Every year Josh's company has a nice Christmas dinner, normally this is an opportunity for Josh and I to get dressed up real nice me in a cocktail dress and him in a nice suit and leave the kids behind to enjoy a date like atmosphere with a work themed setting. Not this year, this year due to all of the lay offs the company had to endure and due to the loss of one of it's biggest contracts, the company decided this was a time to gather together as families and enjoy some time together. I think this is an awesome way to celebrate with his company. While I enjoyed the fancy dinners this was awesome this year because the kids could be included. Normally they would have the party at a nice golf course in Seattle but this year they did it at Point Defiance Zoo so everyone could enjoy the zoo lights along with a nice dinner and it was only fitting especially since it was a family event.
As usual it took us an hour to get everyone dressed and loaded in the car and another 15 minutes once we got there to get everyone and everything unloaded to go inside. Once in there our next hard decision was where to sit. Having several young kids with special needs always makes this part of any sit down venture a very vital part of us getting settled in. Once we found were to sit we had to rearrange ourselves a little bit so the Zoo staff could get the animals in the door without putting our kiddos at risk, not to mention where they were sitting was blocking the door where the animals would be coming out. So after that rearrangment we were finally settled in and ready for whatever the company had to offer. ( It's a bit different every year so you never know how or what order they will do things in) Everyone sat and chit chatted, saw some animals, got photos taken and had drinks. Then it was time for the meal. Normally Josh's company has impressive meals for us to eat at any event. This year not so much. They did offer our kiddos there own food bar, which to be truthful looked better then ours, but ah with all the cuts and loss of the deal I guess they had to downsize. Though the salmon they had tasted good.
After the regular meal was the speech, letting us know how the company was doing over all and to reward prizes. They reward different prizes every year. This year everyone grabbed a raffle ticket and gave it to one of the secretaries. We didn't get a raffle ticket and before the raffling started we got a chance to get one, thanks to my big loud voice. After getting our raffle ticket then the raffle started. As the raffle was going I prayed that the Lord give us something that would be beneficial to our family and be beneficial to the boys. Something we really needed. When I prayed this the thing I had in mind was the Ipad to help the boys with there communication problems. The Ipad has an app that has photos on it that the kids could touch and bring to us when they needed something. We had one but due to some finicial errors we had to sell it a while back to correct those errors.
So as I prayed this is what I had in mind. But as we all know what we often have in mind for ourselfs is not what the Lord has in mind for us. He of course knows exactly what our needs are, hints why I prayed. Right after I finished praying the last Ipad had been taken. My heart sank as I thought we wouldn't get anything this year, but in the back of my mind felt lucky because Josh had gotten a bonus this year that allowed us to get presents for our kids for Christmas. So I was okay with it. Well as the raffle went on the next item after the Ipad was an all expenses paid trip to Disney land. As I stood there with Josh they rambled off the numbers. It took me a minute but I realized the number they rambled off was ours. I automatically was in shock and disbelief at the fact we had won this trip and stood in the back with most of Josh's fellow employee's starring at me to see my reaction. Which as everyone guessed was hands over my mouth in shock and almost in tears as the Lord answered my prayer in a way I couldn't imagine. Josh proudly went up with our daughter in his arms to claim our prize. The whole time little Elijah seemed totally confused by why Mommy was acting so funny. When he asked what was going on all I could do was tell Elijah was to give Mommy a minute. Josh came back and announced to Elijah our wonderful prize. Though I'm not sure he understood what was going on I know in time he will and it will be a memory he will have for the rest of our lifes.
I'm very thankful for this as I belive Josh truely deserved this and earned this, though both Josh and I know this was given to us by the Lord so he knows he can't take the glory for this when the glory goes to the Lord. I believe the Lords choice in the answer to our prayer is truly what our family needs and though I have a few anxieties I do know the Lord wouldn't give us something we didn't need and with all we've been through in the last few years and just recently I think we do need this. I feel we are being rewarded for our hard work and trying to stay faithful despite all the stress. We really do need to get away from all the therapies, doctors appointments, bills and responsibilities and just enjoy our kids and enjoy our family and this trip will allow this.
After all that was said and done we got to enjoy a dessert of cheesecake bar, where Josh's big boss shook my hand and his wife hugged me and said that the trip couldn't of gone to a more deserving family. After a wonderful dessert and chat with Josh's boss and his wife our family was off to look at the Zoo lights. We walked around and saw almost all of them. Due to the rain that started towards the end of the walk, we walked back to the van with sore feet, we were soak and wet but with happy hearts in the way we were blessed. This has definitely been a December to remember.
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