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Tuesday, December 23, 2008

My generous daughter

My little girl. I've said before that she's an amazing little thing. She's 6 years old and has the most generous heart. Anytime we go to visit someone (be it an adult or a child) she MUST find something to give to them. I can't tell you how many times I've had to stand at the front door waiting for her to emerge from her foraging in her room where she found the "perfect" item for whomever we were going to see.

Every month her school chooses a day for the parents to come in and have lunch with their children... I normally bring in some cookies or little candies (sugar free, usually!) for her to walk around and offer to her classmates, because I know how she loves to give things away. It makes her so happy to be able to share with her friends and their parents.

There have been quite a few times where I've had to step in and tell her that she couldn't give certain things away... if she thinks that someone else will enjoy it, and even though she will certainly miss the item, she will try to give it away.

Okay, having said all of that...

This past weekend my mother had her "family" christmas party... and all of the grandchildren recieved VISA gift cards from gramma. My daughter decided that instead of going to ToysR US or to Walmart to buy herself some toys - she wanted to go to the mall and get her momma some hand soaps from Bath and Body Works. (they were 3 for $10 so she picked out 3 for me... she walked all around the display smelling each one carefully and then picked out her 3 favorites. She told me that I'm not allowed to smell them until Christmas morning.)

Then she wanted to go to Walmart to pick out some items for her gramma and grampa. She got gramma some bedroom slippers and got grampa some new socks ("Momma, grampa's socks all have holes in them... and his feet might get cold")

She spent a good deal of her money on buying gifts for others. She would have gotten more things (for her cousins this time) but I stopped her. I told her that she really should save it and get herself something. So now she's got a little left on her gift card and she can combine that with any money that she might recieve from her Nana and Poppy... and after Christmas we'll go off somewhere so she can get herself something. (hopefully she'll get herself something! I might just put my foot down)

She had so much fun shopping for her family... and you could just see it in her little face that she was proud that she was able to buy gifts ALL BY HERSELF, with her own money, for the ones that she loves. She's truly going to enjoy Christmas morning when she can give the presents that she bought.

She makes me so proud.

Christmas Angels

A couple months back (end of October) I was complaining that Social Security was going to hold back payments to me for a couple of months because they "claim" they overpaid me last year... nice timing on their part. The pretty much removed any hopes of us having a "normal" Christmas.

I've been stressing over this. I did sell some portraits and that helped me to get caught up on a few of my bills, but it didn't help with Christmas, like I had hoped that it would. The economy being what it is, the photo business is slim right about now. (and more than likely, it's going to be getting worse!)

I don't recall telling anyone (other than venting here in my blog!) about this... but just a couple of nights ago we got a visit from a couple of Christmas Angels. They were bearing gifts for a 6 year old girl! There were a couple of large items (including two of my daughters favorite things... A Littlest Pet Shop Club House and also a Hannah Montana barbie doll... she has recently discovered Hannah Montana, she sings, so it's right up her alley!) I had been able to get one item (by spending money that was meant to pay one of my bills) and I borrowed money from my parents to get another item (but I HATE HATE HATE doing that, something that I might get into in another post one of these days.... what it's like living with someone who has Borderline Personality Disorder... visit www.bpdcentral.com to learn a little about it...). Now I've got a few items to put into her Christmas stocking and more lovely things to wrap and put underneath the tree for her!

And there was a gift card to our local supermarket also! Which means that I will actually be able to pull my own weight with the Christmas dinner plans (woo hoo!). Relief!

When I asked these Angels how they knew that I was stressing about this, their reply was "We didn't know. But God did."

well. How's that for lovely??

Thank you LORD, for thinking of me and giving me just what I needed. A little bit of Christmas hope and joy. (and relief! I feel so much better now!) And thank you for sending your Christmas Angels my way. I know that there are so many out there who are in need and I feel a little bit guilty that we have been placed on the recieving end... there are many out there that have even less than we do. I'm praying that He takes care of them also.