If you received something in the mail and you want to thank your helper, post a comment on this post or on past Thank You posts. You can thank the family who helped you anonymously. We totally understand that many of you don't want to say thanks in public on Facebook. But read on, and know any show of gratitude means the world.
Also, if you emailed us your thank you note, please know that as much as we loved reading it - we were not able to pass on your email to the woman who helped you (there were just too many emails).
Thank you. xoxox
Lydia, Kate, & Guru
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"On Friday I came home from work in a horrible emotional state. The news from Connecticut was overwhelming. I was so sad for those who would never see their child laughing again. I noticed a package sitting by my front door. It was from Virginia, and I was confused. I was so surprised to find several presents inside for both my son and myself. I needed a "pick me up" desperately so I opened one present. It was a simple bracelet with a horseshoe charm. I cried (and cried and cried and cried). I now wear the bracelet every day to remind myself that even those things are hard right now, I am EXTREMELY LUCKY for what I do have. Thank you Michelle (and Nicholas & Graham). I can't wait for my son to open the presents you sent plus the ones I was able to purchase with your generous gift card."
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This is about the 3959372th time I have tried to send you fine ladies a message to let you know how much Give It Up Mommyland has affected my family. There are no words to explain how freaking amazing you all are. I've done the ugly cry every time I have looked at my Christmas tree and seem the presents you have helped me get my kids. And the fridge that now has milk. We were so broke before getting the gift cards in the mail I honestly didn't know how we would make it until payday. You all amaze me. Thank you! Just thank you. You are amazing. Every single one of you out there in Mommyland is absolutely freaking amazing. I love you all.
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Because my family is on here & they don't know how bad things are, please don't include my name if you post this. You ladies for making this possible! Thank you!!
Because things just keep getting better this year....My husband just had surgery. What was supposed to be a quick in-and-out thing turned into heart fluctuations & 4 days in the hospital. Thankfully, he is home now & recovering.
Then I checked my mail. Tucked in under my very threatening electric bill was a card postmarked from Baltimore. Jenny Knoepfle made my day amazing. The gift from her family to mine brought me to tears. I will be able to get my 3 year old the one and only thing she's been asking for - Hungry hungry hippos. I can get the baby her first stocking and a fun present. My sad, empty tree will have presents under it now.
Jenny - you didn't include your return address, so I can't send you a card. You have a beautiful family and a beautiful heart. I can't thank you enough! I hope to do for another family what you did for mine one day. Thank you!
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What do you say when thank you doesn't cut it? When someone who doesn't and will never know you, steps in and helps? Especially when that person asks to remain anonymous. You say thank you to the people that brought that gift to you. So thank you ladies, thank you so very much. Sorry as I am to say it, I'm too embarrassed to post this on the pages wall. No one wants to say they can't give their kids Christmas... but this year, I can tell my angels that Santa won't forget them. And that it because of the you guys, and the wonderful woman who has helped us.
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Good Morning,
I wanted to share my joy this morning and say thank you to MommyLand and to the match that you made for me.
I have been at the end of my rope for a while now. This weekend was yet another shove towards the edge of the cliff. I found out Friday night that my electricity would be shut off tomorrow if I could not pay $90. Panicked all weekend about how and where I was going to get money to pay this. I have about 40 bucks to my name and have not been able to get any gifts for my daughters yet because of having to pay the little things like rent, car insurance among others. Just cried and cried last night because I have never been in this rock bottom place where I could not even get one thing for Christmas for them. Ran around this AM trying to get the electric squared away, thankfully they would take a partial payment to keep the shut off from happening, so now I have $3 to my name but the lights stay on. I was feeling defeated and like well a shitty mom, I get a knock in the door and it is the FedX guy with an envelope. I opened it and there was a gift card inside for $40 from Debbie F. at an APO AE address. I cried right there in my open front door, Debbie you are an Angel, you have made it possible to get my girls Christmas gifts. You are either serving our country or the spouse of someone who is and that is more than enough for anyone to ask and you decided to be an Angel for someone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, I hope someday I can bring the kind of joy to someone that you have given me today.
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I don't often cry... But right now I'm ugly crying... We just received a gift certificate to walmart, and STARBUCKS!! My children will have a good Christmas thanks to you Mrs.Claus my husband and I can go on a coffee date! I know that a coffee date doesn't sound like much, however when things are tight and they have been for over a year now, you don't get dates. We have a special needs son so anything we might have extra goes to his needs... I want to thank you and the wonderful ladies of Rants From Mommyland for this awesome precious gift. Without this there would have been nothing under the tree. If I could hug all of you right now I would! Thanks again for an amazing Christmas.
