2010 Toy Chest

Today was the annual Bayleaf Toy Chest. This is our 4th year being blessed many times over by Bayleaf Church. We headed to Raleigh/Wake Forest last night so that we could get up before dawn to get in line. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to make it this year. Our original plan was to take the girls and spend the night with some dear friends from our past church. However, on Thursday Rita called to say she was running a high fever, feeling horrible and heading to the doctor. Well after a positive flu test we knew we had to look for a plan B or not go. I mentioned the situation to a friend at church and she said let me come stay with your girls and you all go. I can't tell you how much this meant to us. Going to the Toy Chest is our main way of being able to get Christmas presents for the girls. So not being able to go was a devastating thought. But as always the good Lord had his hand it in and said, TRUST me, I WILL PROVIDE. And provide he did. After sleeping on the floor at our house in Youngsville (yes the one we still own) we got up at 4 a.m. and headed to Bayleaf Baptist Church to get a spot in line. Our dearest friends Cary and Ashley Mullen met us there. (This was their first year getting to experience the Toy Chest and I am so glad we got to be there with them.) We had made plans to meet and sit next to each other in the line so we could talk, play cards, play dice and board games. We figured if we were going to be sitting in the dark and cold we might as well enjoy each others company. And let me just say we had a blast. After many rolls of dice, lots of hands of cards, uncountable cups of coffee and sharing of blankets we survived the cold and off we went to pick amazing Christmas presents for our babies. I can't tell you what a blessing it is, the thought that someone cares enough for seminary students who work to just barely provide. Go to school to do the Lord's work. It is such a humbling experience! To give you and idea of what we experience we arrive at the crack of dawn, wait to get a number , register for raffle prizes which are unbelievably amazing (that is how we got Izzy's MacBook last year) and then.....at 9:00 a.m. they open the doors to the gym where tables upon tables are covered with age appropriate toys in which you get to pick either 3 items or $7 worth. (The toys are priced at a discounted amount.) The best way I know how to describe it is like when you were a kid on Christmas morning and you saw your presents under the tree for the first time. It is such an overwhelming feeling. I almost can't believe my eyes when I see how kind the members who donated the toys are. The last 4 Christmas's have been the best because of someone elses kindness and desire to show the love of Christ. I will post pics of everything we got before I wrap them. But lets just say our girls are going to be so excited and thank you won't be enough.