Blessed

I think I've mentioned before that I'm a wee bit busy these days!  I can barely keep up!  I do apologize (again) for the lateness of my posts....and, unfortunately for those of you who love pictures and kid stories, this one isn't really an update.  One day in the near future, I will have pictures from Thanksgiving and early winter, Santa, etc. posted for you all to "oohh" and "ahhhhh" over!

This holiday season we have once again been reminded how truly blessed we are - as a family, as a couple, as parents.  As we started preparing for this holiday season, I was immediately faced with teaching Payton about Christmas - the real meaning of Christmas.  One minute we would read about Santa, or Clyde our Elf on the Shelf, or the Polar Express and the next minute I would change the focus to Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus.  We will continue to celebrate Santa in our home - I have such wonderful memories of Christmas, Santa, and family traditions as a child that I can't imagine taking that away from our children; however, we are cutting back and spending a little less than my parents spent on me.  Yes, this has been easy this year because Payton is only 2 and he still doesn't seem to understand that he can ask Santa for more than one gift....but, I feel like we are setting the stage early.  If he gets 10 presents this year, he will need 12 the next, and on and on and on.  I must say that as I've started gathering the gifts together, he has more than I planned for him to have but I do not think it is in excess.  I can also say that we rarely buy Payton anything throughout the rest of the year - there are no prizes when we go to Target, unless they are for potty rewards!  Owen really isn't getting much - he won't remember anyway (until he finds this post one day!) and he really doesn't need much! 

So, to focus on the real meaning of Christmas we focused on 3 things:

1) Limiting Christmas gifts (all around, each family member will probably notice they are getting a little less this year....sorry KK and Carson). 

2)  Focusing on the true Christmas story.  Each night we read from a special children's Christmas nativity, interactive story book with a Nativity set and figures to represent the Angel Gabriel, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Wisemen, and the Shepards.  The focus of the story was to teach your child that what God wants for Christmas is "you."  Payton loved reading through this book and it was a joy to teach him and try to explain the Christmas story.  At church last Sunday, Chad's uncle was reading scripture and each time he would mention any of the above, Payton would look to me and say "Mary!" or "Joseph!" or "Jesus!"

3)Giving, Giving, Giving!  This is where I find us most blessed.  I am very fortunate.  I was raised as an only child in a nice, loving, middle-class home.  I cannot remember a time that I have ever had to go without.  We ate well.  I had trendy clothes and shoes.  I was well groomed.  I participated in multiple extracurricular activities.  We always had reliable (and most stylish) transportation.  We went on vacations every year.  I had a good education.  I got a brand new car when I turned 16.  My wedding was out-of-this-world beautiful and extravagent and excessive and dripping with expensive flowers.  I am not saying this to brag or boast.  We were by no means "rich" in monetary terms, but with age and life experience I have realized that we were so fortunate.  Yes, both of my parents worked hard for our perfect life and gave up a lot for me....but, we could have managed with A LOT LESS!  My parents definitely raised me to always think to help others...my grandmother was one of the most caring, considerate, helpful, Christain women I know and she did not live extravagantly.  My mother and father both spend considerable amount of time helping others and those values have always been instilled in me.  I'm not saying that I wasn't appreciative or that I lived in a bubble and didn't know there were people less fortunate than me...I'm just saying that I have never had to live "without"....without anything...and now, that is starting to sink in and make a huge impact on my life.

As a pediatric nurse, I take care of all sorts of patients - rich, poor, illegal, middle class, working parents who make too much to qualify for government funded healthcare but do not have jobs that provide insurance therefore leaving them without.  Many of these patients leave impressions on me and make me realize over and over how lucky I have ALWAYS been.  When I worked as a school nurse downtown in Charleston, poverty hit me in the face EVERYDAY.  Kids who didn't get breakfast, lunch or dinner. Kids who wore the same clothes every day.  The list goes on and on.  I have always had a big heart - I love helping others, I have always volunteered my time to help other, I donate money to all sorts of organizations, I participate in fundraisers and Christmas giving projects every year....and I did as a child as well.

Somehow, this holiday season...it HIT me like a ton of bricks!  I have PLENTY!  We have PLENTY!  We are beyond blessed.  We have a beautiful home.  I complain and wish for shutters, countertops, hardwood floors, extra storage, a bonus room without a bed in it, etc.  One day, I was walking along in my perfectly wonderful Mt. Perfect life and WHAM! it hit me.  People were struggling to make ends meet, struggling to have any presents for their children this Christmas.   This year, my family would make a difference.  Yes, we have always participated with the angel tree and adopted a family with my friends but it was more of a "duty."  I was just going through the motions.  This year was different.  Not only did I want to participate but I HAD to participate.  It was a calling that I could not ignore.  I wanted Payton to understand that we were buying things for people who did not have toys and I want him to understand that he has toys, too many toys, and that there are people....just like him....who live with much less.  So, we had our 1st lesson in Target.  The family we adopted with a group of our friends has 2 children, one of them asked for a basketball and matchbox cars.  We picked out the ball and Payton, of course, wanted one too.  We stopped in the aisle and asked if he had any balls at home...he said, "Yes, a bunch."  I explained that we were getting this for a little girl who didn't have any balls to play with.  From that point on, he asked every day when we were going to take the little girl her presents.

I helped with the angel tree at church.  We bought a little girl a coat and I helped sort and deliver the presents.  I intentionally took Payton with me to deliver the presents to one of our local schools so that he could learn that we had done this to help someone who is not as fortunate as we are.  He LOVED it!  He carried presents one by one, helped hold the door, etc.  He was so excited that he had helped deliver the presents to the boys and girls. 

I helped get a Secret Santa gift for one of my patients - we all pitched in and bought him a Wii as a surprise.  I was lucky enough to go buy it, wrap it, and deliver it to him.  It brought a huge smile to my face to buy someone such a great gift! Last year, he got a 12 pack of Mountain Dew for Christmas....this year, we helped make it a little more memorable!

Four families helped with adopting one family - a family of 4 with 2 young children.  Everyone was extremely generous and we ended up with a Tahoe loaded full of gifts.  Chad helped me deliver them last week to the mother.  As she smiled and placed each gift around her Christmas tree for her family, I was filled with joy knowing that I was helping give someone a chance at a Christmas morning like I used to have.  No, their floor won't be covered with toys...and they won't have to take a break to eat the egg and sausage casserole before resuming their present opening extravaganza...but I know they will have big smiles and good memories this year. 

Basically, this year, we have intentionally tried to go without so that others can have a brighter day on Christmas morning.  I hope that this will continue throughout this year and right into next Christmas.  My hope is that Payton and Owen are able to get as much joy out of giving to others as they are out of receiving.  I know I will spoil my children and buy more than they need...but with each item I bought this year, I did think twice and if we didn't really need it, I put it back on the shelf and put that money towards a better cause. 

To each of you, I wish you a wonderful Christmas - I hope your "WHAM" moment hits you as well and helps you celebrate with the real meaning of Christmas.  If you or your child gets a duplicate gift this year, consider donating that toy to a local children's hospital or Boys and Girls Club...my cousin did this a few years ago and I thought it was a wonderful idea.  We will be doing that this year if Payton or Owen receive any duplicate gifts.

Merry Christmas to all!