Christmas

Yesterday was Christmas.

I spent a lot of time thinking about many different things.

The pine tree points us toward heaven.

The candy cane is like the shepherds crook.

The miracle of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Why was the birth of Jesus Christ such a miracle? Every year we decorate our homes and buy gifts and string lights and make goodies and I think that we forget that it's all supposed to be in memory of our Savior. He came. He was born. He lived. He died. And He did it all for us. For me and for my family. Because He was born and because He sacrificed Himself, a whole new world of possibilities open up for us. Our sins could be forgiven. We will live again. We can return to His presence and the presence of God. And the most important to me at this moment- families can be together forever. They can be reunited after death.

I thought so much about this yesterday. The miracle of the birth of our Savior. He gave me some of the greatest gifts I will ever receive. I am so grateful for these gifts. I am personally indebted to our Savior. To my Savior. I am so glad that He was born. That He came and lived and died.

Yesterday, Grandpa Crane died. I loved him very much. We went to his house and said goodbye at 9am. I made sure to kiss him. He always kissed me when he saw me. He always held my hand. He always loved me. From the day I married his grandson, I always knew he loved me. I loved to dance with him. Even though I didn't know how to dance the steps very well and Aaron had to teach me, I always loved to dance with him. I loved to watch him dance with Grandma. They were still madly in love. She still sat right next to him in the truck. He always found her a chair when they came to visit. They had been together since the sixth grade. He loved my children. Even when he started to forget and we had to remind him who we were, he always knew and asked for that curly redheaded girl.

It was good that he went. The alzheimers he was getting made him different. It was hard to watch this tough farmer deteriorate. But it was still devastating. I miss him so much already. And I will always remember that he loved me. And I loved him. That he would take my hand and give me a kiss every time he saw me.

And I will also remember that I will see him again. I will see him again because our Savior was born. Because He lived. Because He died. I will see all the people I love again.

My Christmas was different this year. I sat in the living room while the others said their goodbyes and stared at the tree and thought about many different things. The tree points us toward heaven. The candy cane is like the shepherds crook. The birth of our Savior is truely a miracle. I am so grateful for that miracle.