Target hits the Target.

So perhaps you remember this post:

Oh-oh-reo.

In my opinion Target has the best marketing team out there

because, honestly, this lady is hilarious.

Yup.

When I grow up, I want to be like her...
this part of her that is.

A Little Gratitude and The Birth Story the World Will Never Forget

I feel like I am slacking a bit.
Ok actually a LOT.
I didn't even mention thanksgiving -
when I have so much to be thankful for,

And Christmas hasn't really been mentioned either...

...and it's in 15 days!

Amidst my life storms, decisions to be made, and happy moments,
I have attempted to write up at least seven posts,
and I've never completed them to a posting status.

But I want it to be known that I am incredibly grateful!
I am so grateful for days where church is just for me,
because I know that my Heavenly Father knows me
and my struggles.

I am grateful for  my amazing and wonderful family.
For their talents, gifts, time, smiles, hugs,
listening ears, examples, and so much more.
(extended family included)

I am grateful for my friends.
Their examples, letting me help them through rough patches,
and being their for mine.

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ,
and a knowledge of its truth.
I am grateful for my older brother,
His Atonement for the world and, and the hope it provides me.
I am grateful for living prophets and apostles and their words.

I am grateful for a home, for the future and opportunities,
for good music,
for great values learned from movie and books,
for nature's glorious beauty,
for technology so communication with others is so easy.
for memories of the past - the magical moment of life,
and for the memories to come,
childhood friends who helped sculpt me,
future friends who will continue to mold me,
And SO much more!

I am especially grateful for the Spirit of Christmas

(even though I've caught myself multiple times feeling like this)
For the giving and the living that happens this time of year.
For the beauty of lights, and nativity's, and stars.
For the music and the message of the season -
and the humble story of the birth that changed the world.

Over at my long, lost cousin Elise's blog today,

I read that dear story written beautifully by Elise, 

as though it is through the eyes of Mary.

It truly is a story that just feels you with love.

Here's the link:

A Birth Story

And Merry Christmas.

Happy Christmas

Christmas was fantastic from where I stand.
I either saw or heard from most of my family
and it was glorious.
I love them.

Also my birthday was also great.

Do you know what I love about being born on that great holiday?

1. I have two sets of presents and I get to choose when I open the second one.
2. I get to see a bunch of family every year (unless we're snowed in)
3. People say "Happy Birthday." I get to say "Thanks! Merry Christmas."
4. My birthday gets somewhat celebrated throughout the week instead of just a day.
5. EVERYONE gets presents and celebrates on my birthday - that makes me happy.
6. It's Christ's birthday too and I get to remember that.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas.

Playing Catch Up

Sadly I didn't keep up with Christmas

But I did try to remember in my own life

Sadly some days I didn't remember until the end of the day

but those days were great.

Here are a few things to keep remembering:

Sometimes amidst the commercialism of it all this is how I feel.

I love that Christmas can be all year long though!

Linus' classic Luke 2 scene.

I am not really a Charlie Brown fan,

but this is worth watching every time.

 

Again, remember His life and not just His birth.

Quick story.

Last weekend I went to a Christmas concert

put on by the LDS Institute

and USU Chamber Singers.

It was phenomenal. 

The songs were amazing and the talent was outstanding.

In between songs they shared a few stories,

This was one of them and I LOVE it.

I don't think this needs any words.

Where's the Line?

My friend April showed me this song.

I am not sure I am the biggest fan of it,

but the message is something we all need to hear.

p.s. We say that Christ died for us a lot (I think I did in one of the posts below because He did) but I like that he gave His life for us more . . .He lived a perfect example, showing us what to do, never giving into any temptation, He spent a night in the antagonizing Garden of Gethsemane, and ultimately gave His life on the cross - just the perspective of remembering His whole life is something that I sometimes forget.

President Monson.

I know that I already posted this song,

but this has added President Monson's wise words.

Plus remember how it's one of my favorites now?

Mary's Song.

I have always loved this Christmas song.

I am not a huge fan of the whole video when set to the song as it tends to bug me when things don't perfectly match the music, but my favorite part is from when the shepherd sees the star to the end.

I can't imagine the emotion of seeing something that glorious and then finding the babe lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes. 

The babe who would one day bleed in Gethsemane and hang on a cross for ME. The thought overwhelms me.

What Shall We Give.

This song was featured in the Christmas Devotional by the First Presidency.

It's become one of my favorites.

You can review the whole devotional HERE.

Some things I learned:

1. Rejoice in the Birth of Our Savior

2. Ponder His Influence in Our Lives Today

Think of His gifts for us each day.
And those we can give to Him through giving to others.

