This year has been an especially memorable Christmas for our family. With preparations for the holiday made well in advance we were able to focus on the true reason we celebrate Christmas a little bit more. We found ourselves busy and involved as a family as Christmas day grew nearer and nearer. Christmas isn't Christmas without family and friends. Our Christmas was made that much better by the return of my brother from Denver, Colorado who has been serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there for the last two years. It was wonderful to see him again and renew our acquaintance.
This year we exchanged the usual gifts with extended family and we were touched to find that the gift exchange now touches each family member. I love home made gifts, the thought and preparation that goes into them. I love to give them and I love to receive them and this year our Christmas was full of them as well as some very thoughtful purchased gifts. I had a lot of favorites, so let me share them with you...
I have an online business called Clearly Rubber Stamping and I have a sister who is a very talented seamstress. This year she gave me something special reflecting her love and thought toward me and my family... a custom designed apron! I love the colors, the flowers and the logo. It is almost too pretty to wear in the kitchen! Thank you so much for such a personalized gift.
Another of my favorite gifts were centered on one of my very most favorite words - JOY!!! I love that word because it actually holds within it's three letters the formula for what it spells. When you put Jesus first, Others second and yourself last you will undoubtedly feel joy! What an awesome word! I know it is a formula that works and that without any one of those letters Joy cannot be achieved. Thank you so much for adding to the joy of Christmas with gifts of such a wonderful word.
The edible gifts are also wonderful items to receive along with the items that help to prepare food. We got a lovely frying pan that is a wonderful family size and cooks wonderfully with its ceramic coating. There was sweetened condensed milk which makes the best treats, chocolate delights which get devoured very quickly by our family and even a box of cereal reminding us that proper nourishment is important during this time of rich foods, much the same as spiritual nourishment is so vital during this time where the morals of society are quickly eroding. I love the reminder. Thank you for the spiritual and physical nourishment you have helped provide our family this year.
There was a delightful set of picture frames perfect for crystallizing and displaying treasured family members and moments - a reminder of the importance of family bonds and the need to keep them strong and healthy. I took special delight in a butterfly light. I LOVE butterflies, especially since I discovered a few years ago that they teach of the Atonement of Christ beautifully. It is only through His atonement, that we emerge as the wonderful butterflies that we are meant to be. What a wonderful and visual lesson butterflies are to me and this light is an enjoyable reminder of that lesson. Thank you for these wonderful items that will decorate our home with treasured memories and lessons this year.
I have to admit that I have a bit of a weakness for jewellery. Not that I have expensive jewellery or anything like that, but I LOVE how the gemstones glisten and gleam and reflect the light, causing it to dance and shimmer on anything it reaches. These little gems that catch the light always remind me of the light of Christ and how we are each a gem that catches and reflects that wonderful light to others. It makes the world such a beautiful place. I am so thankful for these tiny gems that I can wear at my throat as symbol of my desire to reflect and share the light of Christ with everyone I meet. Thank you so much for the necklace and the bracelet which also depicts my love of gardening. I am so thankful for your thoughtfulness!
And last of all, one of my very most favorite of all my favorite gifts. A plaque. I have hung it where I study, right below a photo of the Savior because to me, these are His words. I love the words:
This plaque speaks truth but there is a caution that there was not room for. I have found that there is no growth if we allow our difficulties and challenges to make us bitter and unhappy. The greatest growth and strength come when we meet our challenges with faith and courage and then seek to conquer those challenges. It is faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ that has helped me in my most difficult times. That is why I hung this plaque next to his picture in a place that I can see it every day. I recently read an article that worded the message of this plaque a little differently. It said:
The keyword to me there is 'afford'. Not everyone in the world will grow from their challenges. Growth only comes if you pay the price and sometimes the price is high and hard to 'afford' BUT I know that it is always worth it. They always help us, once the price of faith is paid, to be strong and grow into what the Lord would have us be. What a blessing challenges are! Thank you for giving me the words of the Savior embodied in this little wall plaque. I love it and I look at it every day!!!
And thank you for all the other gifts that I haven't specifically mentioned. I am so grateful for your thoughtfulness and generosity in our behalf as you considered our family for Christmas. Chad and I are both grateful to you - our family.
Each of the kids were also thrilled with their gifts as is obvious by their smiles:
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| Melodee was especially thrilled with the art work her cousin made especially for her. |
Well, it has been a wonderful Christmas for the Rice family! Our Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and other family celebrations have been filled with fun and the joy of being together as a family. I am so thankful for the wonderful kids I have, a strong and supporting husband and for gospel blessings which brings exquisite happiness into my life each and every day.
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and may 2013 be a wonderful year filled with love and unity for you and your families.
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