Christmas Adam

Christmas Adam, obviously, is the day before Christmas Eve.  Chris and his sisters made up the name when they were kids and every year since the Johnsons have called the 23rd by it’s new name.  Even this year we received ‘Happy Christmas Adam’ texts from Chris’ sisters.  Now our kids call it by the same name and there are always a few of them that are shocked to learn that no one knows what they are talking about.

Anyway, this year we decided to fill the night of Christmas Adam with more activities that center on the real meaning of Christmas.   The lds.org website had a link to a new Christmas page with fun family activities and links to wonderful talks and music.  We brought the laptop into the living room and began to read the Nativity from one of the on-line pages.  Throughout Luke 2, on certain highlighted text, we stopped and double clicked to read or listen or discuss.  We stopped to listen to The Tabernacle Choir singing beautiful Christmas hymns.  We were led to the ‘THE LIVING CHRIST’ and read the Quorum of the Twelve’s eloquent testimony of the Savior.  I had forgotten how beautiful and complete it is.  We were led to a Conference talk by President Eyring which we read and discussed. 

We also added our own pauses to have Ryan and Katie play the Christmas hymns that they had practiced on the piano.  Then we continued by having all the kids write a letter to Jesus.   Everything took quite a bit of time but it was a really special night and a highlight of our season.   ‘Happy Christmas Adam!’

Dear Jesus, I love you.  Thank you for everything you have done for us.  You died for our sins.  We are learning about your birth.  It was really happy.  Did you cry as a baby?  We also learned about the real meaning of Christmas.  It would be cool to be one of the shepherds.  It would be cool to see you as a baby.  You  must have been so cute.  Joseph must have been a great man to be able to care for you.  My favorite song about your birth is “O, Come All Ye Faithful.’  The shepherds were faithful.  I learned a lot about you tonight.  The angels must have been so happy to exclaim your birth.  Once again, I love you.                                                      Love  Ryan

Dear Jesus, I love you so much!  Thank you for everything you’ve given me.  Thank you for dying for us and I’m grateful that you were resurrected. I’m grateful that you were born from Mary and that you were a missionary when you were on earth.We are celebrating your birth.  We are learning about you right now!I’m so glad I’ve known about you for 9 years now.  I’m so glad I know about the church.  I miss you so much!  Today I learned that the wise men found you when you were a little kid.  I love you!  I’m so glad you’re my brother!                                                              Love Katie

Dear Jesus, When you were a baby you were so cute.  Thank you for dieing for us.  My favorite Christmas song is ‘Away in a Manger.’  Thank you for creating us.  Thank you for all you’ve givin us.  Today I’ve learnd that you went on the cross.  I know that you are my brother.  I know that you are speshal.  Thank you for teaching the peple.  Thank you that we could go to church today.  The plan that you made was good.  I would love to go back to hevan with you.                                                     Love Emily

Dear Jesus, When you were born you were so cute.  I hope you have a good time up in heaven.  I learned about you just right now.  I learned about angels saying, “Fear Not”.  I know when you were born you were born in Bethlehem.  We read a book about you too.  I’m being good.  We learned about Shepherds too.  We have a shepherd toy and a baby toy and a stable and totally the Kings.  I like to learn about you.  It’s SOOO fun.  You’re my brother and also I’m being good.  I love you.  Thank you for the things you did for me.  I know that you taught lots of people.                                                  Love Megan

 

One more ‘not so spiritual’ note…  Luke is at a hard age for family scripture reading, conference talks, and family home evening discussions (unless they involve props or ‘Once there was a snowman’ songs).  He wandered in and out of our ‘Real Meaning of Christmas’ family night and truthfully we enjoyed it when he was ‘out’.  Sorry, buddy.  At the end when the kids were just finishing their letters Luke said' ‘bye, Mom’ and exited the ‘living room to hallway’ door.  He then turned the corner and entered the entryway where he spotted the ‘entryway to living room’ door.  He came in and said, “Hi Mom.’ with a look of amazement.  Yes, he had just discovered that our living room has two doors and that if he ran around, it was like one big circle.  Oh, the fun that this new revelation brought.  Again he said ‘bye mom’ as he opened, walked out and closed the door. I turned my head towards his exit, shouting ‘goodbye Luke’ in a long drawn out voice.  With my head still turned he would run around the hall and come back into the living room already giggling as he said, “Hi, Mom”.  Of course I acted surprised and he burst out laughing some more.  We must have done this at least twenty times and we could tell that he thought it was just as funny the 20th time, and so did we.    Just a memory that I wanted to jot down so I would remember.