A few lists to end the year

I love the quiet days between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Although the silence was painful after our family left, I have begun to order my thoughts about the past year, journaling, reading notes, reviewing my planner, and organizing myself for the new year.

I love reflecting on questions like these during the quiet hours. I will include a few of my answers, too.

What are the lessons from 2025?

  • God can fix things so quickly, so completely, and so elegantly.
  • I have true friends on whom I can call when I need help.
  • I can trust God’s wisdom when my trials don’t go away.

What books and people did I keep close to me?

  • Book List Here, with my favorites in bold. I read the Doctrine and Covenants the most because I was teaching it.
  • People: my family, a few close friends.

What do I want to remember?

  • How Tim and Queenie looked in the sealing room at the temple on their wedding day.
  • Playing with our grandson in the backyard and at the beach.

How have I grown?

  • I trust God a bit more.

What were some triumphs?

  • Wedding luncheon for Tim.
  • A few special moments during lessons I taught in church.

How did the Savior show up in my life?

  • In word: the scriptures, words of prophets, impressions during prayer and in the House of the Lord.
  • In power: to endure challenges.
  • In music: during my most challenging moments, good music came to my mind. (Shalom by Dan Forrest; Slow Down, sung by Sissel; Seek the Lord by my mom, in her voice; I Want to Be Strong, a song we sang at Girls Camp 30+ years ago.)
  • Through people who listened to me and loved me.
  • In fresh ideas
  • In chastening: He helped me change my thinking. Often.

Not according to the plan

In January, I planned my year, assigning important tasks for specific months. My plans are often thwarted, but I continue to make them because vision is important.

There will always be obstacles, but I want to have a purpose and direction throughout the year. It doesn’t matter if some things don’t happen on schedule or lesser things don’t happen at all.

I finished a “June” project this week. Good job, me, because it is a Christmas gift!

I am sick in bed today with a humidifier to soothe my cough and ease congestion. The gifts I planned to wrap in November sit beneath my desk beside the bed, not yet wrapped, but at least they are collected. I choose to think of it as a testament that I tried, and planning ahead helped me to be prepared for this illness in December.

Times change

This cousin was Tim’s little buddy a few years ago, somebody he would carry around, but a lot has changed recently. Now he looks like somebody Tim could call to help move a sofa. How great is that?!

Mark’s new area

The white is Denmark, and the red is Bornholm, also part of Denmark.

There are two missionaries on the island of Bornholm, and one of them is Mark. To get there, he travels through the southern tip of Sweden. He is part of a district centered in Copenhagen, but he and his companion are very removed from their district. There is a church building on Bornholm and there are 7 people who attend sacrament meetings regularly. Mark says all the good pictures come from Bornholm.

I am glad we bought a really good coat for him. The Baltic in December and January is dark and very cold. I know he is fine, but for some reason while I write this, I have begun to cry.

Here is a recent picture that I love of Mark, taken in Copenhagen. ♥️

The best part of our day

Timothy, Christmas 2004

The best part of each day lately is when Richard and I sit down to watch an annual family Christmas video. We have made these videos since 2003, so if we want to see them all before Christmas, we begin early. They feature our kids’ performances, piano pieces, and sometimes lip syncs to Christmas songs. They end with a slideshow of the year’s photos put to music. They were originally intended for the grandparents, but as the years pass, they probably bring the most delight to us.

We are working on the 2025 installment. There is always a story to tell about family.

Here is a part of our 2014 video:

2014 Christmas

20-83 extra hours

This is a figure I saw this weekend of the number of extra hours of labor that women take on during Christmas time. This seems accurate to me.

I have never wanted to cultivate resentment about the effort it takes to create some extra Christmas magic. When the kids were younger, this meant I tried not to hurry them as we created simple traditions. When they were teens, the magic came from devoting our lives to support their dance and musical performances. When our adult children can’t be with us, I adjust my expectations and send packages.

Whatever is required of us this Christmas, I know that we can take inspiration from the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. He showed us how to love and serve.