We got Christmas out!

I meant to get our Christmas decorations out right after Thanksgiving, but we were all sick so that didn't happen.  But last weekend we did it!  When I have to put all the decorations out myself it takes me all day.  With the kids' help, we did it all in about an hour!  They were soooo excited about it and were running around putting everything where they thought it should go.  

Every year I give the kids an ornament on Christmas Eve so that when they move out they have a whole box of ornaments for their own tree (a tradition my mom did with us growing up).  Well our tree isn't very big and it's in a corner so we only put ornaments on the front half, so this was the first year I didn't put all of my own personal ornaments out.  I'm okay with it because the kids were so excited to get out their ornaments!  Mia even wanted a picture with the ornament she got last year.  I'm not sure what ornaments I'm going to get for the kids this year, but I suppose I'd better figure it out fast!

Getting out the ornaments.

Putting them on the tree!

They loved their little ballerinas that I got them last year!  Asher got a Pikachu but didn't want to be in the picture.

Mia's face...someday she won't do that when I take a picture of her and it's going to make me so sad!

Not much else has gone on this week, but I did want to tell a story of something that happened last month.  Since the kids are all in school and my schedule is much more flexible, I've tried to make it much more of a priority to go to the temple.  I went in September, October, and November but haven't made it yet this month.  Mainly because I've had this lingering cough and I hate going to the temple with a cough.  But last month I had gotten to the temple and changed into my white dress.  I don't usually bring my own name to the temple because 1) I don't even think about until I'm already there and 2) I've never done it and am not super sure on what you're supposed to do when you bring your own name.  So the worker there asked me if I had my own name and I told her no.  She picked up a name from the stack she had and said "Well she is very happy about that!"  And I don't know why but that just really touched me and I've thought about it a lot ever since.  Even though I'm not bringing a family name, I'm still doing the work for someone on the other side of the veil who may be waiting and excited for that work to be done.  It just meant a lot that I could be helping them and that we now have that amazing connection.  I'm going to try to hold on to that feeling every time I go.