The Angel

This angel arrived in the mail early this week. She is the angel that perched atop my family's tree throughout all the years I was growing up. She was made in Hawaii many years ago from burlap covering a cardboard cone. She stands about 11 inches tall. She's not like the sparkly and grand angels we see in the store this time of year; she's not fancy in the least, other than the one little cord of gold stretching across the cowl of her robe and three gold snowflake sequins glued to the base of her dress. She's not a lit-up 20 pointed star or a glitter covered Santa Claus. She's understated, she's simple, she looks humble wearing her little red-lipped smile. I think she's beautiful.
Inside the cone that makes up her dress, written in red or black sharpie, is a list of which sister, myself or Leah, placed the angel on the tree every year. L for Leah, C for Colleen, starting in 1982, the year I turned 5. There was never any fight about whose turn it was to put her up on the tree; we'd just check to see who had done it the year before and carry on from there. My dad would lift us as high as he could, and we would stretch out our arms and place her gently at the top of the tree. 1) We had a not-too-huge potted Noble Fir that my dad would haul into the living room every year; 2) The lifting of the children became more difficult as our bodies grew, but our arms became longer, so it always worked out. The angel was the last decoration to go on the tree, after the lights, ornaments and tinsel icicles. We'd gather 'round, my mom would plug the lights in (the lights were always her job), and up we'd go, with the angel in hand. The finishing touch.
My parents have been getting smaller trees, they are usually traveling for Christmas, and even before we moved here to Colorado, they'd usually be at our house early Christmas morning to watch their grandsons open their gifts. So the angel, who was too big for their small trees, was in storage for awhile. On the other hand, we've been getting bigger trees. We have more space, we have more kids, we have more gifts, we have more ornaments. Bigger trees have been necessary. The little angel we were using that had once been my Tutu's was looking a little dwarfed up there on the top of our tree the past couple of years. There was a logical solution.

I called my mom and asked if it would be OK to use our old angel for our tree. I think my mom was a little sad to think of giving her up, even though the angel hadn't been in use for a couple of years. To my mom, the angel is a symbol of her children's youth. The angel has watched over many Christmases from her tree-top perch. From my early Christmases, where I woke up at the crack of dawn to open my brand new Strawberry Shortcake-themed Easy Bake Oven, to the ones in later years, where I woke up hours after the sun and received a green mountain bike, so I could ride around my college campus with ease.

But my mom was also happy. She saw the new tradition being born. The angel would now be witness to many more Christmas mornings. She will now gaze with pleasure this Christmas, as little boys rip the paper from packages and cheer with joy over the new things that they've "always wanted." One day, in the future, she will see those same boys, grown taller and fuller, receive bikes for riding the streets of their mission field. And perhaps, one day even farther from that, she will even see those little boy hands, grown into the hands of men, unwrapping a little pink dress with ruffles or a little baby blue knitted cap...for their own child.

This year another Daddy lofted another child into the air to place the angel at the top of the tree. And a new letter joined the year-by-year roll. Zach put our other angel up last year, so this year was Ben's turn. B-2010.

I love our angel.

Chop Chop

Zach's been growing his hair out for awhile now, but these past couple of weeks he's started asking for a little chop. The reason: his hair gets in his eyes when he's playing basketball. I think that's as good a reason as any! So with my hands busy with school birthday cookies and my voice busy after that with the choir for the stake Christmas Program (which was quite lovely, I might add), Daddy set up a little barber shop in the kitchen Sunday night and gave Zach a good lookin' cut. He then gave the other boys trims to clean up the back of their heads and around their ears. All the boys' hair came out looking so great, I may be hanging up my shears!

Before

After

I also had my hair done, but not by Adam Sunday night. No he did a good job on the boys, but I'm sticking to someone who has been educated in the finer art of hair cutting. On Monday, with Adam home using up one of his vacation days before year's end, I had an appointment with my stylist, John. I've been trying to psyche myself up into doing something drastic, super short or darker maybe...but this wasn't the time!!! I couldn't do it! I've always had some major guts when it came to hair changes/styles, but right now I am just not adventurous.

