Holiday Traditions and Fun

In addition to our 12 Christmas Acts of Kindness (CAKe), our season is always filled with fun activities and traditions. I think that's what I love most about this holiday - it isn't just a single day but a whole month of experiences. We started the month with our ward (community) Christmas party on Tuesday, December 3rd. I look forward to this every year. I enjoy being surrounded by friends and neighbors. I feel lucky to live in the community we do. We get to associate with and serve so many incredible people. We enjoyed a yummy dinner then Jonas joined a little children's choir for a song. After the children's choir, the youth put on a silhouette Nativity. Jeff and I played a big role in making that happen. I spent hours cutting out cardboard pieces for the youth to use and additional time practicing with them. The production was set to the Hallelujah song, which another youth in our ward sang. I was lucky enough to see the whole production during a quiet dress rehearsal because the night of, I was behind the scenes. While it was a little chaotic back there, I could still feel the incredible sacredness as the youth acted out the story of our Savior's birth. It was by far the highlight of the night...for everyone. At the end of the night, every family was encouraged to grab a couple of envelopes from the Christmas trees in the room. Inside the envelopes were little cards with the name of a family in our area. We were then instructed to seek out ways to quietly serve those families this holiday season. I loved that! I love that this is a season of service, giving, and goodness. Even though it is the darkest time of the year, I love the light that comes from the love and kindness of others. 

Wednesday, December 4th, I took Carter and Everly to Gardner Village to search for the Elves. I loved doing this with Jonas when he was younger, but he has since grown out of the activity. He probably would have had fun if his cousins were there or maybe even if he joined Carter and Everly and I, but gone are the days when he would think it was cool to go searching for elves with just me...so now I drag my grandkids. They loved finding all the silly elves and enjoyed a tiny treat in the process. 

That evening, we met up with the Tanners at Gordo's for their winter festival. I brought Carter and Everly to Gordo's during the fall season, but this was our first time at their winter festival. Again, I'm pretty sure that Jonas wouldn't have had that much fun there without his cousins, but with the Tanners and Carter and Everly, we all enjoyed the evening. The older kids dominated the tubing slide. That was by far the highlight of the night for them. Carter even went down eventually...but only after some intense coaxing and only with Casey (who was able to join us too). Everly pretty much stuck by my side, which I didn't mind in the least. We ended our time there with a little trolley ride out into a field where there were some giant inflatables. 

On Friday, December 6th, Jeff and I took Jonas to see A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater. This is an annual tradition that Jeff and I enjoy. For the past few years, we have taken the boys, Jonas & Danny (when he was still here). I'm not sure it's Jonas's favorite thing. I don't think he completely dislikes it (and I know he loves that we see a matinee show so he gets to miss school), but I'm not sure he fully grasps all the nuances of the story. He is a good-natured boy at heart. He so easily gives and is kind to others. I know he understands what Charles Dickens is trying to portray even if he doesn't get why we love to share this play with him so much.

Saturday evening (December 7th), Jeff and I had our annual holiday date. This date used to be seeing A Christmas Carol together, but once Jeff insisted we start inviting the boys, I had to come up with other holiday date ideas. It is actually fun to try to find some festive thing we haven't seen or done each year. We have done a dinner theater, chocolate and vinegar tasting, a holiday concert, etc. This year, we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner (they finally opened one in Utah County) then visited the Payson Community Creche. I have wanted to attend the Creche for a couple years but we've had other activities planned that prevented us from doing so. This year, I made sure that this was the activity planned for the weekend. Dinner was of course delicious (and you can't forget about the holiday peppermint cheesecake!), but I think I was more full after seeing all the different nativities. I love to see how Christ is celebrated in so many different countries and in so many different ways. He is truly the reason for the season. It doesn't matter where you live, He is the common thread that unites so many of us. I know He is not recognized as the Savior for everyone, but most can agree that He embodies goodness, kindness, acceptance, mercy, and love. Jeff and I wandered quickly through the church with all the nativities. It was pretty crowded so we didn't spend as much time scrutinizing each depiction, but there were several that caught our eye. There were even ones so small you had to use a magnifying glass to see the details. After we finished at the church, we headed over to the main Payson park where we got to stroll through a poster depiction of the birth story. There were banners with scriptures and others with pictures that told the story of His birth. While I enjoyed admiring all the different nativities, I loved wandering through the park more. There were no crowds. Jeff and I were able to walk uninterrupted through the park at our own pace. Tears filled my eyes as I read the scriptures and contemplated all the complexities and miracles and emotions of that sacred event. He is the Reason for the Season. 

Sunday (December 8th) we watched the First Presidency Devotional and decorated sugar cookies. When I was little, my mom used to do a lot of holiday baking. We would make pumpkin rolls, caramels, cookies, and so much more. We would then put goodie plates together to deliver to our friends and neighbors. My sister, Nichole, continues that tradition...but I do not. It's not that I can't or that I wouldn't mind a pumpkin roll, I guess I just allot my time in different ways. Still, I do like our little tradition of making sugar cookies for the devotional. I'm pretty sure the boys love eating them more than actually decorating them, but us girls got creative. It's usually a chaotic evening, and I'm not really sure how much of the devotional we actually get to see, but it's always a fun time.

Tuesday, December 17th, we gathered as a family to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of Luminaria. I think this is one of my favorite holiday evenings. The lights are magical...especially through Carter, Everly, and Beau's eyes. I love smelling the different fragrances as we wander through candy cane lane or tulips fields. I love hearing the whimsical holiday music as we stroll along. We stop to play games and enjoy different displays, but my favorite is the simple shepherd's hooks with a lantern that fill the sacred space with statues of Christ. The music shifts from whimsical to meaningful. The loud laughter stills to silent whispers...and once again, I am reminded of why we celebrate Christmas. I loved seeing Carter experience the statues. He was concerned about the woman crying and in awe of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. I am grateful for the reminder of His love and His light. Merry Christmas!