MVI 9207

Trouble At the Inn

       So we have a little story advent we do at Christmas time. I love it. We sing a Christmas Hymn, read a scripture about the coming of the Savior and then we read a Christmas story each night. I love them all but my favorite every year is December 8th. Each year we read my favorite Christmas story of all time. I wanted to share it for anyone who may not have heard it before.

Trouble At the Inn

~By Dina Donahue~

For years now whenever Christmas pageants are talked about in a certain little town in the Midwest, someone is sure to mention the name of Wallace Purling. Wally’s performance in one annual production of the Nativity play has slipped into the realm of legend. But the old timers who were in the audience that night never tire of recalling exactly what happened.

Wally was nine that year and in the second grade, though he should have been in the fourth. Most people in town knew that he had difficulty in keeping up. He was big and clumsy, slow in movement and mind. Still, Wally was well liked by the other children in his class, all of whom were smaller than he, though the boys had trouble hiding their irritation if the uncoordinated Wally asked to play ball with them.

Most often they’d find a way to keep him off the field, but Wally would hang around anyway—not sulking, just hoping. He was always a helpful boy, a willing and smiling one, and the natural protector, paradoxically, of the underdog. Sometimes if the older boys chased the younger ones away, it would always be Wally who’d say, “Can’t they stay? They’re no bother.”

Wally fancied the idea of being a shepherd with a flute in the Christmas pageant that year, but the play’s director, Miss Lumbard, assigned him to a more important role. After all, she reasoned, the Innkeeper did not have too many lines, and Wally’s size would make his refusal of lodging to Joseph more forceful.

And so it happened that the usual large, partisan audience gathered for the town’s Yuletide extravaganza of the staffs and creches, of beards, crowns, halos and a whole stageful of squeaky voices. No one on stage or off was more caught up in the magic of the night than Wallace Purling. They said later that he stood in the wings and watched the performance with such fascination that from time to time Miss Lumbard had to make sure he didn’t wander onstage before his cue.

Then the time came when Joseph appeared, slowly, tenderly guiding Mary to the door of the inn. Joseph knocked hard on the wooden door set into the painted backdrop. Wally the Innkeeper was there, waiting. “What do you want?” Wally said, swinging the door open with a brusque gesture.

“We seek lodging.”

“Seek it elsewhere.” Wally looked straight ahead but spoke vigorously. “The inn is filled.”

“Sir, we have asked everywhere in vain. We have traveled far and are very weary.”

“There is no room in this inn for you.” Wally looked properly stern.

“Please, good innkeeper, this is my wife, Mary. She is heavy with child and needs a place to rest. Surely you must have some small corner for her. She is so tired.”

Now, for the first time, the Innkeeper relaxed his stiff stance and looked down at Mary. With that, there was a long pause, long enough to make the audience a bit tense with embarrassment.

“No! Begone!” the prompter whispered from the wings.

“No!” Wally repeated automatically. “Begone!”

Joseph sadly placed his arm around Mary, and Mary laid her head upon his shoulder, and the two of them started to move away. The Innkeeper did not return inside his inn, however. Wally stood there in the doorway, watching the forlorn couple. His mouth was open, his brow creased with concern, his eyes filling unmistakably with tears.

“Don’t go, Joseph,” Wally called out. “Bring Mary back.” And Wallace Purling’s face grew into a bright smile. “You can have my room.”

Some people in town thought that the pageant had been ruined. Yet there were others—many others—who considered it the most Christmas of all Christmas pageants they had ever seen.

Every time I read the words you can have my room I tear up. This year this story came right at the same time I taught a lesson on time management to the Mia Maids. As I thought of priorities in our lives and the inn keeper not having room, it made me think of myself as the inn keeper and the Savior not asking for a room but for my time. Do I let him in the way I should or do I say no room each day.

It's a ...

So we found out some big news today....It's a girl! Yeah there was a part of me that wanted a friend for Nelson but then at the same time I think me and Travis are in heaven being surrounded all day by these sweet tender little girls. I mean what did I expect being married to Travis I don't think there's a guy out there who knows how to treat a girl better and that includes his 3 now four daughters. He's a total girl dad and I don't mean to toot my own horn but we make some beautiful sweet girls and I can't wait for May to get here to meet her!

I think the only one who was disappointed was Nelson and watch below for the proof.

Here's the link if the above video doesn't work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVXEB3I-gI8&feature=youtu.be

18 months

My firend and neighbor Danna is possibly the most talented person I have met in my life. I mean the girls can do anything. Well the other day she got a new fancy camera lens and wanted to try it out so we went an took 18 month pictures of Emilyne. I thought Danna had met her hardest subject yet. If there is one thing about Emilyne she will do what she wants when she wants and only then. She will be born when she wants even though it was 6 weeks early. She will only cuddle if she’s in the mood (if Travis is around the chances of that mood being there increase by a ton). And she will smile and be happy only when she wants. We tried everything at first and nothing. Just a blank stare like are you joking me…you can act as goofy as you want but I’m just going to sit here and stare at you.

