Okay, I know, super cheesy title. I am usually not a huge fan of random forwards, or "letters from God" about the state of America today etc. But this caught my eye on facebook today and after talking about it with my husband, I wanted to share it with you all. We had several conversations over break with family members on both sides of our family about the trend to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." People have strong opinions on both sides of this issue, and that's great, people are entitled to feel however they want to feel on this subject. In interest of full disclosure, both of us fully celebrate Christmas and fully support secular retailers saying "Happy Holidays." I expect to hear Merry Christmas at church with fellow Christians. I don't
need to hear it from a non-Christian store clerk at Target for me to remember the reason I celebrate. (Certainly if they want to say Merry Christmas, that's awesome, but I am definitely not offended if they give me a generic "happy holidays"). Regardless of how you may feel about this, I invite people to read through this following "Letter from Jesus" about this issue. I don't know who wrote it, but I think it brings up some great points and reminds us what the real reason for the season is: loving and serving one another, not arguing with people who don't share our faith over the fact that they use the "wrong" language wishing us a happy holiday season.
Letter from Jesus about Christmas
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, work on getting along and
loving one another.
Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santa and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.
If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.
2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.
3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up.. It will be nice hearing from you again.
4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.
6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.
7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd
close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families
8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary--especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.
9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other
charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.
10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.
Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those
whom you love.
An overlook off the road heading into Solvang. Such a beautiful valley!
Our quaint bed and breakfast
The Santa Ynez mission
Beautiful stations of the cross
A perfect NW day--sweaters, a scarf, and mochas in fabulous mugs. YUM!
We decided the surgeon should cut the chocolate pieces. (Sandeep is a general surgeon). This totally looks like someone I'd want cutting me open!
Saturday night we went to a cool bar that had good wine and board games. So we sat around and drank a glass of wine, shared a cheese plate, and played Monopoly. 
This is my Papa, I think he loves me a lot! And I love him too! Papa calls me his Little Squirt. I got to hang out with him a lot while I was there, sometimes during the day and sometimes late at night when I just couldn't go back to sleep. My mommy would sometimes take me into Grandma and Papa's room and Papa would get up with me. I liked those night time cuddles with him, he would wrap me all snug in a blanket, give me a bottle, and then bounce me on the big exercise ball until I fell asleep in his arms. He also helped make me smile and would take lots of pictures of me. Here we are playing Settlers of Catan together. I got to play on Papa's team here and I think I helped him win. 
Grandma and Papa gave me a mirror for Christmas and it was my favorite present! I smiled and laughed and squealed at the funny little girl inside of it. I don't quite know who she is yet, but she sure is cute! I think I want to be her friend. Papa would look in the mirror with me and tell me the little girl in there is so beautiful. I wonder who she is? Maybe she'll be my friend.
I like my baths! At home I have a little tiny bathtub that fits me, but here at Grandma and Papa's house I get to play in Grandma's really really big bath tub. Grandma thought I looked kind of silly, being so little in such a big tub, so she took this picture with Papa's camera. I like being in the water where it's nice and warm, but when you take me out, watch out, I will scream at you!
My Grandma is the bestest Grandma in the whole world, she is so fun and she loves me so much! I like hanging out with Grandma! We did all kinds of things together while I was at her house. Grandma calls me her Little Lily Pad, which I like! She is a very good snuggler. She gives me lots of kisses on my head. She read me stories too! She read to me about the 5 Little Monkeys who were jumping on the bed. Those were silly monkeys, they kept falling off! Grandma also read to me a story about a garden, but I got a little fussy during that one because there weren't any pictures to look at! But she tried, she sat on the floor with me and read me her story and one of these days I'll be big enough to hear the whole thing!
