Merry Christmas!

Well, this year has been quite a blur for our family this year. From Ainsley's 4-day hospital stay for her head injury, (due to a crib accident...) and then 3 days later returning to the same ER to admit Walker for a head injury (that took 12 staples to mend) to the fixing of the broken vacuum, the smoking washer/dryer, the damaged drywall with accompanying pipe leak, and broken side view mirror all in a month's time, it's needless to say that we've had some ups and downs. But despite our little mishaps and occasional misfortunes, we've had a most wonderful year too.
Aubrey was baptized this year by her father who worthily holds the priesthood, Maverick can say his own prayers by himself, (my favorite line so far: I'm grateful for a bed that holds my pillow, and a pillows that holds my head."), Walker tells me that when he goes on a mission it will be to Brazil (like his dad) and Ainsley tells me in her own language, sometimes intelligible, that she loves me and then seals it with a sloppy kiss on my cheek. With all things considered and weighed, it's been a completely blessed year.

I feel blessed to have a knowledge that there is a Heavenly Father who lives and loves me so much that He provided a way for me to return to live with Him again. I feel blessed to know that I am a daughter of this Heavenly Father who actually thinks that I have great and infinite worth with potential for infinite greatness. I feel blessed to know that there is a Savior that once walked the earth in mortality, performed the most important act in all of history, and still lives. I feel blessed to know that God still wants to communicate with all of us, just as He did in scriptural times, through prayer and by sending modern prophets to be His mouthpiece. I feel blessed to know that families are eternal and that relationships forged here on earth will continue throughout time. And lastly (but not all), I feel blessed to live in a country that gives me the opportunity to find the true church and allows me to believe its truthfulness.
Yes, it's true, this past year has been one filled with challenges, exhaustion, mishaps, mistakes, injuries, and stresses, but looking back I have absolutely nothing to complain about as it's also been a year filled with lessons learned from those challenges, buoying strength from others, the chance to learn Gospel knowledge, humility, and peace.
So for these things and for friends like you, I am grateful. And I wish you a very Merry Christmas in which you'll also feel of the love from our Heavenly Father and recognize or remember the true reason to celebrate this season.