Christmas Spirit

Last night we went to the church for our annual ward Christmas party. It was fiesta themed and the food was fantastic, which is unusual. (I'm just being real here.) They asked me a few days ago to perform a song dressed as an angel for their nativity. I sang "The First Noel" barefoot and wrapped up in yards of flowing cream fabric. I'm glad there are no pictures because I probably look like a humongous female yeti or something, but I sang pretty well. The lights were dim and other people performed, there was even a real baby representing Jesus. My kids loved it, especially Gwen. She loved that I was an angel.

After we got home Asher wanted to direct a play of his own. He has seen the Charlie Brown Christmas Special, and Charlie Brown was the director. Also, Asher likes to be in control. He is constantly making deals with us. Mom. Either you let me watch a movie, or I will not talk the whole day through! That is the deal. Anyway, he wanted to do a Wolverine play, but Dan said he could only stay up if he directed a Christmas themed play. Also Gwen really wanted to be Mary and she was already holding a rolled up blanket that was supposed to be baby Jesus. And when Gwen doesn't get her way now-a-days, she screams and cries like she is on fire. We pick our battles.

Asher was upset, but we dragged him in eventually on the condition that he could "dress up" the stage. We all took turns playing different parts. Except Gwen, of course. Asher was Joseph sometimes, sometimes he was the innkeeper, sometimes he was a shepherd. We sang silent night at the end, with Gwen yelling at me to stop for half of the song.

We will be in Utah for Christmas, so I have a lot of preparing to do. Sometimes I feel like it is easy to get in the Christmas Spirit and sometimes I want to just curl up in bed and shut out the world. It has been raining, which I love, but on the flip side it triggers that "curl up in bed" feeling. There was also a major tragedy in Connecticut where a man killed a bunch of young children and teachers at an elementary school, and that has got me all sad and out-of-sorts as well. I pray for those kids and their families, and all the people who had to be exposed to that tragedy, and I pray even harder for my children's safety and in gratitude for my blessings. I guess my view of Christmas changes the older I get, but I feel like the world needs the special feeling that Christmas brings more and more. I hope the Christmas Spirit will always be alive as long as the weary world exists.