Santa's Angels

While we were in Wisconsin, I stopped my mail so that when we got back it would all be delivered at once. The day it all came, there was one of those little orange slips saying we had 4 packages to be picked up. Hunter was sick, then Drew, then Louisa, then me, so I popped the slip back in the mailbox and told them to try and redeliver. There was no way we'd be leaving the house for a few days.

Yesterday (Thursday) the packages finally came. 4 big ones. No return address, no postmark. Each one said simply, "From Santa".

We opened one, and there was a poem for each kid, as well as a filled stocking, and a camo bandanna wrapped in star ribbon with an American Flag pin. The letters were from Santa saying how busy Santa is, and that the Post Office was helping Santa deliver a few extra presents this year.

All the boxes had stuff for the kids, wrapped and labeled. As they opened their gifts (and yes, I have pictures to share!) everything they got was something from their list. We wrote Santa letters back in the beginning of December. I almost didn't mail those letters! I'm glad I did.

Hunter got a puppy, and a Diego toy, and Cars toys that he asked for. Drew got walkie talkies, and a skateboard that he asked for. And Louisa also got a skateboard along with a Carrie Underwood CD. All of it was something the kids had put on their lists.

We live in a rural area, so our mail doesn't actually go through our post office here. It gets shipped to a bigger PO and stamped and mailed from there. I addressed the Santa letters to "Santa Claus, North Pole", figuring that it was pretty explanatory where it needed to be sent. I'm sure there's only one Santa at the North Pole! If anyone can find him, the PO can!

And find him they did! Or, his angels found us, which is more likely. I tried to hold back tears as i realized just where these amazing gifts came from. Of course, each Santa letter asked Santa to, above all else, bring daddy home for Christmas. I assume we touched some angels' hearts who were opening Santa letters.

I can't thank them. I don't even know where they are. I myself do so much anonymous giving that I completely understand not needing to be thanked for anything. I never expect/need a thank you for what I give. But I want the people to know the joy my kids had when they truly believed Santa had saved a few more gifts for them to open at home.

The kindness that has been shown us both leading up to the deployment, and during the deployment, is so touching. We don't feel any more special than the next person just because my husband does what he does. The kids and I, and my husband as well, are very humble. We do the job that we have to do because we don't have a choice. God has given us the family we have, He has provided for our family through the job my husband holds in the US Army, and when called, my husband has no choice but to answer. The kids and I, of course, follow. We do our duty because it's ours to do. Sometimes we struggle, sometimes we don't know how we'll make it through, but all the time our great faith in God gets us through. There's nothing we, as a family centered in God, can't get through, and there's nothing greater on earth than all of the angels God has sent to us. Santa's Angels included.