Watkins Over Flow Homeless Shelter..New Years Eve

The definition of " hope" ~~Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life...... Hope is the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best..... When i walked into the sleeping room at the the Watkins Overflow Homeless Shelter... i cried. When i saw the emotions in the eyes of the adults and the faces of the children.....i did not see hope.. i saw the emotion of sadness...like they simply lost hope....

My New Years Eve was volunteering with the Arizona Adoptive Families Group to serve 200 men , women and children. The hot meal of lasagna , salad, rolls, cake, cookies brought smiles for the moment that i was happy to share in.....Sharing in a caring and giving spirit was the best way to start the New Year..... Please pray for all the homeless families that their faith brings them hope and their hope opens a door to their own home ....A home filled with comfort and love....

Polar Express ~~~

The "Polar Express" (Chris Van Allsberg) is a story about a childs train ride to the North Pole to see Santa. The girls , Frank and i shared in the Polar Express experience yesterday . The Polar Express departs from Williams Depot in the cute and small town of Williams, Az.. The train leaves at 6:30pm and 10:00pm every night durning the Christmas holiday. The train travels to the north pole , a Christmas light village where Santa waves and then he later boards the train to visit and hand out the silver sleigh bells to all the children on the train like in the story..The children wear P.J's for the festive ride and everyone is served cookies and hot chocolate .. later everyone sings Christmas carols. We all had a great time. The girls loved seeing and playing in the snow.....The Polar Express is a memory to make with your children...it was a magical night for all of us...

Fun At The Zoo.....

hungry goat

Christmas Day... Giving Hearts....

Today i was woken by the screams "Santa came ...Santa came..." at about 6:45 this morning. (That is actually sleeping in for me ...)The girls loved everything Santa brought from crafts, the Wii game, an i pod, basket balls ,tennis rackets and more.... so it was a good Christmas morning for Bella , Gabi , Teya and Vada. We went to 4:00 mass yesterday , so after presents, i made lasanga for the Christmas dinner. After gifts we went to see Alvin and the chipmunks, it was a cute movie.

After the movie we went to volunteer at St. Bernadettes church to help serve families a nice Christmas meal . With the help of several local restuarants like Brio (very proud of you Ralph: ) we served 600 homeless and less fortunate. I never did this on Christmas day before and actually a few weeks ago when i signed up to help serve dinners at a homeless shelter on New Years Eve i was thinking i wish there was something we could do on Christmas and i was at talking to Ralph of Brio one afternoon and he told me what the restaurant was doing and i jumped right in and asked if we as a family could help.. It made my heart & Christmas day complete. I will probably look to do this every Christmas day with the girls, it truly was a perfect way to spend Christmas day.... Gabi, Bella, Teya and Vada (with santa hats on ) passed out chocolate Santa candybars and candy canes to all the children . My eyes teared up after i saw the first families walk in the doors.... the indescribable eyes that appeared to be full of love, compassion and sorrow.. they came for food they did not have and for gifts from Santa who put smiles on the faces of about 300 children. It was an amazing afternoon for all of us...My heart was moved to see everything that was done today from all of the volunteers that gave their Christmas day to make Christmas day special for a stranger... To give consistently of ourselves ... is lending a listening ear, a helpful hand, and a compassionate heart.....I bring my girls to help volunteer where ever i can because compassion is something you are not born with .. it is something you learn by others unselfish hearts.....

Matthew 25:35-36: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me..."