The Adventures of Fathead & Madseason: Looking for somewhere to spend that extra money for the Holidays??

The Fathead came up with a great suggestion last week. Normally she and I try to do something special for others each Christmas season - we are so blessed and want to be a blessing to others... For the past couple of years we volunteered to 'adopt a family' through a local organization and tried to provide Christmas for families who weren't financially able to do for themselves. It was always fun to shop for others and we enjoyed it. Plus, it was an opportunity to buy those noisy, obnoxious toys for those little ones to make their parents' Holiday season more exciting!! (Scroll down to Kid Story #3: Justification for a Plastic Bird) LOL! Buying stuff the parents won't buy for their kids is a childless person's mission in life! I think my sister still harbors resentment for that Fisher Price Corn Popper thingey I gave my niece all those years ago...

However last week Fathead said "Let's adopt a soldier this year..."

FANTASTIC IDEA! Why didn't I think of that sooner?!?!?

So Google presented us with OperationMilitaryPride.org

They let you request a specific branch of the military as well as the gender of the deployed military person. A few minutes after I sent the email, I received a response that Fathead and I are the proud 'adopters' of a girl!! Her name is Veronyka and although we don't know (or aren't allowed to know...) much about her, we were given her name, her mailing address and her 'wish list'. You'd be amazed at how little she's asked for - and how easy it is to meet her needs. Candy? Gum? Magazines? Stationery and mailing envelopes? Playing cards and poker chips? Geez... This is all doable!

After bugging OperationMilitaryPride.org with questions about her, they offered her email address. Yayyyy! Instead of waiting more than a month to contact her (we mailed her letters with pictures the same day we received her address) she responded within the same day! She finds it humorous that she's been 'adopted' but obviously appreciates the contact - and the support. We get emails from her daily now and found out that she's in the Navy, has been in the military for 12 years, has a husband and a small son here in the States and is currently stationed in Iraq.

What an awesome - and rewarding - opportunity this has become for the Fathead and I. Now our grocery shopping includes looking for those things that 'our Veronyka' might like... putting aside small treats to go in 'our Veronyka's' next care package. Knowing she's there in our military doing her job for US - she's there for US - has put an entirely different perspective on our Holiday season. Criticize if you want but I totally support our military and know that our country would not be here today as we know it if it weren't for our military. Pontificate on the brutality of war if you like but know this: it is necessary. Go read your history books. Our military is our strength - and for those who think we can benignly sit back and debate our way to resolution with radical extremist governments are ignorant. And whether you agree with this or not, the military personnel that are involved are just doing their jobs. There's no need to penalize them because there are those who don't support their 'employer'. Veronyka - and all the other thousands of military troops - are serving for ME, I am grateful and appreciate the opportunity to do something for them.

Plus - IT'S FUN! We just sent our first two boxes - 'care packages' - loaded with candy, packs of gum, stationery and envelopes, personal hygiene stuff like razors, soap, Chapstick, granola bars, stockings loaded with toys - yes, TOYS! - like Slinkies, Frisbees, Nerf balls, playing cards... Oh yeah - and Veronyka is getting her own Santa hat. Figured those might be hard to come by over there... She will certainly be the best dressed soldier at Christmas!

I just wish Fathead had've thought of this sooner. We've got a lot of making up for lost time to do!