I think I know why I am such a chicken now. This may sound lame, and PLEASE don't take this to mean that I think I am old by any means at age 33. I have entered that phase of my life where I truly believe that "old" is only a state of mind. But now that I'm getting a bit older in the years, moving further away from my 20's, I am afraid I am getting closer to the point where long blond hair is too much. I think you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, some older women pull long hairstyles off great, and some {lucky} women are naturally blond all their lives. But I don't know if I will be able to pull it off, and I am not naturally this blond, as I am sure you all know.

As I get older I don't want to look like a gal trying to cling to the last vestiges of her youth by wearing flowing locks and being too generous with the peroxide, like a mom who wears "Juicy" across her velour suited backside to match her teenage daughter. So maybe I'm keeping the long blond while I feel that I can still wear it, because who knows when that point will arrive where I will say, "Nope, long blond locks not OK anymore." Maybe it will be next year, maybe it will be when I'm 50.... No, it won't be when I'm 50. The hair will definitely be short and darker by then. You may think this is sad, but I've got my rules.

In my birthday post I said I don't mind getting older, and I don't, well, I thought I didn't, but maybe this is one way my inner psyche is saying, "Nooooooooo! There is no way I am 33!"

Before

After--SEE! I did go a little wild...there are BANGS...a few...a very few. And he cut off a whole TWO inches. :)

Zach's Bowling Birthday Bash And Then Some

Saturday we held Zach's birthday party with 10 of his buddies from school, church and the neighborhood. He had wanted to go sledding for his birthday, but with the lack of snow we've been having, I wasn't sure there would be enough snow anywhere close-ish to home, so we had to go with Plan B: Bowling.

We had two hours with two lanes, pizza and soda included, everything--including decorations--was taken care of by our party "hostess," the shoes were awesome, the balls were plentiful and light, and the bumpers were up. It was a fantastic 10th birthday party!

Our birthday boy...seriously, 10?!!!!!

What he lacks in style and form, he makes up for in gusto!
The audience approves.

I did say the shoes were rockin'! I love bowling shoes!

The party from behind....

The party from the front. Back to front, left to right: Grant, Nathan, Cory, Spencer, Zach, Tristan, Jordan, Carson, Josh, Ben, Quinton, Patrick and Josiah.

Because we could only have a certain number of bowlers, Ben and Josh weren't going to be able to bowl. Ben and Josh knew this ahead of time and were pretty gracious about it, but Adam and I were going to check into getting an extra lane once we got there. Unfortunately, we ended up on the end with two parties in the four lanes beyond ours, so we couldn't. They may have been fine with it before we got there, but once we got to the bowling alley that day they were pretty bummed. To make it up to them and to thank them for being such great sports about it, they get a special outing next weekend.

Tommy and Dad

As soon as I put the candles in the cake, Luke wanted to try blowing them out, even though they weren't lit yet. I think he's just getting himself all practiced up for his birthday in 6 months.

Zach wanted one of those cupcake cakes that are popular right now. I've been making the kids' cakes this year, and could probably have thrown one of those together, but with the busy December we've had, I was happy to grab this cupcake cake from Albertson's bakery case! He got all the candles out in one blow...I wonder what a 10-year-old boy wishes for.

It was a pretty tasty cake!

Zach received a lot of great gifts, a couple of books, games, gift cards for picking out something he likes (that's what I always get for the kids to give their friends too), a football, and more. He was pretty excited about all of it!

We had a great time celebrating Zach's birthday with his friends. They are so fun to watch interacting and being so boyish together. They cheered each other on, did a little taunting, groaned together at the bad rolls. Everybody had a great time. It was such an easy, funny, fantastic party!

Monday was Zach's actual birthday. He had school all day and a choir/handbell concert in the evening, but we still managed to squeeze some specialness into the day. I made mint chocolate cookies with a big chocolate "Z" on them for him to bring to school to share with his friends. He said everyone loved them and wanted more. And for breakfast he wanted doughnuts, so his loving father got up a bit early and went around the corner to the Albertson's for some fresh bakery doughnuts while I hard-boiled some eggs, just so breakfast wasn't all sugar. He requested sushi for dinner, so I picked him (and his Dad) up some California rolls and spicy crab rolls, but made stirfry for the non-sushi eating folk.He was also able to open his family birthday gifts. He opened his gift from Josh and Ben on Friday, before we headed to Skate City: a new pair of roller blades, since his old ones had become too small. Plus, he already knew what Luke and Tommy's gift was, a Hexbug Nano battle set, because three weeks ago, the day that Luke and I bought it at Costco, as soon as Zach walked in the back door after school, Luke excitedly blurted out, "Zach! We got you Hexbugs that fight for your birthday!" It was really funny, but that left just one gift for Zach to open on his birthday that he hadn't already opened or didn't already know about: a Ripstick, from Adam and I. It's like a skateboard, but only has 2 wheels, and he's been wanting one for a few months now so he was pretty thrilled.After the concert, we finished up the night with rootbeer floats. The kids all thought that it was terribly funny that I put a candle in Zach's, but it totally worked. We love you, Zach! Hope your 10th birthday was as spectacular to you as you are to us!

