Christmas!

This year I was like a little kid. Awake at 5:30am, then 6:30am. Finally, I just got out of bed at 7am. Most of the kids were up but knew we were waiting for G-ma & G-pa Villaruz before we opened presents so weren't in any hurry to climb out of their warm beds. Jarod and Laura joined me in the living room. I thought this might be a good time for a refresher course on why we celebrate Christmas. I asked the kids what the best gift ever was. They could both easily give out the right answers. God's son Jesus, Jesus dying on the cross for our sins. Then, Laura added, "I have another one. IF you have Jesus in your heart when you die, you get to live in heaven FOREVER! But, that's kind of weird because that means it doesn't end!" I hope you all were able to take a moment and reflect on God's never ending gift to us!

Every year John gets me! He always tries to play it off like he didn't find anything or have the time to get anything, and every year I fall for it thinking this will be the year he lets me down. Well, you can all relax, it wasn't this year! For me, it's not even really the gift that counts, it's that you took the time to think of me! Now, don't go all crazy with this announcement, I'll feel loved but I won't necessarily like the gaudy thrift store Christmas sweater!

This year, Leah and Jenna decided to make a quilt for Barbara, John's mom. I may have talked about it to some of you. As they took the time to cut the squares and line everything up, it was like a trip down memory lane for me. Those of you who have visited our house over the years will recognize many of the fabrics as well. There's the fabric I used to make Jessi, Lu and Leah little backpack bags with when they were little, various upholstery fabrics that have made curtains and covered chair cushions, old jammy pants, old pairs of jeans, fabric that I used to decorate their rooms with over the years, including the crib bumper and crib skirt fabric from Jenna, Jarod and Laura as well. I'm such a sentimental person, go ahead - you can pull out and focus on the "mental" part of that word!, it's like each square could pull a sweet memory from my brain. I told many of you that once Barbara opened it, I was going to write a letter making sure that if she ever wanted to get rid of it, to please send it on to me! The girls did a great job and we were able to mail it to Barbara a couple weeks ago. Or so I thought...

The day it was finished, it was in a box and ready to go with Jessi to work, the greatest benefit of having a teenager working is having a teenager working at the post office around Christmas! HUGE BLESSING, thanks Jess! Anyhow, I realized it needed more yarn throughout to hold the batting in place. So, we missed Jessi. Unknown to me, the girls called John at work in a panic, see, this blanket was for me! John assured them he'd work it out but I sure gave them a run for their money! Once done I went to run errands and then pick up Jessi from work. They would have been safe because I forgot the blanket but, I remembered it just before I picked up Jess. So, I swung back by the house and picked it up, invoking panic in the hearts of Leah and Jenna! John called Jessi and got it all worked out. Fortunately for them all, I took it to Jessi and not the main post office. I got there, packaged it up, labeled it and everything and just had them put it on my account, another fortunate thing for the girls. Jessi pulled her coworker aside and explained not to actually mail it. There was actually a sticker over my label saying DO NOT SEND! Jessi thought she had spoiled it when she realized I was still in the store when she told her coworker, I however was clueless and didn't hear a thing!

A week or so later, I was still unsuspecting and even emailing Barbara and asking if her package had arrived yet! On Christmas Eve, Jenna was discussing presents and assured me that hers would make me cry. I thought, yeah right! Well, if I posted the pics where I wasn't covering my face, you'd see who was right! It still makes my eyes water! I was almost jealous of my mother-in-law that she had earned such love from the girls that they would make this for her. And here all along it was love for me! Aren't we like that with the Lord sometimes? We think He's showering others around us with His love somehow forgetting us when, really, His love for us is great as well, we just sometimes have to wait to "see" it!

I love that the whole family took part in this big surprise, thank you all, I love you!!! And Barbara, so sorry for any confusion I caused, I guess there isn't a package coming after all!

We had a beautiful Christmas, filled with friends and family all around. And top it off just right, after everyone had gone home and the kids were all in bed, it was snowing! So, John and I ended a wonderful day in the snow, in the hot tub, with our soul mate!

Thank you God for all of your blessings that you've bestowed upon us!