Journey to Jordyn and Jailynn

Merry Christmas From our Family to Yours! Anna, Amanda, Jordyn, Melanie, Noah, Tim, and JonMarc

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas holiday and enjoys time with their family. I have been getting ready for Christmas. Shopping, shopping, and more shopping. Having a large family to buy for makes for alot of shopping!!! I have been doing very well by finding things on Ebay and other listings and saving ton's of money. We are on a tight budget this year and I am trying to save as much as possible. I am thinking of Jailynn more and more and wishing she could be with us this year. I am buying her Christmas presents and planning to keep the tree up until she comes home. That was also a request from Jordyn and Amanda. They are both so excited for her to come home.

Our tree is in a sad state though. Somehow the stand to the tree disappeared and the lights do not work. So we have a make shift stand which causes the tree to lean to the side no matter how hard we try to fix it. Also, Noah loves to rearrange the ornaments so the tree is not so beautiful this year. Oh well...at least we have a tree to decorate.

I am hoping to keep the focus on the Real reason for the season this year by displaying a nativity seen under our tree. I am still looking for one. We are also giving clothes and toys to a needy family from Tim's work. This really inspired my children and they gave up lot's of nice toys they do not play with and some they still love for the family. I want them to learn that giving feels so much better than just getting all the time.

Joey and Kym are home and staying with us temporarily. So we have four more people in our home which is hectic! They are working on getting jobs and Kym is planning to go to school starting in January. Having them here has been both challenging and rewarding but I know that it has been the right thing to do. We are having a positive influence on them and it will be special to spend Christmas with them here. Our family is growing in leaps and bounds with Joey and Kym and soon Jailynn. I am sure that they will have thier own place before we leave for China (that is the plan). Please pray for our family that we adjust to all the changes and that Joey and Kym find jobs and get into their own place soon.

Merry Christmas,

Melanie