Temple square

Have you ever been to the SLC temple??? In 2007, i lived in Orem Utah and got to visit temple square a couple of times.  My favorite trip there was the night they lit the Christmas lights. It was so beautiful. Magical....to say the least. And on top of that, the spirit was so strong. You can just feel it as you step onto the grounds.

If you live within driving distance.....GO! I don't care if your lds or not.....if you wanna get into the Christmas spirit, trust me...this will work😉

Sometimes i feel like some church members that live in Utah really take this for granted....but please! Don't!! Y'all are so lucky to be so close to something so great! I'd give anything to be able to go whenever i wanted, but that is impossible on my income and of course the fact that i live in  Georgia doesn't help! Lol just to be able to take my kids at least once during this time....would be perfect!

I may not be able to go as much as i like, but I'm very thankful that i can say I've been! And even my son got to go! I do have it on my bucket list to visit again at least one more time and to take my grandson.

In conclusion.....go! Mormon or not! I promise you will not regret it!! The lights will be lit until December 31.

*Fun fact about my genealogy*
My great great great great (you get the point) gpa worked beneath Brigham Young to hand carve the stars above the doors on the west side of the temple.  If i remember correctly(i need to go re read it) he even got paid with cheese.

Muahs!

it's looking alot like Christmas

so.... we went and got our Christmas tree! yay!

with the Christmas season finally upon us, i thought I'd share some things regarding to Christmas. since we went yesterday to get our tree... lets talk a little about tradition.

i remember as a little girl when i lived with my grandparents how special Christmas had seemed to be to them. not to us kids, but to them. my grandma would bring down our tree from the attic, set it up and decorate it. then, my grandpa would carefully put his winter village under the tree with his train that would go around the bottom.

now that I'm grown, i understand that excitement. i love this time of year and decorating, just like my grandparents.

I've tried my best to keep most of the traditions from growing up... things like
• one present on Christmas eve
• opening our Christmas pjs
• cookies and milk for Santa
• tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving
• tree down after the new year

now, when you grow up, get married, whatever, sometimes those traditions change.... or as i like to say, improve. you have two people that come together with different traditions. most traditions I've always done growing up have remained the same, with my kids as well. but, one thing i had to"change/improve" was the fake tree. every year e had an artificial tree while i was little. i was raised hearing so many horrible things about live trees.

you know, they make a huge mess.
I've heard stories of critters.
a ton of work making sure you don't kill it.
fire hazard.

but, i have to say I'm so happy i changed that though. you know, in a relationship, sometimes the there are things you just have to compromise on. and none of us woman wanna say when our men are right... but....d was so right!!
for the last 12 years i have had a real tree.(except 1 year when we were really broke we got a little fake tree. you could see right through that ugly lil thing) and now, i wouldn't have it any other way. i look forward to going to the Christmas tree farm. something special I'll hold close to my heart and can't wait to one day take all my grandkids and make that a HUGE family tradition!

, and, remember those horror things about real trees, there are good things that come with them too!

they smell good.
if you make sure they are watered, they are safe.
they support the local farmers.
they plain out look better!

so, if you haven't done a real tree, don't knock it till you try it......

Christmas tree farm

found it!

that face makes it worth it

2k14 tree

now that i have my grandson here, i wanna start some new improvements to our traditions. for example... this year, I'm doing matching pjs.

share with me some of y'all's fun traditions y'all have!! do y'all prefer a fake tree or a fake tree??
muahs!

share the gift/he is the gift

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has put this billboard up in times square!

how cool is this?? i am so thankful that as a church we are trying to get people to remember that Jesus truly is "the reason for the season"

these days it really does seem that people have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas! it is all about the "sales" or "deals". i mean..... families are even rushing through Thanksgiving dinner with their family or even going shopping instead of being thankful, and being with their families at all. it's really sad how commercialized all our holidays are becoming.

I'd love for you to check out the video the church has put out for Christmas. please, share this with your friends and family. lets try and bring back the true meaning of Christmas and the greatest gift of all, our Savior! (John 3:16)

mormonnetwork on instagram posted this^......i thought it explained it well and wanted to share it with y'all.
remember, HE is the gift!
muahs!
http://www.mormon.org/christmas