Its a Wonderful Life: A Very, Merry Christmas!

Danny and I spent our second year as a married couple together, just the two of us, in Kansas City this year! For those of you who were with me last year, we spent our Christmas day in a hotel room and most of the day was apart from our husbands....so being in a home and having each other for the whole day was complete happiness. We had such a fun day together! We woke up (later than i would have liked, sitting in bed at 6:30 anxiously waiting or Danny to wake up...I eventually got him up around 7:30 with a back rub...the only way to his heart haha) He continued to make the anticipation grow as he finished some last minute wrapping. Its always funny to surprise each other when living in the same house, it seems near impossible at times. We tossed around the idea of one of us setting up our gifts in the shower and the other in the front room haha but we made it work and I covered his gifts up with a large blanket so it was all hidden while he put my gifts out. It was pretty hilarious but it had to be a surprise! Before we could enter the living room, however Danny has taken on the tradition of his dad which I love " No one passes this way by me until they answer my questions three" We then each take turns asking questions to each other, which must be answered honestly:) I found myself gigging like a little girl and totally getting a kick out of it. One thing I love most about Danny is that he has such a sweet childlike heart; it makes each day nothing short of ordinary or boring. We eventually made it to the living room and we unveiled his gifts and we exchanged what we had given to each other. He was so thoughtful and brought me to tears as I saw how much he had wanted to make it a perfect day for me.

As always it isn't easy being away from the large crowds of family members but I did much better this year than last. I genuinely did feel happy to be in my home celebrating the day with just Danny and me. As I continue to grow each day and learn with Danny, I learn that what matters most is that Danny and I are together and supporting each other. We have spent enough time apart that we both realize that it is always a special treat and blessing to be together. Danny did such a great job to make Christmas special for me, and as funny as it sounds it really felt like Christmas day! Ha, sometimes I feel like its not a real Christmas unless I'm back to my old ways of Christmas with my 4 other siblings, same traditions, same house, etc. But it was truly a great day filled with happy memories and thoughts of our savior.

Thank goodness for Skype and technology we almost felt as if we were with our family for part of the day! We skyped my family as well as Daniel's as we opened gifts back and forth from each other, tears were shed, yes, but they were honestly happy and grateful tears (being pregnant definitely doesn't help either! ha) Along with skypeing we had the wonderful chance to Skype my younger brother Tanner, who is serving a mission for our church in Tampa, FL. He looked so great! He is reaching the last leg of the mission so he is working on enjoying every last moment he has and achieving his last goals before his experience comes to an end. I am always so grateful that the church allows the boys to call their families on Christmas day, just shows how special of a day Christmas is. He has been such a beacon of truth and dedication I have loved learning from all his experiences, and am proud of all his growth and service.

The day was spent relaxing, playing, we went to see "Out of the Woods" movie, kind of crazy! It was a very fun musical with a great storyline, it was almost two movies put together so it got a little long, but for the most part we enjoyed it. We spent the second half of our day with our favorite family here in KC. The Chambers ( I really do need a whole post dedicated to them) to sum it up, they have taken us in, in every sense of the word while moving out here. From letting us live in their basement while finding a place to live, to helping us figure our lives out everyday. They have offered us everything and continue to treat us as their own. We truly love them and have been so blessed to meet them and call them our dearest friends. We spent the night with them playing games, and eating delicious food :) We also spent Christmas Eve with them, exchanging gifts, eating an amazing dinner, and reading the accounts of our Saviors Birth. I was so happy to be in a home and surrounded by good friends that night. Regardless of where you are, Christmas to me is always about being with all the people you love and if you can't be with your immediate family you find those around you and come together.

The day slipped through our fingers faster than we would have liked but it was a day where the world seemed to stand still for a moment. No work, no stores, just each other and the quietness of the day. It truly is a special day that the whole world, regardless of your beliefs can agree that something special happened that day long ago and that everything needs to be shut down and it needs to be recognized. I'm grateful to look back on the early life of our Savior and see his meek and humble example to the people he served and all those he loved. May we each start our days with him as our prime example. I know he lives, I know the wiseman and the shepherds sought to find him knowing he was the king of kings; a king the rest of the world wouldn't understand. I know that each of us can continue to be the wise men and seek him still. Merry Christmas!