A New Year and those pesky resolutions

Our white stocking that hangs in the middle of all the others at Christmas to remind us that Christ should be at the center of everything we do.

'Twas the night before Christmas as I walked through the house,

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The presents had been wrapped and placed under the tree,

I paused, tired, excited, and then giggled with glee.

The stockings were hanging and were beautifully filled,

No one had been forgotten, though the credit card was billed.

As I looked at the scene with the stockings on the ledge,

I noticed one empty, the one on the edge.

Where's the Spirit of Christmas—What have I done?

The children's stockings are full, except for this one.

It was the stocking intended for the child of Bethlehem.

The white stocking for Jesus that was hung up by them.

Of all the people at Christmas, that might be forgotten

How could I not remember the Fathers Only Begotten?

Only He had been left out of the festivities,

As we planned and prepared all, for our families.

As I pondered, I realized this just was not right!

It was His birth that was being celebrated, after this night.

I resolved then and there to remember The Lord,

And quickly made changes that were easy to afford.

I hung the white stocking in a special place in our home,

And corrected the atmosphere to provide a more spiritual tone.

On Christmas morning I gathered the family together,

And each of us wrote on a special piece of paper.

We gave Jesus a gift which we placed in the stocking,

A sincere change of heart, not there for the mocking.

The white stocking hung in our home as a symbol for us,

Of the true meaning of Christmas—the Savior, The Lord Jesus.

So take your white stocking and hang it with pride,

Remember the Savior, put his gift inside.

Each year after Christmas each member of our family puts together their New Year's resolutions which includes how much they weigh, how tall they are, and their age and then puts them in the white stocking to be opened the following year. The anticipation was great last night as we weighed in and measured to see who had grown the most over the past year. Drum roll . . . and the winner for 2008 is . . . ASHLYN! She grew a whopping 3 1/2 inches and gained 5 pounds.

Do I get any wiser year to year? Not really. I always have great ambitions as a new year dawns and then I get to the end and realize I didn't even come close. I did compete in my first 5K and finished the Book of Mormon again, but the kids' scrapbooks sit for yet another year. And what did I write this year? Only a more lengthy list, maybe in hopes that I'll come off conquerer of at least a few. Nate's really the wise one. Make one goal and you're sure to accomplish it in 365 days.