so this is CHRISTmas.............

The kids before church on the Sunday before Christmas.

Every Christmas this little family of mine declares, "this is the best Christmas ever!" And every year we truly believe it to be true. The boys usually say it because Santa brought them exactly what they were wishing for. Ava usually says it because she is 4, and she may not remember any other Christmas'. Jason and I usually say it because the kids say it.

All in all, Christmas just keeps getting better and better. This year is no different. This year we truly had the best Christmas we have ever had.

This year, we had a CHRISTmas.

This year I got hope for Christmas. We got love for Christmas. I got my belief in Christmas back.

This year, Santa truly came to our house. I don't know how it happened, or why it happened, all I know, is I am so genuinely grateful to those who thought of us this Christmas.

When the Fed Ex guy dropped off some boxes on our door on Christmas Eve, I thought it was a mistake. I knew I didn't order anything, and we already received the gifts I was expecting from family and friends. I opened the box, and saw that every gift, (and there were a lot of them) said "from Santa." I literally started to cry. I was so touched that someone had thought of us. There were many presents for the kids in there, and even a gift for Jason and I, and on my tag it said "Never stop believing."

That was it. I fell apart. How did someone know that what I needed this Christmas, was to hear that? To "never stop believing."

We think we know who are anonymous little Santa was, and we are so grateful to have them as friends. We don't know how you knew that we needed some love this Christmas, but we Thank-You and want you to know how much it touched all of us. We have always felt so blessed to have you in our lives, and we have always felt like you guys were way too awesome for us! We love you!

We had a few other special gifts and extra love this season, and like I said earlier, I have no idea why or how these folks felt like giving in such a way to us, but I do know that I am so extremely grateful, because it brought the Spirit of Christmas into our home like no other Christmas before.

We have always been able to help and give to others at Christmas time, and this year we just couldn't do it. And to know that other's thought of us this year, was so touching and so unexpected.

They will never really know how needed their giving was to us. Not just in the gifts, and the gift cards, and the money..............that was all very nice. But honestly, just the act itself is what was so special and inspiring to us.

This will be a Christmas that will change all other Christmas'.
Because this Christmas we were given much more than gifts.
This Christmas we were given a change of heart.
This Christmas we were given a CHRISTmas.