What I Really Want for Christmas

I've been thinking a lot about Christmas and what it really means to me. I won't lie, I'm always thrilled to see the brightly colored presents perfectly wrapped and topped with a bow. However, I always have trouble answering the question, "What do you want for Christmas?" Quite honestly, many things come to my mind. Problem is that a majority of the things that I want only one person can give me- my Heavenly Father. Not only that, but I truly love giving more than receiving. Sure, I loved picking out my new Toms and showing my husband which clothes I would love to wear. I'm excited to see the surprises he has in store for me! But if I could hand the Lord a Christmas list this is what it would look like: 

1. The knowledge that mine and Nic's future is a good one, and that we will always have the money we need and the health to keep us going for many years to come. 

2. Pregnancy happening a lot easier next year. 

3. The comfort that I will get pregnant and when I do, the baby will be healthy and my body will function correctly. 

4. The security of Nic having a great job with the money and benefits we desire.  

5. Finding the perfect balance between spending time with my husband, working, sleeping, going to the temple, upholding my church callings, and seeing friends. 

6. Finding confidence in myself and loving ME for who I am. 

7. Daily opportunities to share the gospel. 

8. The knowledge that somehow, someday, I will make a difference. 

9. A sneak peek into my future just so I can have the assurance that I will be happy and a good mom. 

10. My family always being close to me and living long, healthy, happy lives. 

As I have been pondering this list of mine I have asked myself, "Why can't I ask for some of these things?" Obviously a few of them are things that won't ever happen, like me having a sneak peek into my future. But I can always ask for comfort knowing that my future is in good, loving hands....the Lord's hands. Right?

On another note, the world is making it so difficult to bring the true spirit of Christmas into homes. It's all about gifts, food, traveling....basically just spending money. What happened to the Christ in Christmas? I'll admit that I have struggled with applying what Christmas is really about. I love spoiling my husband and I have gotten caught up in purchasing the perfect gifts for him. I have loved decking the halls of our home with the cutest decorations. In some ways I have allowed the world to cloud the spiritual part of my brain and heart, and have forgotten how to invite the real Christmas spirit into my home. 

I wish Christmas lasted all year long. Not so much the gifts and spending money... but people do seem to be more jolly. I wish the world could keep that spirit alive the other eleven months of the year. It would make the world a much better place to live. If only the people who benefit from the Sub for Santa could be taken care of all year long. If only charity was important to everyone all the time. 

Anyway. Venting session is over now. I apologize for the jumbled thoughts and sloppy presentation. 

So, in response to the popular my question... What I really want for Christmas is the spirit to reside in my home and my loving husband by my side for the rest of eternity. That's it. 

I Need Thee Every Hour

This past week I have learned a very special lesson....I truly need my Father in Heaven every hour. The hymn has been stuck in my head for a few days now and quite honestly those comforting words have been the only thing giving me enough courge to get through the day. Nic and I have been going through a trial for quite some time now and this week I have felt like giving up. I hate admitting this, but I felt cheated. Nic served a full time mission, we married in the temple, we fulfill our calling, attend church weekly, pay tithing every paycheck, go to the temple as often as possible, pray every morning and night, read scriptures...pretty much everything the Lord has commanded His children to do. We are faithful servants and love Him with all of our hearts. So why haven't we been blessed with what we have been asking for since we're clearly doing everything right? That has been the question on my mind and heart for quite some time now. I had finally reached the point where I could no longer muster up the strength to keep my thoughts to myself. I poured my heart out to the Lord and begged Him to have mercy on my husband and I. To please bless us with a new job for Nic. I told Him I have done everything in my power to do what's right and feel like I have received nothing in return. I can't believe how selfish I was. As I was taking a drive to cool down and change my attitude before Nic got home from work the words of "I Need Thee Every Hour" ran trough my head once more: 

"I need Thee evr'y hour, 

Most gracious Lord. 

No tender voice like thine 

Can peace afford. 

I need thee, 

(Chorus)

Oh I need thee!  

Evr'y hour I need thee. 

Oh, bless me now my Savior 

I come to thee. 

I need thee evr'y hour 

Stand thou nearby. 

Temptations lose their power 

When thou art nigh. 

I need thee ev'ry hour, 

In joy or pain.

Come quickly and abide,

Or life is vain.

I need thee ev'ry hour,

Most holy One.

Oh, make me thine indeed,

Thou blessed Son!" 

