The Seven Songs of Christmas - Song 3

This post will be slightly different than the others in that it is not a single song but a collection of them.

I first found the "Forgotten Carols"

when I was 15 years old.

I had only been really going to church regularly

for about 2 years, and was just starting

to develop my little budding testimony.

As I mentioned in a previous post

I am a nut about Christmas,

and when I heard that there was a Christmas play coming to town I immediately picked up some tickets.

I had no idea what it was about or what I was in for, but I was excited none the less.

We arrived at the auditorium, took our seats

and excitedly awaited the production.

Seconds into the 1st verse of the 1st song,

the spirit began to overwhelm me.

It was the first time

that I had felt the spirit with such power.

It compelled me to listen more intently to the music.

I listened with a prayer in my heart,

and by the end of the production I knew.

I knew that Jesus Christ was my Savior.

I knew that he came to Earth as a baby,

and with him brought

joy, salvation, love, and knowledge.

I knew that this moment in time,

his birth,

was the beginning of God's plan for us all.

For most the "Forgotten Carols"

may be a simple production.

But at the time that I found it,

it was exactly what my heart needed.

And without it,

I may not have the strong testimony

of Jesus Christ that I have.

I am so grateful for it,

for the inspiration that was sent and recieved

for these beautiful songs to be written.

I would like to share with you some excerpts

of my favorite "Forgotten Carols".

The first carol is "The Inn Keeper"

The story of the inn keeper

who turned Joseph and Mary away.

"I didn't sleep that evening . . .

Why did I wish that I'd let them stay? . . .

I walked the streets all night . . .

"Staring at one bright star in the sky,

I heard a baby cry."

"I didn't think I could face them,

So sadly I slowly walked home,

Missing my chance to share in the joy.

I never saw her boy."

"He lets us choose each hour of each day,

If we'll let him in to stay."

"Whether it be in your world today

Or a crowded Bethlehem inn,

Find a way,

make Him room ,

let Him in."

This is a beautiful carol about always

making room for Christ in our lives.

If we don't "let him in"

we will miss out on amazing opportunities

and experiences that this life

and the life after has to offer.

The carol "The Shepherd",

is the story of a shepherd

who while watching his flock fell asleep,

and missed the angels announcing the birth of the Lord.

"They said the angels told them

about the newborn king.

They had a star to guide them.

they heard the heavens sing.

They said that when they found Him,

They knew they'd never been the same . . ."

"I asked a thousand questions.

Thier answers startled me.

the more I heard, the more I thought

I knew this could not be.

And then the struggle started -

My head was wrestling with my heart . . ."

"And, yes, I did belive them

Though I'd not seen a thing.

i did not go to Bethlehem

Or hear the angels sing . . . "

"There would be more stories just like mine

About the souls who've chosen to believe

In something that they never got to see."

"And do you like you'll join us

though you've not seen a thing?

You were not there in Bethlehem

Nor heard the angels sing.

But if you feel the spirit in the air,

Then, just like me, you'll know that

he was here . . .

The King of kings and Lord of lords was here, . . .

and he will come again, for He was here."

This song makes me ponder on the faith

that we must have to believe that

Jesus is the Christ.

We did not witness his miracles,

or hear his words,

but we have the scriptures,

and with faith we can know that

he is our Lord.

And just as with believing in his birth,

we must have faith in his teachings

old and new.

"Handel's Dream" is one of my favorites

- though not in itself a carol.

It is the story of a little angel,

who is auditioning to sing with the heavenly

chorus to announce the birth of Christ.

He was not invited to sing with the choir

because he, well, couldn't sing.

"I felt the music,

but I couldn't get that feeling

to come out in my voice . . .

This isn't fair, . . .

If you could hear what is in my heart,

you'd let me sing."

"Just then music began to fill the room.

I recognized it, for it was the music coming

directly from my tender, innocent heart."

The music that played is the powerful music

of George Fredrick Handel's The Messiah.

The Grand Chorus Master said,

"Oh little one, you have so much to give,

and your time will come. . . .

You have a different voice,

but it will be heard.

Centuries from now it will be heard.

More orchestras and choirs

than you can now imagine

will be giving the music of your heart a voice

that will echo through time."

I love the message behind this story.

We are all given different gifts

that we can use to show

our gratitude and faith to our Savior.

"I Cannot Find My Way/Three Kings".

"I cannot find my way at all.

There are so many choices,

so many different voices,

I cannot find my way at all . . ."

"We're not alone;

we have a star that shines today.

THe love He gave teaches how

and shows the way.

The light is clear to see

FIF we have faith and believe . . ."

"Three kings found the Lord, and so can we.

And if you're lost your way,

that light burns bright today

and it will shine eternally . . ."

The final song in the story is

"I Cry the Day I Take the Tree Down".

"I cry the day that I take the tree down,

I wish the season could last all year round . . .

and I am dreaming of Christmases when

we'll be together again."

