The Very Best Part of Christmas!

We recently sent Care packages from Childtime Learning Center to some of our guys away from home for the Holidays. We were so happy to receive these pictures and letters back from them! The children were thrilled & giggled & laughed with delight as they saw the packages they put together being opened by our soldiers and the teachers shed some tears of joy!

As my children's song will attest:

The Very Best part of Christmastime

The Very Best part I know....

...is not the gifts and not the treats

and not the lights that glow....

The Very Best part of Christmastime

I'll tell you Any Day....

The Very Best, Happiest Part of ALL

IS THE PRESENTS YOU GIVE AWAY!!!!!

My Heartstrings at Christmas

The Baby Jesus we bought in Spain

 We had our Family Christmas Devotional and  Jerusalem Supper early this year because we will be traveling West and spending Christmas with my brother Tony and his family in Arizona and then we will travel to Denver and spend a few days with Melody, Trent and The Baby Boo. 

After dinner, we listened to The Osmonds' Christmas album as we have done for thirty years when we trim the tree. Rebekah & I trimmed the Christmas tree and Daddy contributed by tossing his Mission's plastic Snoopy at it! Mima and Adam talked quietly together. We chatted, laughed and reminesced about Christmases past, when our children were little and all with us at home....


This year we only had Mima, Adam and Rebekah with us but as we gathered together we thought about, missed and remembered those not with us and the precious times that we have shared together throughout the years. We enjoyed a sweet Spirit of Peace and Love as we spent time together. 


We sat down to watch a new movie "Santa Paws"  and Melody called.  We talked for a few minutes before My Baby Boo requested the phone to "talk to Granmy" and we had a wonderful time talking and giggling together. After the phone call I checked my messages and was delighted to see a call from Jared and a note from Joseph. I called Jared back but couldn't reach him. Then I read Joseph's note and that is when my Baby Boy, once again, pulled at my heartstrings and made me cry....

Joseph Spencer "(My Baby Boy")

(From Joseph's Note on Facebook: "Christmas Magic") 


Christmas has always been a very magical time of year for me. When I was a small boy, I could always relate to the familiar carol that speaks of “tiny tots, with their eyes all aglow.” I was inspired by the bright lights that seemed to blanket the whole earth. I loved the smell of evergreen and the sight of the festive decorations that filled our home (and I mean filled). I loved the time with my family; laughing and singing carols, forgetting about the trivial disagreements that are common to siblings who grow up together (...at least for a little while). But I especially loved and anticipated the visit of the three Wise Men to my home each Christmas Eve.

Indeed, most of the magic during the season revolved around the visit of those three men. Every year on Christmas Eve, I would write a letter to the three visitors and leave it on our Christmas tree. I would ask questions about the baby Jesus and his mother, about their travels and, of course, about their camels (I mean, how cool is it that they rode on camels? And their camels would have to have been like supercharged or something...to travel the entire world in one night. I needed to know more about those things.) In the morning, I would jump out of bed and run downstairs to find a stocking filled with goodies (always with an orange at the very bottom), a carefully wrapped gift, and a note addressed to me, all gently placed in front of the tree. It always amazed me that these three men I had never met could magically travel across the world, leaving gifts and notes tailored to each child they visited. Of course, at some point the handwriting on the notes began to look more and more like mom’s, and I noticed that the oranges at the bottom of my stocking looked an aweful lot like the ones in our fruit drawer (way to be efficient, Dad ;)). One very memorable year, I, like my siblings before me, was clued in to a bit of information that changed my view of Christmas…

As the years passed and I have grown from a small boy to whatever I am now (maybe just a slightly larger boy), I found that the magic of Christmas has never faded. Although the wonder of childhood has been eased, the magic of the season has only grown. It isn’t like the magic behind a card trick or other illusion. The kind of magic that does fade once you learn the secret behind it. Rather, it is a deep abiding magic that has consistently filled my heart each Christmas season. It is the magic that accompanies the spirit of Christmas. As we have entered the holiday season this year, I have been touched once again by the magic of the Christmas spirit. Don’t think me naïve, I realize that the holidays also bring a lot of stress. (For one thing, holiday traffic in DC is kind of ridiculous.) But for all who take a step back from the hustle and bustle and reflect on the beauty around them, there is no denying the magic of Christmas. People are a little kinder, a little less selfish, and a little more patient. People are more prone to forgive and show simple displays of compassion and love. Families and loved ones still come together, carrying on traditions, spending time together, singing and laughing as we have since childhood (or just laughing depending on the musical abilities of the respective family). At least for me, even as an adult, my eyes become all aglow around this divine holiday.

So what makes this time of year so magical? What is it that fills the hearts of men once the wonder of childhood has long been suppressed? Reflecting on the fruits of that magic, the answer is pretty clear. (If you’re clever, you probably already know where this is going…but I’m going to go there anyway. Because this is my note and no one can stop me.) As President Thomas S. Monson often reminds us, to reveal the meaning behind the “spirit of Christmas,” we need only remove the final syllable. The power that fills our hearts, the magic and wonder that I still feel to this day, is all a consequence of the Spirit of Christ. It is the spirit and power that comes from the atonement of our Savior. As shown throughout scripture, that spirit is charity—the pure love of Christ.

