The Green Family: Ahhhh, Christmas Time!!!

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

December 9th we had a really good Snow fall. The 10th we decided to go and play in the snow. Emma loved walking in it.

She fell down a couple of times and decided that it was too cold to put her hands in the snow and try to get up.

She is so sweet. She didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. I think that she was doing a mixture of both. She was having fun, yet the cold was really cold. We were at my Uncle Alan and Aunt Rhonda's the other day, and every time my uncle has a cup of ice with water Emma likes to go to him and she will look at him waiting for him to give her some ice from his cup. She loves ice. It is so cute. There was one time he let her get her own ice. She stuck her hand in the water and didn't take it out. She started crying but still kept her hand in the icy water. Silly girl!

Emma was discovering that her hands were wet and cold. I put one hand in my scarf and Chris grabbed the other hand and we were blowing hot air on them to warm them up. We thought that it would be wise to go inside to put her gloves on, but by that time I think that we all were funned out and wanted to get warm.

Now for the more serious part of the letter. Me being a Seminary Teacher I am thinking and reflecting a lot about the Savior, The whole reason that we even have Christmas. I read an article in this months Ensign of a girl who went to Jerusalem to study at BYU. They had an opportunity to go to Bethlehem and she observed the condition of the Shepherds and the sheep. She saw that during the night the Shepherds held the younger sheep so that the predators could not get to them so they would be safe. The Shepherds didn't have warm clothing and they were torn and ragged. She thought about how that related to the Son of God. Jesus Christ was born in the most humblest of circumstances. A King of the Earth, born in a stable where there were animals and straw and flies and waste. Not a nice picture. Yet, with all of that, he still came. His whole purpose in coming to earth was not to oppress, not to get gain of the world, but to serve and to suffer and die for us so that we can have all that Heavenly Father has. He didn't have wealth of the world, but wealth of heaven. He is our Shepherd to keep us safe, to free us from sin and bondage from Satan.

I know that you have all heard of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch hated Christmas and wanted to stop it from coming. what did he do? He went down and took everything he thought that made Christmas, like presents, decorations and food. When Christmas morning came he looked forward to hearing the Who's cry Boo-Hoo. It continues with,

So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear.

And he did hear a sound rising over the snow.

It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad!

Why, this sound sounded merry!

It couldn't be so!

But it WAS merry! VERY!

He started down at Who-Ville!

The Grinch popped his eyes!

Then he shook!

What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small,

Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming!

IT CAME!

Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?"

"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

Let all of us remember the real meaning of Christmas. It is not about Santa Claus, though he is giving. But the ultimate gift is the gift of the Savior and what he has and will give us now and throughout eternity as long as we prove worthy of it.

We love all of you very much.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that the Lord blesses all of you with the things that you stand in need of this year.

Love,