I pulled over to the side of the road and all I could say to my Lord was, "I'm sorry," over and over. Again, I can't believe how selfish I was. Earlier I said I learned a special lesson...this is what I learned: 

As children of God we do what's right because it's the right thing to do. We shouldn't do the right thing because we expect blessings in return. Of course the Lord will bless us- we're His children and He loves us! However, the blessings may not always come in the way we want or expect them to. He is a wise parent and knows what we need, when we need it. He blesses us when we need it most. If we are doing what's right then the blessings come more often than not. If we aren't doing what's right the blessings slow down. It may not be the same for everyone, and I'm not trying to write doctrine or anything, but that's how it works for me. It has taken me 21 years of living and 10 months of marriage to learn this lesson. I need to do what He has asked me to do because I love Him, NOT because I want something in return. Not a day goes by where I don't need my Father in Heaven and my Savior. Like the hymn says, I need them every hour. I'm not perfect, and I never will be. As a human being I'll always have doubts and fears, and at times I will question my Father. I know there will be a mountain even more difficult to climb than the one Nic and I have been facing for a while now, and when we reach that mountain I will need to cling to the Lord with all my might. I need to trust Him. On that note, I need to trust my husband as well. Don't get me wrong- I DO trust him. Sometimes though I like to make decisions on my own because I think I know what's best for me and I can receive answers from God on my own, thanks very much. This is also very selfish of me. The Lord has blessed me with an absolutely incredible eternal companion! A companion who promised to stay loyal to me, promised to keep me safe throughout the rest of my life, promised to comfort me when times are tough, and promised to share the weight of the world with me. I no longer need to feel like I have to fend for myself. I no longer need to carry burdens on my own. I've gotta tell you...my husband is the most wonderful blessing I will ever receive. I'm not going to lie, things are really tough for us right now. We have been struggling with this job hunt and with Nic's schooling for so long.... The stress of it all is weighing us down. We can't do it alone, heaven's no! But with the help and love from our Heavenly Father we will reach the top of the mountain. I am so grateful for my husband and his determination to climb this mountain with everything he's got. He never ceases to amaze me! I have never met someone with so much courage and motivation. On top of that, he has the biggest heart in the universe and always shows kindness toward others. I can only dream of being as amazing as him. We may not be getting the "break" we need right now... but we do have each other. I know  the Lord is watching over us and is mindful of the things we desire and the things we need. I am incredibly blessed. 

Thankful

I just love the holiday season. I love the lights, the parties, the decorations, the food, the friends and family....everything about it. My favorite part is how the entire world seems to find joy a little easier and reasons to smile a little more. I love how the spirit of Christ is present. I just love it! I am so excited to celebrate mine and Nic's first Christmas as a married couple. I can't wait to start our very own traditions...starting with our Disney tree(: As anxious as I am to reach Christmas, I would hate to neglect this month of gratitude. I have so many things to be thankful for. My Heavenly Father has blessed me greatly and has watched over our little family so perfectly. I can't believe how blessed I am. The best part is I continue to be blessed every single day....especially by my husband. I am so grateful that two years ago I met the most amazing man who became my very bet friend. I am so grateful that he fell in love with me. I am so grateful he asked me to marry him. I am so grateful he is a worthy man who took me to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity. He is the love of my life and I can't wait to spend an infinite number of years with him. Goodness, I need to be better at writing down my blessings...and not just during the holidays. Here's to a New Year's resolution, right? 

Families are Forever

Nic and I are very family oriented. We absolutely love our families and enjoy spending free time with them. Recently, I've been "interviewing" people in my family about their history. I asked my parents how they met, how my dad proposed, what their favorite high school memories are, etc. While I love hearing about them, I also love learning about my ancestors. I had no idea my mom's side of the family came from Denmark, and I definitely didn't know my grandma (her mom) grew up in D.C. going to inaugural balls. How cool is that? Luckily, I haven't lost very many family members. My mom's dad passed away from stomach cancer when she was eleven, and the two other deaths were two of her sisters about four years ago; one from cancer, the other in a car accident. I'm very blessed with having all my family members still alive and well. My husband's side of the family has had a few more deaths, including his grandma and grandpa Walters. I've enjoyed asking my father-in-law about his parents because I wish I could have met them. Nic and I have filled our home with things about our family. He has a few antique trinkets that came from his grandparent's house that we display around the apartment, and he even uses his grandpa's fishing pole every time we go fishing. A few months ago I wanted to make something to hang in our place representing our last name and wedding date. I told my sweet mother-in-law, Jodi, and she surprised me with some things to use for the craft....grandma Walters' vintage buttons. This is how the project turned out: 

