Gifts (Great and Small)

This week was a week of gifts- both great and small! As many of you know, my mom is a serious shop-aholic. She is a great bargain hunter, but a serious shopper nonetheless. She has been buying things for "our baby" since roughly the first month we were married. When we first told her we were adopting a baby it closely followed this statement- "but don't buy anything for them yet because we don't know if it will be a boy or a girl or how old they will be." So for a month she has been doing really good. Since Chad and I moved away from home 7 years ago we have been getting a "care package" for every major holiday (and sometimes just because), including Mother's Day, because "I wouldn't be a mom if it weren't for you!" So on Friday we got a Valentine's package with Target gift cards and some little gifties for us- and our first baby gift, a puppy that looks just like our dog Alex! Her gifts remind us that even though we are far apart, our hearts are always linked together by an inseparable bond.

We also got a gift that was one of the greatest, most heartfelt gifts we have ever received. One of the teenagers in our youth group (I think they would like to remain anonymous so please don't ask me who!) presented Chad with a small envelope on Wednesday night after I headed home. They requested that we open the letter together later that night. When Chad got home, we took out a small folded piece of paper, that contained a simple handwritten note. I won't go into details but it said that they felt God's call to give to our adoption. Then they said "I'm sorry it's not a lot, but this is all that I have" We opened the tiny ivory envelope and inside was a stack of what appeared to be $1 bills. At that point Chad and I both were teary-eyed. What a selfless and pure gift. Well we kept peeling back the bills and the amount grew larger and larger. We were taken back by the amount of money! We're talking birthday card money from your grandparents (both sides) your honor roll money, your weekly allowance, and the money you got from Christmas! I imagine they were saving up for something very special, but instead they decided to give it to us! We were shocked! Still, just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. Ok, I've erased about 5 paragraphs after that last sentence, because I really don't know what else to say about that- there are no words.

Gifts come in many shapes and sizes, some with ribbons and bows, some that you can't hold in your hands, some grand, and some in tiny plain envelops- but the best thing about a gift is it's a tangible way to say I love you!

Happy Valentines Day!