An excerpt from "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss.

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all.
He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!
And the Grinch with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling "How could it be so?
It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes, or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours til his puzzler was sore.  Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." 
"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

This year we adopted two families for Christmas from AFL-CIO, like usual.  I love doing this!  I love the shopping. I love the wrapping.  But I especially love the giving.  We started this several years ago when I had no ideas for what TJ could get me for Christmas, so I said let me spend whatever I want on charity and adopting families and that will be my gift.  We have continued it since then, but now all of us get involved, and the whole family goes on the deliveries.  We get a list of wants and/or needs and then get everything we can that is on it, plus Christmas DInner, and deliver it to the family at their home. I think it means a lot to the families who are receiving, but the act of giving and the ability to give are so great that I am pretty sure I get more out of it than they do.  I also think it is a wonderful tool to help teach Jackson and Cole what Christmas is really about. I also like to give a Bible or children's Christmas book, depending on the kids' age range.  My favorite for young kids-"The Story of Christmas" by Patricia Pingry, one of my absolute favorite childrens authors. 

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas!  On Christmas morning, we opened gifts here at home, then headed over to Nana and Papa's.  The boys had a great time there, and TJ and I got everything we wanted, also.  Jax got his Nintendo 3ds and Cole got a great battery-powered ride-on toy, among other things.  We stayed for lunch. Cole and I came home for nap, and after nap headed out to my parents house for dinner and more gift opening.  Jax big gift at my parents was his KidiJamz set and Cole's favorite gifts from Grandma and Grandpa was probably noisy cars.  The boys love going there, too, and were troopers all day long, with nary a fit thrown!  We got home at about 9:45 with many gifts in tow, and two sleepy little boys.

The Lord bless us and keep us!