What it's truly all about

I'm sure we all struggle with the same problem this time of year: trying to remember what Christmas really means. Orrin and I have really tried to teach the kiddos that it's not all about getting gifts, but also giving yourself. It's about being with family and thinking about family. But most of all, of course, it's about Christ. His birth, his life, his death. Even when we're making an honest effort to convey this, the point seems to get lost a lot of the time.

To keep Christ in the center of this holiday, I made this humble little Advent calender two years ago. Every night, one of the girls takes a numbered heart and we read and discuss the scripture that is written on it. Then the same little girlie puts the heart on our teeny tree.

It is amazing how much these girls understand and remember when it comes to the scriptures (we try with Porter, but, well, it's Porter. Maybe next year). I just pray that we are building a solid foundation for their future...