Christmas Memories

At this moment, my emotions are over the top.  I just spent the morning with 16 amazing girls (two of which are my own:):)  

I tried to make it like what I, as a healthy Christian mom, would do to make a fun morning at Christmastime, for my own children.  Because these girls are my children, too.

As we brought them out to the table to decorate cookies, I asked a sensitive question.  "What is a GOOD Christmas Memory?"

Reactions were mixed.  A few even shared hard, sad stories.  Some of the girls cried.  I was like, oh no, what did I do?  But then one girl pointed to her cookie, not saying a word.  I didn't understand, at first.  Then, she said, "this".  "This is my good Christmas memory."  Then another, who had shared a heartbreaking story, said, "there was this woman, named Robyn, and she would spend her Saturday mornings to visit me and do fun things with me and love me...(I quickly got it)...those are my best Christmas memories."  Many shared that they had never made cookies with their mom.  Many could not think of happy things at Christmas.

We, then proceeded to do some fun Christmas crafts.  Even making snowflakes out of white paper...many had never done that before...and they loved it.

My heart is full.

I ended, by asking to pray for them.  Christmas is not always happy for everyone.  It can be the saddest time of all.  But I prayed that even if where they were not going (for Christmas break, Marlas shuts down for Christmas...)  was not exciting to them, that God would bless them in ways they did not expect.  I shared how much Lee and I deeply love them.  There were a few teary moments, but it was awesome, too.

  What an awesome last time for a while.  We are going to take a break for the rest of December.  Of course, we will still see them and there is a play next Thursday that Erika will be in with the girls.  But I need to focus on my own children as we enter this season of Christmas:)