About a month ago, we decided to forgo the gift-buying this year, and we stuck to our guns! Our extended families supported us and understood our reasons for wanting to save money and reserve our Christmas energy for next year when ALL of our kiddos are around the tree on Christmas morning.
I will say, going to the mall with no list was LIBERATING! I did not envy the frantic moms clutching seven bags with marching feet and rosy cheeks on a mission to grab it all before time ran out! We did manage two trips to the mall in December to pick up only the things we needed to keep a family of six clothed...and a baked pretzel dripping with buttery, sugary goodness, of course. I even went to Target and came away with just a bag of mints and a wreath for my door, period.
Yes, I really liked the idea of simplifying Christmas. However, while we were hanging stockings after Thanksgiving, Ally asked, "Why are we even hanging these things up, we won't put any gifts in them, will we?"
Hmmm, I had never thought of that. (We hung the stockings anyway. The place looked too bare without them!)
The next week, I was grocery shopping and ran into a friend who had been reading our story, and we talked about Christmas. I admitted that I did not know what Christmas morning would actually look like and mentioned Ally's comment about the stockings. During our conversation, a light-bulb went off just above her head (I swear I even saw it!) and I knew she was sitting on a good idea.
She started to say she had an idea, and then stopped like she didn't want to impose. Knowing that the best ideas come from the frozen veggie aisle at Wal-Mart, I urged her to share. She explained how words mean so much to her and suggested writing letters to our kids and use them as "stocking stuffers" for Christmas morning. She continued, "Letters cost no money, could be saved forever, AND communicate love and appreciation for each one of your kids."
WHY HADN'T I THOUGHT OF THAT?!?!? (This Language Arts teacher wanted to hug that girl's neck right by the peas and carrots!)
Okay, I just realized in the last four paragraphs, two of them began with me not thinking. That happens a lot. I am like an idea factory and when I get a good one, I go with it and let the thinking come later! No one knows this better than my husband, so when I told him about this new, great, fantastic idea, he kindly agreed to write letters. Although he does not share my love for writing, he would do anything for the kids...even write. So, he was willing to express his thoughts in hopes of creating a memory.
We decided to share the letter-writing idea with the kids and commissioned them to write letters to each other as well. Soon after their break began, I brought out a variety of paper and pens and pitched the plan.
They agreed, but I'm pretty sure I heard, "I thought we were on a break from school!"
"Writing is good for the soul," I told them in my most inspiring eleventh-grade English teacher voice, and I dreamt of sparkly, adjective filled, three paragraph letters that would be treasured forever. The kids worked on them and began filling the stockings.
Finally, Christmas morning came. Just as planned, we woke up to....(drum roll, please)
an empty tree.
I made a special breakfast and the kids all slept in (that was different). Tim and I set the table and waited for all the kids to wake. Our plans seemed good, but I'm not gonna lie...I came down with the Christmas morning blues.
No gifts meant no wide eyes of wonder, no throwing of paper in intense excitement, no crazy reactions from the kids, no neck hugging and profuse thanking.
It was a downer. Not even a sparkly, three paragraph letter addressed to me would fix what I missed in opening presents.
Even Tim said, "This is kinda sad. I actually miss the presents." (He wowed me with that one...some years I wonder if he is The Grinch!)
The kids finally woke up and felt it too. But we ate our breakfast, read the Christmas story, and then opened our letters.
Yes, the letters were special. Yes, it was fun to open something on Christmas morning. Yes, they made us laugh, and made Tim cry. Despite the lack of sparkle, adjectives, and paragraphs, I realized they were timeless and perfect.
The kids' personalities oozed out of each note as I unfolded them. I love each one of my kids, created by the same God, placed in the same family, but still so different from each other. Grace's letters were pretty and creative. Ally's wordy and thoughtful, Josie's had illustrations, and Jackson's came with instructions to, "Read in a British accent!"
After we laughed (and Tim wiped the tears from his cheeks), we agreed the letters were a winning idea. Jackson said what everyone was thinking, however, when he offered his thoughts:
"Let's write letters again next year AND buy Christmas presents to open!"
And I think that's what we'll do.
I wonder what the letters next Christmas to Edmond and Edina will say...
What kinds of memories will we have at that point?
What personality traits will we dote on in each?
Will they be able to read the letters?
Will they have a great British accent like their brother?
Even as I write these thoughts, I think of God watching us. We are waiting to receive a gift (TWO gifts!) that will not only bless, but complete our family. We don't know what these gifts will hold, but we understand them to be something extremely special. I imagine that we are the wide-eyed, wonder filled, intensely excited kid on Christmas morning. I am bursting to open these new gifts and see what God has in store for our family! I realize that He is the giver of all great gifts and enjoys our reactions, and hugs to the neck with profuse thanksgiving.
Before we even receive these bundles, God, I say, "Thank you! Thank you for the opportunity to grow and love! We owe every drop of gratitude for this story to you and your work in our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
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