the Eve of Christmas Eve

(funny after I was looking at this photo, I started to wonder what happened to
all the Christmas plants we had brought in weeks before)

I think I always say, "now this was the best Sunday ever" but really this Sunday was at the tops for the year.
We were exhausted from our deliveries from the day before but still had more Christmas cheer to spread.
One of the real exciting gifts to deliver was from two different families - they were personalized sets of scriptures for EVERY single youth and also for some women in the ward who didn't have their own set of scriptures.
We felt a huge responsibility on how to deliver this items or present them to the youth. Jeff decided to give them to them personally on Sunday instead of having them open them on Christmas Day. We placed a few things in each set of scriptures. there was a wide Christmas ribbon in Chapter 2 of Luke in the New Testament and also a large Ribbon in 3 Nephi chapter 11 in the Book of Mormon, where it talks about Jesus Christ visiting the America's after he was resurrected.

I had taken a photo of some of the youth a few weeks before and printed a small copy of it and laminated it. Each photo was placed in 2Nephi in a scripture talking about friendships.

After the meeting where Jeff had given them to the youth one of the girls said to me, "I never thought I would have scriptures with my name on them" As with any youth group it is hard to really read how it impacted them, but I am so grateful for those generous people who donated these to youth and women they did not know.

Our meeting was INCREDIBLE. Seriously if you ever visit D.C. put visiting this church on your to do list, it is just an amazing experience. We had a young man give a talk who is leaving for his mission to Boise, Idaho (yes my Boise friends get ready for the best missionary you have ever seen!) In the past two years his life had made a dramatic change. It is hands down the best farewell talk I have ever heard. I am torn with how much to share on my blog, so if you ever meet me the first thing you need to ask me is this young mans story! I told him some day his story will sell millions of books.

The two other speakers were from different parts of Africa. It was touching. Amazing. Emotional. Unforgettable.(Annie Kate loves seeing the temple on the way home in the dark each

Sunday and is always trying to take a photo)

We came home so tired. We figured between our two cars that day we picked up 11 people for church. We have such a range of emotions knowing our time downtown could be coming to an end in the future. We don't talk about it too much and are trying our hardest to give it everything we have got while we are there. No regrets, no looking back, no wondering if we could have done more. I promised myself that this year. That I would stretch myself in this aspect as far as I could.


Each of the primary children were given a small envelope by one of the older ladies in our ward. this is the sweet lady I talk of often who brings gifts for the children and passes out fruit roll ups for them to eat on their rides home. She also sings her testimony each month from the pulpit.in each envelope was a $2.00 bill with her name on the outside of the envelope. There was one for EVERY child even the kids in the nursery. She wanted them all to have cash for Christmas. I heard one boy say, "now I have $13.00" Annie Kate was excited and said she will be saving hers. I will put Caroline's and Sally Jane's in their silver D.C. box and it will be a wonderful memory of this woman. Again, I was so amazed at the generosity and will never see a $2.00 bill and not think of her.Even though it was late I was able to get the last few of my neighbor gifts delivered that night. I made the addictive sweet check mix from Aimee and discovered the best way to give it as gifts. I stuffed into the left over waffle cones I had from the cookie exchange. (remember the cute ones with the red and white striped paper from Safeway) Then wrapped up each cone individually and wrapped with cellophane and ribbon. (cellophane and ribbon can make anything a cool gift)I put one on each plate for each member of the family. I slit holes in the toile paper plates and wrapped the ribbon from the bottom to tie up onto a bow on top. Great Santa tags from Target on a little metal hanger and our gifts were ready to deliver.
Two of our lucky neighbors also received one of our re-gifts. Jeff received two really nice bottles of wine from Nappy Valley and since we don't drink, we gave them to our neighbors, fully acknowledging it as a re-gift. They just giggled at us.

Another great, exhausting Sunday. I am not sure what are we going to do when we just go to church for only 3 hours and it takes 2 minutes to get there and back. This year has just been such a gift!