Here's a story about me and books: I really, really like books about the Holocaust. Stories about people who lived in the late thirties/early fourties in Germany and surrounding places who saw what happened during the war through their own eyes just thrill me. I love reading people journals and biographies about what it was like hiding from German police in bunkers, what little food they got to eat in ghettos, and what torture they went through at the concentration camps. Sad stories, yes. But somehow I love them. I love reading about how much courage they had when they saw their sister being shot and killed, and how much faith they had that the war would soon end when German policemen were living in their houses and walking through their streets. This is why, at the library, I checked out three books: Anne Frank, The Zookeeper's Wife, and A Woman in Berlin. I think they will be lovely reads.
When we got home, we started whipping everything out to make pizza dough. Zac and I, we're good at doing things together as a team. When I was making dough, he was doing dishes; when I was slicing the tomatoes, he was chopping the bell peppers. We're pretty good at that. When it comes to taste, though, we're pretty different.
This what I like on my pizza: tomato sauce, cheese, sliced tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, red pepper flakes, sliced mushrooms, and cilantro (LOTS of cilantro!), baked crunchy. This is what Zac likes on his pizza: Alfredo sauce, more Alfredo sauce, cheese, garlic powder, chicken, Italian spices, and a little bit of something green (which, in this case, was cilantro), baked soft. So, for this reason, whenever we make pizza for dinner, we always make two, and share our pizzas with each other. It works out pretty good. And did I mention that my pizza looked like Christmas? Look at my festive self!
Tomorrow is December. Do you know what this means? It means it's time to start the 25 Days of Christmas! I got this idea from this girl's blog, and I love it! For every day in December leading up to Christmas, you do something wonderful for someone else. If that not the best idea for the holidays? Just say yes, because it is.
- Go out of your way--befriend someone today that needs a friend and follow through to Christmas
- Tell someone you love them
- Make a tree decoration that will remind you of Christ
- In your prayers today, give thanks for every blessing without asking for anything
- Try to be as kind as possible to others today
- Try not to quarrel with family members today
- Do a good deed anonymously
- Make goals for yourself--seal a copy in an envelope to be opened in a year
- Visit someone sick or lonely or sad
- Do volunteer work for some worthy cause
- Do something fun for a child or younger sibling
- Try to forgive someone who has wronged you, be reconciled
- Make a "give list" instead of a list of gifts you'd like
- Improve yourself in some way to please the Savior
- Quietly reflect and choose uplifting activities vs. shopping
- Phone or send a card to an old friend or family member
- Listen to Handel's Messiah
- Make a Christmas treat for someone else
- Be a calming influence today and control your temper
- Accept the gift of forgiveness--pray for some weakness and ask for help in repenting of it
- Look at Christmas lights--where does all light come from?
- Sing carols
- Do something nice for someone without their knowing it was you
- Be the first to say hello to people all day
- Ask someone to tell you about a past Christmas
We'll see how I do on these, and I hope you get the chance to do some, too! I also have a whole Christmas list of things that I NEED to do before Christmas, mostly because they're awesome and festive.
- Watch tons of Christmas movies (namely The Grinch, Elf, The Santa Clause, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Babes in Toyland, and the collection of old Christmas cartoons we have recorded onto a VHS tape)
- Play in the snow at least once
- Drink hot cocoa and/or egg nog by a fire
- Go see the lights at Temple Square again
- Go see everything Christmas at the Festival of Trees
- Spend time with family
Have a happy December tomorrow. Christmas is on its way!
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