It is starting to feel like Christmas...

It hasn't really "felt" much like Christmas for me this year. I am not sure if it is the incredibly Polite and lovely customers we have at the store or if it is the lack of freezing cold weather and snow on the ground. ( Which I have to say I don't miss much) But after today and all the shopping we did, I can't wait for Christmas.

I was never a huge Christmas fan when I was growing up. I have NO IDEA why. My parents provided us with a wonderful Christmas every year but somehow I managed to be the Grinch who would much rather pout in the corner. ( I know... don't be to shocked. I was not a horrible overly pleasant person in the YOUNGER years) Somehow I ALWAYS managed to be sick and some how I always managed to be crabby and somehow it just was not my thing.

I disliked Christmas songs and my mom would "humor me" and put in the Mannheim Steam rollers. HATE them. Tammy would start listening to Christmas music about July and Nicky would make her list a thousand times. Barrett was just the one that would wake us up at 3 am to open presents. Have I mentioned how much I HATE mornings. All in all it wasn't my thing.

There are 2 Christmas' that stand out as the best Christmas' ever. All have happened in the last seven years. Again, my parents always provided me with a wonderful Christmas, I just always provided them with a crappy attitude. But I wanted to share with you my first Favorite Christmas Memory.

It took place on my Mission. I was serving a Mission in South Bend. I had a horrible companion. She was strange and I was just glad I was not in a new place to start the new transfer. I was glad to be in the only place that felt like home. We started the Christmas week like any other. We had to decide just what we were going to do for the holiday and how to play out the week. Our service hours needed to be done before Christmas and we needed to make up our mind as to how and who we were to spend the holidays with.

We ended up helping a member ( I can't remember her name but I can see her house and where she lives) She was just finishing her divorce and we help paint her new house. We had tons of fun and I was enjoying the afternoon with her family. We ate dinner and went home to do visits. We went to a less active member and her daughter. We visited once a week and then to the Vakalahi's. They were a wonderful Tongan Family and they were VERY poor. Had four Very gorgeous boys. While there a knock came on the door and someone had left a gift. Money. And enough of it that they could buy MORE Christmas than they knew what to do with.

The next day Sister Petris had invited us to go with their family to the University of Notre Dame. There we went to the Basilica and listened to the Choir sing Christmas songs. It was so beautiful. I can close my eyes and see the lovely mass and the amazing singing we got to experience. The smells and the sound was amazing.

I was then shipped off to Goshen for exchanges where I met my best friend in the whole world. Sister Z and I become instant friends. We were to have 2 days and we were to make the best of it. And the best we did. On the last day we went to a party with the whole Goshen crew. Lukes, Smarts, Toneys, Gokey's, EVERYONE was there. It was the first time I would meet them all and I had a blast. We left the night caroling to make it home in time for our curfew. As we were driving home the snow began to fall. We finished our night studies and went to bed. Our companions were coming home tomorrow and we would have to go back to our own worlds. Hoping that we would be transferred together, Charlie made one pleading call to the mission President. Asking that we be moved together.

The snow didn't stop. Our companions made it over and it snowed the rest of the day. We were snowed in come Christmas morning. We made our way to the zone leaders house to open presents that were somehow magically sent to the mission office. We had breakfast and then went home. We were calling our parents and our family. I remember talking to my parents that day and I remember missing them but I remember how much I loved what I was doing at the time. I loved the Christmas there. What I was feeling all of the time. the spirit of the season.

We finished the holiday at the Walkers home. They had gifts galore for us and a wonderful full course meal. We had several stops for the night of the Bishop and Relief society president and then the magical night was over. It was amazing to have the true spirit of Christmas.

Again, my parents were amazing and sent a whole months worth of presents. I had a few new dressed and some great wool tights that carried me through the mission ( which I still have if anyone needs them. They aren't getting used here in AZ)

The meaning of that Christmas shaped me for the last 7 years. Without that time in South Bend the last 2 years would have been so different.

.......I did get that transfer call the day after Christmas that I was moving to Goshen with Charlie. We spent the next 2 transfers enjoying having our best friends together and she taught me how to Love. The ward I went to was wonderful and I still dream of the streets of that little town and probably still have half the ward directory and where they live memorized.


The spirit of Christmas that year wasn't gifts. It was service. It was loving the people unconditionally. An experience I will never forget.