Remembering the Traditions

What an exciting week this has been for our family. With this being the week we celebrate our saviors birth, I reflected back on the memories of Christmas' past. Being that my family is in our "older" stages and not having any little children around, we tried to remember what the true meaning of Christmas is. I can tell that I miss having the excited butterflies on Christmas morning, as we sit at the top of the stairs and wait for Dad to get his butt out of bed and set up the camera. What I realized is that I get the butterflies now when I watch the ones I love opening up their gifts and seeing the joy on their faces. Of course there will always be our classic movie on Christmas Eve, Christmas Vacation, and the bacon wrapped chestnuts that are always gone in the blink of an eye. I look forward to our next Christmas to see the traditions and family members change. May we always remember the real reason we are together on this holiday.

Principles & Standards

Tonight is our annual Mortenson Christmas Party. I am very excited to be able to see my extended family. The more I reflect on this time of season, the more grateful I am for the love of my family and more importantly, the Savior. As I was preparing my lesson for Relief Society this morning, I reflected on the principles the savior has set forth for us. It is apparent to me that as long as we set our priorities inline with the Savior's plan for us we will never stray from our destined path. I am thankful for this time of season and for the standards that Heavenly Father has set for me.

Frustration

During these times of frustration and economic crisis, I come to realize how important it is that we stick together as families, friends, and fellow americans. I came to this conclusion by a series of events that have happened this week during my daily activities at work and at home. Conversations with loved ones became increasingly more tense. Trying not to lose control of my emotions, I tried to put myself in the other persons shoes, to understand their point of view. I now understand how important it is that we try to stick together as a family, even if it is not convenient for our own personal schedules. Thank You to my sweet family for helping me understand the principle of patience, I know I still have a lot to learn.

A New Beginning

As I created this blog, I came to realize how much our lives are revolved around technology. In the beginning of this generation, it was only the spoiled rich kids that had cell-phones. Today, if by your 12th birthday you don't have one, your the outcast. In this day and age, communication for work, play, and school are done over emails, blogs, and texting more than any other form. Why do you think our lives have become so much more complicated? Because we expect instant results. Whatever happened to calling and talking to someone instead of emailing or texting them a question? Technology is a wonderful thing, but we must realize that face-to-face contact is the only way to express our true emotions.