Thoughts of Christmas

How I love Christmas! I love the smells, food, lights, visits...everything! I have been thinking a lot about my Christmas traditions and some memorable Christmases. Today in church, a member of our bishopric spoke about gifts you give and receive.

So, here are just a few memories from past Christmases:

- One tradition our family loves is what we like to call "knicker-knocking". Basically a drop and run. There was a family in our ward when I was about 10 or 11. We decided to get them all presents and they would be the family we would knicker knock. So, we got everything ready, piled into "The Tank" (our big blue suburban) and got going. We were able to park so we could see this family as they got their gifts. I remember watching the young boy go to the door and call the rest of his family to the door. They were so excited, throwing the presents up in the air and looking at everything! It made a huge impact on my life at such a young age and helped me to always remember the true meaning of Christmas!

- One year in our gift exchange with our family, we decided to make all of our gifts. I remember making my little sister a small blanket for her doll. I think I was 8. I was so excited to make that silly blanket and even more excited when my sister used it for her doll all the time!

- When we go get our Christmas tree, we always will tie sleds to the back of the truck and sled behind the truck down the road. We loved it when we were young and now that we are older, we still do it and love it!

- We love to peak after "Santa" has shown up. One time when I was in high school, all 6 of us were sleeping downstairs and me and my younger sister decided about 3 that is was time to peek. We go upstairs and my sister sits down right on a stocking. All of a sudden the loudest siren goes off. "Santa" had brought one of the boys a police car with a siren and she sat on it. It was so funny. To watch her trying to cover it up with a pillow and then a mad dash back downstairs!

So many fun times during the Christmas season. But just as what was spoken about in church, it is all about giving and receiving the greatest gift of all....the birth and life of our Savior. I don't remember what gifts I have gotten but I always remember those things I did for others. And as that is how the Savior lived his life, in the service of others, I hope to do the same.