" I Really, Really Hope You Like It!"

OK-no old tales of Christmases Past today.  Maybe some will end up here later this season.
Today, I want to tell a tale of Christmas Present.  And Christmas Presents.
First, a thought on keeping Christmas.  Old E Scrooge found out about "keeping Christmas" from the visits he had on that night long ago. "...he knew how to keep Christmas well...".  I think you all should take time to read Scrooge's story this year.  It is short, so try to pay attention while your mom or dad reads it to you.  At least, or, even better, watch the Muppet Christmas Carol after you've read the book.
We have so much distraction during Christmas by the noise, noise noise of the world telling us what we don't have and really, really should have-or we can't be happy!  And then we tend to think about what we are getting for Christmas.  And we worry that we won't get what we want.  What a disaster that would be!  
Hmm...not really the Christmas spirit, is it?

We just got to spend a couple days at the cabin with some of the grandkids.  No stores, trips, practices, phones, internet.  Just the kids and the fortunate few adults and the woods around the cabin and, if we're fortunate, some snow.  We did have snow, and there was some awesome sledding and sliding done by the kiddos.  We can talk about that later.

Last year we took some of the older kids up to the cabin after Thanksgiving.  We didn't take the younger ones since the boys had to walk in a couple miles in the snow.  Grandma had the boys draw names and make presents for each other from what they could find around the cabin.  It was so fun, we thought we should do it again, so we did!

This year, even the shorter kiddos came, and it was wonderful!  Let me tell you what I saw.

After a busy day of sliding and sledding, we took a walk and found our Christmas branch and some dried grass and stems and things to decorate with.  Then we came home and the kids put lights and homemade decorations on the Branch.  It was beautiful.  Then Grandma had them draw names to see who they would make a Christmas present for the next day.  No one was allowed to tell the others whose name he had!  Then to bed.  There was a bit of fussing and figuring out how to smile before bedtime, but I think that is because we were all pretty tired after such a busy day.

The next day we got out whatever stuff we had around the cabin.  The kids had wood, sticks, paint, hammers, nails, drills, chunks of logs, and their imagination.  They also had a desire to make a Christmas present that the person they were giving to would like.

And so Christmas Present building commenced!  There was much hammering, painting, drilling, cutting and figuring what do to.  Maybe the figuring came first.  Some of the time.
As the presents came to life, the kids would quietly tell the adults supervising (we did not have any serious injuries or blood loss) that they "Really, really" hoped that the person for whom the gift was intended would like the gift being crafted.  There was much effort and love put in these presents.

After lunch, it was time for the presentation of the presents!  There was some nervousness that the recipients would like the presents made for them.  I remember these presents being made-

 -A beautiful, firm bed for a kitty
-A very fast looking broom for playing quidditch
-A handcrafted split log with nails strategically placed for making designs with rubber bands
-Another quick, maneuverable quidditch broom
-A springy bow for shooting arrows
-A solid wood checker board and wooden checkers
-A fresco created with snail shells and vibrant colors

There were also individualized name tags and notes and other little personal touches.
(If I have forgotten anything, it is just because I am getting old and don't remember things like I used to-not because whatever you made wasn't just wonderful!)

Then the time came for exchanging presents.  It was wondrous (yes, that is a real word) to see the reactions of the gift-givers as appreciation was shown for each present presented!  I saw hugs and heard "thank-you" and "I love it".
Even today, I asked a couple of the kiddos if they were more worried about the presents being appreciated by the person they gave it to or about what they may get.  I heard, without hesitation, that they were "way more" worried about how the gifts they gave would be received.  They were much more concerned about giving then getting!

How I hope we can keep this attitude as we go though Christmas time.
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Let me tell you about two Christmas Presents for just a couple more minutes.

First-the Present we've all been given.  That Gift heralded by the angles.  That Gift that is the Good News for all of us.  Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gave us His Son.  So we can learn and grow and change and love and return with our families to Him.  And I think that Heavenly Father "really, really" hopes that we like his Gift to us.

Next, the present we get to give back to Heavenly Father.  He just wants----us.  More specifically, he wants our hearts.  No, not the organ that pumps blood and keeps us alive, but that part of us that is our core-our "essence".   The part of us that is our desires, hopes and motivations.  And we should hope that our hearts are crafted so Heavenly Father really, really likes them.

He wants us to want to do what we should to return to Him.  Having our hearts turned to him makes this possible.  But only because of His Gift to us.

And how do we know when are hearts are turned to Him?  It's when we want to do good-to be nice and kind and do what is good and right.  To help those around us to be better.  When we are "way more" concerned about the giving than the getting.

Remember how you felt when you wanted the person you were giving the gift to to really, really like it?  Heavenly Father really really likes it when we give Him our hearts.  And we give Him our hearts when our hearts have us help, serve and give to His children-everyone around us.  And we don't have to give snails and checkerboards and boards and brooms.  We can give smiles, good words, pats on the back, hugs, "atta boys", and...well, you get the idea.

OK-end of this story without old stories.  Remember to read (or at least watch) "Christmas Carol" this year.  I try to read this story every year to help me remember some important things.  There may be a test when we see each other during Christmas.  Maybe with prizes.

And remember to keep crafting our hearts, because we should "really really" want Heavenly Father to like them as we give them as gifts to Him.
And he does "really really" like them.  And you.

"I Didn't Think I'd Miss That Little Finger So Much!"

OK-before we get too far, let me put your minds to ease-I have not lost any fingers, little or large.

 The Tale of the Missing Little Finger comes later in this brief blog.  (No, not the loss of one of my digits, nor the loss of my tail.  Which I never had to begin with-at least that you could see.  Of course, if I don't soon get going with this story, I might just lose my tale.)

