O, Christmas is Here Again...this wondrous day of joy and gladness!

I don't have to "dream" of a white Christmas, I am able to LIVE a white Christmas! Does this look like a picture of a winter wonderland? IT IS....and the best part is, that it is my backyard! How could Christmas get any better?


Christmas trees play such a significant part of the Christmas celebration for me...not just because everyone has a Christmas tree, but because my Mother used to spend an enormous amount of time making these very special Christmas trees for our Christmas Eve dinner. She would stand for hours in the kitchen, cutting up apples, celery and nuts and getting the jello to just the right consistency so they could be added...after which she set the jello in snow cone cups to be put on plates and have the "snow" dolloped on the top to look just like a tree, full of decorations and topped with freshly fallen snow!
My dear Chelsea, humored me, and stood making the "Christmas trees" for our dinner. I think it took her nearly as long to do the trees, as it did for Earl and me to fix dinner...but believe me, through the tears of joy and wonderful, warm memories that flooded over me, the trees made our Christmas very magical!



Every tree in my house signifies some important piece of my life. The small tree on the left has bales of hay and horses, while the big tree is full of bells...bells that ring and adorn Santa's outfit as he "Ho, Ho, Ho's;" bells that softly jingle on the horses collars and harnesses as they are walking or trotting "through the fields;" and the sound of the Santa who stands on the street corner ringing his bells to encourage our hearts to open up and help someone else!

The Christmas season could not possibly be complete without programs...watching my grandchildren is so enjoyable...and knowing my daughters are the creators and teachers is even better! Ellie is a great little ballroom dancer!
Mia warmly expresses her wishes of "Melekilikimaka," with the cutest smile and sincerity any little dancer could conjure up!
Don't even think for one minute that Rick wasn't busting his buttons when Luke was on that stage showing off his ballroom skills with Tess!
Tess makes everything she does look so effortless, enjoyable and pretty!
Have you ever seen so many pretty ballerinas?
Would Christmas even be Christmas without the Primary Christmas program? Tess is a beautiful, serious angel! I am so proud, again, to see my daughters putting forth the effort to continue on in traditions that have been in this Valley forever! Truly, children love to participate in these events and parents love to see their children perform!
The theme of this particular Primary program was losing ourselves in service to others, just as Christ served others.
Ellie and her friend are the oldest girls in Primary and therefore, they get to narrate the show! I cannot believe this was Ellie's LAST Primary program. Next year, she will be in Young Women's!
Noah truly does love to bake...just like Santa's Holly, Jolly Bakers. Why just this morning, he came over to my house to treat me with a raspberry muffin, out out of his oven!
Little Miss Mia puts her WHOLE effort into everything she does...even her holiday baking for others!
The Kamas Community Christmas Concert has become a tradition that is loved by all and helps set hearts and souls at peace for a perfect spirit, as we celebrate the birth of our dear Savior and King.
Being able to have Jack and Chelsea home for Christmas was a wonderful treat we enjoyed!

Evan loves his new little Christmas present, Emmie Sue. She is the cutest Christmas dollie!
Christmas just would not be Christmas without posing for Grandma's traditional Christmas picture! Eli is the happiest little guy and loves Grandpa and the "backhoe." Earl came home the other day to find him out in the barnyard...ready and waiting to help him feed! Evan loves to come to Grandpa's as well to work on the farm and he also loves to play with the cousins! Rajko gets in with the "big boys" and plays just like he is every bit as big as they are! Noah and Luke each received pocketknives from Grandpa, because they are big enough to know what to do with them and need them to work on the farm! Ellie Jo is the little mother of the rest of the cousins. She is responsible, but fun...mature but imaginative! Mia and Noah are really inseparable cousins...they were walking to my house from Olivia's in the dark the other night, with protective arms around each other and encouraging each other on. Tess is the beautiful girl who makes everything look easy. She is quiet and loving, talented yet strong! Jack loves to visit the farm and play with the cousins. When he comes, it is like he was never away...he just picks right up where he left off! Then there is our little Christmas gift...Emmie Sue. She is so very pretty and is letting us all know she is part of our family too!

Earl and I have to be the most blessed people ever...we have six beautiful children, who have the perfect husbands and wife for each of them. They in turn, have beautiful children...full of life and the love of our Father in Heaven. They all are faithful and consistent in honoring and celebrating, respecting and emulating our dear Savior. We were both blessed to be born into homes where our parents lived and taught us the Gospel of Jesus Christ, loved us and gave us wonderful lives. We both have siblings we love and enjoy spending time with and reliving old memories. We are blessed in so many others ways too numerous to mention here, but we are so thankful to a loving Heavenly Father for everything we have. We are expecting two more grandchildren...that we know of... and are looking forward to those little spirits joining our family! Christmas 2010 is definitely a "wondrous day of joy and gladness" for us!