Happy Christmas Adam!
Christmas Adam is what my children call December 23rd, as in Adam came before Eve. I don't know about your home, but in the Wixom household today is not going to be filled with the normal hustle and bustle of years past. In fact we are surprisingly "ready for Christmas" if there is really such a thing. This is a good thing as I awoke this morning to windows shaking and trees bowing from the gusts of wind. Yesterday's sunny blue sky-ed t-shirt weather has turned to jacket-required blue sky.
Christmas Adam (aka the name for the mad dash to finish those holiday preparations) is just one of the quirky traditions in our family. It seems that this time of year they are also more abundant. In addition to the annual advent calendar and Christmas book I previously wrote about HERE, we have the annual solve the code of the Christmas presents (I started leaving names off gifts when I realized there was peaking happening. Now there is still peaking, but it is after they solve the code I have designed to remember which present is whose.), the Christmas musical recitals, pajamas on Christmas Eve, drawing names for sibling gifts, orange rolls for Christmas breakfast, and lasagna on Christmas Eve.
Sunday in our Young Women's class, the lesson was entitled "How can I prepare to establish a Christ-centered home?" Thinking about our family, I was especially touched by this quote from Elder L. Tom Perry that was part of the lesson:
...we can organize our families based on clear, simple family rules and expectations, wholesome family traditions and rituals, and “family economics,” ... (You can read all of Elder Perry's talk, Becoming Goodly Parents, by clicking HERE)
It is our traditions that bind us together. Rick and I both were raised in families that had traditions. When we married, we spent the first few years sorting through those traditions, deciding what we wanted to incorporate into our own family in addition to new ones that we developed. Where possible we have joined in with those traditions our parents have continued with our extended family.
A favorite Christmas memory for me was all of my siblings having a "sleepover" together in one bedroom. We would stay up whispering and giggling until one by one we would all drop off to sleep. Then on Christmas morning we would awaken and sneak into the living room to see what Santa had left. As the years went by, I think Santa realized that we older siblings could help with the toy assembly, so many mornings were spent with us putting things together for the younger ones. My children don't have "sleepovers", but they do wake each other early on Christmas morning and head for the tree. There they will spend time together playing and eating candy until breakfast.
But our most important Christmas tradition is the acknowledgement of the greatest gift of all - the first gift - the gift of a Savior. This year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, started a social media campaign to remind us that He Is the Gift. We have been encouraged to Discover the Gift, Embrace the Gift and then #SharetheGift. The campaign kicked off with this moving video:
A few weeks later, another video was released that was part of a world record setting live Nativity. Many of my friends were involved in the production of this video and have shared many experiences where they were filled with the love of God for each of His children. When I watch the video, my heart is filled to overflowing. The three minute mark does it to me every time. As I view the representation of the heavenly choir that announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds that long ago night, I feel that I was there and you were there that first Christmas Day.
Luke 2:
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
If you aren't one of the almost 5 million people who have already seen this video, take a moment to watch it now and if you have already seen it, I assure you it is worth a second, third, fourth, fifth.... look.
One last Christmas tradition I want to share - Christmas music. I love Christmas music. When I was a little girl, my dad would put the speaker of our old record player outside my bedroom window on Christmas morning so that everyone coming to our house would be welcomed by these beautiful songs. My Grandma Cook always had Christmas music playing at her house. In fact, she gave me the first record album I ever owned and it was an album of Christmas songs. While I have been writing today, I have been listening to this album by one of my favorites, Alex Boye.
You can find it HERE. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy this CD.
Sunday in our Young Women's class, the lesson was entitled "How can I prepare to establish a Christ-centered home?" Thinking about our family, I was especially touched by this quote from Elder L. Tom Perry that was part of the lesson:
...we can organize our families based on clear, simple family rules and expectations, wholesome family traditions and rituals, and “family economics,” ... (You can read all of Elder Perry's talk, Becoming Goodly Parents, by clicking HERE)
It is our traditions that bind us together. Rick and I both were raised in families that had traditions. When we married, we spent the first few years sorting through those traditions, deciding what we wanted to incorporate into our own family in addition to new ones that we developed. Where possible we have joined in with those traditions our parents have continued with our extended family.
A favorite Christmas memory for me was all of my siblings having a "sleepover" together in one bedroom. We would stay up whispering and giggling until one by one we would all drop off to sleep. Then on Christmas morning we would awaken and sneak into the living room to see what Santa had left. As the years went by, I think Santa realized that we older siblings could help with the toy assembly, so many mornings were spent with us putting things together for the younger ones. My children don't have "sleepovers", but they do wake each other early on Christmas morning and head for the tree. There they will spend time together playing and eating candy until breakfast.
But our most important Christmas tradition is the acknowledgement of the greatest gift of all - the first gift - the gift of a Savior. This year the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons, started a social media campaign to remind us that He Is the Gift. We have been encouraged to Discover the Gift, Embrace the Gift and then #SharetheGift. The campaign kicked off with this moving video:
A few weeks later, another video was released that was part of a world record setting live Nativity. Many of my friends were involved in the production of this video and have shared many experiences where they were filled with the love of God for each of His children. When I watch the video, my heart is filled to overflowing. The three minute mark does it to me every time. As I view the representation of the heavenly choir that announced the birth of Jesus Christ to the shepherds that long ago night, I feel that I was there and you were there that first Christmas Day.
Luke 2:
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
If you aren't one of the almost 5 million people who have already seen this video, take a moment to watch it now and if you have already seen it, I assure you it is worth a second, third, fourth, fifth.... look.
One last Christmas tradition I want to share - Christmas music. I love Christmas music. When I was a little girl, my dad would put the speaker of our old record player outside my bedroom window on Christmas morning so that everyone coming to our house would be welcomed by these beautiful songs. My Grandma Cook always had Christmas music playing at her house. In fact, she gave me the first record album I ever owned and it was an album of Christmas songs. While I have been writing today, I have been listening to this album by one of my favorites, Alex Boye.
You can find it HERE. I can't say enough about how much I enjoy this CD.
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