Christmas Angels

Every year we try to do something for a family in need.  In my shame, I must admit that it didn't really cross my mind until just a week or so before Christmas.  By then it's a little late to do something truly meaningful and well planned out.  When I was very first married and had Chelsey, I vowed that as long as I could provide Christmas for my own children, I would make sure we did  something for someone elses.  I hate that I had let that slide this year in all that I had going on.  The kids school had a tree in the lobby with Christmas Angel tags.  I normally do not like participating in things like that.  The requested toys were usually outlandish things I can't even afford to buy my own children.  But I was getting desperate.  So I looked at a few of the tags.  They were actually very reasonable so I checked with Glade and decided to go this route.

He was a little opposed because it felt like we were doing something just to say we did something.  Well, you're kind of right.  But to our kids, it's still a lesson of giving.  They don't realize we were slackers and it was a last ditch effort at service and my commitment to my vow.  So for family home evening, we had a lesson on giving, read one of our Christmas books and went shopping for all the tags we got off the tree.  We each took one and got one for Chelsey as well.  She and Spencer met us at Wal Mart to help us shop for the gifts.  It turned out to be a really nice night.  The kids were excited to pick out the gifts and they were gifts I was happy to buy.  It turns out that it was for Cardon's Children's Hospital, not just some random charity.  That made it a little better for me.  We also got a book and tie for a gentleman in our ward who was getting baptized soon.  His wife passed away just before Thanksgiving and he and Glade bonded while he visited her in the hospital.  He doesn't really have any family or friends so we have tried to include him in our activities.  He was very grateful and loved all the hugs from the kids.  I think we did ok this year, even for last minute.