This Christmas season, as in others past, I am grateful to feel His love in my life. I am grateful that He condescended from His throne on high to answer the demands of justice and provide a way for each of us to overcome sin and death. I am filled with awe by the unconditional, infinite, and empowering love that He offers all those who, like the three visitors who came to my home as a child, diligently seek Him. I am grateful to have grown in a home and with parents and siblings that taught and showed me how to seek Him (thanks guys, you rock.) This Christmas season, I am also particularly grateful for the power of that love to bind families together. I am grateful for my own family and for those that I will soon call family (shout out to the Arnells…what, what!). I am grateful for the angel of a woman that has graced my life and amplified my understanding of pure love (I could keep going on this one, but I’ll spare you all the cheese). I am grateful for the magic of the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

With love (and sappiness),

Joseph


Oh, Honey.....You made your old mama cry.....You so....rock....

And then there's always that little (toddler) "wiseman" who came looking for the Baby Jesus with that dragging Mommy-made, red robe & Burger King crown with the glued colored beads, bearing gifts in that very noisy tin full of beads (of whom, Rebekah was just telling me as we trimmed the tree that I talk about every Christmas when I pull out the "Wisemen gift tin" with the Baby Jesus in the manger & the 1950's vintage squeaky lamb Pipo got me when I was a teenager)....that little "wiseman" with his little voice still ringing in my ears and melting my heart: "Where......where.............where's the King.....?" I love you, Honey! Merry Christmas to you & Liz & we'll see you in a few days!!! OXOXOXXOXOXOXOXXOXOXOXO.........

Little Angel Princess Elisabeth Jane Harrison

Our Precious Little Angel was born 11 December 2010
Her mommy, Katie was amazing & her daddy, our Med Student son, Jared delivered her!

Granmy lovin' on Libbie

Memories of Christmases past....

My Sweet little Princess Melody, Our original "Mary" with the Baby Jesus

Daddy leads off by putting up his hundreds of lights on the tree
 as The Osmonds' Christmas album plays in the background!

Our Princess Melody singing at the Metro
 Richmond Zoo for me when I lost my voice!

Granmy & the Baby Boo- I'm remembering the time when we went into a craft
store to buy "hay' for the Baby Jesus' manger & this little rascal sat in the shopping
cart singing "Jingle Bells" at the top of his lungs, over and over throughout the store
and made everyone in the place smile! 

Granmy & The Boo making Peanut Butter Pine Cone feeders for the birdies!
(scattering the seeds was much giggly fun!!!)

Granmy & The Boo putting out the feeders
for the birdies

Precious grandsons- Camden Joshua & Samuel

Uncle Joseph playing with Camden Joshua.
The Christmas tree beads were a hit!

Jared & Katie's First Christmas together
 (pretending they weren't CRAZY about each other!)

Auntie Becka adoringly, loving on The Baby Boo!

Our Princess Mommy Melody- "Mary" with our littlest cherub,
 Camden Joshua in the robe Granmy made for her to wear as "Mary"
for her first Christmas Pageant & throughout her childhood....Hmmmm....
He's THINKING ABOUT IT!!!

Yep! There it is!!! The RASCALLY MOVE!!!

Granmy & The Baby Boo- This year we had a special treat: "The Little Drummer Boy"
himself, came to sing to the Baby Jesus (his own idea!)

Most of the "cast" not all were cooperative on the costuming department....
we can clearly see which ones!!!

Our Traditional Jerusalem Supper- Mommy reading
 1John-"...the Light was the Life of men..." & lighting the Menorah, our Precious little Cherub looking on,
(our wonderful olive wood Kaddish cup from Jerusalem
& Trent's special gift of handmade wood plates this year, adding more meaning to our legacy)

Thanksgiving 2010 @ Granmy & Poppa's

"Oh...There's No Place like Home for the Holidays...
And no matter how far away you roam...
If you want to be Happy in a Million ways...
For the Holidays you can't beat Home, Sweet, Home..."

My Mommy, Our Amazing Matriarch!

Our Traditional Thanksgiving table

Joseph, Elizabeth, Rebekah, Chris (friend alone for holiday), Daddy, Mima

Elizabeth, Rebekah, Chris, Daddy, Mommy, Mima

Our Very Cool Entertainment: Joseph's Piece de Resistance:

“I Hope We Get Fat!”

I hope we get fat.

I hope we get really fat.

‘Cause if we get really, really fat,

We might just get to take a long nap.

I hope we get FAT!

I don’t care, I don’t care, how heavy or how skinny.

I don’t care, I don’t care, how chunky or how creamy.

Just gimme gimme gimme gimme

gimme gimme something to eat.

Espero que nos hacemos gordos.

Espero que nos hacemos muy gorditos.

Porque si nos engordamos mucho,

Quiza tendremos una siesta muy larga.

Espero que nos hacemos gordos.

I’m glad we got fat.

I’m glad we got really fat.

‘Cause when we got really FAT FAT FAT

We got to go take a long nap nap nap

I’m glad we got ridiculously FAT!

Joseph tickling Elizabeth

Joseph tickling Everyone!

Joseph in Wii mode, Jared our future Dr of Osteopathy administering comfort
to Katie, his Mommy to be, Sweetheart

Jared comforting Katie, Rebekah in Wii mode!

Jared comforting Katie, Rebekah & Joseph playing Wii Mario Cart, Elizabeth Chillin'

*********

The Epic Joseph & Elizabeth photo session 
as Mommy attempts to get JUST ONE non- goofy face!

Joseph trying to decide whether to be a scoundrel or not...

Annnd we FINALLY have a picture! Phew! (OY! Hardest photo session ever...& it wasn't Elizabeth's fault!