making someone's christmas special

this christmas has arrived very quickly! i can't believe it's less than 2 weeks away! jon and i decided to do something we've never done this year at christmas...we adopted two needy children. there are so many unfortunate children that may not get to share in the joy of christmas, and this year was the beginning of a new tradition for us. christmas really is for children, and i can't imagine them not having gifts from santa on christmas morning.

i saw an angel tree at my gym that was sponsored by the salvation army, and i decided to check it out and pick an angel from it. when i started looking at the tags on it though, i was shocked! the "unfortunate and needy" children wanted ipods, wiis, playstation 3's, and wii games...this was not the type of angel i wanted to adopt for christmas! i wanted jon and i to buy gifts for a child who would be excited to just have something to open from santa.

after thinking about it and remembering the many days of helping my cousin who worked for the department of social services and was in charge of the annual christmas project (collecting, buying, distributing gifts for needy children), i decided to contact my old neighbor who works for a nonprofit organization that is affiliated with the department of social services. she was so excited to have us help and immediately sent me information for two young girls, ages 7 and 8. these two sisters wanted board games, uno, and a hannah montana doll...that's all they wanted!

i had so much fun shopping for them...picking out clothes, remembering the games i used to love as a child, and searching for the new character that the kids are raving about, hannah montana! on the saturday i shopped, i had the best feeling about what i was doing and how special these two sisters' christmas will be...and it really reminded that the giving is the important part, not the receiving! i am perfectly happy not receiving gifts this year, and just knowing that these two girls will have gifts to open on christmas morning will make my christmas very special!