My Holiday Soap Box

7 years ago this month my Dad died.  Jamie, the kids (only 6 of them then), and I spent 5 days in a hotel, and had Thanksgiving dinner at Denny's.  I also spent several hours Thanksgiving Day visiting my Mom in the hospital.

17 months later my Mom died during Holy Week, and we spent Easter weekend at the same hotel and Easter Sunday at at the same Denny's.

3 years ago Dante had severe cellulitis in his right arm; he and I spent December 23-26 in the Hospital.

These experiences made me very grateful for eating options on a holiday, and aware of the need for community workers to work on holidays, as well as hotel staff and other things we don't think of as necessary.

Waiting tables at a Cracker Barrel, means I have to work Thanksgiving and Easter.  It really stinks to not be with family the entire day....some guests make that feeling worse, some make me thankful to be there.

When I wait on an elderly couple whose family is too far away, it is a blessing to be the one to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving.  Going out to a restaurant might be the only thing that makes their day special.

I have waited on people going to or from their own jobs that day, when preparing a meal is the last thing on their mind after the shift just finished.  And there are those traveling home from a full day with family who need a short break from all the driving and traffic.

It really burns my biscuits though to wait on large parties who simply do not feel like cooking and so they all meet up to camp out at a few tables in a restaurant.

Seriously, toss a turkey in the oven, tell everyone to bring a dish and camp out in your own living room.

And now people are shopping on Thanksgiving and making even more people required to work for our gratification??? What are we thinking???

I'd better get off my box now and finish cleaning the kitchen...we celebrated a day early since Nik and I have to work on the real Thanksgiving Day.  It was a blessing to sit at the table with 7 of my 9 kids, although we missed the two big boys.

By the way, we celebrated without our Zachary because he is in the Navy and has to work.  We will also celebrate Christmas without him (again) because he has chosen to serve our country.  Please be sure to thank those who make this choice, because it most certainly benefits you.

I am thankful for my family, and for my job.

God is good.

PS, Apparently turkey makes Dante tired...

Will You Help?

'Tis the Season to be jolly.  Or it will be soon, once Thanksgiving has passed and Christmas season "officially" begins.

The Christmas catalogs are already arriving daily in our mailbox, and Leif is convinced that the first day it snows will mean that it is Christmas.  Right then and there with that first flake.

It is time to start considering how we will spend our money this Christmas Season.  What we will buy for our children, and for our families.

It also means that it is time for charities to raise funds, Salvation kettles will appear at the entrance to every Wal-Mart, huge boxes will appear for toy drives led by the Marines and various police departments.  Churches will have Christmas trees decorated with tags featuring the name and age of a child in need, and gifts for those children will be purchased, wrapped, and left under the tree.

Remembering those who have very little is so important.

Remembering those who have nothing is also imperative.  Quite frankly, it is commanded by God...look up James 1:27.   Deuteronomy 10:18...Job 31:16-18...Isaiah 1:17


This year I have offered to be a Christmas Angel Tree Warrior for Reece's Rainbow .  When I first emailed my interest, I was told all the kids have sponsors.  This morning I received and email that a warrior had to drop out, and would I sponsor Xander?

I was telling Jamie about my decision to raise funds for this precious orphan, and Leif hear me mention "Xander"

He said, "I have a friend named Xander!  He's my brother and  I love him!"

No, we are not even remotely able to consider adopting the Xander I am sponsoring, but I do call my oldest by Xander, short for Alexander.

Leif does have a brother Xander that he loves, and I am asking all of you to help me raise funds for this little boy to have a family, possibly even a brother of his own to say, "He's my brother and I love him!"

Please visit this website to read more about this little boy, and then visit this one, search for his photo and donate towards the cost of his adoption, so a family will be able to afford to choose him as their son.

A donation of $35 or more will get you an ornament that will help you remember to pray for Xander, and for the family that will be able adopt him because of your gift and prayers.

Right now he is in the $0-$99 raised section, but by Christmas I am hoping he will be at the top and the goal of $1000 will be realized.  

Will you help?