Those of you who got our Christmas card last year know we're big fans of the Salvation Army. My great grandmother, Gladys, came from a poor family in Wales, and she always told us how the Salvation Army helped her family out. She would NEVER pass a kettle without giving us coins to put in, and she usually would stand there and belt out the Christmas carols with them. On our recent trip to Wales, I saw the tiny apartment-like house she lived in and the one that members of the Salvation Army lived in, just doors down.

The girls and I have been Bell Ringers at numerous locations. Last year we were Bell Ringers in front of Walmart in Temecula, CA. The next picture is us getting ready for our first time - in St. Charles, IL. I am pregnant with Tressa (she was born the next month - Jan 27th) and Whitney is 6 and Cassidy is almost 3. The girls were great sports, especially since it was FREEZING cold ringing those bells in IL! But I don't think a single person passed us by without sticking something in the kettle because of how cute it was to see the girls ringing. They wished everyone a "happy holidays" and we always had a treat to pass out - candy canes or something.



This year I didn't feel like we could spare the time. When you're a single mom during the week, and you've got your hubby home on the weekend, it seems like everything gets loaded into those 2 precious days. So instead, thanks to some inspiration from a sister-in-law (Hi Kate!), we donated to Heifer.com. We are not exchanging gifts with Kate and her family, but instead buying each other an animal to give to Heifer. You can buy all sorts of animals - it's a fantastic organization so check it out.