Each time I hear this song my heart

and my mind move to my grandparents,

who are very dear to me.

They both past away sometime ago,

and at Christmas time I miss them

even more than any other time.

But this song reminds me that

just like Christmas all things come to an end

as we must move on and progress,

and I know that I will see them again,

and I look forward to that day

with great joy in my heart.

Since the original recording

there have been a few other new carols added

such as

"I've been given what I need."

and "Rise".

This is such an amazing Christmas album,

and should be in everyone's collection.

It is so fun to look at Christmas

in a new and interesting way.

Thank you Michael McLean

for writing such a beautiful piece.

The Seven Songs of Christmas - Song 2

As a mother,

I love to sing with my babies before bed

to relax them and help them fall asleep.

My repertoire has mainly consisted of primary songs, but during the Christmas season

I find myself wanting to turn to some of my Christmas favorites,and most nights we start with

"Away in a Manger".

At first I was singing it because it was simple, and I knew all the words.

But as I sang this song each night I became more and more aware of the lyrics.

They are so beautiful.

And I felt like the song took on different meanings as I sang it to each of my babies.

-----------------------------------------

As I sang this song to Carter,

I saw the song through Mary's eyes.

The lyrics paint a beautiful picture of that first night.

To see our Lord as a small baby boy, I became very emotional looking into the sweet eyes of my new son.

The things that Mary must have pondered on as she gazed at her baby, were the very things that flowed through my mind.

Will I teach him how to teach,

that he can grow into a strong missionary?

Will I teach him the gospel

so that his knowledge will inspire him to

continue to learn and pray on the teachings?

Will I nurture and cultivate his testimony

so that he can become the spiritual man

that I know he can be?

Will I help him to understand the importance

and responsibility of the priesthood,

that he will respect and honor it?

Will I instill in him the morals and virtues

that he should live by?

Will I raise him to be kind

and respectful to women?

So that he can marry a strong woman

who will help him become the great man

he will become after he leaves my home?

Will I be able to help him

to reach his incredible potential?

I can't look into his eyes

without feeling the strength of his spirit.

He is such a special little boy,

and I can't wait to see what is in store for him.

-------------------------------------------

As I sang this song to Hayden

I felt peace in my heart

as I recognized the prayer

to our Savior that it contains.

"I love thee Lord Jesus,

look down from the sky,

and stay by my cradle,

'til morning is nigh.

Be near me Lord Jesus,

I ask thee to stay

close by me forever

and love me I pray.

Bless all the dear children

in they tender care

and fit us for Heaven

to live with thee there."

I felt so blessed to have the gospel in my life.

To know my Savior,

and to know that he watches over us always.

We are protected and never left alone.

We have no need to fear.

He will take care of us and our children,

if we just put our trust and faith in him

and his plan for us.

We are so blessed.

The Seven Songs of Christmas - Day 1

This Christmas

I finally get to be a stay-at-home mom,

which has made enjoying the season

so much more fun.

I get to enjoy the decorations all day long

I am tempted every single day to turn

the lights on first thing in the morning.

We get to watch all the cheesy

Christmas movies that I love so much.

Or at least have them on in the background.

And

I get to listen to all of the

Christmas music I want!

I have always been a HUGE lover of

all things Christmas,

especially the music.

This year I have been able to take more time to really listen to all of my favorites.

As I have been enjoying them, I have realized that each of them makes me feel different emotions, or relive different memories.

So I have decided to share some of those favorites with you, and what it is about them that makes them so special to me.

IF EVERYDAY COULD BE CHRISTMAS

by 98*

This song came on the other day and

REALLY took me back, as it always does.

Exactly 7 years ago,

I was dating this really cute guy.

He had been invited to visit an old mission companion up in Salt Lake City, and asked me if I would like to join him on the trip.

Without any other plans, I decided that I would take him up on the offer and enjoy a weekend away from school.

We had such a fun road trip.

(The first of many)

We had been dating for about a month and a half, and things were just fun, not too serious.

We spent the entire car ride chatting, and of course singing to the tunes on the radio.

This song was one that we seemed to hear a lot.

(Probably due to the fact that we had the 98* Christmas cd, and we both love it and we listened to it over and over again.)

So naturally this song reminds me of that trip, and the fun that we had.

But even more, it brings back the feelings that I had during that weekend and the effect they had on my life.

You see, when I got in that car and headed out on that road trip, I was just going with a cute fun guy.

but by the time I got home I knew that he was my future husband.

That cute guy would forever be my life, and I could never be without him.

I can't listen to this song without feeling like a giddy schoolgirl who just got her first kiss.

I am grateful to have a fun song to remind me of these feelings, and make me want to fall in love with Ryan all over again.

WE LOVE YOU!!!

1 Week Photos of Carter

Little photo session with Carter.

At 1 week old.

