As Usual, Not Ready For Christmas!

I FINALLY finished writing out Christmas cards today, so they can be mailed tomorrow, while I’m out Christmas shopping. I have a little money to do some tomorrow, and then my husband gets paid Friday, so I can get out and finish.

We’ve been working for the past few years to transition the kids from asking for tons of toys to accepting that they may get one or two, plus things they need at Christmas. We are making progress on the whole “Christmas is about celebrating the gift that Jesus gave to us, rather than focusing on what all we can get from others.”

This year, I want them to have meaningful things. My stepson, who is a wonderful artist, will be receiving all of the art supplies and books that my mother bought before her death, thinking she would learn to draw. I think it will mean a lot to him, as he loved his grandmother, and she loved him just as much as her non step grandchildren. In fact, in our family, we don’t even use the term step when referring to children. Period. He also wants Hero Factory bionicles.

One of my children is desperate for something called a ripstick. We can’t afford it at this time and told him he’d have to wait for tax refund time. He’s been praying every single night that God would let him have one for Christmas. I was given one from someone on freecycle, by someone who had gotten it for their daughter, who then used it maybe 3 times, and then didn’t want it anymore. It’s in like new condition, and he will love it, and it will strengthen his faith, something he really needs at this time. And he wants legos and/or bionicles.

My oldest son, who has fetal alcohol syndrome, mental retardation and is somewhere on the autism spectrum, has always has the gift of showing true gratitude no matter what he is given. All he has asked for is Batman things and something from legos. He’ll be getting that, and I know he will be thrilled.

Our youngest loves anything Thomas the Train related, and legos. I think I can manage that. 🙂

So, they will all get at least a couple things they really want, and then things they need, too. They all need socks, and the two who are teens have been sponsored to the teen winter retreat our church does to a ranch in Durango, CO each year. They go right after Christmas for three days. There are somethings they need to take with them that they don’t have, so they’ll get them for Christmas if I can manage it.

This is our first Christmas in NM, and I think it will be good. We all have our salvation, we have become part of a wonderful church family, we have each other. My husband was finally able to have his much needed spinal surgery, and is recovering nicely. Al in all, I think the move to NM was a good one. 🙂