on these 25 days of christmas, what are you thankful for?

I am doing this thing on my facebook account, where I write each day about something that I’m thankful for, during the 25 days of Christmas.  Yesterday, day 1, I wrote about Alex…my super awesome (almost) 3 year old.  Today I was planning on writing about my 2^nd angel, Miss Gabby…then I went to Safeway this morning to get Starbucks for the hubs and me, and some eggs and o.j. for breakfast for the kiddos.

Having just wasted $10 on coffee, I stood in line with my eggs, oj, and magazines (you know, cause I can’t wait another week to get my mailed ones…gotta have some reading material/workout inspiration now!  Gimmie a break, it wasn’t tabloids…it was fitness mags).  Normally standing in line doesn’t bug me, but at 7:45 am, it’s not cool.  After being rang up, she went to swipe her card to pay for her food, $68 worth of groceries.  I noticed when she pulled out the card, that it was a government issued card, a debit system for the food stamps program.  I’m actually surprised I even noticed the card, as she did a pretty good job of covering it so nobody would see.  The card was denied, and the look of embarrassment along with the outward sense of worry about how she was going to pay for groceries to feed her family just broke my heart.  As she stepped out of line to call the number listed on the card to find out what was going on, the cashier took the next customer and then me.  This whole scenario just broke my heart.  I wish I would have had my bank card with me, I would have paid for her groceries without even telling her. 

This situation has been on my heart all day long.  It has caused me to reflect on my life and the abundance of blessings that I have been given.  I thought of one year when I was in junior high school, when my family adopted a family for Christmas and took them an entire holiday meal, extra food and gifts for the 3 children and single mom.  I remember how excited I was and how important I felt to get to shop and pick out things for another girl who was my own age, and I remember how sad I was when I learned that I would not be able to go inside the house to deliver the holiday cheer because the girl went to my school.  I wasn’t sad that I missed giving the gifts, I was sad because I knew how hard it was to be a junior high kid and I had everything, and this girl was going through the same life lessons as me, but with nothing.

Then I thought of a story my mom tells, from when I was 4 or 5, when we were part of a community yard sale to get rid of some of the clothes I didn’t wear anymore.  My mom thought I was a real life Barbie, so I had a lot of clothes. This lady came by with her little girl, younger than me, and they fell in love with a jumper that we were selling.  The lady asked my mom how much it was, got her answer, thought for a second, and left.  My mom says she didn’t think much about it until that same lady came back about 40 minutes later, with a handful of small bills and lots of change.  She really wanted the jumper for her baby girl, so she had skimped out on her grocery store purchase for the week to be able to afford the outfit.  Now, I don’t remember these details…but I do remember the lady and the girl, and I do remember how my mom wouldn’t take her money AND how my mom bagged up every single thing we had for sale and gave to her.  I remember how grateful that woman was, and how excited her little girl was.  And, I remember how happy I felt.

So today, on the second day of Christmas, I am thankful for you MOM.  You have taught me so much in these 26 years we have had together.  Thank you so much for all of the life lessons you have taught me, the good AND the bad.  They have molded me into an OK person.  I hope that one day, I “grow up” to be a giver and a healer just like you. 

  

deck the halls!

oh, how i love december.  it is WITHOUT A DOUBT my favorite month of the year.  i have so much to be thankful for, but i always feel like my heart is just happy in december.  i think it's a combination of cooler weather, christmas lights, glittered goodies, and important celebrations that make me so happy.  in december, we will celebrate the birth of my savior, the birth of my marriage, the birth of my husband, and my birthday too!  actually, we celebrate all of those things within the final 10 days of the month.  throw new years eve in the mix too, and december = no sleep!

being a mother to my two rugrats, almost 2 and almost 3, means that this christmas is going to be super fun!  i'm hoping to get to post something fun every day this month, since it is the best month of the year.  it's exciting to explore the holidays with my kids, to teach them about opening presents, and to help them understand the importance of christmas, as much as an almost 2 and almost 3 year old can understand anyway.

i complain sometimes about the life God has chosen for me, but i am so grateful for it.  the best part of december is, i am so thankful every day.  i wake up happy, walk in to my living room and smile at the tree, appreciate the christmas smells (shout out to scentsy and gold canyon candles), and reflect on how great my life really is.  maybe my resolution for 2011 should be to live every month like december, minus the decorations because i don't think the hubs would let me keep them up year round...believe me, i try to extend the holidaze as much as possible...he snaps me into reality by the 1st.  :)

so today, here is my tree.  i threw all my decorations on it so gabby would quit tearing them up.  i didn't put the glass balls on this year though, well i did, but the count is now gabby 23, christmas balls 0.  she thinks it's hilarious to throw them and hear them shatter.  i think it's a mini heart attack every time she does it, because i do not want to play surgeon and dig glass out of baby feet!!  my friend nicole is going to be coming over soon to wave her magic wand over my tree and make it beautiful.  i'm hoping leslie (my other friend) will join her, because i think they are both fairy godmothers of christmas cheer...and my house is itchin' for some cheer!

here's the grinch side of my tree.  he lives there during december.  and look at alex, he is so concerned with the show he is watching!  i love his seriousness!

the "pretty side" of my tree...notice how the bottom is kind of bare.  that's gabby's decorating skills.

so these are the "before" of the tree, i'll be so excited to post the "after"...and maybe convince nicole to start a blog of her own!  she is craftastic!