I love Christmas. I mean REALLY love Christmas. I love everything about it. I love the whole month of December and how everything turns Christmas once Thanksgiving is over. I love that we don’t get to celebrate on just one day, we get to celebrate the whole month leading up to it! I love baking cookies, helping my Mom decorate the house, picking out a Christmas tree with my family, decorating it (plus helping my Dad to decorate two other trees…. my Grandma Rich’s as well as my Grandma & Grandpa Johnson’s), shopping for others to find that perfect gift, meeting with friends in town for the holidays, and especially the Christmas music.
Yes, I am sad about not being home for Christmas (“I’ll be Home for Christmas” is SO true for me this year!). However, I am going all out in the foster home for the season. In preschool we have already begun our Christmas crafts and started with our Christmas countdown chain. However with Thanksgiving being so early this year, we wont get to start ripping off the chains until tomorrow!
And today. Today is our big day in preschool. When we get out the Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations we have and “Christmasfy” (yes I just made up that word) the foster home. It’ll be jolly for sure! And once those Christmas sponsorship packages start to come in? Wow…. it’ll be quite a party around here!
This may be a bit different from other years and yes, I am homesick. But I know this Christmas will be special and one I will look back on for years to come. It is also giving me time to reflect on the real reason for the season. Without all the extra Christmas festivities (which I love so much) to distract me, I plan on really reflecting on the meaning of Christmas this year and helping my kiddos to understand it as well.
Anneli
I'm with you, girl! I love the Christmas season! But I think you are right. You will always look back on this Christmas and remember those sweet little children and the friends you have met there, and the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in the context you are in, well, most people will never experience. Live it up! Soak it up! Pour it all back into those the Lord puts in your path. You are His ambassador! And what a wonderful time of year to share His love! Praying for you, those precious littles, and your family who is sacrificing, too.
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