It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!

Christmas is my favorite time of year! I love the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of Giving that comes into peoples' hearts! This year I've had a tougher time getting into the spirit of Christmas. It was harder to decorate the inside of the house. It was harder to put up the lights outside. I almost didn't even put up a tree! I'm sure that it is because we will not have Michael, Kim and Sage here because they are waiting patiently for the arrival of our new grandbaby! We also won't have David, because as you all know, he is at the MTC. And to make it even harder, Scott and Steven both have to work that day! Yep! It could be a lonely Christmas around here! (Hopefully, it will be a low call day for service for both of them, so I'll see them some!)

Well, with Christmas fast approaching, I've slowly gotten the house decorated with my 23 (I think..) nativities of all sizes and shapes (mostly small!), put out some of the Stuffed Christmas animals, put up the family stockings, decorated a small tree, and put out the 27 candles..(A tradition we started our first Christmas, and add to each year! Hey, if the lights go out, we are set! OH, NO! I just realized we haven't bought one this year! Better do that in the next day or two!) I also went outside, went up on the roof and put the lights up there, as well as on the front of the house and in the front yard. I also have been listening to Christmas Carols almost every day since before Thanksgiving! (I started that early so David could feel a little Christmas at our house. I just lost the momentum for the rest, until these last few days!) I even got most of the Christmas cards out, just no "traditional" Scott Allred Family poem this year! This year, the usual traditions at our house, have just been harder!

But fortunately, the making of candies this year was one of the best I have had! A dear friend came and we became a "See's" candy store all afternoon. Caramels, fudge, toffee, peanut butter balls, "mounds" candy, and chocolate covered pretzels with candy cane pieces started multiplying on my counter!
It was a wonderfully "sugary" afternoon visiting and working away!

And....... it will be a "sweet" memory of this Christmas season!

As I have accomplished each of our yearly traditions, even though some felt like chores, I have begun to feel like it truly is beginning to feel like Christmas! I have been reminded that Christmas no matter where your loved ones are, is still Christmas. Christmas is what you have and feel in your heart. It is the time to remember the best gift that we could ever have received, the gift of our Savior, who because of His atonement gave each of us eternal life. Christmas is about Him. He is the reason for the season. He is the reason, my family, even though we're not going to be together this year, can be together for eternity! He is the reason to find Joy this Christmas season.

From my family to each of you:
WE WISH ALL OF YOU A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

EDITOR NOTE: A couple of My favorite Christmas songs this year:
"Mary, Did you know?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhmaHR1CRik
"Christmas Shoes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNsvE33pRSw&feature=related