2 Weeks

Our little Carter is already two weeks old.

I can't believe how fast everything is going.

I took him in for his 2 week check-up and he is:

9lbs. 13oz.

22 inches long

He is just a big guy,

but since he is so long he isn't real chubby,

he has the newborn skinny legs and arms still.

He is such a sweet guy.

He sleeps all the time.

(A big change from Hayden as a newborn).

I have to work to keep him awake for about 30-40 minutes after each feeding.

But it is great for those night feedings when he just eats himself right back to sleep.

He is the grumpiest "waker-upper".

He wakes up grunting and crying and will NOT stop until he is fed.

The boy LOVES to eat, and would do it all day long if I let him.

(He practically does anyway.)

But once he is fed he is so cute and sweet and just likes to look around and make cute little faces and sounds.

He loves to be held and snuggled and he really loves the swing.

He is the tootiest, gassiest, burpiest baby.

Maybe it's just a boy thing.

I don't know, but it is hilarious.

I am always asking Ryan,

"Was that you or him?"

and the response is almost always

"him."

Loving, loving, loving, our tooty, gassy, burpy boy.

Carter "watching" football with his Daddy.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving was very different for us this year.

I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving.

Not so much just the food.

(Though that is wonderful)

I just love the feel of it.

Whole families getting together.

Watching movies, football and playing games.

Watching all the little kiddos who haven't seen each other for months or longer reconnecting like they had never been apart.

And of course the reigning in of the Christmas season.

But this year we were 2,000+ miles away from our family, and though I didn't think much about it beforehand; when Thanksgiving day came and went without any family I felt a void in my heart.

I missed everyone more than I had thought that I would.

It's not just a holiday where you sit around and eat turkey and potatoes.

It's a day when we get to celebrate our family and friends and all the joy we have in our lives.

I DID get to spend the day at home with Ryan, Hayen and Carter.

I felt so much love in our tiny little house.

I am so blessed to have such a great little family.

Blessed that we can be sealed in the temple for all eternity.

Blessed to have a husband who is in tune with my needs and cares enough to fulfill them.

Blessed to have beautiful healthy children.

Blessed to have a strong and healthy body myself.

There are so many things that I am thankful for.

But rather than list all the obvious ones I wanted to take a step back this year and think about all the little things that I am thankful for specifically.

I am thankful for:

- Skype -

So that my little ones get to see their grandparents on a regular basis.

- Magic Jack -

So that I can call friends and family as often as I want and talk unlimited without having to worry about how much it is costing us.

- Naps -

Hayden and Carter nap at the same time right now, lets pray it lasts for a little while longer.

- DVR -

So I can focus on my family all day long, do all that I need to do, and on my own time, sit down and veg out.

- Ryan's dedication and study habits -

He works so hard all week so that on the weekends he is all ours.

He helps with the kiddos, runs errands and plays with us all day.

- Ryan's schooling and scholarship -

That after a long wait we are finally here, and without as much debt as we had anticipated.

- Hayden's acceptance of Carter -

I can't imagine being this tired and having to deal with her being jealous all day.

- Mom's -

That Ryan's mom could come and help us out when Carter was born.

She shopped for us, planned our menus, cooked for us, played with Hayden so I could nap and take care of Carter, she got Hayden up in the mornings (quietly) and fed her breakfast so I could sleep in. I don't know how we could have done it without her.

That my mom can come out this week.

I can't wait to introduce her to our new little one, and I can't wait to see Hayden light up when she see's her Nana Jan again after so long.

- New friends -

That make us forget (at least momentarily) that our family is so far away.

That make us feel at home in this new place.

That I know would help us out with whatever we needed.

- Cyber Monday -

I am normally a "Black Friday" nut, researching sales and planning out my day very strategically.

But this year we were stuck inside, so I was grateful for great deals right from my computer.

- Blogging/Facebook -

I know this is lame, but it really helps me stay connected with friends that I may have otherwise lost touch with.

I love that I get to stay updated with their families, and keep them updated with ours.

- Bumbleride -

That has made the few trips out with Hayden AND the baby (just doctor appts.) not only possible but easy.

- Music and Dancing -

That keeps Hayden and I energized, active, and smiling while we are stuck inside the house.

- Showers -

Only a mom can be truly grateful for this.

I am not usually a "shower everyday" kind of person, (please don't judge) a few a week is all I usually get, but there is nothing like having a baby that makes you just want to wash off and be clean constantly. I wish I could take multiple showers a day, but for now, I am grateful for what I get.

There are so many wonderful things that I am thankful for each day.

I know that these are just a few, but at the moment that I am typing this up they are the ones that I am most thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here are a few pics of us, on our Thanksgiving Day.

Hayden watching Frosty for the 1st time.

Carter sleeping through Frosty.

Hayden LOVES to hold her new baby brother.

So she was so excited when we let her hold him for this little photo session.

Dinner Time