Welp. Merry Christmas. Happy Festivus. Happy Holidays. And all the best...essentially.
Can you believe that I'll be home in one year? Time is skating right along. I suppose that's your warning. Kid proof all the cubbords, I'll be home before you know it.
So, Big Mac, eh? I'm stoked about that little one. I keep dreaming (ok, twice) that I am at the hospital wearing scrubs and a hair net. Then everyone is laughing and telling crazy jokes and Nicole is red in the face and chewing lots of ice. Haha! I want real pictures of that. Then I wake up and start laughing.
FIRST OF ALL---LISA ELIZONDO!!! You have really outdone yourself. Thank you SO MUCH!!! You are so incredible!!! The jacket fits like a glove. SO classy. So you. I will be thinking of you every time I wear it. AND the silly bands...incredible. I'm kind of obsessed with them now. Whenever tweens come to the square, I try to use the topic of silly bands as a hip ice breaker. Most of the time I get rolled eyes, followed by sighs, then sheepish smiles...BECAUSE they know how cool those bad boys are. And the rest was all wonderful reminders of LCE. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!! I MISS YOU SO MUCH!!! AND, I will be paper responding to you--in detail....
Just as a disappointing, but honest, claim...to Lisa and everyone else I ADORE, you know who you are...including the fam bam...I am not sending gifts this year. I have zero time. None. Zilch. I kind of stressed out for a minute, then got over it, because I knew you'd all understand. Next year we'll all do a nice holiday lunch. Go big. You know. Celebrate. Hygge. Sorry in advance for the lack of physical gifts. I know you'd know that I adore and love you regardless. December 2011. Get ready.
With that....here are two fabulous Christmas videos: KIDDOS & GIVING
We met a Jewish woman this past week. Amazing lady. She's from (of all places) good old Rohnert Park. We swapped some Sonoma County stories for a while, then talked a little bit about God. We all talked about those incredible pioneers who walked across the U.S. due to religious persecution, but amidst their trials, became familiar with their Heavenly Father. She could understand. She had recently been through a divorce. It seemed like a pretty painful divorce too, she started tearing up as she shared more with us. She said something that really meant a lot to me--she said that when our hearts are broken, they're really a little more open. Truth. Loved it. We all understood. I'm sure you've been there too.
Something else that I loved this week was a hip family. 2 adults, 2 teenagers, one tween (yep. the word "tween" just made the e-mail again). We took them through a presentation here at Temple Square called "God's Plan for Families". It shows the life of a family. You know, parents a little overwhelmed out about a new baby, young kids who want to play with busy dad, grandparents who die. But hey--here's the message of hope. Life is good. It's about those moments when dad says "Maybe we'll teach her how to sing...she sure has the lungs for it" or when mom can assure her kids that they can be with grandma again, after they die. Well, the hip family family we were with was wonderful. When we asked them what they thought about it, Mom replied. Through some tender tears, looking at her busy family, she told us how its easy to get distracted from what's important. Our focus can get altered so quickly. Agreed. I learned a lot from her.
Well, I hope that you all drink an extra glass of Martinelli's on my behalf. Cheers to Christmas hygge. That's really the best there is.
LOVE you all!!!
Sister Amy Prancer Harmer
