A Silent Afternoon

In one week from today, the first of Jason's family will arrive and the craziness of the holidays will officially commence.  With any luck, we'll have a trip to Indianapolis, a trip to Chicago, a great Christmas at home, a long-anticipated trip back to Utah (this time with Jason!) and a birthday for Miss Leah before the New Year hits.  I have a to-do list a mile long, but the kids are asleep and none of the must-do's sound very appealing right now ("scrub down Adam's high chair"... no thanks), so I'm going to blog instead.

I am done with Christmas shopping and am trying to focus more on the meaning of Christmas in our home.  Last week we went caroling to a nursing home and the local veterans hospital.  Among the many grandmas and grandpas we sang to, one man was blind.  We gathered around his bed with a few other families from our ward and sang several Christmas carols.  Leah requested that we sing "I Am A Child of God"- her favorite song and such a touching one as we heard the man ask if Santa would bring him a new pair of eyes.  Several times since Leah has said, "I feel so bad for that blind grandpa.  I just feel so sorry for him."  She is very compassionate and it is hard to explain to her why people have different struggles and challenges in life. 

Jason and I spent Saturday morning volunteering to help less fortunate families "shop" for Christmas presents for their children from the piles of toys that had been donated from our church.  As I listened to our assigned lady talk about her difficult divorce, her inability to find a job, her failing health, and her two young children, I was again grateful for the many blessings that we have.  It seems much less important whether Leah gets the Polly Pockets and the Zhu Zhu pet (much to my chagrin), and more significant that we are blessed to be able to give her both.  Yes, we have our own struggles, but I am very thankful that a warm house, a family that loves each other, and the ability to provide a little Christmas to our family are not things that we have to worry about. 

I'm excited for Christmas.  I don't know that I'm doing enough of the crafts and advents and treat-sharing, but we are talking a lot about the nativity and Jesus' birth and the gift of our Savior.  And if Leah's childhood is anything like mine, those memories will stick far longer than any squeaky little toy hamster might.  I love to hear the words of the Christmas story- I can hear my dad's voice reading the words from the scriptures and my mom playing the accompanying hymns on the piano- and I hope that my children will recognize the significance of our Savior's birth in the midst of all the gift-giving and getting. 

Of course, I'm excited for the Santa part of it too- we continue to share stories from our childhoods every single day, and I just love filling Leah's head up with visions of sugar plums and expectations of Santa Claus.  Her requests are few, and she is a very good little girl.  I am confident that this year, Santa will not disappoint.