Christmas

Perhaps our favorite Christmas present that we gave this year was transferring old 8 mm films from Tricia's dad's childhood to a DVD. Trish and I sifted through a few shoeboxes full of these silent films to see what was on them, then brought the keepers to Plastic Trees Studio, where they all easily fit on a single DVD. It was fun to learn how to work the old film projector, and Tricia's dad seemed pretty excited to see the old movies.



Our favorite activity today was doing video Skype with my nephews, whose family just got a webcam. They entertained us for well over an hour, holding their Christmas gifts in front of the camera to show them off, and telling knock-knock jokes to a very friendly crowd. Great fun.

innovation

This morning I was enticed by an internet ad that said, "Never buy wrapping paper again!" I clicked on the link and watched a five-minute video that detailed how I could take large sheets of brown paper used for padding in sent packages, trim it down to size, iron it out, draw on it, and then wrap my gifts with it.

I was inspired by that idea of innovation and decided to apply some home-cooked innovation to one of my most important tasks of the day: sealing 75 envelopes. I needed to get them done ASAP, but I didn't have an envelope moistener and didn't want to have a dry tongue after 50. I also didn't have time or opportunity to get to the store to exchange 99 cents for one, so I pondered what I could use from home.

The result: a flower aquatube (filled with water) and an old sponge cut to size. And voila! I had a homemade envelope moistener. The picture below details the needed materials for my project, as well as the resulting sealed envelopes.

i remember

I kept wishing for the snow to come. And now I remember why I was so excited in March to have it gone. I had forgotten how my arm hurts after shoveling it. I had forgotten the slush getting all over my shoes. I'd forgotten the ice that forms at night. I'd forgotten having that sense of not quite being in total control of the car. And I'd forgotten how necessary it is to wear gloves and a scarf.

But I had also forgotten how beautiful it is. Pure. White. Stillness. How could I celebrate Christ's birth--the One whose atonement has made my sins as white as new-fallen snow--without it?

the most beautiful

For me, lighted Christmas trees during the dark evening hours are the most pleasant, peaceful, and beautiful aesthetic of the holidays. I love seeing little lights peeking out from dark green boughs and casting illuminous shadows on the wall.

"The light which shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not."

May this Christmas season be one of remembering Christ, the Light of the world, and pondering upon His gift of life and love to us.

recent adventures

In shape
To get fit during the winter months, I've taken up step aerobics inside our home. Here I am working out my own routine in our basement. (Not a lot of space, but enough to do the necessary moves.)


Lights
We put up lights to celebrate Christmas. Matt was very brave to wander up on our roof.


The artist at work
For a recent mass card-producing activity, I pulled out almost all of my mediums and tried various ideas before settling on a white crayon snowflake on red paper, highlighted with lines of silver glitter.


Christmas Devotional
We were inspired and enriched at the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

thanksgiving

Matt and I got TWO Thanksgiving meals this year: one with my family (the Sunday before the big day) and one with his family on the big day.

Then we headed down to St. George to work off the turkey by running around with my family. Who has the better frisbee toss?

"the biscuits worked"

For a few weeks now I have been telling Matt I would make him a special breakfast of biscuits and gravy on the first morning of snowfall. Since it was November, I was sure the snow would come any time. But it didn't. And didn't. And didn't some more.

So I invited it by making biscuits and gravy this morning. And it worked! The snow has come.