Merry Christmas!!

 

"This joyful season brings to all of us a measure of happiness that corresponds to the degree to which we have turned our minds, feelings, and actions to the Savior, whose birth we celebrate."

Thomas S. Monson, "A Bright Shining Star", 2010 First Presidency Christmas Devotional, December 2010

Traditions

     My favorite movie is "Fiddler on the Roof".  Tevye has a problem with his daughters not following the traditions of the Jews in their choices of marriage.  Times change, and sometimes change is hard.  For two years we are changing our traditions. 

 

     Christmas is a time for family traditions.  But like in the movie, times are changing.  We are missing one of our favorite Christmas traditions: our family party.  I hope the kids are playing our games.  The good thing is that I have a new game that I know they will all love.  It will be so much fun when we get home.  The games we are missing is the cracker/bubble gum game--chew a cracker then see how fast you can blow a bubble with bubble gum. Sterling seems to win that one.  Another game is a present stealing game.  They like that one, and there are always surprises, like mice for Sara or a tutu for Jody.  The kids wrap an adult of their choice up like a present, then we vote for who is the cutest present.  We have great food-the last couple of years has been finger foods, but WOW there is always a lot and it is so good!

 

This house looked like a gingerbread house.  It faces the Pacific Ocean. 
Another tradition I have is to drive around and look at Christmas lights.
Lonnie kept another tradition alive by singing to me in the car--I have a cold
and could not sing.  My kids grew up singing Christmas Carols in the car; we even
made up our own songs.

After work we took the long way home and went and looked at Christmas lights.  Newport Beach was beautiful with all the yachts with Christmas lights cruising around.  This is a bridge in Long Beach.

I could not get very good pictures.  It was much more beautiful than in these pics.

Downtown Long Beach

In a park by the ocean, looking at Long Beach-you can see the sky scrapers.

     One new tradition for two years is the Zone Conference Half Mission Christmas Party(two of them, one for each half).  It was a very spiritual presentation.  I am so impressed with the spiritual maturity of our Elders and Sisters.  We met and had lessons on the Attributes of Christ that we can emulate, done by different elders.  The Elders and Sisters shared traditions that were meaningful to them.  We watched the first Presidency Christmas Broadcast, had a wonderful dinner provided by the Stake. 

One half of our mission,  eating lunch.

Everyone brought a white elephant present and we went right or left according to a story President Bubert read.

This is our whole mission.

     We then listened to the Christmas story and "Jesus the Christ" and sang many wonderful Christmas Hymns.  This is the real meaning of Christmas, being thankful for Christ and His Atonement.

     Another traditions I have been able to keep is to make divinity, Lonnie's favorite.  We will be able to visit Chad,  Amy and family for Christmas day-so we will be able to be around family for Christmas. It is special as Chad is in the military, and we have not ever been able to be at his home for Christmas before.  Chad would like some divinity also.  I was going to make chocolate fudge, but I waited too long and all the stores are sold out of marshmallow fluff, so no fudge.  I did make carmels. 

Our tomatoes are still blossoming.

And producing--Christmas and tomatoes on our bushes, huh.

And our rose bushes are still blooming!

I was thinking it was cold this week when we walked to exercise.  It was 44 degrees.  Then checked Rigby temperature on my phone and it was 14.  I guess it was not so cold.  Today was beautiful-up to 66 degrees. 
     We wish you all a very Blessed and Merry Christmas!