Christmas Eve

 Kyle didn't have to work Christmas Eve OR Christmas Day at all this year! Yay for being a detective!

Kasen was so excited that their jammies are candy cane jammies because he says candy canes are SO special. Grandma Forsyth taught them all about the symbolism of the candy cane and he hasn't forgotten. "The J is for Jesus and the shepherd's crook guiding us back to Him and the red for His blood and the white because we can be clean again AND if you put 2 together they make a heart!"

His most favorite Christmas music is still Trans-Siberian Orchestra too.

Kasen made a Race to Santa's Workshop game at school that we all played together on Christmas Eve. There are snow flakes that you can move passed and every space has a letter that you have to think of a Christmas word when you land on it.

We tried to decide if we should make homemade pizza, like we did the last couple years, but then chose to smoke a turkey and have a turkey dinner for Christmas Eve. Grammy Tammy came down again this year too. The FIRST of our four Christmases.

Never have I EVER witnessed or participated in an at home nativity performance. I asked my kids last year if they wanted to, but they said no. So I asked again this year, and they said yes! So 2021 was the first ever Liddiard Family Nativity. I liked it. Will probably do it again.

Roll credits:

Kohen: Baby Jesus

Kasen: Joseph

Tai Lynn: Mother Mary

Grammy: Inn Keeper/Wise man with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh 

Kyle: Narrator

Amber: The Angel leading the chorus of 

"Glory to God, glory to God, glory to God in the highest

Peace on earth good will to men, peace on earth good will to men."

I love what Al Carraway posted about the Christmas story:

"T'was the night before Christmas!

and everyone was going to be murdered.

Every single believer was going to be put to death if the star didn't come. They quite literally needed Christ in order to live.

'The time is past, and the words of Samuel are not fulfilled; therefore, your joy and your faith concerning this thing hath been in vain'

There's no way for you to know how often I have felt that way. Passing time causing me to doubt and wonder if my efforts and faith were in vain.

'There were some who began to say that the time was past for the words to be fulfilled.'

How easy and tempting it is to second guess and doubt what we are promised during passing time, thinking we have nothing to show for our efforts or that my efforts and my faith have been in vain. Yet even when time and logic may suggest otherwise

'a new start did appear according to the word.'

At a time that was worthy to wonder where God was in any of this, before it was ever too late for them, that exact 

'night shall the sign be given and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken.'

He came.

Christ literally came before it was too late.

Light literally came and drove out the dark.

'There was no darkness in all the night.'

Regardless of circumstances and time, promises and prophecy were fulfilled. And they were blessed. They were saved. 

The Lord will and does fulfill all the words that He has caused to be spoken by His prophets. And to us. Passing time does not dim blessings promised to us. He is mindful of us, of our circumstances, and our time. The right things will never come too late. We will be blessed. We will be saved. We will and do have light! We do and will always have Him. The light and life of the world. A light that shineth in darkness. A light that cannot be dimmed. And like the believers in 3 Nephi who needed Christ in order to live, so do we."

Then we made our traditional Peppermint Blossom cookies for Santa! Tai was the only one that wanted to help me make the dough so she got to lick the beater all by herself this year.

Tai was especially excited to leave cookies and milk for Santa. Grammy rocked Kohen to sleep before she headed home and then we watched The Santa Clause together and the kids were in bed by 10. Mom and dad made it to bed by midnight! Speaking of movies, this year I regrettably found out that Christmas Vacation is NOT a family friendly Christmas movie. But 8 Bit Christmas was completely worth the ending.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!