Giving at Christmas time

I am very big at giving at Christmas time.. I wish someone would hand me a loaded gift card and I would buy gifts for so many and not think of my family at all. Does that sound crummy? I love to give especially little kids I don't think would have Christmas otherwise. That little boy Billy in the Polar Express hits home with me. I have been in a bad circumstance growing up I remember living in the managers office of a hotel and I think there was probably lots of time my mother couldn't afford Christmas or didn't save for Christmas. Then as I have said in recent blogs I became a ward of the state and it felt like a Norman Rockwell painting. She would try to get me my hearts desire as long as it was decent. I mean nothing that was a fad or too expensive.. Sometimes she would say I wasn't responsible enough. Sometimes I got a gift I had wished for when I was 13 when I was 17. Sometimes she gave me the same Christmas card multiple years in a row.

Then I married Adam and Adam and I were doing it on our own for a time. We got a real tree because it had been a long time since I had a real tree. Serious as can be we decorated it with Adam's old Star Wars figures and beanie babies.. Either the stuffed animals or our 30 lbs lab puppy killed that tree haha. I have got to look for a picture I thought I had of our first Christmas as adults.

Then after he passed of course I was alone with Skylar and I was on welfare working at the shoe store and my boyfriend was working at the carpet mills. The only gifts I had for Skylar were three donated by a local thrift store.. The only tree I had was 1 foot tall and it was a gift from a person I met online.. Skylar was small and doesn't remember that year. That year we received a help from Salvation Army.

Now I make it a point for my kids to pick out a gift to put in the Toys for Tots box to give to another.. I make it a point to put coins in a can. I make it a point when I am able to adopt an angel off of a tree.. Sometimes people in my own backyard need help and I do what I can. Not for the notoriety or praise.. really I would just simply label the gift with From Santa.. I just want to put a smile on someones face and a parent to breathe a little and not have to hide tears on Christmas.

I started a tradition of giving a Christmas Tree every year because of that original small tree as well.

This year money has been tight. I have tried to put forth any money toward my best friend's father's funeral expenses, and our own medical bills, so I took an American Girl item out of our gift closet and dropped it into Toys for Tots. I can't imagine what that little girls face will light up when she sees that special box.

To me folks that's what the magic of Christmas is all about

My favorite Christmas/Holiday ornament

We use artificial tree's well because we have cats, I don't like a zillion pine needles. I think pine needles are like glitter the moment you think its gone it comes back to haunt you. I have had the same artificial tree for the majority of my life. My dad (Guardian) and I used to decorate it when I was a teen. Rick had a pitiful little tree when I married him as well. Then we decided to get a new tree together. So with the Sears campaign that gives gift cards to active duty troops I bought a new tree about 6 years ago. Well with fat cats sitting in the tree one of the limbs is broken and some of the pre lit lights are blowing out. So I am in the market for a new tree. The PX had some tree's real cheap after Christmas last year so I got a 7.5 foot for $15 and I also got a free one from the neighbor (I don't really remember this though LOL). Last week we were out at the storage unit and I am counting tree's there are 4 7.5 tree's 1 5 foot tree, 4 smaller tree's and one Charlie Brown tree... I was like where did these extra tree's come from? So we left the Sears Tree and Daddy's tree in the storage unit. Its just getting difficult for me to have to climb a ladder 12 feet in the air and put up Daddy's tree. Well see the tree has to be installed limb by limb one at a time so it takes work LOL. 12 feet up in the air on a ladder isn't where you want to do work. 

When Rick and I got married I had very few ornaments I left most of my ornaments behind in Georgia and they never made it back to me :(. Our first Christmas married Rick was deployed and I went on Freecycle and asked friends for older or unused ornaments and got several and that's how we started off. Then we have increased our collection by every member of the family buying an ornament every year and maybe getting a family ornament. This makes a really cool tree.. We have poly clay ornaments that I buy at a special shop here.. The kids like picking those out and personalizing them.

or sometimes we go the Hallmark route.. and the kids pick out their favorite Hallmark collectible ornament from that year. I love all things Dumbo :) Yes I have already been in the store this week and have Mama Jumbo and Dumbo on my wish list among others.

Then there are ones that are personal to us.. Events we went to, souvenirs we've collected, Huntsville landmarks, Military affiliated ornaments, Even our duty station used to have an ornament every year,

Of course the ones the kids made rock too!

(Alex when he was wee little ) 

We used to make them ourselves too a technique my Guardian taught me so that was a family thing we did for awhile. Here in this blog 

Sometimes there is even an occasional cat in the tree

We went from having barely enough ornaments to fill one tree to filling all of them with some ornaments left over.

So I think all the ornaments that tell a story that are close to my heart, the ornaments that bring back memories are my favorite.

This year I am slowly putting our tree's up. I have just started on the smorgasbord tree/ family tree, the Charlie Brown Tree, and a smaller tree up. Smorgasbord is not even done being decorated but here are some pictures from years past.. 

Thankful Thursday.

So who does the 30 days of Thankfulness on social networking? I have heard some people say that you should be thankful every day not just because Thanksgiving is coming. I am thankful every day but sometimes we just need to speak it out loud. Plus! social media could always use some more positivity am I right? So yes I have been doing it. I think I have missed one day but I have been keeping up with it pretty good coming up with heart felt thank you's. I was going to do them on the blog but I realize I am behind so maybe I will just post them on my weekly meme of Thankful Thursday? I don't know I am even hoping to keep up with my blog that long. Also in November is Epilepsy Awareness month so I try to spread awareness of Epilepsy because I had it until I was 21 and my first husband died from it at 27. So I think its important to educate! We have so much emphasis in October for Breast Cancer Awareness and Susan G Komen where is the awareness for the other types of cancers and conditions? Sure we can't fit them all into a 12 month calendar but I can't walk into Walmart in October without feeling like I walked into Barbies Dream house because even the mop is pink! 
Day 20 of the 30 days of Thankfulness. I am thankful for my experiences the only one I would chose not to relive are the ones that have directly altered the path of my children. My experiences taught me strength, knowledge, love, compassion.. etc

Day 19 out of 30 days of Thankfulness. I am thankful my kids have warm jackets and coats. I wear a very non fashionable Marlboro Country puffy coat that irritates the living daylights out of me but its super warm versus my old ski coat. I gave away Skylar's coat I got from Rocket City Consignment to a 4th grader at the bus stop who only had a hoodie on this morning and it wouldn't even zip up. I figure even if it was a bit small she could at least have another layer on.
Day 18 of 30 Thankful for Huntsville there is always something to do here!
Day 17 of 30 days I am thankful for a good read or good movie, a snuggly scooby blanket, fluffy pillow.

Day 16 of 30.. I am thankful for YOU!

Day 15 of the 30 days of thankfulness I am thankful for the ear that listens, that shoulder that supports, and the kisses that dry the tears..

My #TBT Post

The beauty of having a blog for the 10 years I have is the ability to look back at what you've written. Some things probably should be deleted off the internet for all to see LOL. I don't drunk dial or take really bad selfies.. okay maybe on occasion I take a selfie but its rare... Sometimes looking back on your life is a good thing to see where you've been. Don't live in the past but don't forget it either or you will be doomed to repeat it.

Here is my blog a year ago called Roaring at Haters.

Here is a picture of me back in 2008 of +Richard  and I.

and the whole family at the time.