Two Hands Old

You, my first baby, my little Zach, are now in the last year of being able to show your age using only two hands. To me, that is just unbelievable, 10 whole years, yet I also can't really remember life without you! So many of my most treasured memories include you. You, Zach, created my motherhood, and I love everything that makes you you because a lot of it makes me me.

As a baby, Zach, you were always so easy going. You shared your smiles like you knew how joyful they would make others. And boy, did they! They were contagious. When you smiled your whole face lit up with happiness, just like it does now. That smile is still contagious. You loved to cuddle and sit and read books. You enjoyed playing with friends, and never put up a fuss when they would take a toy from your hand, you'd just move on to something else that looked fun. You didn't want to make anyone upset, and you rarely were upset yourself. I can honestly only remember 2 tantrums you ever threw. You slept anywhere. You loved spending time with me, your Mama. You were a joy, and still are. You know, kiddo, all those traits that were part of you then, are still part of you now.

You are a fantastic oldest brother. You set a wonderful example for the little ones, and I honestly believe that a big reason that your brothers are who they are is because you are who you are. You guide them and teach them, even when you don't intend to. But that is one of the things that makes you so great. You are so often trying to do the right thing and be the best you that you can be, so the example you are setting is almost always a good one. Your in-chargeness can come out a little bossy sometimes, and that can certainly annoy your younger brothers, but you are usually just trying to lead them in the way you think is best, they just might not agree about what is best! You love to make them laugh, and you love to play with them; your friendship is so important to the brotherhood of all you boys, so I am so glad you count your brothers as friends.

You are incredibly athletic. You pick up every sport you try with ease. It is obvious how much you love playing sports and doing physical things. You are coordinated and balanced and strong. Soccer, basketball, baseball, football, roller blading, skateboarding: I am astounded at how easily they have come to you, and I am excited to see how you will improve in the sports you choose to specialize in as you get older.

You are intelligent and love school. I love hearing about the books you are reading, and reading the stories and poems you write. Your creativity and writing style have always been great, but they've really bloomed over the past year. It's probably because you read ALL THE TIME. I think it's your favorite leisure-time activity. But you aren't just literary, you solve math problems so quickly, and can solve them without even writing them down or showing work; it impresses me to no end! And science is your favorite subject. We had the best conversation about outer space just the other day. But you also aren't just left-brained. You love singing and music and art. You've always had a song in your heart, Zach, and I hope you always do.

You have a quiet faith that you build up by reading your scriptures and learning from them all that you can. You enjoy church these days, not only because you love the friends you have there, but because you love the Spirit you feel there. Your prayers have become so thoughtful and sincere; you are really thinking about what you are saying and Who you are talking to. I love hearing you pray because it's like hearing a bit about what you are feeling and thinking on any given day.

Your smiles still come with ease and still light up your entire face. You still love to be a good friend and don't mind giving up a little of your comfort to make a friend happier. You still let things roll off your back and are so easy going. You are still so full of innocence and have a youthful heart. So much like your littler self. But you are also growing up. You enjoy making people laugh and sharing your zany side. You are starting to be more responsible without being encouraged to do so all the time. I love the pleasure you get out of sharing a joke with Dad and I, or taking on a "grown-up" responsibility. You are becoming more than a son to Dad and I, you are becoming a friend.

I can't wait to see the young man you will become and are already becoming. You are a blessing to your family in innumerable ways. Love you, sweet baby Zach.

