Dear Santa..

With all of craziness of this time of year, the naughty and nice list, building toys, watching out for all of us, and probably making sugar cookies with Mrs. Claus, I'm sure you're extremely busy. Especially since tonight is the big night! I bet the North Pole is currently a very merry mad house. (You should take pictures...and then of course post them on Facebook.)

But mostly..I just wanted to say "Thank you...thank you..thank you!" I know you get a lot of demands (especially from those requesting to be on the nice list), and I wanted to make sure you weren't feeling unappreciated. Thank you for the magic you bring to Christmas. Thank you for the excitement you bring...for the shine you bring to a little child's eye....for the reminder you send that giving is what Christmas is about...and for the hope that you spread. 

I know that for a couple of years I said I didn't believe in you. And for that...I'm terribly sorry. You see, in the latter years of elementary...it was no longer "cool" to believe in you. Those who were found to stick to their beliefs in you were deemed big ol'babies who probably still slept with their mom's at night. It was a traumatizing experience them (and between you and me...I don't think some fully recovered). You know how those years of elementary and middle school are, even adults are afraid of that age! So you see...I was just trying to survive, though...looking back...I  probably could have endured being called a big ol' yellow bellied baby.

I believe in you a little differently now though. I believe in your magic and in your hope. The way that both you and the Spirit of Christmas work together to touch millions of lives. I know some people say that you're just becoming a face for commercialization, but I disagree. Some of the most amazing gifts you bring aren't wrapped in shiny bows. You give so selflessly, you watch over those we need you most, you make people feel loved and important, you help bring hope to those who feel lost or alone, and you're always so happy! You even find a way to touch those hearts who have grown a few sizes too small.

So thanks Mr. Claus for all you do. You truly are amazing and one of a kind. You've never failed to make me feel excited clear down to the tips of my toes. Even in the years that I was hiding my belief in you. Good luck tonight! Don't eat all of those cookies too fast, I know you love them, but you don't want to feel sick when delivering all those gifts! And tell Rudolph not to worry...He won't have to use his nose when flying over Utah...we don't have any snow. Stay safe and warm! Merry Christmas!! 

                                                                               With Love, 

                                                                                         Amanda

P.S. Thanks for reminding me that you're never too old to believe in Santa. And send a big thanks to all of those elves! I'll never forget the year they made me the most beautiful dollhouse in the world. 

Tis the Season....

For beautiful lights and bright shiny bows. For snowy evenings and warm hot chocolate. For crazy shoppers and chaotic stores. For kids to dream of the great gifts that Santa will bring. For the rush to get that last minute "perfect" present. For Christmas caroling and Christmas movies.  For sugar cookies, candy canes, and chocolate covered cherries. For trees covered in enchanting ornaments. For stockings to be hung and new pj's to be worn...

But...
It's also the season to recognize miracles. To count blessings. To spend special moments with friends and family. To celebrate Christmas traditions. To give unselfishly and lovingly. To love with your whole heart. To spread excitement....and feel like a giddy little kid again. To see lives changed be simple acts of kindness.  And most of all.....it's the season to remember.

To remember that one person who at-one-moment came into the world and forever changed the course of our lives. Who gave everything He had, holding nothing back. Who saw our pains...heartaches....and rough patches, and still believed in us...knowing we were strong enough to make it through.

I absolutely love this time of year. And not just because I'm enthralled by bright happy lights or won over with a cup of warm hot chocolate. (Though...those are definitely important..especially if the hot chocolate includes marshmallows) Even just the feeling around this time is amazing. People just seem so much....happier. So eager to feel of that Christmas magic.I think some of that magic comes from seeing the little miracles that we each take for granted sometimes.

So here is to all the little miracles in my life...the good and the bad...that make up who I am. Though that entails being slightly quirky, easily excited, and hardly ever wearing matching socks....I'm still happy with that. And here's to the amazing Christmas season with it's great lights, treats and happiness....for the way it touches each of our lives. How amazing would it be if people kept even a little bit of Christmas throughout the year? I'm certain world peace would result. Ok..ok...that was just an idealistic exaggeration..you caught me..

Wherever you are....Merry Christmas!!! Enjoy it! Even the moments when you accidentally burn the sugar cookies, get covered in flour, or completely mess up wrapping presents. And don't forget...you can never be too old to feel like a little kid again with bursts of excitement in your stomach (too graphic? maybe so)

 P.S. It's still my goal to see the lights at Temple Square this year! I know...gasp...I haven't seen them yet...but I will!

Well...That's All Folks

Finals completed....mission accomplished! Though as happy as I am for this semester to be over, I also feel a little sad. Maybe it's because I always feel a little sad when things end..especially things that you put a lot into or cared a lot for. Even the word "end" is so..final to me.. just ceasing to be. It's true that all things have to come to an end...but I feel like...instead of stopping at the words "The End" I'd rather stop at "And they all lived happily ever after." That sounds much better right? However I am excited for a new change.

Isn't it crazy how change works? Sometimes it's slow...you don't even realize it's happening..like getting taller for example. One day you look back and see how different you are. Sometimes it's fast....like breaking a bone, getting a new job, or even moving. I mean if you think  about it, everyday something new in life changes...no matter how seemingly insignificant. Looking back at  just this past semester, it's crazy how much I've changed too. A mere four months and I feel like I've gained such a new perspective on things that I previously thought I had figured out or that I had been set on.

I think that's what change is best at. It helps you realize what's really important to you, what type of things you want....or even sometimes it helps you to see the things about yourself that you had previously tried to avoid. At least, I feel like that's what it has been for me this past semester.

Even with a lot of introspection though, I love that change brings excitement. A sense of anticipation for the unknown lying ahead. It almost makes you feel like an adventurer off on some new quest to slay dragons or find new treasure (ok...maybe not that intense...remember that overactive imagination?)

So though I'm a little sad to have reached "The end" of this semester, I'm also extremely, supertastically (yes..that's a word), very much excited to be done. I feel like I could burst out in song and dance ridiculously throughout the house. I'm thankful for my experiences, crazy adventures, tender mercies and the many things I have learned, both inside and outside of the classroom these past four months. You can never really know how fast everything can change. I'm working on enjoying that change while it lasts...and not trying to run from it.

Well....there ya have it....my thoughts for the night!

Here are a few songs I've loved the past week...

And this one...just makes me happy :)