Is it me or does your to-do list double the first few weeks of December? I have been creating and wrapping and shipping and Christmas card making now for weeks it feels like, and I am still not done. I took some time this weekend to shop without the kiddos, and every other person in my surrounding area must have had the same idea, because the lines were outrageous! At two of the stores I finally just put my items back and headed out the door. I refuse to wait for more than 30 minutes in a line. I guess that makes me an impatient person, huh? Or I like to think of myself more as a time manager...meaning, I know when it's wasting my time to stand in a line for that long all to buy a $5.00 stocking stuffer! LOL. But then I just take a deep breath and think about enjoying this holiday season. I know I can't enjoy it while I'm standing in line at Michaels! And I am bound and determined to enjoy every precious moment of it.
I had worked on getting some handmade gifts finished this morning, (I can't share them yet, but I will soon!) when Tanner walked into my office complaining that his ear was really hurting. My kids only get ear infections about once a year, but for some reason neither one of them has ever complained about their ears hurting. So now you can picture what our day was like around here. Doctor, pharmacy, McDonald's (makes everything always feel better) and chocolate doughnuts.
I finally got all of my Christmas cards out in the mail today...which was an accomplishment in itself! I had ordered the Creating Keepsakes Kit of the Month card kit and had pre-assembled the components...but Becky Higgins (who designed it) is one thorough lady and so they were a little more complicated than I would have liked, but they turned out cute in the end! I included a Christmas letter which I haven't done in a few years (but I always love it when other people include one with their card.) Another thing I did for the first time this year was send a Christmas card to a recovering soldier. I had gotten an email with the address of where to send it to, and thought it was a great idea. It may really touch someones heart even if they got one card from a stranger. I addressed it inside, "Dear Hero," which to me pretty much sums it up. I can't possibly know what whoever receives that card has been through, but I do know that I am eternally grateful for my freedom and for the opportunity to live here. And the fact that they put their lives in danger, and make so many sacrifices, like not spending Christmas with their families, so that I can spend it with mine...well that is honorable! So I will share the address here, and if you think of it send someone a card or have your kids send them a picture they have drawn, all it would cost you is a stamp! It's really the little things that brighten peoples day. Like today picking up Tanner's prescription at Walmart we were standing near the bakery and the poor lady working there was swamped, but she saw my kids patiently waiting for their free cookie and hurried over to give them one. Tanner told her "Thank you, and Merry Christmas!" and all of the sudden her face lit up because of his kindness. It's the little things I tell you, the smallest, tiniest things, that don't cost you a thing to give, that make someones day brighter. 
Here's the address if you want to send a card (or two!)
As we left Walmart, I gave each one of my kids a $1 dollar bill and had them put it into the Salvation army bucket as we left the store. So many times I am trying to tell my kids about doing nice things for people and thinking of others instead of ourselves. What better way than to show them how to do it! They both had the biggest smiles on their faces, because when you do something good, it makes you feel good! And once again it gave me another opportunity to teach them about the less fortunate, and how even a little bit of time or money can make a big difference. Hope you had a blessed Monday!
0 comments:
Post a Comment