Three Days of Thirty-Three

It's not every year that I get three days of birthday, but with the busyness of our schedule, that is what I got this year, and I can't complain. If you add Thursday morning to Friday night and Sunday afternoon it was like I got one total day of spoiling. I might just expect this every year now! :)

Thursday Adam took the day off. He had been hoping to take Friday, my actual birthday, off from work, but with some recruiting events going on that he had to be at as the HR rep, that wasn't going to be possible. So Thursday it was. And the day started with popovers in bed. Here's the thing though, there are some things that just don't cook well at altitude. I believe popovers may be one of these things. They never really "popped over." But we won't give up on them, we will try again!! Even if they were a little, or a lot, denser than a normal popover, they tasted great and I loved that Adam and Josh gave it a go just because that is what I wanted for my birthday breakfast.

After sprinkling the bed with popover crumbs, Adam told me I had to be ready by 9:30 for a little surprise. So I popped out of bed, and went for a weekday run that wasn't at the crack of dawn, which is a treat unto itself, and then quickly got ready. At 9:30, my friend Adri arrived and swooped me off for a little brunch at Mimi's where we were joined by two other friends for some girl time. It was such a great surprise! Mimi's has yummy breakfasts too; it was a wonderful morning.

It was so nice having a perfect "birthday" morning. Adam had the rest of the day off, but I didn't. I still had my preschool class to run and Zach had an evening choir event at Barnes and Noble for our elementary school's fundraiser night there. However, Adam made a delicious dinner, homemade Alfredo with chicken and broccoli, did all the dishes and took care of every diaper and bum wipe for the day, so I couldn't have had a better birthday-before-my-birthday.

But then came Friday, which was my actual birthday. It was a late start for school, which allowed me a little extra sleep, hooray! Otherwise, much of the day was the usual, laundry, errands, etc. Life must go on, even on your birthday. But I did get a bubble bath in in the afternoon while Tommy napped and Luke watched Caillou's Christmas DVD. And received many sweet and kind "happy birthday's" from friends and family. Friday afternoon I took the kids to Skate City for their school Santa Skate party; Luke told me, "Mom, we're having a roller skating party for your birthday!" Now if I were turning 8 that might have been exciting, but not so much for the 33rd. But the kids had a great time, which always makes me happy.

Next, we zipped Zach off to basketball practice, and after picking him up, he, Ben, and Josh went to the neighbors' house for {another} birthday party. Tommy and Luke were put to bed, our babysitter arrived, and Adam and I went out for the night for a little grown-up birthday celebration. We went to PF Changs, my very favorite restaurant, for vegetarian lettuce wraps, crispy fried green beans and Kung Pao chicken, finishing the meal off with the flourless chocolate dome. This dessert is like heaven in your mouth; if you haven't had it, try it. Oh yes, do. After dinner we met up with another couple at the movie theater for an opening night viewing of The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the first movie. A great Christmas blockbuster! It was a perfect birthday night, doing two things I love: eating good food and seeing movies at the theater--all with my favorite guy.
Saturday was cram-packed. Our family had choir practice, a basketball game, Zach's birthday party, then he went to {yet another} birthday party while the rest of us went home for a very short break before heading off to our great church Christmas party. It was a happy and fun, but very full, day.

It wasn't until Sunday afternoon after church that we were able to find the time to finish off my birthday. I was finally allowed to open birthday presents and blow out some candles. Adam knows that I love Marie Callender's Chocolate Silk Pie (but frozen, NOT thawed!), so we stuck 3 and 3 candles in and my boys sung to me with great gusto. I received my new Android phone, which is very cool, but way smarter than me, some new running gear, a pair of fleece jammies and a robe, and new perfume, so I don't have to smell like body anymore, I get to smell like girl!

So my birthday is officially over. Three days of celebrating isn't too bad, not too bad at all. It was a fantastic 33rd, all because of Adam, who spoils me rotten, and my darling boys, who believe birthdays should be celebrated big!

The Ghosts of Birthdays Past

Today is my 33rd birthday. And really, I don't really mind birthdays still. I was pretty excited all week for my birthday. This could all change, of course, when I get into my forties, or even later thirties, but for now, I still like having my birthday every year.

At 33 I can see the signs of my body getting older, bit by bit. I use a special wrinkle cream around my eyes every day, just to help keep them looking a bit less crinkly for a few more years. I have a few extra twinges in my knees when I run that I know I didn't have a few years ago. When I'm not wearing my Vera Wang push-up bra, the situation with the bust area is pretty grim.

