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..."