This morning started earlier than usual when a 5:30 feeding with Austin abruptly ended with him spitting up everything that he'd eaten all over my shirt/pants/body then pooping a blow-out diaper in less than a minute and 30 seconds. Lydia woke up at this same time with a peed-out diaper and wet pajamas and sheets. I changed her diaper/pajamas and got her settled on top of a blanket to read some books until it got "light outside" and went to finish taking care of Austin. After giving up on getting either of them back in bed, I was holding Austin and talking to David while he was getting ready. I said "Just think! Today is Wednesday. So right now it seems like there are a billion days before the weekend - but tonight we will only have 2 days left!" He laughed and said "True, but we have to survive today first!" Touche.
It sounds like a terrible start to the day, but actually both kids were incredibly cheerful and smiley through the whole thing and I can't help but be happy. We defrosted some breakfast sandwiches that we had made in bulk last week and we all enjoyed a yummy breakfast together (complete with Orange Juice). David had to leave quickly after eating his sandwich, but as Lydia and I moved to the couch after finishing our breakfast I said "This is nice." To which she replied "This is nice." It was sweet.
In other news from our life - It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here! Well, at least inside of our house. The outside still looks like this: (It's been an unseasonably warm December.)
But the inside looks like this:
See all of these presents?
We are 99% done with our Christmas shopping and wrapping. Just one more present to buy and wrap (and that's happening today). This year the church produced a video called He is the Gift with the encouragement to #sharethegift and with each present I've purchased and wrapped, I've thought about our Savior and the gift that he is. I'm so grateful for the chance to focus on Him and his gift.
Lydia is at such a fun age, and I'm so excited for Christmas this year. David has been doing some good FHEs this month focused around Christmas and the Savior. Lydia can tell you that the lights on the Christmas tree remind us of the star and that the Christmas Tree reminds us of Jesus. It's the most special thing. We weren't sure how we were going to approach the Santa thing (I've thought for years that we were just going to not do Santa) - but we decided that we didn't want to take that away from our children. I'm not sure exactly how we'll do it in the future but this year, Lydia can tell you that Santa brings us presents on Christmas morning because he loves Jesus and he wants to remind us of Him.
We've done some other fun Christmas things - we went to see the lights at Thanksgiving Point which Lydia loved. We went to our ward Christmas party (and made the homemade ornaments you see on the tree above - the polarbear, elf, and reindeer - I love them!). We made yummy little plates of treats for our Neighbor Gifts full of brownies, lemon bars, donuts, and little sugar cookies. We made a few bigger cookies and decorated them one evening.
And we've also gotten all of our Christmas Cards addressed - I just need to send them today. I love the way they turned out.
For future reference:
I used this website and the font Feel Script as a reference for the outside of the envelopes.
So on this Wednesday morning, I'm sitting here and thinking about how much I enjoy the Christmas season. I love all the lights, and parties, and cookies, and family, and traditions. But I am especially grateful for the Gift of Jesus Christ and the peace that it can bring to us. The visiting teaching message this month is focused on the peace of the Savior. (I'm going visiting teaching today and loved the message.)
“The Savior is the source of true peace,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “Even with the trials of life, because of the Savior’s Atonement and His grace, righteous living will be rewarded with personal peace.” Understanding that Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace can help us find inner peace and increase our faith in Him.
Jesus Christ said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Bearing testimony of that truth, Linda S. Reeves, second counselor in the Relief Society general presidency, said: “The Lord has been merciful to me and has helped make my burdens light. He has helped me to feel great peace.”
Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught: “The ideal place for … peace is within the walls of our own homes, where we have done all we can to make the Lord Jesus Christ the centerpiece.”
I love what Elder Scott says about making Jesus Christ the centerpiece of our homes and how that brings us peace. I love it. I hope that my little family grows up feeling the peace that comes from having Christ at the center of their lives.
Happy Wednesday!