But I'm happy. I love the life I have, even if it's exhausting sometimes. I have a wonderful, intelligent, husband who supports me and adores me in spite of my many flaws, and perhaps even a little bit because of them (and I feel quite the same as he does). And I'm the mother to five fantastic boys, who keep me guessing, learning, growing, improving and laughing. It's been a good 33 years.

So rather than wax any more poetic about my birthday and growing older this year, because I do enough of that in non-birthday posts, I'll just write down some of my memories from birthdays past. I've had 33 great birthdays, but these stick in my mind for some reason. The following stories may only be entertaining to me, but here they are anyhow.

When I was 6 I had a party at McDonald's. I remember it was back when the toys had the original Ronald character themes like Birdie and The Hamburgler who was on top of this weird metal bar cage thing, and purple blobby Grimace, and the Fry Guys who were made into rocking toys. My Grammie Arlene came. I remember she gave me five whole dollars. For all I knew I was the richest person in America!

When I turned 9 I had a costume party birthday, but since it was December everyone had to come as a Christmas/holiday-themed costume. I had just had my ears pierced that day. And we had a brand new video camera, so of course there is a lot of footage of the party. After the event was all wrapped up, I was able to relive the moments of my party over and over again. Which was unfortunate, because I was a total and complete BOSS! I was awful! I can't believe I had any friends back then! The good thing was that watching that video really changed me. I was able to see myself in live action, fuzzy pixle, full color how mean I was to my friends, and I didn't like it one bit. Thankfully, I decided I didn't want to be that girl, and made it a goal to be a much nicer, much less bossy, much less "I'm-so-cool" kind of girl. Thank goodness for that bulky, heavy, carried-an-entire-VHS-tape-to-record-on video camera! Because I am sure that's why I'm not that girl today. But if I ever decided to run for political office I am sure that tape would surface and my bid for office would be instantly over. Yikes!

When I turned both 11 and 12 I celebrated my birthdays in the summer, on my half birthday, so I could take my friends to the nearish water park, Wild Waves. For my 11th birthday, I invited a boy to my party for the first time since the discovery that boys were different from girls in kindergarten. His name was Rob. He was really cute, and my best friend Sarah was in love with him. I remember he hung out with us a lot. I'm guessing he thought Sarah was cute too.

When I turned 14 I was in 8th grade. I didn't have any big birthday plans, but my parents told me they were going to take me out for pizza at Godfather's. Mmmm. That was good pizza. Wonder what happened to that chain. I know the one I went to that night had a fire and never returned to that location; it's now an Applebees. But I wonder if there are any out there still.... Anyhow, I remember walking in and seeing a bunch of my friends at a table eating pizza across the room. My first thought was, "Wow! That's kind of mean. I can't believe all my friends would go out to dinner together on my birthday and not invite me!" but as we got a little closer, they all said, "Surprise!" And I was. Completely. I still think it was really numb-skulled of me to not realize it was a party for me the second I saw them all. Duh. :)

When I turned 16 my parents took me and some friends to see this weird Christmas play. It was just odd, so we had a lot of good laughs about it. This was the first birthday after Adam and I started dating, and when we got back to my house, where my mom had made a big dinner for my friends and I, there was a teddy bear (later named Beastmaster that I slept with until Adam and I were married) and a vase that Adam had made in pottery class filled with daisies. I still have the vase in our curio cabinet (and the bear too, although I think it's in a box in storage somewhere).

When I turned 17 my mom and dad got me a limo. They had done the same for my sister on her 16th, but when I had decided to take friends to the play for my 16th, we opted out of the limo. But the winter formal dance fell on my 17th birthday, and I think my parents felt that they wanted me to have the limo experience, maybe because the play the year before had been kind of odd. Adam had graduated already but was still around, working for the year before he left on his mission, and he had endured returning to high school with me for the homecoming dance, so I thought I'd let him off the hook for the winter formal. Instead we went out on the town with one of my closest friends and her boyfriend (who had also graduated), eating a super fancy dinner at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Downtown Seattle, then getting shakes at Dick's Drive-in, still dressed to the nines, and driving down Seattle's Candy Cane Lane, looking at all the amazingly decorated and brightly lit homes. Hands down one of my favorite birthdays ever.

