The GIFT

I'm not sure why I started to giggle...but I did. And then I couldn't stop no matter what! And it was not good because I was smack dab in the middle of my school program with my new ruffly Christmas dress on. There were about 20 million people looking at us and the lights were pointy right at us, and we had to stand very still and keep our hands at our sides and I had an itch. And grandpas were flashing their cameras, and grandmas were wiping away little happy tears, and little kids were standing on their parents' laps so they could see us lots better than the upset people behind them. And my teacher was hurrying to one side of the gym and then to the other trying to get the lights just right...and then the principal announced all about us and stuff and then it got real quiet. And all of a sudden, I started to giggle. It was so embarrassing! And the more I thought about that, the more I giggled. Maybe because my hair was pulled too tight up there and then my bow popped right off and onto Jacob's head who was right on the row in front of me. He turned around and the look on his face could have started everything, or maybe because I was the third row up and right on the end of the bleachers and I was just trying not to fall off the program. It was all a very special special evening, like my teacher said, and I tried to cover my mouth, but a great giant ha, ha, ha, came out! Oops!
Anyway, I sneaked a peek at my mom and she was trying to tell me to quit laughing NOW! She put her finger over her lips like: Shhhhh! And my father was tilting his head with his eyebrows up high and his arms folded like: Why, Hadley K, Why? and sorta like there might be no more presents with my number on them when we get back home. They had to dress all nice to come and I think they came to hear me and 49 other kids sing and this laughing stuff was not appropri-up or some word like that. But when I saw them staring with their eyes all talking to me...and when I tried to stop, I started to laugh even more. Did they think I was doing it on purpose? Well, I wasn't! I ducked down behind Jacob just a bit so that my teacher wouldn't squint at me and so I wouldn't ruin the whole Christmas song, and I pinched my arm really hard so I would quit. Oh My...HA...HA...HA! Anyway, we had a very quiet ride home. But there are lots of good things that happened this week too! That's how life is, I think. There are always good things and there are always bad things. A good thing is that our family got our coats on and we went to all our neighbors and sang Christmas songs on their porches. A bad thing was: I accidentally tore a little piece of the wrapping off one of the gifts that I was rearranging. The good thing was: It was a present for my brother and I found some tape really really fast and fixed it before any problems. A bad thing was: my snowman melted his head off. A good thing was: My teacher made a little sleigh for everybody in my class with two candy canes for the slider things! A bad thing was: I giggled during my special program. That made me sad. But a very very good thing is: This week, right now...is Christmas week.

I got a coloring book and markers for Luci. She will be sooooo excited for that. I put a little pink dot by the pages that she should save for me to color. I really like that book.

I made a pencil holder for my dad. We did it at school. All you need is a soup can. My teacher probably had chicken noodle soup for a year because she saved all of those cans in a big box. (I am happy for her that she can have potatoes and hamburger and salad now that it is all done.) Anyway, we just glopped glue all over the can and then you smear it all around...and then this is the part where we go fast. You just take a yarn that has whatever color you want...or whatever color is left if Brad got the color you wanted...and then just wind it around and around and around the can getting higher and higher to the top and then you are done. Well, you still have to wash your hands so you don't stick to your desk. Anyway, my dad will be so excited!

I am giving my mom some little cards. They are called: Coupons...like: Koo-pawns. You just draw a picture of what you will do to help. Like one has dishes on it and when she gives it back to me, then I will help with the dishes. One has a broom on it, so I will sweep the floor. I tried to draw a cleaning the closet one...but there is no way that I could draw all of that stuff and so I did a cloth for dusting instead. At the very end, when I was wrapping them up, I decided to take out the 'clean the bathroom' one. But maybe I should put it back in there. I should. I'll think about that one. Maybe I should. I'll see....

For my brothers, I drew a picture of the Temple for my brother Jeff in Brasil. And for Jayden, I gave him my best pencil with a football eraser and...I also gave him a whole candy bar! For my grandma and grandpas, I drew pictures of my snowman before his head melted off and I wrote: "I love you very much and please hurry and come visit us forever". And I was all excited for Christmas because the best thing is: My Christmas countdown chain is so teensy now that it is hardly there. But that giggling thing in my program really made me feel bad. I just ruined my whole program for my whole school. Mostly, my mom and dad, because nobody else noticed so much, because they were looking at their kids. I let my parents down big time. I just sorta drooped around for a couple of days. I had chocolate milk, but I didn't put marshmellows in it.

And after a very good and very bad week...I think I know what gift to give Jesus. I want His to be the best present of all! And His will be the hardest to make and do. I decided that even though every day is good and bad...that I will just remember the good parts. I can choose happy instead of sad. I think that's the gift He will like the most from me. My mom says that everybody has bad days. I think it seems like I keep making lots of mistakes more than anybody, but if I quit thinking about my bad days then everything will be better. So this is how my gift will go: if someone asks me about my Christmas program...I can say: "Well, just for a minute there, I sorta got a little giggle in my heart, but mostly, it was a special special evening." Yeah, and I will remember the special part. Something inside of me feels like a smile and so I know that is the gift I should give. WOW! I really am ready now. Merry Christmas Hadley K!