This is our second year home this year for Christmas. It is so weird to think that it has only been two years since I was sick. Time has flown by. I almost feel completely normal! If there is a normal? Anyways, In our neighborhood this older couple treat our entire neighborhood to a Santa treat. We all gather at their house and take pictures with Santa and have cookies and hot cocoa. It is such a delight. Here are a few pictures to see……
This is Cameron looking up to see how they have Santa in a wooden helicopter. I took this picture, then my battery died. I had no idea it was low. Darn.
This picture was taken on Christmas 2006. This is my family. My mom and dad, my twin sister Sabrina and her family, and my older sister Jennifer and her two girls, and then of course my family. As a tradition in our family, we always get together on Christmas Eve and open a present that we drew names for on Thanksgiving. My daddy got me this year. He gave me a necklace of an angel cutout in a heart that says HOPE. I love it. I thought I would post this picture of us when I was bald. It is so neat to think that 2 years ago I had no hair and I had cancer. It’s amazing how time goes by.
Cameron was so tired of all the festivities. Man he is so sweet. Merry Christmas everyone. I hope that this Christmas will be a great one for everyone. May we all be blessed.
This was the best of all the pictures! It was fun:)
We thought that this year we would post our Christmas card online instead of mailing it out:) It feels kinda weird, but this will be fun. We hope this e-card finds everyone doing well. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
This year I am trying to something new too…..
Dear friends and family,
I have been thinking for a while about how to give back this Christmas season. I wanted to ask for your help. As most of you all know I was diagnosed with Bone Cancer in July 2006. Yes it was hard when it came to the holiday season and I couldn’t give. I was too sick to shop, sad but true. That year for Christmas was so special to me and my family. We had one family make us blankets, bought us clothes, and big bins full of toys. My sister’s work donated also. To say the least we weren’t short gifts. I remember how I felt to think that so many people cared enough to give. It doesn’t take many people to help out. The smiles on my kids face’s were priceless.
I am choosing to give to Primary Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Since I had cancer, I know what these little children are going through. I can’t even imagine how they can keep on smiling when they can’t even play with friends or even go outside because of their immune systems. I know how lonely it is. I know how tired they are sometimes. I also know how much hope, faith, and love that all of these children have. Just imagine their faces when they get to spend time with their family making a craft, or playing a new game on Christmas Eve. Imagine the faces of the children’s family members.
Being a mom too, I was so happy just sitting there watching my boys open a present and just get so excited. I want this year to provide these families to feel that Hope, Faith, and Love that we all have for them. Please help me out with this. I know how hard this year is financially. This year my boys are getting one gift from us because we want them to see how it feels to give, not receive. My heart is full this Christmas year. I have so much love for everyone that all I want to do is give.
The Children’s Medical Center of Dallas is in need of new craft items and games. They use these EVERYDAY. When the children are in the hospital going through treatment they have what they call a Child Life Counselor that sits with them to keep their spirits high. Sometimes it means to sit with them all day and sometimes just for a few hours. They are in need of these craft and games to keep busy with. As you might know these items they go through so much. You can drop off the craft items or games at my house or I can come pick them up at yours.
I need to have the new UNWRAPPED items by Sunday December 21st please. We are going to deliver them on Christmas Eve at 3pm. Due to these sweet children’s immune systems, we cannot personally deliver them, but we can drop them off for the staff to deliver. I spoke with the Hospital and they mentioned that 60% of patients are under 5 and that 10% are 10 years old and older. They see patients from birth to 18, Please consider this when getting the stuff. I have provided a list that I got from their website.
I know that when I was sick and I spent time doing my scrapbooking, the time would go by so much faster. I also felt happier to see the finished pages. I really want to see their smiling faces when they see new games, or when they have some new craft to make. Please help me out with this project. I know this is a little late notice, I just couldn’t make up my mind. I just don’t want to fail. I thank you all for your love and support. Especially when I was sick. I have such a long list of friends and family members that helped me out. I will never forget any of them. I hope to never forget to serve as well. I have so much love for everyone. I know that we were sent here to earth to serve and help others. It is my prayer that each of you will have a fabulous Christmas this year. I also hope that we can all catch the “Giving Bug”. Even if it is just one little thing. You have to start somewhere.