When I turned 18 my parents sent me and my two best friends to see Westside Story at the Paramount. It was amazing. And that night my friends gave me a birthday gift that I will never forget: my own pair of brown Doc Martens that about 12 friends had all contributed $10 to the purchase. They were SUCH the "in" shoe, but totally expensive, so I couldn't get a pair. I wore those shoes into the ground, and that's saying something because Doc Martens are virtually indestructible.

I remember my 21st. It was very tame for a 21st birthday :). Adam and I had been married for four months. We went to a hibachi grill in Provo with a few other couples who were good friends of ours. He gave me a pretty necklace made from green jade.

When I turned 23 I was huge pregnant with Zach. Adam was still in Provo, needing to finish his finals before joining me in Seattle where we were moving and I had been since Thanksgiving. Zach wasn't due until the 25th, so it was no big deal. Or so we thought. My parents took me to the Outback Steakhouse. My sister gave me some lingerie, so I could feel sexy again after I had the baby. A good and kind thought, but a little embarrassing to open in front of the parents. Three days later I got the best birthday gift I've ever been given, my sweet baby Zachary. Although it was a frantic rush, Adam made it in plenty of time.

When I turned 27 Josh was a teensy baby. We were living in our tiny Provo apartment, once again, while Adam finished up his MBA. We got a knock at the door...delivery! It was an entire Cheesecake Factory Chocolate Tuxedo Cheesecake, FROM THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY, not some store-bought Cheesecake Factory brand. It was packed nice and perfectly in a special styrofoam box of dry ice. I am sure it cost a pretty penny or 2, or 20,000. But my amazing Mom knew I needed a good birthday; babies and MBA's can give you a bit of the blues, so she sent me a little something to make it pretty amazing. I think it was the best cheesecake I've ever eaten.

When I turned 30 Adam held a 70's themed party for me because I was born in 1977. Everyone had to come dressed in 70's style outfits. My brother-in-law's peach suit was completely amazing! Adam had also asked people to come with their favorite "Colleen stories," but I didn't realize that was one of his big surprises, and when someone started telling a story I felt embarrassed, I'm not a shy person, but I'm not one who loves the "hot seat," and so I steered the conversation another direction. It wasn't until a day later, when a friend who couldn't make it at the last minute emailed her favorite "Colleen story," that I realized what Adam had originally planned. It was so sweet of him to plan that, he had been so proud of himself and it was so thoughtful, and I ruined it. I still feel badly about that. Darn me! It was still a special night, spent with very good friends.

My 32nd birthday Adam was traveling for work. It's unfortunate, but sometime after the age of 18 you learn that The Universe doesn't care much that it's your birthday. That's not such a fun lesson to learn. Yes, I learned it long ago, but this was the first birthday it was really driven home. I was especially bummed that the"diaper-free-day" Adam and I give each other on birthdays, Mother's and Father's Days, was totally not an option. :) But he made it up to me later, the missing my birthday part and the diaper-free-day part. Because he was just as sad to miss my day as I was that he missed it.

My 33rd birthday has been pretty fantastic so far...but I'll save that for another post.

Happy birthday to me! I'm now thirty-three!

More Fun From the Oven

This week in preschool we are focusing on "The Gingerbread Man". So of course, for an activity/snack today we had to make gingerbread men ourselves. Ours did not get out of the oven and run away, although all the kids thought that would have been pretty cool. After the preschoolers left, I still had loads of dough, so I got to rolling and baking and made a large quantity of gingerbread men, all of whom stayed put on the pan as well.

It made me realize: I've never actually MADE gingerbread men before! I've made gingerbread-man-shaped sugar cookies, and I've made gingerbread dough for a house, but the actual MAN...never made him before today. But I think I've been missing out. They are deliciously tasty, even if they are lacking much in the way of either chocolate or large quantities of icing. They have a nice little flavor zing and a perfect little *snap* as you bite into them. Tommy sure loved them. Plus, decorating them is a hoot! Although I had to explain to the boys that they were not wearing overalls, they were wearing lederhosen. And they are bloomin' adorable when all is said and done. So cute, you just want to gobble them right up. This may just become a new holiday tradition.

