Merry Christmas!

Well since it has been awhile since I have blogged and Sheila does not want to nag me about it, I will blog something.
Christmas ~ sometimes I get sad when I think of Christmas and other times I get so excited it is hard to be still. For years we have tried to pound into our children what Christmas really means, about the time I think they see it, bong, "I WANT . . . ." I know the girls are old enough now to really understand what Christmas is and they live it well. Brandon struggles because he has so many people in his life that think it is important to BUY things for him to show their love, that I am not looking foward to that part of it.
I am going to tell you my story, you can read over it and not comment or even finish it, but I am going to tell you another "Michael" story, REAL LIFE story.

Christmas time, 1998, we were in St. Lukes Childrens Hospital with Michael hitting his chemo treatments pretty hard. It was a sad time, scarey time, unsettled time in my life. I had been making extra money babysitting and that came to a streeching halt when he was diagnosed, I used that money for Christmas and bills, so we were kinda wondering what to do cause the kids were depending on Santa for a few gifts. We had been outpatient for a few days, but then had to come back into the hospital because his counts were so low. As I was sitting in MSTI, holding Michael, wondering what I was going to do about Christmas, I am not sure why I was so concerned about it when I knew God would take care of us, He had been all along. I just remember, Rowena the social working coming in and sitting down in front of me and she said in her sweet voice "Lisa, the operating staff has fallen in love with Michael and they want to make your Christmas this year". I was like huh??? The operating staff, do they really know who Michael is? After visiting with some of the staff, they KNEW Michael. He was the only one that would wake up from his numerous surgeries and start singing "Jesus loves the little children,all the children of the world". So yes, they knew Michael. Rowena talked to the girls and asked what they wanted and they wrote letters to Santa and so did Michael. I was worried because they seemed to have long letters that year. I didn't want them to sound greedy or anything or be disappointed when they didn't get much, cause this santa wasn't going to be able to give them anything. A few days before Christmas, we were released to go home from the hospital and when we went to get in the van, there was the whole operating staff waiting with mounds and mounds of presents. Everything on their lists and then some. They also gave us some money to buy things to give to the kids from us. That was the best Christmas ever, we all learned alot that year. We also had a Secret Santa, for 12 days before Christmas, we had all kinds of goodies with little notes attached to them about the 12 days of Christmas, we would find them in the mailbox, cars, etc. it was awesome and so much fun. It was about 3 years later before we found out who it was, since that time, we have returned the joy to other families. This year we have the family picked out and are ready to start, just got to figure out their schedule so they don't catch us and hope they don't have mean DOGS!!!!
My immediate family has also taken a famiy to help this year for Christmas, a family we love and want to bless. We are so blessed, so we are sharing the blessings.
I am excited for Christmas, but definately not wanting it to hurry here. I like to enjoy the traditions and not be hurried, but I tend to let the hurried part get to me.
Have a blessed Christmas!