Eye Opener.

I just had to take a minute and share a story that Kenzie told me last night.

He works with a bunch of smelly, teenage, troublemakers all day and night every week. Lol we joke that working with these boys makes us never want to have kids, but of course we don't mean that. If we didn't love these kids and want the best for them, we wouldn't come to work everyday, trying to help them and worrying about them all the time. The program Kenzie and I work at together is a private facility. Most of the boys come from families all over the world who pay the tuition rate of $8,635.00 a month for them to be here. Needless to say, most of them will have a pretty good Christmas. Below is a picture of one little corner of my office. This is about 1/4 of the presents that will be here for the boys on Christmas morning.

This is my house. This is  not even half of the presents we have for Christmas. I would dare say that we are very fortunate, and after Kenzie told me this story last night, I started feeling very selfish. 

Well the program that Kenzie works at during the day is a state program. A lot of the kids there have had a rough life, and several of them don't have the loving families we have all grown up with. In a lot of cases the state took them because no one else would. The state gave each of them $58.00 to get themselves something for Christmas. They could buy a few things for themselves since they wouldn't be expecting packages from their families, or for those who actually do have families to send presents to, they got $58.00 to get each of them a Christmas present. I don't know how much you spend on Christmas, but $58.00 to buy something for myself and everyone I love wouldn't get me very far. I'm sure these kids were ecstatic to at least get some money to have some sort of Christmas. There are 12 boys out there, and Kenzie said that several of them spent all their money on others and didn't get a thing for themselves. And almost all of them used some of their money to buy Mackenzie a Monster Energy Drink from the store because they know he gets tired from working graveyards then day shifts. 

Does that not just bring you back to earth?

I got all emotional when Kenzie told me about it. I can't even believe that these boys, who most people are quick to stereotype and keep their kids away from, are so much more selfless than myself. They truly appreciate what they have, and I am so glad there are people out there who are good and kind and have the true spirit of giving this week. Not seeing who can give out the best neighbor gifts or who gives their family members the best presents, but being genuinely selfless and kind. What a great example.

Kenzie and I decided that we are going to go up north tonight and buy the boys a nice present and tell them how much we appreciate their example. I just wanted to share this story in hopes that as we celebrate the holiday this weekend, that we will keep in mind those who are less fortunate or spending the holidays away from their families. I was thankful for the reminder from a few teenage troublemakers of 

what Christmas is all about. 

Along those same lines,

I had to share this video. 

If you've never heard the song

One Last Christmas by Matthew West

check this out.

It is probably the best Christmas song ever!

Happy Holidays everyone.

We are sincerely grateful for the kind and genuine people we have in our lives

and we wish you the best this Christmas and for a wonderful new year.