Merry Christmas!

Ever since I was little, our family always sent out a Christmas card to all our family and loved ones. Well, this year might be a little different seeing as the person who usually writes it (my mommma) is out of the country! Maybe it's time for me to grow up and write one of my own! I don't really have much to report, seeing as nothing major has happened to me in the last year (marriage, kids and what not) but I figure I will just give you a quick glimpse of the person i am, and what i believe in. well...here goes :)

This Holiday season has already been a pretty tough one for me. Thanksgiving came and went and it hardly seemed like a holiday without my parents around (and my Dad's mashed potatoes!) However, I couldn't be more grateful for my sister Jenny. WoW! what a woman she is! This year, they decided to leave their home in Bountiful to move into my parents house for the next few years...leaving a home for Sara and I and the other members of our family to gather at. This has comforted me many times, and Jenny is always asking if I need anything or help in any way. I sure love her and her amazing example. I truly enjoy having Sara and Rob and Rach and Jack down here in Provo with me. We have all gotten pretty dang close, and I am grateful for that. Especially with Robert going to be leaving within the next year. I am extremely grateful for ALL my siblings and the wonderful things they are doing, and for their care and concern for me. I only HOPE to be the sister to them that they deserve. I am grateful for my wonderful parents. They continue to help me EVERY day. I love the phone calls from my mom that start out "So, I have been thinking about you....". They always entail love and ideas of how i can make my life a better one. Christmas will be tough, but hey, WE'VE GOT ETERNITY! :) I am excited for that! I am grateful for the reason of this season. Jesus Christ, his birth, and atoning sacrifice for each and every one of us, that makes everything possible. Without Him, life would be a mess for me. I am grateful for the Atonement, and i KNOW it works and is real. I see the beauty in the world around me, I feel the love of my family and others, and I feel the Spirit everyday...and I KNOW that this life was no accident. Through the Savior, dark can become light, hard hearts can be softened, sadness can be turned to joy, and seemingly impossible things work themselves out. I KNOW that by turning to the Savior, our lives can become much easier, and much happier! I hope that this Christmas season, we take some time each day to ponder on our Savior's life, serve others and enjoy our family and friends!