I love things too!

I feel horrible cause I rant and rant and rant and then I read Holly's blog and she is so sweet and thankful and humble. I love things too. I am grateful for many things too.

I love the Hutchings Christmas Charity soo much! We usually pluck a few angles from the angle tree and buy for them, but it is a much lesser scale. I have talked to my family and we have agreed that this year will be the year of giving. We are going to call Brooklyn's elementary school and talk to the office about a family that could use even groceries or toys etc and we will have a half way Christmas, to bring the spirit of giving back to our home more then just one day a year. Then at Christmas time Brooklyn has agreed that she doesn't need any more toys or junk this year, she will get a few items that she needs, but all of our Christmas money that we set aside will be for making another families Christmas special.

A few years ago the mortgage company I had been working for went out of business, and I got let go November 4th. I remember that I drove to Holly and Mark's appt on Durango, close to my old office, and sat there and cried. That year I took a job at JCPenny, as jobs in mortgage and banking don't ususally hire that time of year, to make money for a small Christmas for everyone. I had relied on help from my ward at the time also for a little bit of help. I remember feeling soo sad and how was I going to tell Brooklyn at 5 years old that Santa Clause was too poor this year. I did the best that I could. Then on December 13th at 11:00 at night someone banged on my door. Brooklyn was in bed and I was on the couch talking to my friend Amber, the neighbor hood I lived in was scary at night so I was hesitant to open the door, I hollered "Who is it?" several times over and no one answered. I cracked the door open my heart racing 100 beats a minute and no one was there, I looked down on the ground and there was a note and 2 gifts. I don't remember what the gift was, but the note apologized for starting the 12 days of Christmas late, I was soo happy it was fun, the note also stated that they wished to remain anonymous, I had windows all around my apartment and could have easily seen who it was running in either direction, but choose to honor their wish. So every night till Christmas Eve I would wait up and promised Brooklyn that I would wake her up when the secret santa came, we got spoiled I thought. We got Christmas decorations, an Entertainment book, PJs, Ornaments, candy, movies, snacks, books, I was feeling so thankful and soo blessed. It was awesome my friends would call every night and ask what my secret santa had done for me that night, it was such a wonderful feeling. Not wanting to break their request for anonymity but wanting them to know we were thankful we drew a big picture and Thank You not on the sidewalk, it was our way of letting them know when they came by every night that we were saying "Thank You!" Then Christmas eve came. I don't know what I was expecting - but the door bell rang I waited several minutes before I answered.
Brooklyn standing by my side we opened the front door and I just broke down and cried. My front patio was covered in Christmas presents! Tons and tons of gifts. That nights card asked us not to open until Christmas Day, but who could do that? We opened them up and as I did I cried and cried. I was soo blessed and soo grateful for someones kindness! Brooklyn got a bike and the Barbie Happy Family set, house, dolls, cars everything plus many more things. They even gave me gifts, I was expecting it to be all for Brooklyn but they thought of me too a dvd player, a necklace, and cash to help with the bills! In my estimate it was well over $1200.00 spent on us! I have a good idea of who it was that was so kind to us that year, I never got to thank that family personally so instead I always said when I can do that financially I would thank them by giving someone else that same gift. They were so selfless and kind and it has blessed my life ever since, I will always remember that feeling of gratitude that I had during those 11 days.
So this is my year for paybacks! I hope to touch someone the way that I was touched.

So as I sat here righting this I cried, the feeling is so much still there. I am excited about our year of giving to others and not ourselves.