MEXICO 2014

STOCKINGS

We weren't planning on doing stockings this year for a couple of different reasons, but a few weeks before Christmas, Julio called Rick and told him that the children were so excited for stockings!  I guess they had already announced it in church, and everyone was planning on it.  For some children in Mexico, the stocking is the only thing they will receive for Christmas.  I sometimes wonder how big of a burden it takes from the parents knowing that, because of the stockings, their children will get something for Christmas.

So, we called a couple of our friends, and within an hour we had people ready to buy everything needed to fill 100 stockings!  I am always so humbled and amazed at the generosity and love of some of our friends.  We are so blessed by their example.

On the Thursday before we left, everyone helping with the stockings gathered at our house and started assembling.  It was fun to hear how the kids helping knew the names of the children the stockings were for.  They carefully picked what they thought that child would like the most, and lovingly put the stockings together.  It was a perfect night.

 ^Reese ready to help!^

 ^100 sweatshirts^

 ^Crayons and coloring books for each child^

 ^Stockings and candy canes^

 ^Candy bars^

 ^There ended up being at least 2 toys for every child^

^And the finished product^

It always makes me so nervous when we take stockings across the border, and this year wasn't any different.  I think about all of those little children showing up at the church and us not having anything to give them.  But just like every other time, we made it through the border with just a quick look in the trailer.  Phew!

Rick was Santa this year - he was amazing and he LOVED every minute of it.  Nathan and Brittani were on camera duty, and Connor, Cody and I (with the help of some amazing sisters from the branch) gave the stockings to the children before they sat on Santa's knee.  It went so smoothly this year, the only stressful part was trying to make sure all of the children who came in off the street had something to take with them - but it all worked out.  It always reminds me how much Heavenly Father loves ALL of his children, and how important each one is to Him.  We ended up having the perfect amount of extra toys for all of the extra children.

Get ready for picture overload!

BEACH TIME

This year we were able to leave a few days earlier than we normally do, and so we ended up with a lot of beach time.  The boys played a ton of football, and Brittani and I did a ton of laying out.  For those first few days my only goal was to buy a ring for every finger, and to get as much sun as possible.  Mission accomplished!

FOOTBALL ON THE BEACH

^The awesome football field the boys made for the annual football game on Christmas^ 

^Random kids that would stand on the side lines waiting for someone to ask if they wanted to play^ 

THE LOOT!

The very first Christmas we decided to go to Mexico, we asked our kids if it would be okay with them if they only received a stocking for their Christmas gift and all of the money we normally would spend on their presents would go to materials for the houses we build.  The kids all agreed (Connor was too young at the time to know what he was agreeing to, and he never has really had a choice since, but I don't think he would change it!), and stockings was the new tradition.  So, as you may have guessed, Christmas morning is a little different at the condo.  The kids don't really care about what's in their stocking as long as they have a chocolate covered orange in there, going through their stockings takes about 3 minutes, and then we are onto breakfast and football on the beach.

Let me tell you though...you can fit a ton of baby girl outfits in a stocking!  Baby Jacobs got more than anyone else did for Christmas this year!

^The matching Christmas Eve pj's the boys got!^

THE LUNA FAMILY

A family in our ward wanted to give Christmas to a family in Mexico.  There is SO much need that it is hard to know who could use the most help, so it is a dang good thing we have Julio to help us!  Julio told us about this sweet Luna family.  The dad works hard doing security at a resort on the beach, and makes around $80.00 a week.  They are happy, humble, kind and thankful.  I loved having the opportunity to get to know these good people just a little bit.

BUILDING HOUSES

And the building begins...

We were able to build 4 houses this year.  It is amazing what a ton of great people can do when they all work together.  The best part of the building for me was watching my kids work.  They would take a wall, and between the 4 of them, the wall would be up in no time at all, and it would be the straightest, most level wall on any of the houses. 

We finished up the houses, spent one more day on the beach, and left at 5:30 am on New Years Eve so that we could be home for the festivities.  We didn't take into account that there would be a huge snow storm in Arizona that would have us at a complete stop for 4 hours.  It was so frustrating.  We should have been home by around 6:00 pm, but instead, we pulled into St. George at 11:00 pm and decided to stay there for the night.  Needless to say, we were all exhausted and our New Year's Eve party wasn't too exciting!

This year's Mexico trip was one of the very best we have ever had.  Between playing games as a family almost every night, spending time with the Valenzuela family, providing food and Christmas to a family with 7 girls, stockings, building, and beach time...it was perfect.

Just perfect.