Christmas Memories

I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone. I also can't believe it was just three days ago! There is always so much hurry and stress to get ready and then bam! It's all over!!

We had a wonderful Christmas. Santa must have thought that the girls had been very good this year!! Their "big" gifts this year were Nintendo DS Lites (Jaclyn and Ashley) and an iPod Nano (Caitlin) and speakers. They also got books, a movies and a few other odds and ends. Oh! And they also got a keyboard to play!! The music has just been lovely...not!! Can't wait to get those headphones to go on it!

Caitlin also received tickets to see the Broadway play "Wicked" in Charlotte in April. She was so excited!!! I can't wait to go myself!! It is the hottest show on Broadway and we hear it is excellent!

The girls have spent the week playing their games. They were very happy and content with their gifts.

Dale was a good boy, too. I got him an iPod Shuffle, and an iTunes gift card. He loves that thing. He was very surprised. I also gave him a gift card to Olive Garden and the movies. He gave me diamond earrings (as I said he had been a very good boy) and also gift cards to Carabbas and Outback. Now we can have a few date nights!

We enjoyed spending time with our families on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It was very nice. I had to return to work Wednesday which was hard to leave my family at home laying around in their jammies. I just wanted to stay home, too!!

(I have already had my Christmas pictures developed so can't wait to get them in an album! I am looking forward to a much needed scrapbooking retreat in February!)

The best part of Christmas was the small ways we were able to help others. On Thursday before Christmas, we were at Cary Towne Center to see Santa Claus. We ate dinner in the food court and there is always a man working in the food court cleaning up after people. He has cerebral palsy and is a little slower moving around. Of course, we can relate to him because of Jaclyn. I sent Caitlin over to ChickfilA to get a $5 gift card.

As we got up to leave, I went over to this man and told him, "You are always here when we are here." He nodded his head and smiled slightly, not sure of what was going on. I then told him, "We just want to wish you a Merry Christmas and to tell you we appreciate you and YOU make a difference." And then handed him the gift card. He started to cry and just shook his head not able to say thank you. We were floating on air when we left.

Another way we helped was to play Santa for our friends Mike and Nancy Joyce. They are a wonderful couple who have adopted the girls as their grandchildren. They have no children of their own. Mike is battling Stage 4 lung cancer and has no insurance. We filled stockings and bought a few small presents and left them on their doorstep on Christmas Eve. They found them Christmas morning. When Nancy called, she was in tears. She said they had laughed and cried all morning.

Those small acts of kindness are what meant the most to us this Christmas. It also made me realize that we need to do more for those people around us who are hurting or lonely. Christmas will be a bit different for us next year...not sure of what we'll do but will be thinking of it.

We are looking forward to a quiet weekend and will celebrate New Year's Eve with our best friends eating and playing Phase 10...our annual tradition!! Hope your New Year is blessed beyond measure!

Love,
Glynis