Christmas

Well, I must say that this Christmas has by far been the most interesting of my life. Christmas isn't usually very different for my family, because we have a lot of traditions and usual activities. So, this year, it was interesting for me to experience Christmas in an entirely different way.

On the 23rd Jacob and I finally got out of Provo and headed to his parents house. That night we celebrated Christmas Adam with some of his extended family, which was a lot of fun. On the 24th Jacob and I went downtown to do some last minute shopping, and of course had to stop and get lunch at our favorite Thai food restaurant, Thai Lotus. Jacob has really broadened my horizons when it comes to food). Last night his parents had some family members over for a Christmas devotional where people shared Christmas stories and musical numbers. It was a beautiful night, and even though I really missed my family, I fully enjoyed myself. I also enjoyed learning all about the Ross' Christmas Tree, which is themed around symbols of Christ. It is such a beautiful tree, and I love the concept behind it. And of course we also played some Wii, which is always fun. The only drawback to the day was the fact that I felt slightly sick all day long. Not my favorite Christmas Eve activity.

And now, today is Christmas. My family beat the Ross household awake, so I got to wake up to texts from Mom, Dad, and David. I bummed around for awhile in the room I'd been staying in, until I finally made myself for the day. I got some great presents from Jacob and his family, some of my favorites being the wooden magnet and ring box his dad made for me. They are beautiful! I also LOVE the scarfs I got, and the awesome hat Jacob gave me. We had a delicious breakfast of ebelskivers before Jacob and I packed up the car and headed to Fruit Heights in time to meet my family and head to lunch in Syracuse at my aunt Karla's. We were there for about an hour before we headed back down to Salt Lake for dinner with some of Jacob's family at his grandma's. Which was delicious! And then, we headed back up to Fruit Heights for the rest of the weekend.

To say the least, it's been an interesting and different Christmas for me. But, the spirit of Christmas has still been there. I'm so glad to be marrying Jacob, who has a family that I've already begun to love and feel so welcome with. And, even though this Christmas has been an unusual one for me, I'm the happiest I've ever been. (Yes, I'm happy, despite the fact that I'm not facing the stress of planning a wedding, yay). I love my family, and I love Jacob's family, and I love Jacob more than I'd ever loved anyone. And I suppose that's why it still feels like Christmas, because that's really what it is all about. Love. Love for each other, Love for our Savior and Heavenly Father, and their Love for us.

So, Merry Christmas everyone. I know by the time you read this, it won't be Christmas anymore, but the truth is, we should never let what we call "the spirit of Christmas" completely fade from our lives. Thank you all for your love, friendship, and support. I hope you're holidays have been great, and continue to be so.