Selfless

As Christmas season was approaching, we knew we wanted to do something to help show our kids that there is more than toys and gifts. It was also the first Christmas without my Grandma. So we came up with what turned out to be a wonderful event! We invited over several family friends and all the cousins for a "Cookies, Crafts & Christmas" Celebration that was all about giving back. We had a table set up for decorating cookies, a table for decorating ornaments and my Grandma's Christmas tree that was always set up in her room at Westgate Gardens, where she had lived for the past couple of years. The kids had so much fun decorating the tree and filling a tray with beautiful Christmas cookies. There were a few moments of the "I wants" since we made a point that the kids could not eat any of the cookies decorated or keep any of the ornaments. But they were actually the perfect moments to teach about being selfless and putting others before ourselves. Gotta plant that seed at some point, right?! We all then drove over to Westgate Gardens and presented our gifts to the residents there and many of Grandma's close friends. We all held hands and Cory prayed a blessing over the gifts and people gathered. With tear filled eyes we hugged and celebrated this holiday. It may have been our first Christmas without Grandma, but it was her first Christmas with the Lord - and that is a reason to celebrate! And the kids, whether they liked it or not, began to learn the true meaning of CHRISTmas!