One of my favorite things about Grandma is that she lets me kick and play on the floor a lot, which I love! When I'm really fussy and am tired of being around a lot of people, Grandma takes me to a room that is quiet and lets me lay on the floor, watch the ceiling fan, look at the Christmas tree, and would talk and sing to me really quietly. It always helped me calm down, I loved it! She sang me songs about Mr. Moon, and about a place called Good Ship Lollypop, which she said my Great-Grandma Nan taught her. I think I like these songs! Grandma would play with my toes, kiss my tummy, and use my hands to help me sit up. That's really hard to do though, because my head is really heavy and hard to hold up! But Grandma helped me practice!
I got to take lots of cozy naps while I was in Minnesota too. Sometimes I didn't sleep for very long, I would pop my eyes open and surprise whoever was holding me because they would think I was sound asleep. Ha ha! I fooled them! But I got to snuggle with so many people, it was the best!
Sometimes it wasn't their arms I slept in! Here I am napping on Mommy's legs!
I didn't mind, it was cozy!
This is my Auntie Sarah, she calls me her little munchkin and Little Peanut. I got to nap with her a bunch too! I spent a lot of time hanging out with her, rocking in a rocking chair, playing on the floor, and helping her win Settlers of Catan. She liked to read, so I napped on her while she read her book in the chair. I think it was pretty great for both of us!
Aunt Sarah sang me songs as she rocked me, which I liked too. She sang me the same songs my Grandma did, but sometimes when she sang them, she would start to get tears in her eyes. She said the songs reminded her of her Gramma Nan, who knew I was coming but never got to meet me. She said Gramma Nan would have loved me a lot and would have sang me her songs, but since she isn't here anymore my Grandma, my Mommy, and my Auntie Sarah would have to teach me her songs about Mr. Moon, and a silly song about a Monkey who loves a Chimp. 
This is my Uncle Charles, who I got to hang out with too! He is funny, when I am a little bit older I think he's going to make me laugh a lot! Here he is talking to me as I swing in my swing.
I got to snuggle with him on Christmas morning, he kept me warm and cozy!
He also bounced me on the ball quite a bit and helped me get my little bubbles out of my tummy by burping me, which I really needed!
I got a couple of fun Christmas presents too! My Great Grandma Hildie made me several blankets and quilts which I just know will be so warm and cozy to snuggle in! The colors are so pretty too!
Auntie Sarah made me a book on the internet and had it printed for me. It's called Who Loves Lily? and it is all about people who love me! Every page is a different family member, and each page says: "Who Loves Lily?" then it says "Papa loves Lily!" or "Auntie Hope loves Lily!" or "Auntie Sarah loves Lily!" There are pictures of all my family in it, even my puppy Taylor! And all of them wrote to me about the things they are excited to do with me some day! I am going to be a busy little girl! I really like looking at everyone's faces in the book!
And lastly, I had to play dress up a couple of times which I did NOT like one bit! Dresses are COLD!
And this is my family's baptismal dress. It's been worn by a lot of people, and they wanted to see if it fit me. I didn't like it very much!
Happy new year everyone!
For Christmas my parents got me my new toy, the Kindle, an electronic reader by Amazon. I'd been debating whether or not I wanted one for quite awhile now, and I think I'm going to enjoy it! I love that it is so easy to carry around, that I can carry tons (literally thousands, if I ever choose to download that many!) of books with me at one time (which will be awesome for travel!). I love that it has internet access pretty much anywhere so I can get online, check email from the airport, and browse Amazon books from wherever I am. I am still definitely a paper person, and I will always continue to read "real" books, but I think for awhile anyways, I'm going to be a Kindle fan :) For those who aren't familiar with a kindle, you buy books through Amazon and it automatically sends the book straight to my kindle, within a minute or two. And, the biggest bonus is that all the books are way cheaper than buying them in print. For instance, most new releases (like Dan Brown's new book) are $25 and come out only in hardback. They are $9.99 on Kindle, and many classics are even free. My mom downloaded 5 different books for me that I am very excited about--in fact I even changed my 28 Books to read this year list to accommodate these new titles :) I just finished the "real" book I was reading, so now I'm about to start my first Kindle book (Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol). I'll keep you all posted!