The jar of buttons was HUGE, and there were at least 300 buttons in the collection. I chose all the yellow, black, gray, and white ones (our wedding colors) and even added a blue one for the "something blue." As we were sifting through the buttons, Jodi told me where some of them came from: grandpa Walters' military uniform, baby clothes belonging to their children, her wedding dress, her shoes, and other things she had throughout her life. I loved hearing all the stories, and having those buttons in our home is so special to me. Even though I never met her, I can feel her spirit in our home with those buttons on display. I am so grateful Nic and I were sealed in the temple so we can be together forever, as well as with our families forever. I don't know what I would do without them! I look forward to the day I can finally meet sweet grandma Walters and thank her for the buttons. 

Never Forget

Please take a moment to follow this link. You won't regret it! http://fox13now.com/2013/09/11/utah-teacher-honored-for-911-heroics/ Touching, right? I work at Providence Hall elementary school, and the students shown attend our middle school. What amazing examples they are! It was so touching to see them all lined up outside the school in full uniform to stand at attention (in complete silence) to honor Ryan White, the history teacher. Twelve years ago today he sacrificed his career in the military to save the people at the Pentagon. I wish I could have stood with these kids. I am a proud daughter of a fireman and know how hard it is to let my dad put himself in danger for the safety of others. 343 FDNY men were lost. I don't know the totals for the other first responders, nor do I know the total numbers for the citizens in the towers, but I know they are high. All I know is every time I listen to the dispatches from that day and see the footage I can't help but cry for hours. It breaks my heart seeing our beautiful country attacked so brutally. It breaks my heart to see the men and women stuck at the top of the towers with no way to escape. It breaks my heart to see the firemen and policemen run into the buildings by the hundreds to try saving lives. Such a sad day for America. I believe it's so important to remember these events and to pull together. I have more pride on September 11 of every year than I do on July 4 because it's the day I personally remember our country pulling together. It amazes me how everyone's hearts ached for people most of the country had never met before. It gives me hope that our country isn't as screwed up as people believe. We live in a beautiful, grand, and blessed country. We are all FREE. Let us not forget the words of the Pledge of Allegiance...I feel like we all have it memorized in our brains but we don't have it engraved in our hearts. My favorite part is the last phrase, "One nation, under God, Indivisible..." That statement is true to this day and I have faith that it will stay that way. I hope and pray that our Founding Fathers are pleased with us and what we've done with our country. I know I'm proud. Nobody is perfect, no country is perfect, and no leader is perfect. But if the people of this country can pull together like we did 12 years ago I believe we will be forever strong. God bless the USA. RIP FDNY, NYPD, and all others who lost their lives. God be with you til we meet again.

For the Love of Jars

A few weeks ago my mother-in-law gave me some old Mason jars. I had no idea what to do with them...but then I took a look at my bathroom and saw how badly I need to organize some odds and ends in there. This is what I did: 

To color the jars, I mixed food coloring with some mod podge and painted it onto the jar. I just love the touch they add to our bathroom! Perfect for storing q-tips, cotton balls, elastics, bobby pins, etc. After I made these three jars I had two left, and not enough counter space. Heaven knows I could use more storage though! What I did instead was turn those jars into a Blessings and Favorite Memories jar. Every night my husband and I write down a blessing from the day, and one of our favorite memories with each other. At the end of the year we will seal them and start all over. This is how they turned out: 

We have only been doing the blessings and memories jars for a few weeks now but it has already improved our marriage. It's so fun to sit down and read through the memories together! And pulling out a blessing from a jar is a nice reminder that life really is good, even with the struggles. That's all for tonight! Hopefully I'll have more jar projects finished soon! Xo 

8 Months Down...

Hello! Today I downloaded the Blogger app onto my iPhone...let's see if it actually works! I'm going to try uploading a few of my favorite pictures of the adventures my sweet hubby and I have has over the past 8 months. I apologize in advance if it doesn't go well...I'm a bit slow with technology. Keeping my fingers crossed! 

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures from our wedding day. It was 7 degrees...I was FROZEN! I absolutely loved the fur coat my aunt loaned me and loved how it completed the look I was going for with my dress. I felt like a princess! 

Honeymoon!! Best week of my life so far. I loved spending every single minute with my new husband! And it was sooooo warm! Pretty sure it took me an entire day to defrost in California after our wedding blizzard! 

