The Christmas spirit

It's here!

I think I woke up with a smile on my face.  Then I read an email from my parents filled with love and memories and Christmas greetings and I started to cry.

That's kind of the way of things for me though.

Yesterday after church while we were waiting for the boys to come to the van, Emma and I were sitting together, eating cake pops Janet made.  (Janet, I'm assuming you didn't just make them for the primary children so I took one.  Whether or not they were intended for me, I couldn't help myself.  You are a cake pop genius.  And a chocolate covered cherry genius.  And really good at knitting...)

Anyway, Emma and I were eating our cake pops and she started telling me a Christmas story her teacher had told her at church and soon both of us were crying big tears onto our cake pops because the story was so touching.   

I inherited, from my dad, a lot of extra water in my head and it leaks out.

Last night, armed with a few boxes of pineapples tied with red ribbons, we drove around making deliveries.  I had a list of people and addresses and Adam was driving but I was not navigating.  

(navigation=not my thing)

Our kids ran the pineapples up to the doors.  We stopped at a few friends' houses but mostly we delivered pineapples to our kids' teachers.  At Braeden's seminary teacher's house, he invited Braeden in and introduced Braeden to his adult children who were home for Christmas.  It made Braeden feel valued.  He loves both his seminary teachers and said last night, "They make such a big sacrifice for me."

Yes, that's early.

Emma took a pineapple to her Young Women leader and came back to the car with a wide smile.

Mark pranced to the door of his beloved primary teacher and then to the door of his beloved cub scout leader.  He was rewarded with a hug from each of them.

When we returned home, after a stop at Grandma Geri's as well, I felt a warm glow inside that I think must have been the Christmas spirit.  It made me happy to deliver pineapples but really, they're just pineapples.

What really matters to me, what matters more to me than I can express, are the people that love my children.  They tell them stories that touch their hearts, they make them feel important and loved.  They make sacrifices for them.

President Thomas S. Monson said:

As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always. We shall learn to forget ourselves. We shall turn our thoughts to the greater benefit of others. 

Those wonderful teachers of my children epitomize the Christmas spirit.  

I am grateful for them.  I'm grateful for this season of reflection on the many ways I am blessed because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

(I'm thankful for Janet's cake pops and chocolate covered cherries and scarf she knitted me.  Because we all know I can't knit!)


P.S. Janet also gave me a textbook size book on how to knit.  She has not given up on me!