My Birthday and the 2nd day of Christmas

What a surprise to get a big start on my kitchen update for my birthday. The counters are being remade in a nice, new laminate with a beautiful, large kitchen sink. We'll eventually get to the back splash and the rest, but it looks great so far. Thanks, Steve, for the idea and the great gift.

Nat also surprised me when she said she and Rob are going to paint my living room for my birthday. Wow! I'm getting a house makeover. I am also working on the living room right now so this is great.

We're all a bit overwhelmed with Christmas and everything going on right now. Noah's birthday week started Friday, the day of the ward Christmas party (cute pictures will be posted on my grandkids blog but I was having internet trouble on Sunday but I'll get to it soon), then he had lunch on Saturday with his parents followed by the Madsen family Christmas party, then cupcakes last night when we had a little impromptu Christmas gifting for Liz and Madi since Karla and the girls leave tomorrow for New York (her sister's wedding, then Jon will join them for Christmas with the fam in Manhattan). The cousins did fun exchange gifts this year. They were to do the shopping themselves, be creative, and find something special they could afford (or make themselves) for the cousins whose names they drew. Nat's kids did a great job finding clever gifts for the two little girls.

Elizabeth loves her gift from Olivia - a little vanity table she found at the D.I. and cleaned up with 409! The little telephone and bear were Madi's gifts from Ashlie - also personally refurbished. This is turning out to be a great idea and so much more fun for the kids than when mom just goes out and buys something for them to give. Jon/Karla and family also gave nice stamping and scrapbookign gifts to Jackson girls and a creative gift for Noah's birthday. We're seeing so much ingenuity here.
Karla, Madi, and Adam
On this day in history.... (What it REALLY says - not "separation of church and state, as some think it does)

December 15, 1791 The First Amendment, U.S. Constitution:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof (italics added), or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

The secularization of Christmas with "Happy Holidays" in place of "Merry Christmas" is not a new phenomenon of course. Our ancestors fled their native lands because of religious persecution and in search of religious freedom in America. As a result the founding fathers wove protection into the Constitution. Nevertheless, we live in a time where such freedoms are in jeopardy and if things continue as they going due to efforts of some special-interest groups, we may once again be forbidden to sing the carols of Christmas. Let's pray that this does not happen.