A Christmas Story

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve! Can you believe it?! I thought it would be fun to share a few Christmas stories from my family to celebrate, so I asked some of my family members to write about a Christmas memory or story that stands out in their minds. Here's what they said:

"One year, we were able to deliver a load of food, clothing and gifts to a family we knew was struggling. I remember Kelli, Abi and Spencer took the bags to the front porch of these people, rang the doorbell and ran away as fast as they could, so as not to be seen. Jane and Sam and I were still in the car, parked down the street, just far enough that we could still see the porch. It was a foggy night with mist blurring our sight. One of the kids came out the front door and, in amazement, yelled to his mom and siblings to come and see what had been left by someone who cared. The feeling that we all had as we talked about what they must be thinking and feeling was so wonderful. We all felt the true spirit of Christ and what it means to give unselfishly. There are many years that we had this kind of an experience on Christmas Eve. It warms my heart to know that all of our children participated in this each year and had a chance to see firsthand how some people are in need and how blessed we are. Life doesn't seem to be fair sometimes. It's a sacred stewardship to take care of the poor and the needy."  -Dad

"Some of my favorite memories are the gag gifts we always give each other at Christmas. There was the year Lance (my husband) opened a pair of lulu lemon pants that were just some Goodwill pants with lemons attached to them. There was another year our brother-in-law Lorin gave our sister-in-law a calendar full of pictures of himself. We love pranking each other other with ridiculous gifts- it makes the holidays even more fun!" -Emily

"On of my favorite Christmas stories is one told by Heber J. Grant. He tells the story of the year his mom lovingly sewed him a new winter coat. After receiving the coat, he goes outside to play, and is so excited to show it to everyone. While out, he finds a freezing boy in the alleyway and gives him his coat. When he gets home, he tells his mom what happened and they shed tears of love and gratitude together. It reminds me to be grateful for all I've been given, and that Christmas isn’t about me.” -Sophie Watch the story here.

"One of my favorite Christmas memories was from when we lived in the Philippines. A dozen people showed up to our little condo unannounced and spent the whole night with us. We sang and ate and shared stories. It was so special." -Spencer

"One year, when we lived in California, there was a family in our ward with a daughter my age. We loved this family and had a close relationship with them. At the time, they were struggling financially, so we decided to secretly help them for Christmas. We had done sub for Santa things every year of my life, but never to a family I knew before. I remember carefully picking out gifts that I knew my friend would love, and then quietly putting them on their front porch and hiding in the bushes so we could see them open their door. I watched as her single mom dropped to the ground and sobbed with gratitude. It was a one of the most impactful moments from my childhood." -Abi

"The best memories for me are the decorations, the smells and the gift wrapping. Getting the Christmas tree, decorating it, and the smell it brought into our house. The snow and drinking hot chocolate. I also love the book The Mansion and the beautiful message it shares." -Kelli