Merry Christmas! - Hallelujah Chorus - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

Day 24 - Silent Night - Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire

What a wonderful way for these three talented women to use the amazing voices God gave them.

Day 23 - Newborn - Wise Men Still Seek Him - Alex Boye

At the end of this video, Alex Boye says, "This is an original song that I wrote from the point of view of a wise man seeking Jesus. I wanted to bring that wise man back to the modern day times to show people that wise men are still seeking Jesus, and that's the reason for Christmas.

Day 22 - Stil,l Still, Still - Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square

Day 21 - He is the Gift - #SharetheGift

This is a lovely video about the real gift of Christmas. Share the Gift with someone.

Day 20 - Pretty Paper - Chris Isaak

Day 19 - Joel the Lump of Coal – The Killers (Featuring Jimmy Kimmel)

I think this is what used to be called a morality tale.

Day 18 - Nutcracker, Straight No Chaser

I love the Nutcracker. But some people just don't, and they are entitled to their opinion, wrong though it may be.

Day 17 - Different Kind of Christmas - Mark Schultz

This is a song for everyone who is missing someone special from their Christmas celebrations. Mark Schultz, the artist, said he wrote it about his father-in-law who passed away the year before.

Day 16 - O Come All Ye Faithful - David Osmond

This is just amazing. David Osmond has an incredible voice. Why have I not heard more of this guy before now?

Day 15 - Angels We Have Heard On High- Home Free (and bonus Pentatonix)

I watched the season of The Sing-Off when Home Free won, and was cheering for them all the way. I'm a sucker for a super bass. There are a few different versions of O Holy Night out this year, but this one is my favorite.

But then again, there's the Pentatonix take on O Holy Night, which is done in a completely different style. This is probably my second favorite version of the year. What do you guys think?

Day 14 - Gloria in Excelsis Deo - Record Breaking Live Nativity

Over 1,000 volunteers joined together to create the world's largest nativity scene.

Day 13 - Go Tell It On The Mountain - Sara Evans

Day 12 - Run, Run Rudolph, Steven Tyler and Brad Paisley

The category is Things You Never Thought You Would See In This Lifetime, and the winner is Brad Paisley and Steven Tyler singing a duet on the CMA Country Christmas 2014. Yes, this happened.

Modern country music sounds a lot like original rock and roll, but I think the only thing country about this duet is Brad Paisley's hat. But it's still a lot of fun to listen to.

Day 11 - Meghan Trainor - Mistletoe

Remember "All About That Base," the song you couldn't escape earlier this year. It was nearly impossible not to dance to, or get out of your head. I think everybody BUT Weird Al Yankovic parodied it. Turns out that the artist, Meghan Trainor, is actually a very talented musician, and now that she has everyone's attention, we'll probably hear a lot more from her.

Now she's done a cover of Mistletoe, which I find I actually like now that someone other than Justin Bieber is singing it.

Day 10 - Wexford Carol - Jenny Oaks Baker & Alex Sharpe

In honor of my Irish heritage, today we have the Wexford Carol. I don't think it matters how much Irish you are. It's something that pulls you back, even if you've never been to Ireland.

Day 9 - The Avengers Sing Christmas Carols

Movie mashup Christmas carols seem to be the thing this year. And as much as I enjoy The Avengers (Thor in particular), I have to wonder. Who actually has time to comb through hours of movies to pull out the right words and then put them together, with a little autotune help, in the form of Christmas carols? Whoever it is, good job!

Sainsbury's OFFICIAL Christmas 2014 Ad

Sometimes a Christmas commercial comes out that becomes one of my favorites. (Anybody remember the Hershey kisses playing We Wish You A Merry Christmas?) This year my favorite has got to be from Sainsbury's, which I've learned is a large grocery store chain in the U.K. Too bad they're not in the U.S. They would have had some of my business.

Anyhow, it's the story of a Christmas truce, and it sort of makes me want to hug everyone.

Day 7 - The Stars and Stripes for Christmas – Marine Band

Day 6 - EDEKA - Kassensymphonie

Day 5 – Make It So! – Jean Luc Picard (Let It Snow Parody)

Day 4 - Mary Did You Know – Pentatonix

If you don't know who Pentatonix is, you have not been on the internet for the past few years. They are everywhere. Acapella is gaining in popularity, which I think is wonderful. I love it when singers are on key all the time, even without autotune.

Day 3 - O Come O Come Emmanuel – Nathan Osmond and Lexi Walker

Day 2 - What God Wants for Christmas – Darius Rucker

I've been a fan of Darius Rucker's voice since way back in his Hootie and the Blowfish days. It's just so easy to listen to. I really like the message of this song, too. Have you ever given thought to what you can give back to God? I've heard of some families who have a tradition of writing down their gifts to God each Christmas (goals for the coming year), sealing them in an envelope, and then reading them the next year to see how they did. It's kind of a mini time capsule. What can you do to keep the spirit of Christ and Christmas in your heart and your life all year long?

Day 1 - Dueling Jingle Bells!

I found a fun way to kick off the Christmas music season. I love Christmas lights synchronized to music, the more creative the better, and I don't think I've ever heard this particular arrangement before.

(Check back every day until Christmas for more fun Christmas music, plus a few gift ideas, recipes, and holiday traditions.)

Reflections During the Night Before Thanksgiving

I'm thankful I have electricity to power the my oven and refrigerator.
I'm thankful my oven is big enough for two turkeys at once (13 pounds and 10 pounds).
I'm thankful I can go to the grocery store and choose two turkeys out of the freezer without the ickiness of slaughtering, plucking, and removing the innards of said turkeys. (That little paper package of internal organs is about all I can deal with.)
I'm thankful for those pop-up tender timer thingies in the turkeys and the plastic oven bags that make cooking a turkey almost a no brainer.
I'm thankful that I have enough to eat and more, as evidenced by the leftovers I had to throw out to make room in the refrigerator for the above-mentioned two turkeys.
I'm thankful for a refrigerator to keep food from spoiling, unless I leave it in there so long it looks like a science experiment and have to throw it out.
I'm thankful for Rhodes Baking Company, because with only my own skill, my dinner rolls would be little roll-shaped bricks.
I'm thankful my mother is still living and it feels like I am going home when I go to her house.
I'm thankful to have Thanksgiving dinner some place other than my house.
I'm thankful I am able to help with Thanksgiving dinner so my mother doesn't have to lift a finger unless she wants to. (She insists the pies are her job, with a little help from Marie Calendar.)
I'm thankful for sisters who have taken responsibility for other parts of our Thanksgiving meal, so no one has to be full-time kitchen slave this year.
I'm thankful I have a car to get to my mother's house for Thanksgiving dinner, and a husband to drive the car because I will probably be sleepy from staying up late to clean out the refrigerator to make room for two turkeys.
I'm thankful for a day set aside to celebrate all the things that I am thankful for.