Keeping My Head Above Water

 I am struggling to keep my head above water as we approach Christmas. JD traveled to three states last week, including Hawaii. Tomorrow he and my big kids head for Gabriel's boot camp graduation in the Chicago area. Next week, he is driving to Florida with Gabriel to report to his first school. With the holiday demands, our current children struggles, and JD's travel schedule, I am way behind lots of things I need to be doing! However, I have decided to still make sure we do the fun Christmas things since it's Selah and Bella's first Christmas home.

Alyssa is plugging on with her Zambia and South Africa fund-raising campaign. I told her from the beginning that she would have to carry the weight of it and she has far exceeded what I thought a 13 year old was capable of. We had a do-nut sale Sunday after church with a few of her sweet friends helping her.

Selah and Bella were good advertisement! We also have the fund-raising prepaid do-nut certificates that can be sent anywhere in the country if you want to purchase donuts through her. They are $7 and allow you to get a dozen do-nuts at any Krispie Kreme anytime. She would be thrilled to mail them to anyone that would like to purchase any. We could get them to you before Christmas if done quickly enough.

Yesterday Alyssa accompanied me to the Richmond Children's Hospital for a follow up for Selah and Bella. They had a Christmas celebration and allowed the little girls to choose a handmade doll from a wagon. Selah insisted that she wanted the little, white boy with blue eyes while Bella chose a brown girl. The tags on them are from a group of ladies at a church that made them and donated them in the name of a loved one - Jack and Ava in our case. 
The tag also said to look at the baby's heart to remind them of who loves them the most. On the chest "Jesus loves you" is embroidered. They are so sweet, I am going to send the church a thank you with this picture in it. I think it will make the ladies who took the time to make the dolls so happy to see where two of them went.