Merry Christmas To All!

This year has been a very good year to us. Emma is growing a lot and she is becoming quite a beautiful and smart young girl. She turned two in July. She isn't ready to be potty trained yet and I am not ready to do it either. Well, I am potty trained, but I am not ready to undertake such a time consuming task to potty train her. She is talking lots and lots and loves movies and plays hours upon hours with her little stuffed animals. She loves her daddy very much; The best part of her day is when daddy comes home and they play and laugh together. We got a little kitten in August and she and Zeke are very good friends and love to play together. we tied a little bead necklace at the end of a ribbon and she will run with it and Zeke following closely behind. She runs back and forth then comes up to me so happy that Zeke is chasing the bait and she says to me "He likes it" and waits for me to repeat what she just said. She is so much fun, and did I mention a little ball of fire. She has tons of energy as most kids that age have. I love very much being around her and being her mom. I know that she loves me. In the morning when she wakes up I open the door and tell her good morning and she gets a big grin on her face. Then I wait for her to come out and when she does I give her a great big hug and say, "Oh, I love you!" and she repeats what I say. I just love it. She also loves books and has a fit if I don't stop what I am doing and read to her. She gets so happy when we read to her.

Chris and I bought a house in May and love the space. It isn't a huge house, but big enough for our little family with room to grow. I am not expecting yet, but I know that we are not done having kids. We are just waiting for our order to come from Heavenly Father. We know that he has things for us to do before it happens, we just don't know what that is quite yet. We will patiently wait though. We also bought our very own mini van too. I am really excited about that. It makes road trips and trips to the grocery store a lot more convenient for me. Chris is a very loving husband and always makes sure that my needs are met before his own. He is all I asked for and more. He has a calling in the scouts as the assistant scout master and just loves being with the young men. It is a perfect calling for him and for the young men. He is good with all types of people, but He will greatly benefit those young men in more ways then they will realize. He has a great capacity to love and instruct in love. He is a great leader and I am proud to call him mine. I definitely married up, though he doesn't quite agree with that.

I am a stay at home mom and love every minute of it. Emma keeps me on my toes, but she is extremely easy to raise. She spoils me. She is full of life and is teaching me a lot about how to be a good mom. I still do massage, but not too much. I have cards that I hand out but I haven't really made an effort to hand them out. Chris does that more than I do. He is around a lot more people than I am so I have given him that responsibility. I have been keeping busy around the house, trying to organize things and have an orderly house. It really is a lot of work, but I am happy to do it.

I have been given two callings in my ward which are perfect for me. I am the nursery leader and the ward choir director. I was released as a seminary teacher, which was a huge answer to prayer. I was just recently called to be the assistant camp director. Heavenly Father wants to keep me busy for some reason. Well, I kind of asked for the first two callings. I asked to be nursery leader and volunteered to be choir director until they called someone else which happened to be myself. I guess I was just inspired, right? Well, I am happy to do anything the Lord wants me to do.

Chris and I have been married for 3 wonderful years and it seems that each year seems to get better than the last. We have a happy healthy family and are just loving life together. We thank Heavenly Father each day for one another and each moment spent together.

Here are some pictures of our happy little family for you to enjoy.

I think I see Santa Clause!

Emma kissing at herself in her reflection of the ornament

Wow... pretty lights!

Beautiful Christmas girl

Emma and Mommy

Emma fixing mommy's hair for the pictures.

she is such a perfectionist.

Emma kissing baby Jesus

'Twas the night before Christmas...

Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!!! Our bellies are like a bowl full of jelly too!!!!

That puppy is supposed to be a stocking stuffer! It is still going to be one.

She has played with most of her stocking stuffers already. Oh well. She will still be excited to find them in there.

Our happy little family. Hmm... Emma doesn't really look happy does she?

Jingle Bells, Daddy Smells, Emma laid a rotten Egg, Mommy's in the Kitchen still baking yummy cookies... Now Everyone sing.....

Love, peace and happiness!

Mmmm! Christmas candy!

Emma loves candy, especially the Hershey's candy cane kisses. I decorated the ornaments you will see.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree...

Daddy's little Angel!

Darling little girl... that is until she wants candy

Nativity... looking at baby Jesus

We hope you have enjoyed our family pictures. These are my favorite.

I love Christmas time. Everyone is more nice to each other, more thoughtful and giving and go out of their way to serve others in need... Well, I wish it were that way. I have seen people who are probably on Santa's naughty list and will only get a lump of coal in there stocking and THAT'S IT! But on the more pleasant side, I have seen people with all of those good qualities, who are Santa's little helpers whether they know it or not. They are Angels that the Lord uses to bless others lives. I hope I am one of those. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, the second councilor in the First Presidency for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said it best when he said, "When we seek to serve others we are motivated not by selfishness, but by charity."

It makes me think of the Savior's life. His life was all about Charity. That is the whole reason he came to this earth was to give us all a way to repent and become clean and pure again so we can return to live with him and our Father in heaven again. We will not become perfect in this life, but if we just do our very best then He will make up the rest. That is what the Atonement is all about. I am very grateful for the wonderful gift of the Savior. He was a gift from Father in heaven to all of us. Christmas is not about presents, though they are wonderful and good, but it is about the greatest gift to all mankind. It is about Jesus Christ. I Love the Savior and all that he has done for me personally. I am ever grateful for his sacrifice so I don't have to suffer if I but keep the commandments He has given and repent of my sins and use the Atonement.

May we all remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas and praise our Heavenly King! He has given us the greatest gift of all!!!!

Merry Christmas from the Green Family!

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