holiday cheer

So my first bit of news isn't really all that cheery.... oh well. My oldest brother left for bootcamp about a week ago. He decided to join the Marines, and originally wasn't suppose to leave until spring I guess. His recruiter called him up one day and said can you leave tomorrow, and that's what he did. He actually left the same day 2 hours after the call, snce he had to drive down to harrisburg, and then head of to basic. I don't talk a whole lot with my brothers, but I hope to be pretty good at sending letters while he is there. Merry Christmas Jarod.

The real holiday cheer of the post is this, Some friends that we go to church with posted on facebook asking for help with pulling together some secret santa stuff for a homeless family that contacted them. The husband is a news Journalist, and I guess was doing a story when they met. They asked if they could help them give their 5 kids some christmas presents. I offered to help, and I am glad I did. I had been wondering how to make this christmas mean more than just the presents under our own tree and this provided a way for me to do so. It has been a great blessing to watch so many people come together to help this family.
I have been excited to be able to have a "real" christmas this year as a family. The first christmas we were married was the year Rchard was born, and we did not have the means to do much so we in a way chose to "skip" christmas that year. The only presents were those sent by family, there was no tree or stockings, just us and our new baby, we didn't need much else. The following year we were headed to PA christmas morning and again opted out of doing presents for ourselves and considered going home to be the best present we could have. So finally in our third year of marriage we have a tree, all lit and decorated, with presents to surround it and stockings waiting to be filled with treasures. It has flet nice to be able to pull together stuff for christmas this year, and it's nice knowing that we were able to afford it without the aid of our parents.

So looking at the perfect little picture I had pulled together for myself I really felt like I could do somethign to help make someone elses hopefully as bright as mine. I have always loved being able to help others and haven't always known how, nor had the means. This year I have been blessed with both. I don't have much but I have enough, I hope to e able to use this christmas as a standard for the following years, and be able to find a way to share my joys with others less fortunate than myself. I am truly blessed with all that I could ever need and want. This year has really taught me to appreciate that.

Merry Christmas to all, I hope you will be able to find a way to spread the Holiday Cheer whithin your own spheres this season.

Freedom From Want