Christmas Surprise!

After the Christmas celebrations were done, the wrapping paper had been thrown away, and our bellies stuffed to the gills, it was time to take a break and see what I had missed in the online world.  A quick visit to the weather channel told me no snow was in the forecast and Facebook was flooded with Yuletide cheer and magical pictures.  I logged into my email expecting nothing more than a few money saving emails giving tips on how to take advantage of the after holiday sales when I saw not one, but TWO emails that made my heart skip a beat -  emails I have been longing to get. 

 

 They were emails from:

 

 

 

Where in the World
Is Your Shoebox Going?

 

How exciting!! 

 

 The boxes we worked on all year were finally making their way to the children we talked and prayed about! 

 

Shoebox one:

 

Your shoebox has begun its journey and will be delivered to a child in Zambia.

 

Zambia is a country in the southern part of Africa.

 

Shoebox two:

 

Your shoebox has begun its journey and will be delivered to a child in Colombia.

 

Colombia is located in the northern part of South America near Brazil. 

 

 

 

We are tracking 5 boxes (one for each of us) and I can't wait to see which direction the other three are headed!

 

Christmas Recap

Uh-oh! 

Its December 22nd and all of our cookies are old and stale.  Time to bake some fresh ones for Santa!

 

 

 

 

Just an FYI - Holly is NOT a fan of red hots!

 

 

Hopefully Santa likes Red Hots 'cause not many cookies made it to the cookie jar without them!

(She can be so darn adorable sometimes.) 

 

 

Christmas Eve morning.  A time to see what last treasure the elf has left us (usually Christmas pajamas)...

(She can also be so darn ornery too.)

 

... and time to eat the traditional Christmas Eve morning breakfast casserole.  I believe this tradition started very quickly after Bree was born.  Christmas Eve and Day are so hurried and busy and your body is craving something that is not sugar by this point in time.  Hence the egg casserole.  Meaty, cheesey, protein filled way to start the best day of the year.

 



Before the festivities of the day could begin, we took time to pay a special tribute to those important people who will not be with us in person this year. 

 

Then it was off for Christmas celebration #1, then church, and Christmas celebration #2 before home to see if Santa came. 

(Sometimes I just give up trying to get a good picture of these three.)

 

Christmas 2015

(I really need to print off this annual pictures and look at them side by side.  Time... how quickly it flies and how fast it changes.)

 

LEGO SUPERHEROS!!! 

 

Movie nights for Momma!!

 

Who wouldn't want their hair brushed while opening presents?!?

 

A snowboard?  Don't we need snow for a snowboard?

Stupid weather. 

 

Showing off Daddy's new Tigers hat. 

 

Funny story here.  So normally we take the children out shopping and let them pick out a present for the other parent.  Schedules didn't allow that this year so instead we allowed the children to pick from what we had purchased and gift that item out.  Things given to me from the children were nail polish, polish remover, cotton balls, and popcorn with seasonings.  All very, very appreciated.  Then comes the gift giving from Jim.  I opened my first present and very excitedly pull out the first wine in my adult life that I have ever liked enough to want a bottle of.  Bree met my enthusiasm (although with a touch of sadness) by shouting:

 

"But I wanted to give that to you."   

 

 

As much as Holly enjoyed opening presents, all she really wanted to do is play with them.  Or read them!

 

 

And at the end of the evening, with all presents opened and fair game to be played with, my children sat around happily drawing with dry erase markers and board. 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

The Tradition

We started this last year but I never got around to blogging about it.  However, its not a tradition until you do it twice, right?  So now I can officially announce our new family CHRISTmas tradition!

 

We are blessed. 

 

Truly, truly blessed. 

 

From jobs to our home to the health of our family to finances that allow more than we need, we are blessed. 

 

But recently my heart has told my head that just saying we are blessed isn't enough - that giving of our surplus isn't enough - that trying squeeze some volunteer time in when its convenient isn't enough.  My heart needed more...  A Christ like sacrifice on the most important day in our lives - CHRISTmas. 

 

So on December 25, 2014, our household was awake and bustling at 6:30am, not to open presents, but to go help prepare the community Christmas dinner. 

 

2014

 

 

Awake, dressed, and ready to serve. 

 

Cheese trays needed assembled.

100+ pounds of potatoes needed to be peeled, chopped, boiled, and mashed. 

 

Over 200 rolls needed to be individually wrapped for the to-go orders for the shut ins. 

 

Silverware needed to be wrapped for all those dining in. 

 

Bags for the to-go meals needed to be filled with fruit, rolls, butter, and a piece of candy. 

 

Then it was time to assemble.  Veggies, cheese, cole slaw, dessert, ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, pudding and dressing all needed to be put into containers for deliveries to go out.  Its quite a production to see and it runs so smoothly. 

 

Then its time to restock the tables, refill platters, and serve all those who need it.

 

I have to admit, being the first year we did this, I was scared.  Stepping outside of the cushy, comfy, warm tradition of Christmas is nerve wracking.  Did I make the right choice for my family?  My children?  After all, this is my epiphany, not theirs.

 

My answer came about two weeks before this Christmas when on the way to school Bree asked:

 

 "Are we going to go help with the meal on Christmas like we did last year?" 

 

So on Christmas morning at 6:45am, our house was beginning to come awake as we got ourselves ready to go serve again.

 

2015

 

 

Salt and pepper shakers needed to be filled and placed on all the tables. 

 

 

Some celery needed to be stuffed with peanut butter and others with cream cheese.

 

The kids and I filled the to-go bags with fruit. 

 

 

Jim was stuck on potato duty a large chunk of the morning. 

 

Then, seemingly out of no where, it was time to start packing up food for deliveries.  Although I never heard the exact number, it was a record breaking year with over 315 people sharing this meal. 

 

The traditional horrible family selfie.

 

I'm glad we started this little tradition.  This year it felt more natural and in years to come it will seem odd if we don't do it.  It will be all my children remember when they are grown and starting families of their own.  And maybe, just maybe, they will continue the tradition of giving when its the hardest (although, the more you do it, the less hard it becomes).  

 

Here is a little back story on the Christmas dinner:

 

  The Christmas meal began in 1986 by members of the Lutz family. At the first meal, served at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 35 guests gathered to share food, fun and fellowship. There was enough food to deliver meals to shut-ins as well.  Today the Wauseon Christmas dinner is sponsored by the American Legion, the Wauseon Rotary, donations, and volunteers.   Donations are accepted anytime after Thanksgiving and can range from donating beverages (canned pop, water, juice for kids), candy for the to-go bags, or volunteering to bring pies, veggies, or even cook a turkey.  When the season rolls round again and you would like to help in any way you can, please let me know and I'll get you in contact with the right people.