 

This is my amazing family! Nic and I chose to have our wedding reception a month after our wedding so more family members could attend, also hoping it wouldn't be so snowy. Turns out, our reception day was the second coldest and snowiest day of the year... First was our wedding day. I take that as good luck! 

 

Viva Las Vegas! We went to LV with Nic's parents and little sister for spring break. It was my first time walking the strip and experiencing Vegas! 

I had my bridals taken in the spring since it was sooooo cold in January. This is one of my favorites(: 

We always have so much fun with my siblings! They all just LOVE Nic. 

 

This is my cute new family! The Walters(: We went to St. George for a wedding in May and I just had to have a picture of all of us by the temple. I am so lucky to have such wonderful in-laws! 

The mister and I being silly(: We are loving every minute of married life and try to make it as fun as possible! 

This picture was taken while we were in Yellowstone over the summer. I had food poisoning ALL DAY but didn't want to stay back at the trailer. So, I "manned up" and enjoyed the scenery! I felt better by the end of the day. Fresh air will do ya good(; 

Last one for the night. I just love this picture of Nic and I. He makes me so happy and I can't believe how lucky I am to have him for all eternity. He is my best friend, my rock, my fellow Harry Potter lover, my support system, and my go-to guy. I love him with all my heart. 

Well, that's just a little bit about my life! Again, this blog is really more for my sake so I can write down my thoughts and somehow use this as an online journal, but I like to think I'm speaking to a crowd anyway(: Night! 

Happy Sunday!

Alright, I have to brag. My husband and I officially have the best calling in the ward. We're the new teachers for the three year old sunbeams! We are SO thrilled! I mean, c'mon...in what other class is it acceptable to eat goldfish shamelessly while teaching? Even better, using treats as an incentive actually works! And coloring with them is encouraged! If we were called to teach any other age we would fail miserably. I absolutely love Sundays and feel so grateful that we have such a wonderful new ward and calling. These kiddos have the sweetest spirits. I love watching them sing and dance during Singing Time and eagerly waiting (with their arms folded and cheeks puffed up) to be called on during Sharing Time just to shout out their favorite answer.... "JESUS!" What a blessing it is to be around such special children. To top off this great day we are heading to my parent's house to witness my 18 year old brother receive the Melchizedek priesthood. I can't believe this day has come! He has been diligently preparing his mission papers and finally turned them in this week. His call is only days away! I have decided to dedicate this post to him. Braden, you amaze me. I have loved every minute of being your older sister and watching you grow into the man that you are. I am SO proud of you for choosing to dedicate two years of your life to serving our Heavenly Father and helping gather His children. You will be an incredible missionary! I can't wait to read your emails and to watch you grow with the spirit. You have such a special spirit, little brother. You have been an example to me since the day you were born. I greatly appreciate the love and support that you've given me all these years. I consider you one of my very best friends and know I can rely on you through thick and thin. Wherever you serve you will touch the lives of many people and help bring to pass the miracles The Lord has set aside for them. I am so excited for you to take this step to get closer to serving. I can't wait to have you in the temple with me. I can't express how proud I am that you have chosen to stay on the right path and make it to the temple. What a wonderful day that will be to have one of my family members there with me! I look forward to the day you leave for the MTC because I know how eager you are. I will miss you terribly, but I know without a doubt this is what you are supposed to be doing at this time. I know with all my heart that this church is true, and it is the only way to make it back to our loving Father's arms. Read the Book of Mormon multiple times...I testify to you that this book can and will answer every question you have about life. I can't imagine what my life would be like without such a wonderful tool of guidance! I know our Heavenly Father loves you. Not only does He love you, He knows you. He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, your triumphs, your fails, and most importantly your heart. He has blessed you with a family who loves you more than anything, and He has blessed you with a soft heart. Your kindness and love toward others is recognized by everyone you come in contact with. You have touched the lives of all your friends, and all your family members. You have one of the strongest spirits I've ever met. This will help you be successful on your mission. Stay diligent, stay prayerful, stay faithful, stay positive. As President Monson said, "It is better to look UP." Remember this and I promise you it will make your life through trials easier. Again, I am so proud of you. I love you so much! One day I hope I can be as great as you. Until then, I will continue to look to you as an example. I am so lucky to be your sister for eternity. Love you forever, Macey.