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You guys have made me ugly cry today. Really, you have. Today, two
more gift cards arrived in the post. I can't even tell you how grateful I
am for people's generosity. Not only does my little boy have presents
to open for Christmas, he has some warm winter clothes too, instead of
having to go round looking twice his weight because he's wearing a
trillion layers of summer clothes. And a HUGE pack of nappies which
means I have to panic less over January. And this might sound really
personal, but stuff it - Lydia tells us about her boobstains all the
time, right? So I went to the store and bought my little boy some books and toys and warm snuggly winter clothes and nappies. It's been a while since my trolley looked so full! And I found I had about £5 left. And my period started today and as you can imagine, I feel pretty damn crappy. And we've had no money in like, forever, so I've been buying store brand pads - you know, the ones that feel like you're wearing a mattress down there? Stuffed with HAY. So anyway, with the money left I bought - some tampax, shower gel, and painkillers.
See, this is what mummies are giving each other this Christmas. It's not just about being able to buy toys for the little ones, although that's totally amazing. But it's about the dignity too. Dignity of knowing you could give something to your kids. And for me, the dignity of just. feeling. comfortable. Knowing I could feel - well, good, instead of uncomfortable and messy and bleurgh - just made me walk a little taller today.
Thank you to you guys, and too all the mummies involved. There are not enough words.
Priceless.
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Hi and Merry Christmas!!
I just wanted to stop by and share my gratitude. With Christmas just a week away it was getting harder and harder to look my children in the face. They have such hopes for Christmas. The stress was starting to feel like the weight of the world on this mama's shoulders. Well, today I went out to check the mail and among all the junk mail and bills was an envelope from Target. With this mama's name on it. Why am I getting something from Target? Well, I get inside and open it to find a gift card (which also doubles as a cool toy for the little one) for me to get things for my kids. I broke down, right then and there and ugly cried. Cried in joy. Cried in relief. There will be gifts under our tree!!
I can't thank you wonderful ladies enough for setting all of this up. And to Jessi Eads, wherever you are, THANK YOU so much. Your generosity will allow me to see smiles on my kids faces Christmas morning instead of frowns! I hope to be on the giving side of this next year. Thank you again! So so much!
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Good morning Lydia, Kate, and Guru Louise! It has taken me a couple of days to write this, but I wanted to share my story. Friday morning I awoke to the wonderful sound of someone barfing. When I ran down the stairs I discovered that it wasn't one of my boys, but, rather, my husband (food poisoning...hooray!). My husband who drives the kids to and from school everyday since he has been unable to find work after getting laid off 20 months ago. My husband who essentially runs the show while I go to work 40+ hours a week (and we need every one of those 40+ hours since I am the only income!). Oh. Crap. I quickly deduced that I would need to get the kids ready for school and take them to their respective locations, which would make me about 2 hours late to work. So, I did. Then I got to work and about 30 minutes in, heard the horrible news coming out of Newtown, CT. So then I couldn't stop crying and it took every ounce of willpower I had not to go get my kids from their schools. I called hubby around noon and it turns out he was still barfing and definitely would need me to pick the kids up from school. At which point I realized I didn't have the appropriate pick-up forms for the kids. Drove across town to get them and ask poor Barfman what kind of Gatorade he wanted, back to work to work two more hours, and then back across town to start getting the kids from their schools. By the time I made it home at 5:30, I was completely exhausted. I have no idea how single parents do it all. I sent my oldest to get the mail and there in his cute little 6-year-old hands, was a card from Sarah Kramer in Indianapolis. Not just a card, but Visa gift cards because she knew I could shop anywhere with them. And a wonderful message that she was sending us thoughts, prayers, and energy for a better 2013. At which point I started the ugly crying. I had been doing ok since getting my babies from school, but at that point I just lost it. On a day when so much wrong had happened in our country, a little glimmer of hope and love came through. And now my kids can have some presents under the tree. I was grateful to help last year and I am extra grateful for the help this year. Thank you Sarah Kramer, and thank you Lydia, Kate, and Guru Louise! I am off to WalMart to search for a few toys now that Barfman is back to normal.
(c)Herding Turtles, Inc. 2009 - 2012
