Merry Christmas Eve! I still have a stack of "holiday" cards sitting on the desk here so if you haven't got one, do not dispair. I am attempting to get another New Years letter wirtten this year but am not sure it will happen before we spend the week at my parents for Christmas. So.... your "holiday" card, which, take note, doesn't need to be sent before Christmas because it's not a "Christmas" card, should arrive sometime in January.. and before the next holiday, Valentines day. ;) Ahem.
We have had an unusal Christmas this year, and I, being slow to process things, am still a bit awe struck. We literally were not able to budget any money for Christmas as I have not been working and living expenses obviously take priority. So, though somewhat disappointed, we had decided that in keeping with our theme of simplicity we would focus on experiencing the winter holidays in the community as much as possible, and giving homemade gifts for friends and family. There are many free events here in Portland and in the surrounding areas and I made a calender of some favorites and a few new ones to try. The first week in December we spent two dollars for materials for ornament making and set to work. The girls loved it and we let them wrap up the trinkets and decide who to give them to. Typically whenever we had a guest over Eden would remember as they were leaving and would run to get a gift, hand it over with a big "Merry Christmas!" and smile so big. We heard street musicians downtown, experienced the polar express in pajamas at library storytime, cut down "the perfect tree", had friends over for meals, sang Christmas carols for the neighbors, made Christmas cookies, made a gingerbread house with Grandma, visited our special santa (same one we've seen each year since Ben proposed to me on his lap!). We were thoroughly enjoying the season already and then to more than top it off we started getting gifts in the mail, treats hung on our door handle, slipped into pockets.. we really experienced a generous community this year! We received money from an annonymous donor to buy presents for the girls or to use however we wished to make Christmas special. We received gifts from a friends church including gift cards for things both practical and fun. It is a bit overwhelming really. We have already had a fuller Christmas this year than probably ever before and all in the aftermath of months of difficulty and during a time of "poverty". It is incredibly humbling and it makes me want to go adopt a family who is struggling even more than we are and who may not have the support we do because my spirit has truly been lifted and I feel incomplete without reaching out to lift another.
And then a few days ago our apartment manager informed us that another annonymous giver has given up his or her parking place in the garage and is going to continue to pay each month so that we can park there. What?! um, tears. My first thought was one of relief, the safety factor in a busy parking lot with two energetic little girls has been a subconscious concern for a while. But we didn;t even attempt to get on the wait-list for a garage spot because it is an additional $75 a month. Eden and Mila have always loved walking through the garage and asked "why can't we park in here?" Now they say "can we park in the garage again today?!" when we remind them it is ours to park in now every time they are ecstatic. :)
I don't tell all of this to brag by any means, I feel the opposite, that we are in no place to receive all of this and yet because of the kindness and generosilty of our community we have been so blessed. I am uncomfortable that we are so blessed when so many are not but I am trying to enjoy it and allow myself to be inspired to pass it on.
We are off to a Christmas Eve family gathering, until next time, Happy holidays!
-Andrea, Ben, Eden, and Mila
