It's Christmas Adam!

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.

Happy Independence Day

I spent the morning celebrating the freedom we enjoy in this great nation with our town.  It was a perfect day with children running and playing games, entertainment by home-grown talent, hot dogs, ice cream, cotton candy,  a parade and neighbors just spending time together.  This is the America I love!

My son posted the following poem as his status on Facebook today.  Reading it reminded me of these two pictures from our parade this morning.  I thought of how much we owe to our veterans and how our future depends on our youth.

That Ragged Old Flag!

Written by Johnny Cash

I walked through a county courthouse square.

On a park bench an old man was sitting there.

I said, "Your old Court House is kinda run down."

He said, "No, it will do for our little town."

I said, "Your old flag Pole is leaning a little bit.

And that's a ragged old Flag you've got hanging on it."

He said, "Have a seat," and I sat down

"Is the first time that you've been to our little town?"

"Well," he said, "I don't like to brag,

But we're kinda proud of that ragged old Flag.

You see, we got a little hole in the Flag there,

When Washington took it across the Delaware.

And it got powder burns, the night Francis Scott Key,

Sat watching it, writing 'Oh, Say, Can You See.'

And it got a bad rip at New Orleans,

When Packingham and Jackson took it to the scene

And, it almost fell at the Alamo beside the Texas Flag

But she waved on through

She got cut with a sword at Chancerville,

And she got cut again at Shilo Hill

There was Robert E. Lee, Bouregard and Bragg

The South wind blew hard on that Old Ragged Flag

On Flanders Field in World War One

She got a big hole from a Bertha Gun

She turned BLOOD RED World War Two,

And she hung limp and low a time or two.

She was in Korea and Vietnam

She went from our ships upon the briny foam.

Now they've about quit waving her back here at home

In our good land she's been abused,

She's been burned, dishonored, denied, and refused

And the Government for which she stands

Is scandalized through out the land.

She's getting threadbare and she's wearing thin,

But, she's in good shape for the shape she's in,

Because she's been through the fire before,

I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So we raise her up every morning, and we

Take her down every night,

We don't let her touch the ground,

and we fold her up right.

On second thought, I do like to brag,

Because I'm mighty proud of that ragged old flag!

Ladies' Night Out

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, the first weekend in October and the first weekend in April are General Conference.  Instead of the normal Sabbath Day worship services, members gather together to listen to and learn from the leadership of the Church.  They gather in Salt Lake City at the Conference Center or on Temple Square.  They gather together in meeting houses worldwide where the meetings are viewed via satellite transmission.  And they gather together as a family in their homes around the television or radio where the meeting broadcast is received through a variety of affiliated stations.

My family is part of the last group.  Semi-annually our little family travels north to Grandpa and Grandma's house (my parents) to participate in conference.  The semi-annual conference consists of five sessions; two sessions each on Saturday and Sunday during the day for the general church membership, with the fifth session being held on Saturday night for the male members of the faith age 12 and over.  My boys have always enjoyed this session, not just because they feel that the messages presented are tailored specifically to them, but because following the meeting my father will always take them to Jake's Over the Top for ice-cream.

This is all good for me.  My mother, sisters and now my daughters have always found something to do for girl time.  This is a long-standing family tradition.  My mom remembers that when the men in her household would go off to their meeting, my grandma would take everyone to a movie.  Since the girls have become older, it usually means that all the girl cousins get together, doing makeovers and baking cookies.  This year, rather than having the party at Grandpa and Grandma's house, the girls relocated to Aunt Gwen's in Morgan.  This left my mom and I to our own devices.  My dad said it best as he left, "You're going shopping, aren't you?"  HECK YA!!!!!!

But it wasn't just random shopping.  We were women with a mission.  I have a dear friend from high school - Marie Higgins - who has recently become a published author.  I love her books.  Since I love Marie and I love her books, I do everything I can to promote her.  Recently, Marie was at a book signing in Layton Utah. I had posted this on my FB page, but my mom and my sister found her even without my directions.  My sister purchased Marie's book Hearts Through Time.  Jody loved it.  My mom loved.  My aunt loved it.  So here was our mission - To go to Deseret Book and purchase Marie's other books; Winning Mr. Wrong and Heart of a Hero.

I had no idea what we would be getting ourselves into.  The Day after Thanksgiving Madness holds nothing to Deseret Book on Ladies Night, an event sponsored by the store to coincide with the men's conference session.  When we entered the store I knew that the fire code regarding maximum occupancy was being bent if not completely broke.  But what a party!!!!  There were drawings for all kinds of  products, everything was at least 20% off and there were even bigger discounts, and best of all, my mom knew many people there.  It was fun to catch up with acquaintances and enjoy the association of a group of women, even if I did have to remind myself to breathe when I felt the walls and crowds start to close in.

Were we successful in our mission you may ask.  The answer is a resounding YES!!! Not only were we able to purchase Marie's books, but we found a few other things too.  I also won one of the drawings - a beautiful picture of Faith and Love.

We had such a good time, that my mom wants to do it again in six months.  I think a new tradition has been established.  And as an added bonus that part of me that needs the crowded store and long lines has been filled.

If you would like to learn more about Marie and her experiences as a writer, you can use this link to follow her blog, I Must Be Dreaming.