Christmas Time

Well, an uncle commented that I don't post a lot on my blog soooo I'm posting today about Christmas.

Before going in the oven: Tea Ring

Being home has been really nice and I've enjoyed the time spent with family. Christmas Eve was filled with getting ready for our annual party but, my little sister had a huge headache and a brother didn't feel so great either. This made for a slower getting ready but, it gave us a chance to serve one another. I used to get really bad migraines that would make me basically knock me out until I took some medication. Because of this, I could relate to my little sister and my heart went out to her in her time of need. It was a wonderful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas as we served each other. I also tried to make my first ever Swedish Tea Ring for my grandparents. It definitely did not turn out perfectly but, it was a great first try.

As the party began, it was fun to chat with people I hardly knew and become better acquainted with people I was not close with growing up. It is so nice to spend Christmas with others and reflect on the true meaning of it. It is great to see the spirit of Christmas reflect on each person's eyes. Of course, not every, moment was filled with giving. One person I was chatting with asked me to go get them some cheesecake. I decided it would be better for them to get their own and to be a stinker. Yes, not quite nice behavior but, it made for several laughs and jokes as the night progressed.

After most everyone had left, my siblings and I grabbed the trash can and cleaned up. Then, we changed into our Christmas p.j.s and gathered in my brother, Sean's room to sleep. Sadly, sleep did not come for awhile and, even then, not for long. This led to more opportunities for service as we tried to help one another fall asleep. That night also let me see the more spiritual side of my siblings. As we were talking about our struggles, someone suggested we say a prayer. It was a wonderful experience to kneel in a circle with my siblings and pray to our Lord and Savior on that holy night.

On Christmas day, many of us felt quite under the weather but, it was a relaxing day. It was a very different days due to the fact that we had the sister missionaries that are serving in our ward for church over to Skype/call home for Christmas. The three of them were each on a different device in a different room for four to five hours. This created quite the adjustment for us but, it was neat to see how happy the sisters were after calling home and talking with their families. Me, and a few of my siblings, spent the day sleeping/relaxing on the couch until extended family arrived and we chatted with them. At this point was when one of my uncles commented on how I do not post on my blog very much. It was a nice evening spent with family.

Today, I survived getting a TB test for my mission papers and received two letters from friends serving missions. It was really nice to hear from them since I was not expecting it. It's hard to believe most of "my boys" have been serving for almost six months already. And soon, I'll be able to join them in the mission field! For those who have not heard already I have decided to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints after this next semester. In order to prepare for this, I have been filling out all the paper work and having a physical to make sure my health is good enough for it. I am almost done and will be meeting with my bishop and stake president (religious leaders) upon returning to Utah and then, I will submit my paper work and receive my call about two weeks later. I am super excited for the lessons I will learn and the people I will be able to help find their Savior, Jesus Christ.