Love to all, Becca Gibbons
3119 Juneau Dr Corinth, TX 76210 972-242-4403
Donating Arts and Crafts
*Large quantities needed
Crayola Model Magic
Sculpey Clay
Stickers
Scrapbook Supplies
Construction Paper
Color Markers (Broad & Thin)
Crayons (16 and 24 count)
Coloring Books
Glitter
Play-Doh
Pipe Cleaners
Wiggly Eyes
Child Scissors
Glue Sticks & Glue (8oz. bottles)
Paint (Tempera)/Paint Brushes
Fuse Beads
Fabric Paint
Colored Sand
Paint Pens
Rubber Stamps and Ink Pads
Beads, Sequins, Feathers, Yarn
Fabric Trim (bric-a-brac, lace, ribbon)
Clothespins
Magnetic Tape
Beads & String
Jewelry Art Supplies
Spin Art
Drawing Pads
Craft Kits
Bubbles
Blank Books
Wood Craft Kits
Sun Catchers
Paint by Number Crafts
Foam Art
Velvet Posters
Individual Art Activity Kits
Glitter Wands
Birthday Wrapping Paper & Ribbons
Donating Games
Large quantities of all these games are needed. These are used daily.
When I came upstairs for family night I found this:
Randy and the boys were having so much fun tieing them up. Cameron was first…
This is Cameron’s Popeye smile:)
Then it was Michaels turn…..He doesn’t like to be tied up for a long time.
Then of course Ricky couldn’t be left out!……
Then it was Daddy’s turn!!! The boys had so much fun with this…..
I tell ya, it is never a dull moment at our house. I came from a house of all girls. I had no idea that boys would find a dog leash as a toy to tie someone up with:) All I have to say is that I LOVE my boys:)
With sports all over and my “Crop for A Cure” is over, I finally had a Saturday that was free of schedules! I had so much fun. Randy let me sleep in… then a surprise to me, the boys went to their friends house to play, so all we had was Cameron. It seemed easy taking Cameron out. It is so different with just one instead of three!
We went on a hunt for Legos for Michaels Birthday present. We went to Toy’s r us, Lewisville Mall, Cotsco, and then Grapevine Mills mall. All to just find this Lego bin that had over 700 peices instead of the 400 we already bought at Target. We never found it, but we sure had fun. We walked past this booth to take those crazy pictures. I couldn’t resist. I though it would be so cute to have the three of us.
I somtimes think that maybe it will always be the three of us when Cameron gets older. I just don’t know what he will be like. That is the adventure of having a child with Down Syndrome. They are all so different:) I love it! Anyways, back to the booth, Randy was unsure of it because he didn’t want the other boys to feel left out. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind. They didn’t even ask what it was when they got home. All they cared about was how much fun they had at their friends house.
I am so glad that we have such good friends here. We are definately taken care of. Here is the cutest picture ever!!! I don’t remember taking a picture in a booth like this. I think it was maybe in middle school?!
Well Cameron has now been added to our fine list of ER visits. Tonight he was upstairs playing with our boys and our neighbors kids when I heard a cry. I thought surly Ricky would console him or bring him to me. Neither happened. It was Michael running down the stairs yelling for me, saying Cameron has blood on his head. Of course I go running.Sure enough he does. I carried him the rest of the way down and our friends helped take care and assess the situation. We decided it could use a few stitches. Maybe one or two.
My sweet neighbor takes me to the InstaCare to help me, She is so sweet. I don’t know if I would volunteer myself to hear someones kids screaming. They walked us right in and wiped some of the blood away and got out the staple gun. She explained to me that they don’t use any numbing shots since there was only going to be two staples why traumatize him more. Poor Cameron. We laid him down in my lap. It took three of us to hold him down while the doctor stapled his head. After it was done he cried for just a minute. Cameron is so cute. I love having him. The doctor felt so bad for him that she gave him a little bear. He loved it:)
Our poor neighbors. They came over for a Family Home Evening and this is what they got. We haven’t ever had someone not in the church over for this. It was really scary for me. I am just a nice person that I don’t ever want someone to get upset at anything we may say. Randy did the lesson. He did such a great job at it too. That is why I married him:)
All in all, tonight I hope was a success for them. I hope they felt the spirit in our home. I enjoyed having them here with us. Maybe they might come back for another one. Who knows!?