About the Ginger

Hello blogging world! Thanks to my dear friend, Christine, my blog now looks fantastic and I am excited to be telling the world about my little life. Tonight I thought I would share a little bit about me... the ginger behind the keyboard. My name is Macey (Ellingson) Walters. I am 21 years old amd stand at 5'7" tall. I have lots of freckles, blue eyes, and long red hair. All my life I have been told that I was born with a temper and a lot more fire in my soul than most people. My husband completely supports the both statements, although I don't think I have a temper. I have a wonderful little life! I married my best friend in the Salt Lake temple on January 12, 2013. It was the snowiest and coldest day of the year. My husband's name is Nic Walters. We are thoroughly enjoying being newlyweds and all the adventures that brings. Tonight I am feeling a little reminiscent. Earlier this evening my sister-in-law asked me how Nic and I met. So...I'm going to tell the story of our journey to falling in love. We met at a Home Evening activity with our single's ward in September of 2011. He had been home from his mission for 4 months and decided to come to his first activity. I saw him across the yard (it was a backyard BBQ) and thought he was SUPER cute. That month our stake presidency had challenged the girls to ask the boys out on dates since they are always the one to do the asking. With this in mind I approached him and was just about to ask him on a date when this totally beautiful blonde chick intercepted me and stole his attention. Her name was Holly, and thanks to the events of that evening we became best friends. I was a little sad but didn't want to look desperate, so I walked away and enjoyed the rest of the activity. The next week Holly and I talked about Nic and she said she had a date with him that weekend. I was heart broken. However, I was happy for her and so excited that she had been asked out for the first time since joining our ward. Throughout the week Holly and I hung out almost every night and became instant best friends. I helped her pick out the outfit she'd wear on Friday and even agreed to do her hair and make up just for fun. Little did I know I was helping another woman date my future husband. After their date Holly called me and told me all about it. The next day Nic messaged me on Facebook, asking for some advice about how to impress her and get her to like him. I was so excited that he had messaged me! I gave him the best advice that I could. Weeks turned into months later, and Nic and I had become best friends. We talked on the phone nightly, texted all throughout the day, and hung out with each other at every church activity. I gave him advice about all the girls he was interested in...all the while keeping my feelings toward him to myself. Later I found out that during this time he was keeping his own feelings toward me to himself. That would have been nice to know. A few weeks went by and I started dating a guy named Travis. Long story short he didn't tell me he had a sister missionary coming home to marry him...and when I found out I cried my eyes out to Nic. Poor guy. Finally, I couldn't keep my secret in any longer. I told him I liked him. The next day he asked me out on a date. We went to Applebee's with our friends JP and Holly. Yes, same Holly. That night he told me he liked me as well, but wasn't sure if he wanted a relationship or not. This nearly killed me. I told him to think things over and that I hoped to see him soon. February 16, 2012 we went to a Valentine's Day stake dance together. He asked me to dance to Lights by Journey and to this day that was one of the most magical moments of my life! Later that night he kissed me for the first time in the institute parking lot...and we started dating a few days later. August 18, 2012 he FINALLY popped the question, and 5 months later all my dreams came true. I am truly the luckiest girl in the world. I married my best friend AND I get to be with him for eternity! He treats me like a queen and has done so since day one. Anyway. That's our story! Maybe next time I'll tell the story of our wedding day. Not sure how I'm going to do this whole blog thing, but I'm determined. Sorry if the story bored ya to death! I guess it was more for me anyway(: Night, everyone.

I'm Back?

Hello my lovely readers (if there are any of you out there). I'm officially back in the Blogging World. It has been two years since I have posted and A LOT has happened in my crazy but beautiful life. I've decided to revamp my blog and hopefully help family members keep up on me (; Let's see....Where to even begin. Well, first off, I am now a happily married woman to my best friend, Nic Walters. We were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake temple on January 12, 2013. We've come 7 amazing months and I can't wait to spend eternity more! I guess what I'm trying to accomplish with this blog is organizing all my crazy ideas and adventures into some sort of journal that one day I'll be able to print and hand over to my kids. I HATE writing in a journal, and I thought this would somehow get me to put my thoughts onto paper...or a screen. I have lots of things going on in my head (lots of them that my husband just doesn't understand) about crafts, recipes, daily blessings, crazy work stories, etc and I just want somewhere to put them. I hope I can at least entertain someone. That's it for tonight... I'm going to try to figure out how to use this thing again. I need to update the pictures and make this blog look more like ME. Hope everyone has a great night! Xoxo