Treasures of the Season

The Christmas season was always one of my favorites growing up. It always felt so magical, even long after Santa became a symbol of giving, rather than a real man who slid down my chimney bringing gifts. It's my birthday season too, so December for me was a double dose of fun. Growing up in a Christian family, Jesus, "the reason for the season" was always prominent in our celebrations, but I know that a lot of my love of Christmastime as a child was the excitement I felt over what I would get for my birthday and for Christmas. But as I grew older the meaning of the season changed. It changed as I helped at Toys for Tots wrapping events. It changed as I went caroling with my family on Christmas Day at the hospital so those that were stuck there could still feel some Christmas cheer. It changed as I helped feed cold and damp homeless teens at a teen center soup kitchen in Seattle.

As I matured and my faith deepened, the true meaning of Christmas became clear and the specialness and magical feeling of the season came from He that is The Source of All Good, Christ, and the joy of His birth, an event that has truly given me everything that is important to me in my life. Without the event we celebrate this season, my life would be void of all that is most important to me. And that is why I love the Christmas season now, and I love the events that bring that feeling of love for my Savior and the reminder that it is He whom we celebrate with gratitude home to my heart.

Therefore, while I still LOVE all the Christmas hubub, the songs, the stories, the planning, the food, the parties and gatherings with family and friends, the decorations, the shopping for gifts, the true treasures to me are the ones centered around the celebration of the baby in the manger who would grow to be the Savior of us all. Here are a few of the treasures I've been given so far this 2010 Christmas season:

Last night, after having some incredibly fun missionaries over for dinner, our family curled up in the Mojosac to watch our church's First Presidency Christmas Devotional, with beautiful music by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (I saw your mom, Adri!) and sweet lessons by our beloved First Presidency. I was surprised at how quietly the boys listened to the hour-long presentation as we snuggled beneath the cozy blankets. Even Luke seemed to settle silently into the little game he was playing with his toys, and stopped by his own choice to join us on the Mojosac soon after President Monson began his talk, sharing a pillow with his Dad. Tommy was in bed...which definitely helped with the quiet tone of the night. I think it was one of my favorite hours spent with my family in the past few months, and we've had some pretty great hours.

Saturday night we attended a creche exhibit at our church with hundreds of creches on display, loaned by church members, non-LDS Colorado Springs residents and retailers, and other local churches. There was a live nativity as well, and even though it was incredibly cold outside (sitting in the colder-than-ice metal chairs set up in the parking lot was a little like torture) the spirit that was there was palpable. Tears came to my eyes in the final moments of the presentation, as I looked from the woman playing Mary, holding the little baby in her arms in the manger scene, to the slide show of pictures depicting Christ's life from His birth through His resurrection that was projected onto a screen beside the manger.

And the creches were amazing! They were from all over the world, Jerusalem to Japan, large and small, handmade to priceless family heirlooms, a creche made of chocolate to one made of Legos. There was a children's room, with creches the kids could touch and play with, nativity scenes they could make out of paper and stickers, and costumes so they could act the Christmas story out. I've posted a few pictures of my favorite creches. My very favorite was the one lent by one of the local Catholic churches. It's at the bottom. All of the faces are beautifully sculpted and capture true human emotion. But the look on Mary's face as she gazes at her baby is truly moving: love, adoration, joy, peace. I feel like I can feel her feelings. When Adam and I, one day in the future, purchase a nice, fancy nativity, I want my Mary to look like that.
Tonight for family night we talked about what the Christmas season is all about. I suggested "getting presents" and "me!" But I was quickly informed by the boys that I was quite wrong. It is about the Savior and because of that, it is a time of the year that we can re-devote our lives to follow His. Christ's life was one of teaching, sacrifice and service all because of His deep love for us. So in return, we should serve with love all those that our lives touch. We've done other things in past Christmas seasons to encourage the "giving" spirit of the season in the boys. This year we have a "service tree."Whenever the kids do something to serve another, family member or friend, we add an ornament to the tree. Since we just set it up tonight, it only has one ornament, but what I love about our service tree's first ornament is that Zach put it on the tree because Josh served him by feeding Ruby (which is Zach's job). Josh didn't say, "I served! Put one on for me!" Zach didn't find a way to serve so he could put the first ornament up for himself. He recognized the service Josh did and put one up for Josh, all without prompting. It made me realize that even though they absolutely have "the holiday gimmies," they ARE kids after all, I think the boys' hearts are already in the right place for the Christmas season. The seed is planted. One day I am sure the meaning of the season will become deeper for them, just as it did for me.