miss emma.

i've decided that i need to fully embrace this holiday season. it comes once a year, and this season is particularly special in my life. looking back on the christmases of the past, the years that have been most memorable and great have been the years when my family has provided service. so i found this organization called sub-for-santa where you adopt a needy family for the holidays. i signed up and was assigned a family whose home has been foreclosed on. they have two kids: a five year old daughter and an 18 month old baby boy. they sent me the mom's phone number, and i was told to call her to ask specifically what the family needed. when she answered the phone and i told her who i was and that i was planning on providing christmas for her kids, she was so overwhelmed with gratitude, she cried. she told me her little girl doesn't have any dresses, and her baby doesn't have socks or pants. my heart sank. later that night, david and i went to old navy to buy clothes for her kids. it was so fun for both of us, picking out new outfits for them, and i can't wait to go to walmart later this week and get them toys. 

if you, my dear reader, are in the provo area and would like to donate to our sweet little family, please contact me. 

there is no better way to get into the holiday season than to give.

on another giving note, we (and by we i mean mostly david) helped my sister move out of her house today. david and clayton, aenon's boyfriend, did all of the lifting. i carried all of a lampshade and two crates. i've really always been more of a supervisor. after poor david and clayton were exhausted and sweaty from moving two dressers and a bed, we went to red iguana for dinner. it was such a fun night and it made me inexpressibly thankful to have aenon as my sister.

my sister and i have always been complete opposites in almost every way imaginable. we're different, we always will be, but our differences have never gotten in the way of our relationship. we've always been able to completely accept who the other is, and love who the other is, despite our opinions on how the other lives. 

i think that sisterhood is one of the greatest bonds i'll ever know; a built-in best friend who knows all of your faults, shares your pains and loves you unconditionally.