah. I do this purely in honor of my ancestors. C doesn't quite get it, but he's cool with it so that's good enough for me.

Last, but not least, Denise and Richard showed up at the door with a container of fudge and visited with us for a while. It's so nice getting to know them. I think we're going to try to go out with them again this weekend. Gotta think of a new restaurant this time!

So excited that I don't have to get up and go into work tomorrow. Have lots on the list to do so will see how much gets done. Still need to find my special Christmas Eve story and the associated "gift" that goes along with it.... Man, I always have a hard time finding just the right one!