I heard a lot about gratitude today.  I bet you did too, especially if you spent any time at church.  After all, Thanksgiving happens this week-on Grandma's birthday!  Isn't it wonderful that our nation takes time to recognize Grandma with a Day of Thanks ?!  Anyway, we get to have a wonderful holiday-one of my favorites-to reflect on all the wonderful things for which we should be thankful.  I heard inspiring messages about how we should have gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all that we have, including our trials and challenges.  I enjoyed all the messages.

I got to teach the lesson in Nursery today.  Yes, it was on "Being Thankful".  We made hand-print turkeys, apple turkeys, sang songs (not about turkeys) and had treats.  We also had a lesson prepared by Grandma.  You may ask why I taught this lesson instead of Grandma-go ahead-ask.  I'll wait...
What's that?  Did you ask why I got to teach the lesson Grandma prepared?  Well, I'll tell you.  I got up early this morning thinking I had a pretty sweet, easy day.  Grandma was home and said she would fix dinner and I knew she had planned a wonderful nursery experience.  Just as I was anticipating a day of rest and renewal, Grandma got a phone call from the hospital.  Now, most of the calls we get from a hospital come from one of our families as they visit their own dedicated room in their hospital's emergency department.  We even got one last night!  But this call was from Grandma's work.  She had forgotten that she had to work today!  She gave me the 5 minute mentoring of what was supposed to happen in nursery today, as I was now in charge!  What a scary thought!  And I would get to take care of all the dinner preparation-something I can do-no complaints.  Where was I?  Oh yes-I was handed the nursery stuff and told to do my best.  Which I did!
The lesson was on being thankful.  (Notice how I just now jumped right back to the point of all this? Sweet!).  Grandma had made a shoe box TV with pictures of things the little tykes could recognize as things for which they should be thankful.  Jesus, the sun, food, pets, family, eyes, ears, home-you get the idea.

One of the pictures was of hands.  As I showed this one to the little ones, I realized how thankful I am for my hands and for all of my fingers and thumbs.  I also realized that, as my hands get older, they have started to be a bit cranky at times (kind of like me!)-especially in the middle of the night and when I first get up in the morning.  Also, I had my right thumb touch a (running) table saw blade a couple of years ago.  It did filet my poor thumb (ask your folks what that word means if you need to).  I am very grateful that it did not remove my poor thumb, as those opposable digits come in quite handy a lot of the time.  ("handy", as used in the previous sentence was a little witty, eh?).  However, as a result of the injury, I don't have feeling on about 70% of my thumb.  It does interfere with some of my daily activities.  I have learned to live with it, but I realize how much nicer it was with a fully functioning thumb!

Which brings me to the point of this post-not the pointy finger, but the little finger.
My father-your mom or dad's grandfather (like I am to you)-could fix anything mechanical.  No, really-he could.  As a kid, I spent hours fetching tools and parts, cleaning stuff and being a gopher-well, not the rodent "gopher"-I guess I could write it as "go-for", as in "Ricky-go-for another wrench for me".  He was always fixing something.  As he got older and we kids grew up and moved out of our family home-just like you will all do some day-but not soon, so don't fret about it-it will be fine-Dad continued to fix things.  I don't know who fetched his tools, parts and coffee after I left home.  I don't think my Mom would be a gopher. (no, you don't have any rodent family lines, at least that I am aware of.  I have noticed that some of you act a bit squirrely sometimes, but I think that is nurture more than nature).

Anyway, one day my dad (your great grandpa) was fixing his lawn mower.  He needed to move the lawn mower to see something under it.  The lawnmower was running at the time.  Your great grandpa was always working on things when they were running or had power to them.  It is never a good idea.  I saw him get jolted several times when he worked on live wiring.  Maybe those electrical jolts were the reason that he tried to carefully pick up a running lawn mower.  As he gingerly put his hands under the deck of the mower-where there is picture on your lawn mower that shows you that this is a dumb thing to do because you could have fingers cut off-he felt the blade hit his little finger.
Well, he did drop the mower (not on his toes, or we could have some symmetry to this tale) and grabbed his finger.  And he picked up the end of his little finger from the ground, as it was no longer attached to the rest of his little finger.

Grandma drove him to the hospital where they had Special Doctors take x-rays and look at his finger.  They decided that it would be a big,expensive surgery with little chance of success to try to put the end of his little finger back where it was a little while before.  So they cleaned up the stump, sewed it closed, and sent him home.
In time, as with all wounds, the finger healed.  But, since your great grandpa was neither lizard nor sea star (and your great grandma was NOT a gopher-let's be clear) the finger did not grow back.  So he had two thirds of his little finger.

You would think, looking at your little fingers, that that would be just fine.  I mean, what do we really use the end of our little finger for anyway?  That is what your great grandpa thought as well-until he went to itch his left ear.  And he couldn't!  So his left ear went on itching!  You see, the end of great grandpa's (my dad's) left little finger fit precisely into the itching spot of his left ear!  And he didn't think much about that until he no longer had a longer pinky!

OK-what does this have to do with gratitude?  With being thankful?  What I am learning is that sometimes we don't think of all the things-little and big- that we could be thankful for.  So we don't really know how much they mean to us, how grateful we should be for them, until they're gone.
This is true for ends of little fingers, sunny days, gentle winds, good dogs, hot water, flexible parts, grandmas and great grandpas and everything else we may take for granted.

So-take a little-or more-time this week to reflect on those things and people for which you are thankful.  Don't forget to consider the challenges of life as well, as they are especially important in shaping our character.  As you consider these blessing, find a way to express  your gratitude.  It will help your heart grow several sizes!  But it won't grow back the end of a finger.  So be sure to shut down the lawn mower before working on it!
I am so thankful for all of you!