Santa's getaway car!

Something awesome happened to our family last night...the true meaning of Christmas type of thing!

It was a typical Saturday evening. The dinner dishes were done, and the whole family was lounging in the living room. The TV was being flipped between football and the news, and the kids were playing on us and around us. The baby was getting fussy, so I was starting to think about heading upstairs for the bedroom routine.

All of a sudden, the doorbell rang twice. "Oh no!" was my first thought...we are definitely not dressed for unexpected company! The kids all ran to the door to see who it was (they know to only do this when an adult is in the room...they learned that from me because it's hard to pretend you're not home (think random salespeople/election workers/etc.) when there's a small child staring right at you from the window by the door!

My husband got to the door just in time to see a car speeding off! Outside was a big box with a brand new TV, a Christmas movie for the kids, and a bag full of popcorn and candy. I'm not kidding! The note above was taped to the TV...it is computer generated, so this Santa really did not want to be identified!

The kids were AMAZED! But, what was Santa doing out of the North Pole, and why was he driving a car instead of a sleigh!?! Was Rudolph sick? Why did he come early?

Of course, we have our suspicions about Santa's identity. My husband's local family is at the top of the list! They knew that we were talking about buying a second TV for the finished basement in our new house. I had joked with them about going out to Walmart on Thanksgiving (something I would never do on a special day to spend with family) because of the good prices of TVs. My husband joked that he hated the thought of buying a TV in January (when we are moving) because the prices are jacked up because of the Superbowl.

Anyway, it would've been just as appreciated on Christmas morning, but I doubt any of us will ever forget the magical feelings and excitement that surrounded the unexpected knock at the door one random rainy Saturday night in December. It felt like the ultimate feel-good Christmas movie...except it was real life, and it happened to us!

I instantly remembered a similar incident in my life. It was my senior year in high school right around Christmas time, and my family had fallen on very hard times financially. I was standing in the kitchen with my mother when the doorbell rang. My mother got to the door to find no one...just a certified check for $1000 taped to the front door.

I will never forget how I felt that moment. One thousand dollars is still a lot of money to me today, but when I was 17-years-old and making $5 an hour, it seemed like a million bucks! I was SO touched that someone would do that for our family....and anonymously! It made an enormous impact on who I am today. It made me want to be a better person and to always help people in need. Although my children are very young, I am hoping that they might always remember how they felt last night. No worries...I will retell the story lest they forget!

All of this excitement...and it's only the second week of Advent!

I want my children  to remember that Jesus is the real reason for the season. I felt hopeful this afternoon as my girls played. Below is the Virgin Mary, baby doll Jesus in a manger, and the Angel Gabriella (I was told that Gabriel is a boy's name!).

Merry Christmas, everyone!