Food for Families...

Christmas is a season of hope. Christmas is also the season of giving - and my kids are blessed beyond measure for everything that they are given. The HMMs feel the same way so when Radley and Caroline were babies we decided that we would never exchange presents between the kids, rather donate on their behalf. This has varied from the Boys and Girls Club to nonprofit Christian organization that runs schools in third world countries. 

This year, however, we started a new tradition and took the kids grocery shopping for items that we donated to the Food for Families food drive benefiting the Brazos Valley Food Bank. 

We picked the kids up from school and headed to the HEB. 

As we shopped we talked to them about what we were doing and tried to explain that not everyone is as fortunate as we are. We discussed how not all families get to pick what they eat like we do, like sugary cereal and our favorite character turned into a fruit snack. 

We went down each aisle and selected items identified by the Food Bank as must haves. Radley didn't want to buy "dry beans" - "How about some wet beans, Mommy?"

Emersyn and Annaliese got to pick out some mac and cheese to donate and carry. 

And everyone got to pick out their favorite peanut butter - the most requested item at the Food Bank. 

They were such eager helpers and I really think that they "got it". 

They really wanted to make sure the Food Bank had enough PB...

Years and years supply of the stuff... 

Even Emersyn did her share... 

And of course Millicent did, too. 

We even picked out each of the kids favorite baby food to explain that even the tiniest babies don't always get what they want to eat. 

As we drove to the drop off location for the food I was asking Radley and Caroline why we were doing this. They explained back to me that not all kids have food or toys and that they don't get to eat stuff like they do. I told them they were right, so that we need to remember that when we eat our food to not waste any - to make sure we eat because lots of kids would love to have what's our houses. 

 I also asked them who we needed to thank for all of our food. They gave me a laundry list of names: Mommy, God, Jesus, Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the 3 Kings, the Queen, and sheep. 

We all headed to make our drop off so the kids could see how much food was being collected. 

Food was placed in grocery carts and taken to trucks to then be sorted at the Food Bank. 

This will easily become one of my most favorite holiday traditions. Eventually we will take them to volunteer at this event to sort the food and other programs offered by the Food Bank. 

We all loaded back into the cars and went to eat dinner of our own one of our favorite spots. 

And you know what - each of the kids ate more at this meal than I have seen in a long time. I think they were thankful for what they have been given. 

And I am, too.