At Least Some Things Are Sinking In

We recently welcomed an addition to our home, a sweet baby girl. The transition for our almost 3 year old little boy has been an adjustment to say the least. We tried with all of our might to prepare him for the change and to get him excited to be a big brother. In some ways he has done better than I had imagined but then there are those moments when I think this poor little girl may not live to see her first birthday. ;) The moments range from trying to stand on her to trying to throw things at her. I say "trying" but often it is "succeeding". It has been an interesting few months.

Well, as you can imagine there have been many consquences carried out around here but with little improvement. There have been time outs for him and time outs for his favorite toys and even reward systems to help out. None have resulted in much improvement. The idea of being nice to his little sister just doesn't seem to be sinking in.

He often tries to put his hands on her head to do who knows what but it almost always is too rough. So on this particular day he put his hands on her head and I quickly told him to take his hands off of her. He then looked at me so innocently and said, "No, I'm giving her a blessing."

At least some things are sinking in but until they all do I will keep our baby guarded by gate and be ready to bolt to the rescue at any moment. :)

A Must Read Post For All Mothers This Christmas Season

Christmas, Mary, and Motherhood by Stephanie at Diapers and Divinity. It was just what I needed to hear tonight as a stressed Mother...stressed with young children and stressed with Christmas happenings. The post was written so perfectly with words shared by both Elder Holland and Stephanie. It is a must read so head on over.

The Spirit of Christmas

In the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season I think we all need this reminder sometimes. Watch this video and remember the true Spirit of Christmas.

Elderly Example

After watching this video I am reminded of a moment I had a few weeks ago as I sat in Relief Society. There is a very neat elderly lady in my ward. She receives a ride to church each Sunday and help making her way down the hall to the classrooms and she never misses. When she speaks she is filled with the Spirit. This particular Sunday I watched as two sisters helped her put on her coat. It was a simple moment and yet I was deeply touched...not so much by the small act of service but more so by the dedication of this wonderful women and her great attitude toward life. She struggles with ordinary tasks such as putting on her own coat but often you see her make her way to the stand to bear testimony. She is a great example to me.

Christ: The Real Gift of Christmas

"The gift of Christmas isn't wrapped up in presents or parties. The gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten of the Father, the Son of God. As you follow Him, you put people first. You may spend less time in lines and more time serving others. You may spend less money on - and more time with – the people you love. You may lose yourself and you may find everything else that matters."

This wonderful quote comes from the Christmas page found on LDS.org. Here you can find activities to do with your children, traditions you may want to start with your family, Christmas videos and much more. All of these things are meant to help us "Simplify our Christmas by embracing the spiritual side of the season."