And then Emilyne decided that maybe she wanted to smile and it was the perfect reminder of life with Emilyne. She has by far been my grumpiest baby yet but oh when she smiles all those grumpy moments are beyond worth it.

Ginger Bread Houses

So what do Nelson and the gingerbread man have in common? They both share a mantra. Run run as fast as you can you can't catch me. Although I’m pretty sure no matter how fast the gingerbread man ran Nelson would catch him. Not only is the kid a mile a minute but he loves candy and we learned in making gingerbread houses this last week that he will not let a single piece go to waste and at times he considered candy on the house instead of his mouth a waste. His mentality was more of a one for you and two for me. He licked any excess frosting off the table and his hands. He and Travis were in charge of one house and Grace and Anna took the other. I remained a floater just going wherever I was needed. 

 So Grace and Anna went to a cat birthday party hence the ears.

 Do you think that waste not want not includes frosting?

Six Sweet Years of Anna

 Happy 6th Birthday to Anna! It's hard to believe that for 6 years she has been gracing us with her sweetness. She is truly one of the most kind hearted, funny little 6 year old divas alive. She's always telling us how she loves everyone including the bad guys and her actions show it. I don't think it's anywhere in her to not like another soul. She loves to be around people and she's a major fashionista (no clue where that came from). I have gotten out of the shower many a times to find a dress and fancy shoes laying on the bed for me to wear. She hates my moms jeans style and comes home all the time with a play by play of what her kindergarden teacher was wearing that day. Were going on almost 4 years of her changing he outfits 4 times a day.
The girls a little genius at an almost 2nd grade reading level and she want to be mom and teacher when she grows up. Her sense of humor is way beyond her years sometimes and she has the most contagious laugh to go along with it. She can change like Jekyll and Hyde like you wouldn't believe when she's being teased by her sister and can go from sweet to kicking the walls in a flash.
I would have to say the thing I love about Anna are her facial expressions. I got home from the park a few weeks ago and below are some of the pictures that I thought captured Anna perfectly. She keeps us laughing and more than anything she keeps us humble as me and Travis are in awe that such a tender hearted loving spirit has been sent to us. We love you Anna!

For her birthday party we had a princess party and my friend Lauren who has a princess party buisness came as snow white and surprised Anna. It was adorable!

12 on Thursday

1. We had the greatest Thanksgiving with Tyler and Kristy, then we did it again on Friday night because we had so much food. I LOVE having them live by me.
2.We went black Friday shopping with all 4 kids and no stroller for 3 hours and laughed about the craziness the whole time.
3.We went to our new branch and LOVED it. Travis said for one of the first times ever he shared my level of giddiness.
4. I got called as Mia Maid adviser and have not stopped smiling. I mean come on it is the greatest calling in the church. Just the sweetest, easy to please group of girls. AS RS president I had to deal with a couple of guys who told me some really mean things about myself. It kind of shook my testimony of the treatment of women in the church. I prayed for a calling that would help rebuild my testimony of women in the church and that I could have an easy to please group to work with. I know my prayers were heard and I'm so excited to rebuild as I testify to these girls of their worth and build their confidence without having to worry about others seeking to tear mine down. While in our lives as women in the church we may deal with some mean guys, I hope to always remember that is not the attitude of the Savior towards women. In his eyes women are cherished, loved, repected,honored and every other good word out there.
5.We decorated for Christmas and Nelson has asked me everyday if it's Christmas.
6.I took a stab at teaching my kids piano while Karissa is gone for 2 months. It went pretty well I think for being clueless.
7.We went bowling and Nelson was hilarious. I've never seen someone get so excited to get one pin knocked down.
8. Nelson threw an entire bottle of nail polish all over the carpet. It was not as cute as bowling but a little nail polish remover and hair spray goes along way.
9. I had my 14 week checkup and all is well! Cute little thing is the size of a lemon.
10. We had the most amazing asian meal with Tyler, Kristy and the Stu Zoo. Did I mention I love where I live?
11. Travis got all his rotations figured out for next year. Bitter Sweet for sure he got all the programs he wanted for the exact month he wanted them and he is equally excited for each one. We feel so blessed. It was like a giant geography lesson as we studied cost of living, school, economy etc. I learned so much about the country and it was so fun but it will be hard when he's gone for so long.
12. We went to the Omaha Temple and the children museum. Emilyne was so cute with the balls there she couldn't get enough of them.