Christmastime is Here

 

This week was another special Christ filled Christmasy one. Hunter was baptized and I had the opportunity to participate in Fruit Heights' live nativity program. I was one of the narrators who memorized part of Luke 2 and delivered it with Pastor Kraft who leads the congregation at the Mountain Road Church. It was a special experience and was the perfect way to usher in the Christmas season and reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. The live nativity was honestly so well done they had live sheep and even a real life camel! 

Peaches

• Hunter's baptism

• Listening to the kids sing at Hunter's baptism. It was so sweet they are just the best!
• Slackwater after the baptism
• Made my fifth batch of Grandpa Richins chex mix, this stuff is the best!

• I love our Christmas tree with the manger underneath. Reminds me every time I look at it who the real gift is. Also went with my mom to Hobby Lobby to get some pine stems and vase for our table. Really loving the long ribbon trend this year

• Morgann came over to help me make these paper bag snowflakes for a backdrop for the Favorite Things Party this next week. I can't wait to see everyone and what their favorite things are. Mine are these little plastic pan scrapers that I have under every sink and the cutest little checkered makeup bags. I am getting kind of obsessed with the checkered print trend we're seeing everywhere! It was a lot of fun hanging out with Morg and just chatting and cutting snowflakes like school girls. They turned out so awesome. We ran out of hot glue so Morg decided to take the rest of the bags home to glue and cut out with Myla who apparently was in shock and awe at how beautiful they turned out. So fun! 
• Also put together some little gift bags with little boxes of fav chex mix and the Christmas crack coconut chex mix as a sweet and savory treats. I don't know if I've mentioned it yet but I'm totally playing off of the "Brown paper packages tied up with strings... these are a few of my favorite things." as the theme for the party

• Ordered new goggles from a new brand called Blender. Bridger keeps me in the know of new trends and companies. He also talks me off the ledge when I call him and say these feel humongous do I look like an astronaut or is it just me?

• Bought decals for Jaden's skis (since he is renting them through the Learn and Earn program the guy that measured him and got him setup with rentals said to get stickers or something to help distinguish them from the other hundred rental skis that look the exact same) I found this gem and had to text it in our CMU Crew group message because that humor is 110% Taylor Williams. And just as expected he loved it. 

Pits

• Ordering a new ski jacket that made me feel like the stay puffed marshmallow man. Bridger confirmed when I FaceTimed him... it was a no go

• We got stuck behind an eternally long train on the way to Slackwater in SLC after Hunter's baptism. Jaden and I had Hunter and Crew in our car and we seriously waited for almost 20 minutes before it started moving again. The boys are still talking about it. 

• Finally decorated a tree in our room only to have it fall over and most of the decorations fall so that was disheartening

• Discovered I had cut up and put the sticker on a bell pepper in our stir fry. Hate that 

Jaden's Talk for Hunter's Baptism (very similar to the one he gave at Crew's but had some sweet personalization that had us all in tears again). 

Hunter boy this gift that you are going to be given… it’s Christmas time and you’re going to get lots of gifts. I think you want lots of gifts. This is going to be the most special one.

In our family I don’t know if you’ve ever seen this picture. But this is a picture of your Great Grandpa, and you’ve never met him but he was a very special man. And the reason he was so special is because he tried his best to help people and love people and to feel the Holy Ghost in his life.

And I remember growing up and hearing my mom tell stories about him. I remember I said I want to be like him. One of my favorite stories about your Great Grandpa Robinson was he was babysitting my cousin Trevor at their house in Farmington. They lived right by Lagoon and there’s a little creek that runs right by their house. And they had horses and a farm back there. And our cousin Trevor loved going to Grandpa’s house. And one day Trevor was at Grandpa’s house and he got too close to that river and he fell in. And he couldn’t swim. And Grandpa was all the way up at the house and had no way of knowing what had happened. And Grandpa said he heard a voice that said “go to the river.” And do you think he listened to that voice?  He did. He rushed all the way down to the river and he found my cousin. He was ok and he was able to get him out of the water.

 

Now that’s an extreme story and it doesn’t always happen every day of our life Hunter. But I love that story because it shows that the Holy Ghost can speak to us and He can tell us what’s scary and what’s wrong and things we need to do to live a good and happy life. And He can teach us most importantly of the guy back there on the wall that’s getting baptized just like you did.

 

Hunter I can remember lots of stories in my life where and I told you last week I told you about a time when your dad came home from his mission. Do you remember where he served? Tennessee. We were at Grandma’s house and we were sitting in the basement of the house and your dad was getting released as a missionary. That’s where they take off your name badge and they get to go be normal people again. And I remember your dad bore his testimony about Jesus. And for some reason that moment just stuck with me my entire life. And I think about it a lot because the Holy Ghost told me that what my brother was telling me was true. So Hunter boy I just want you to know that the way to follow the Holy Ghost is to try. He wants us to try to be nice to your siblings. Maybe try not to beat up on your brother, try to not get beat up by your sister. He wants us to serve others and be good. And I know you have a good heart and love to help others but my advice to you buddy is to just try. You’re not going to be perfect in your life and you’re going to make mistakes but as we try we can be blessed with special experiences with the Holy Ghost and He can be our constant companion and lead us and guide us.

 

I love you and am very proud of you and the choices you have made and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.