3. Look Steadfastly for His Coming.

And President Monson ended the devotional with these words:

"Let it be a time of prayers for peace, for the preservation of free principles, and for the protection of those who are far from us. Let it be a time of forgetting self and finding time for others. Let it be a time for discarding the meaningless and for stressing the true values. Let it be a time of peace because we have found peace in His teachings.

Most of all, let it be a time to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and the worship of the Wise Men.

My brothers and sisters, may the spirit of love which comes at Christmastime fill our homes and our lives and linger there long after the tree is down and the lights are put away for another year. This is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, the Lord, amen."

Remembering Christ.

The other night in institute I had the best lesson on the Atonement

and the Life of Christ I have ever had.

As we talked about the Atonement's purpose to make each of us better,as well as the importance and need for Christ in our lives 

(in YOUR life and in MY life), 

it was incredibly overwhelming.

As Christmas comes I want to remember what it is REALLY about each and every day.

You get to be a part too.

What I want to emphasize doesn't come until about 1:00 into the following clip and only goes to 4 minutes. . .

One of my favorite Christmas songs is "What Child is This."

I love pondering that question.

During this Christmas season, we often remember the child in manger, But let us not forget the Man that child became.

AND let us remember the tremendous, 

PERSONAL atonement He made for each of us, 

allowing Him into our lives, 

and letting Him make us all the best we can be.

Christmas Morning

Here are some pictures of Christmas morning
This one is actually from the night before - Cody left some jeans he had just bought in the livingroom all day so guess what? Amberly and I wrapped them for him and put them under the tree - he didn't think it was as funny as we did.
Shayna was our main photographer for the morning.
Oh happy Cody.
Adam was also quite happy as we recieved a plethora of NERF guns and accessories.
Cody even kind of got dead.
mom and Dad enjoyed the view from the other side of the room.
Among my many gifts Shayna got me some crayola kids paints and large pieces of paper for stress relieving fun.
Oh look at our fun mess. :)
Then we went across the desert and spent the day with family. I was able to snap these two pictures before my camera died.
A group of Hooligans in the livingroom - it's so weird we ALL used to fit in there WITH presents and our parents. . . wow.

Shayna and Heather doing something photography-wise.

Merry Christmas

After I posted my Christmas post my aunt showed me this.
I really this it's very good so I hope you enjoy.

CHRISTmas

Today is Christmas Eve and I hope you can all feel the spirit of the season and the spirit of Christ. It's been hard this year for some reason but since I am home it definitely feels much more like Christmastime. I am almost done with reading this again (and will be done by tomorrow):
I don't know how many times I have read it but it's my favorite and really if you haven't read it for a while you should. Everyday it's amazing and I learn something new or something hits me harder than it did before. I LOVE this book!

And I get to celebrate this.
The best gift to the world EVER and the best gift to me ever. I am so grateful. And I truly love Mary and Joseph for all that they did and helped with. And I love Christ beyond words.

And I get to do all this with my family. And want to wish all of them and all of you a very Merry Christmas. Remember the reason for the celebration. And thanks for all the gifts you have given to me this year: your love, your time, your friendship, you examples, and so much more.
THANKS!

Quick Update and THANKS

So sorry an update has been absent for so long, I just didn't know what to write. First off though I want to "thank you, thank you, thank you!" to my dear co-workers Bethany and Katie! For just being so amazing and then you know there is that other little thing like taking all my shifts the week after Christmas for me . . . and you see this was needed because the day after Christmas (yes the holiday and my 20th birthday) I met with a surgeon and lost some of my parts. Losing these parts was not much of a disappointment to me as my gallbladder (which really I would have liked to die with everything God gave me still in my body but) was causing me all sorts of awful pain for the past few years and so gladly . . . Asta La vista! (spelled right? Who knows?) And then I guess when they send you in for a laparocystectomy they explore a little and thankfully they found something else that needed to come out. Yup! Suprise! There was a ovarian cyst on my fallopian tube - there was nothing wrong other than that- and they removed it. Yup. Woke up in pain and just got better later! :D I was really grateful for everyone involved in the surgery because they were way cool, caring, and great.

Oh! Christmas was amazing as was New Years although I didn't see much of my extended family sadly, getting snowed in is such a wonderful thing . . . . just a little sarcasm there. But I love Christmas and I got to spend time with my family and it was just so much fun and so worth it all! I hope you all had a great Holiday Season and wish you all the best in 2009!

(At the moment I have no pictures to share of me and my family. . . . but this is disney and I love disney so here is one . . . ok a few)