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Christmas for ME...

Oh gosh, guys, my heart is so full these days.  Never mind my short departure from menu-planning, etc. while I share a little.

I already posted yesterday and last week about how things are going with our move, but my family is so blessed.  Even if it weren't Christmas time and we were moving my heart would still be so full.  Let's see if I can word what I'm thinking.  I think it boils down to two things.

1.  FRIENDS!  I have such amazing friends, not only here in New Mexico but all over.  (And yes, I'm including my family as friends, because they are my friends!).  We have been so overwhelmed with so many sweet offers, big and small to help in any way.   I can't even name all the ways people have helped, whether it be huge like letting us live with them for two weeks,  or offering dinner, arranging playdates or even a little email or text to check on me, etc.  (Or letting your kids come play at the drop of the hat so my kids can soak up as much time as they can with their friends.)

Whenever I see my friends around town they always ask with a smile how I'm doing.  I have to answer that I'm doing great, because we are!

I have spent HOURS and HOURS on my phone this last little while, some of which having been things with buying and selling our homes and all that goes with that.  But I've also spent hours answering texts, emails and phone calls from people that I love.

I could go on and on about things that people have done and said that have touched me...

My family is surrounded by so many good, kind, Christlike people.  And that leads into my #2 thing.

2.  Christmas!
This is the view I get when I walk into my friend's house where we're staying.

It's amazing to be moving at Christmastime, because I'm not worrying at all about the usual Christmas things, like shopping and decorating and class parties or even cleaning my house (since we don't have a house.)  If I'm lucky, my kids will have some presents to open on Christmas, but Amazon is making that easy for me.

Instead of worrying about all the hustle and bustle of this time of year, I get to sit back and bask in the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ and all that I have because of Him.  I'm surrounded by so many people who are truly Christlike and and are serving and sharing and are wonderful.

I get to bask in friendships, sweet acts of service, and joy in spending time with my children and their friends and time as a family without too many things pulling us in different directions.

Going back to Christmas, this whole move has really strengthened my relationship with my brother, Jesus Christ and my Heavenly Father.  My husband and I have relied so much on THEM through prayer these past few months as we've made this decision to pick up our family and move to another place.

It's a scary thing to do, but we have faith that it will work out.

I KNOW that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have heard our prayers and helped us in our decisions.  I KNOW that they know what we're worried about and what's important to us and our family.  I KNOW that they will help us make the best decisions for our family.

Things have all worked out well with out move, not seamlessly, but things have all been working out.  And I have faith that they will continue to work out.  Heavenly Father has our back.  He's watching out for us and knows us and loves us!

This makes thinking about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ, mean so much more.  I want to share this sweet, short little video with you.  It's lovely and sums up some of my feelings.

Now about saying goodbye...I am not good at saying goodbye, nor am I going to try.  I really believe strongly that the friendships we have now will continue after we die.  Maybe that sounds morbid, but I'm really excited that if I don't actually see my friends that I don't live by again that I'll see them in heaven and we'll still be friends.  Life is eternal!  Moving to another state just means that I'll be able to make more wonderful friends, right?

And we have phones, and email, and facebook and instagram to keep in touch!  And more importantly, we'll have an extra bedroom to use as a guestroom anyone to come visit!

So, there is no reason to say goodbye!

Anyway...just wanted to share what I'm thankful for:  sweet people, my brother Jesus Christ, a caring Heavenly Father, and no need to say goodbye!

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