Busy, Joyful Season

I can't believe how busy this week has been - and there is no slowing down now! Everything we've been doing has been Spirit-filled as well as fun, I am so thankful. Monday night our friends the Barlows hosted a live Nativity on their property and any children who wanted to were able to participate (Isaac & Sam were shepherds). Angie went all-out getting a newborn calf and some goats for her manger and Mark got to sing in a tenor trio after the reenactment was finished. There were a couple of fire pits set up and perpetual hot chocolate refills to keep us all from freezing. It was an awesome neighborhood event! (Wish I'd remembered my camera. Then again, it was dark, Charlie needed constant snuggling, and Sam was causing trouble with the animals so I'm not sure I'd have gotten a decent shot anyhow.)

Tuesday the Sunday School Presidency had a pot-luck dinner for all the teachers and their spouses (i.e. no kids, i.e. date night in the middle of the week!). Like Mark, two others of the teachers have wives in the Young Women's Presidency. It was fun for us to socialize with our husbands and some other nice couples in our ward.

Wednesday night was Mutual, and my YW President was inspired to have each of us (in the presidency) give a 10-minute lesson on the Savior before getting to the gift exchange party. We decorated the room with Christmas lights, pictures of Christ, and nativities and set the mood with music. The talks went really well, I thought - though I am still (26 hours later) going over the talk I gave in my mind: what came out awkward or should have been left out all together. As I was reading my scriptures this evening I came across a verse and thought, "Oh! That would have been good to have included," even though I already had at least 30 minutes of material I was trying to pare down! It has been great to have focused my study on the life of Jesus Christ the past couple of weeks in preparation, and I know that during the course of the 3 lessons the Holy Spirit was touching hearts. I felt it.

Today was Isaac's preschool Christmas Program!! He was the first narrator, quoting the first part of the Savior's birth story from Luke. [I got it on a video clip in my digital camera and I just figured out how to convert & upload it!!] He and the other narrators sang "Come All Ye Faithful" as well as participated in all the full choir songs. So many cute things happen in a show put on by 3-to-5 year-olds: One "sheep" kept wandering over to a mic and singing out of turn; an angel got too scared to say her lines so she ran into the audience to sit with her mom, etc. Then, after all the Merry Christmas wishes and overly sweet refreshments, my mother-in-law came home with us so she could watch the boys while Mark & I went to the temple!

More joyful family-, friends- and of course Christ-centered fun is headed our way. Hope you all are feeling just as merry!