Benjamin Bloggings: Christmas Favorites

Temple Square on Monday-we missed you Ashley!!

Have I mentioned that I love Christmas? As a child it was a magical time, the days dragged on, and I thought Christmas would never come. Now as an adult the days fly by, and it comes usually before I am quite ready. I love the season, and call me weird, but I love the craziness too. Normally I find having so many things to do stressful, but not at Christmas time. I thought as a kid that being an adult at Christmas must be boring, but if anything I like it better. I love being Santa, I love watching little kids eyes shine, I love finding gifts that my kids will like (even though that doesn't always work out perfectly, I still enjoy the process), and mostly I love that as an adult I recognize more about the true gifts of Christmas. As a child I could not even begin to comprehend the Savior and the atonement, but now as an adult the love I feel for and from the Savior this time of year is almost consuming. I taught Young Women's on Sunday, and I so appreciated having to prepare for that, as each day it kept my thoughts focused on the Savior. So as the countdown to Christmas gets shorter and shorter, but my list of things to do seems to get longer, I find that I anticipate the day almost as much as I used to as a child. My 12 year old says she is so excited for Christmas that it hurts. It truly is a wonderful time of year, with the best part being having everyone home and having several days to just relax and enjoy each other.

Some of my Christmastime favorites-

Christmas music-love it! (well a lot of it anyway)
Mom and Dad's Christmas candy-carmels, toffee, fudge, peanut brittle and so much more. As a kid they would make the candy throughout December and then hide it. We would assemble plates and deliver them to all our neighbors on Christmas eve. I often would be delivering plates in my curlers (had to look spiffy for Aunt Helen's Christmas Eve party). I always had a particular fondness for "Chews" which is a caramel and nougat mix, so yummy. It would become my quest to find the hiding place and sample as much as I could get away with without getting caught.
Seeing the lights on temple square. We just went on Monday night for FHE, seeing all the lights and the magnificent Salt Lake Temple is always a favorite for me.
Tab Choir Christmas Concert. I don't always get to go, but it always seems more like Christmas when I do. It was wonderful again.
Christmas Eve party-as a kid my Mom's aunt had a 'fancy' Christmas party. We would dress it our Sunday finest and travel to Salt Lake from Brigham City. Her house always looked like something out of a magazine, and there was always some strange jello with carrots and nuts and other stuff in it that I refused to eat, but it was always fun to be there. I loved singing Twas the Night Before Christmas with my family, and drinking Aunt Dory's punch. I loved my red velvet jumper that I wore for the few years it fit me. And the best part was getting home super late, so I didn't have to pretend to sleep any longer than was absolutely necessary. Aunt Helen is long gone now, and we have different traditions that we have started with our own families, but I will always remember those parties.
The kids acting out the nativity. They are getting older now, but I still love it. I love looking at the pictures through the years as my kids have gone through being baby Jesus, to angel, to Mary or Joseph, to the star or narrator.
Cinnamon Rolls-my Mom is an expert cook/baker. Her cinnamon rolls are to die for. Christmas morning always came with wonderful, melt in you mouth cinnamon rolls. We carry on the tradition in my home now. I don't know that my rolls are as good as Mom's yet, but it just wouldn't be Christmas without them. We have since added a breakfast casserole on Christmas morning to go with the cinnamon rolls, which my Dad always makes sure to show up for.
Christmas movies-No season would be complete without watching White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. I still enjoy the old animated movies too, like Rudolph and Santa Claus is coming to town. I always loved the "misers" from the Year Without a Santa Claus, and my kids love it too. We watched their songs over and over the other night.
Christmas Eve Pajamas-homemade or store bought Christmas Eve would not feel right without them.
and so much more....