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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Heart Family Christmas Party

A month or more ago, I grabbed a flyer from Gabriella's cardiologists office about a Christmas party coming up. It was specifically for heart families. I took the flyer and contemplated going or not. I decided to RSVP, thinking it would be good to go and be around people who 'get it'.



Last Saturday, we loaded up the car and drove to Scottsdale for the party. I had in my mind it would be a small get-together, but when we pulled up and saw this street lined with cars, I was shocked! We went up to the door, filled out a name tag and headed to the backyard. This yard was AMAZING! You could have had a reception for 500 people back there! There was a huge patio set up with tents and tables, tons of food for the kids, crafts, play sets and a play house, and a HUGE yard and a huge pile of snow that was covered with kiddos.



After the kids played in the snow for a bit, we sat down to eat. Pizza, pickles, chips, brownies, cookies, Krispy Kreme donuts and Capri Sun juices. Perfect. LOL..... I told Paul "I hear bagpipes" and kinda chuckled it off. Sure enough in the pack of the yard comes a man playing bagpipes, and Santa Claus riding in on a horse drawn carriage! SERIOUSLY? I was just as excited as the kids were!!! Santa came and sat infront of the play house, decorated like a gingerbread house, and visited with all of the kids. He gave them all candy canes and stockings filled with goodies. It was amazing.



The best part of the whole party for me though was being around families that have struggled in one way or another the same way we have..... and will. It was nice to not feel like such an exception to the rule- normal American family: one dad, one mom, a boy and a girl, dog and house. We used to be that less than a year ago, but are no longer. I was surrounded by little ones and teens with large scars on their chest, developmental delays or disabilities, feeding tubes or oxygen.... and you know what? It was like watching an elite group of the most amazing kids God ever created. All just as deserving of the snow and Santa and junk food as any other kid, but able to have it in an event given especially for their amazing little hearts. And though I did not get to meet as many people as I wanted to, I was able to catch up briefly with a couple new but great friends there. And I can't wait to attend the Mended Little Hearts meeting next month!!!









Heart Family Christmas Party

2 comments:

tootermagoo said...

What a great event! Your babies smiles are so precious. I love the picture of Gabriella in the snow! She looks so carefree!

Megan@SortaCrunchy said...

LOVE THIS! Brings me so much joy.