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!

personal matters...not facebook news stories

facebook is great...as long as it is used for the purposes in which it is intended. unfortunately some people think it is for airing dirty laundry and personal matters. a couple that i am close to is separated and today the husband announces on facebook that his wife has told him she wants a divorce...today - which also happens to be their anniversary. i know that she told him several days ago, but to the facebook world it looks like she dropped this huge bomb today and that he had no clue it was coming. divorce is a personal and private matter...not a facebook news story! it is a sad situation and i feel especially sorry for the wife (one of my closest friends) who now looks like a terrible person to her husband's facebook friends. she is not a terrible person though, and i love her and hope that they both will get through this unfortunate situation.

some people should not be allowed to have children and definitely don't deserve them

i got a phone call from my dad a few hours ago that my stepsister and her husband were on the way to the hospital to possibly adopt a baby boy who was getting ready to be born. i was so excited for them because they've had a lot of ups and then downs (none quite as close as this one though) as they've been searching for a child to adopt. i was really praying hard and hoping that this would be the baby for them. unfortunately though this one did not work out either. :(

they got to the hospital (where the baby had just been born) and the mother requested to see them alone with nobody else in the room. after meeting with her they found out she's had eight (yes, 8!) children that she's already given up, she's homeless (yet, she needed to contact her lawyer before doing anything!), on drugs, and was basically interested in money...not giving her baby to loving parents and giving him the best possible life. as far as i'm concerned, this lady should be sewn up for good...she doesn't deserve to have anymore kids. she certainly isn't capable of taking care of them herself and doesn't even seem to want to give them to parents that do want them and will love them and take care of them!

people in this world never cease to amaze me...and there are plenty out there who should not be allowed to have kids! please keep my stepsister and her family in your prayers as they continue their search for a baby to adopt.

donating blood

earlier this week, i heard about a local blood drive so i decided to make an appointment and donate today. it was a great experience! i went before work and everyone was so friendly and nice. they even had doughnuts, that believe it or not, i turned down!!! as they finished up the process with me, they thanked me for giving enough blood to save 2 lives....what an awesome way to start the day!

as i was leaving the american red cross center i was looking at my facebook page, and a friend of mine from high school who is now a nurse had commented on my status about donating blood. she said that she had just "hung donated blood" for a patient last night. that made me feel even better about donating this morning! i definitely encourage everyone who can to donate blood right now because there is a shortage...and you never know when you might be the one who needs it!