christmas is the best time of the year.

 

{image from weheartit.com}

yesterday my friend came over to make chocolate chip gingerbread cookies(they were amazing). she left to go have dinner with her family, so then i dilly dallied around the house until the Christmas Devotional started. I went to go turn on the TV, and it wouldn't work. i started to get to angry because a) WHY do tv's have to have 4 remotes to even get it to work and b) the tv wouldn't turn on. probably because i never watch tv, so i couldn't figure out which buttons to use on each of the remotes. what happened to the old school remotes where you press the POWER button, then use the up and down arrows to get to the channel? anyway thats not the point of this, my point being after 20 minutes i finally got the devotional on. it was wonderful. i LOVED the music and the talks. they were so inspirational, and i really felt the Christmas spirit. go here to watch and hear the beautiful words and music.whether your of my faith or not, it really is wonderful and brings such a great Christmas spirit. 
it really got me thinking about this Christmas, and how i don't want to waste one minute. I'm trying to soak it all in, because this will be the last Christmas we will have all together as a family for a couple years.
despite all the hustle and bustle of finals, i really want to make sure i feel the Christmas spirit everyday.
i love Christmas
i'm grateful for my Savior and that we get to celebrate him
i love my family
i love wonderful friends
i love the gospel. after all gospel means good news.

xoxo
Merry Christmas

the oak tree.

{image taken by me while on vacation last month}

The Oak Tree

A mighty wind blew day and night,It stole the oak tree's leaves away.

Then snapped its boughs and pulled its barkuntil the oak was tired and stark.

But still the oak tree held its groundwhile other trees fell all around....

The weary wind gave up and spoke,

"How can you still be standing, Oak?"

The oak tree said,

"I know that you can break each branch of mine in two,

carry every leaf away,shake my limbs, and make me sway.

But I have roots stretched in the earth,growing stronger since my birth.

You'll never touch them, for you see,they are the deepest part of me.

Until today, I wasn't sure,of just how much I could endure.

But now I've found, with thanks to you,

I'm so much stronger that I ever knew.”

-Johhny Ray Rider Jr



I loved the poem read by Elder Ballard in this months CES Fireside found here.

we are stronger than we think, if we can just plant our roots deep within the ground.

live, and endure to the end.

we are strong and we can make it in this world.