Dad arrived on Wednesday and today was the first day I have really had to spend time with him. We worked on beading all day. He made the Christmas tree he is giving me for Christmas and I made a necklace and earrings for his "girl-friend". I experimented with learning more about my camera too and took some good pictures of him, but then I accidentally erased them while clearing out some other pictures I'd taken recently. I also made a Christmas necklace and bracelet for me and a brown and golden necklace and earrings. Both of mine were long necklaces, which I've never made before. They took a long time!
When C got home from work, we went to The Coral for dinner. It was okay. I think I'm sick of it. We go there too often, I've decided. It's just easy, fast, and C can get what he wants and I can get what I like so it's easy to satisfy both of us.
Tomorrow is a big day. It's the Make-A-Wish Holiday Party for which my company is the presenting sponsor this year. I am in charge of our presence there and I am fearful that a lot of the volunteers will not show up. I've already had 3 pull out today. Sometimes, I think it would have just been easier to give MAW the money and just say "go for it" and not involve our folks, but that's not our company's way. We believe in supporting our local communities through financial donations AND the efforts of our employees. So...Dad and I are heading over to the Cardinals stadium in the morning to help set up, manage all the volunteers, then I will be taking pictures of the event throughout the day. There are supposed to be between 1,000 and 1,500 people there. It will be over around 4 and then Dad and I will be headed for home. I hope my feet hold out all day! I will be so glad when it's over. It's kind of been frustrating dealing with this because we weren't sure what our level of involvement was supposed to be, but when we were a month out and the invitations hadn't even gone out yet, nor the location secured among other things, I had to step in and take charge of the situation. I am proud of the employees in our company for donating 834 gifts for these kids. What great people!
I will also be totally excited when Dec 18th is over as well. That is our annual holiday luncheon at work, which I am in charge of again this year with 3 of my peers in the building. Nothing like having to plan a luncheon for 2,000 people in times of economic woe. I can just say it's been a challenge this year!
It has been a sad day too...C and I just CANNOT get into the Christmas spirit. We feel like the Kranks. We kind of just want to forget that it's Christmas. The economy literally sucks and I think that is bringing everyone down. However, the more I think about how people are really struggling to get into the spirit, I have realized a couple of things:
People focus too much on the monetary meaning of Christmas. As we've looked at where to reduce expenses for Christmas this year, we've realized that we have forgotten or diminished the true meaning of Christmas - the birth of our Savior. As we were coming home from dinner tonight, we drove around the neighborhood and looked at how few homes there were with Christmas lights on them this year. It made me wonder if people just buy new lights every year and because of the economy this year, they just didn't have the money to spend on doing that. It made me really think that hopefully, this year, people's hearts will turn more to the real reason for the season. For our Christmas Eve program this year, I want to find something incredibly special and sacred that will help us focus more on the Savior than on gifts, dinner, Santa, etc. If you have any ideas, please let me know. May you feel the spirit of the reason for the season versus the negative sadness feelings going on right now in the world and be able to find a way to be happy and celebrate for this reason.
Well, it's almost midnight and we have to be up and out of the house early, so off to bed I go.
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