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Why We Stopped Going House to House for the Holidays

We hit a breaking point. We were so tired of rushing from house to house; we had truly begun to dread holidays. It was time to make a change for our family.

WATCH: Hobby Lobby Lights Up Mom Hearts With Viral Christmas Ad

Has Hobby Lobby entered the world of emotionally persuasive holiday short-form cinema? It would certainly seem so! And their Christmas ad effort is 100% geared toward what is undoubtedly their most loyal customer: busy (exhausted, out-of-time) moms.

“This Christmas I Want Food”: What These Foster Kids Want For Christmas Is Heartbreaking

None of them asked for this year’s hottest toy, or another video game to add to their collection. No, the children who filled out these tags listed their “innermost dreams”—things that should be part of everyone’s childhood.

“I Received a Call. ‘We Have a 14-Year-Old Boy Who Needs a Home.’ I Was Like ‘NO Way'”: Single Mom Becomes Foster Parent to Help Families Battling Addiction

Courtesy of Mandi Booker
Courtesy of Jennifer Marie Photography

Anytime a social or case worker would call and ask how we are doing and if I still want to adopt, I would always say, ‘If we can survive a quarantine together, we can survive anything.’ A year later we are still learning each other, still adjusting and still adapting. We take this journey one day at a time and there are days we fail completely. But we both get up, we talk about it and we grow. That’s how we make this work.

I’ve seen this kid change, grow, and mature so much in the last year. He’s still got some growing to do, but given everything he’s been through, the fact that he is where he is today is amazing. I didn’t birth him. I didn’t name him. I didn’t raise him. But I’m his mom. I can’t imagine our lives without him. Forever Bookers – May 21, 2021. This is our story of addiction to adoption, and how we are overcoming, and using our story to push forward and hopefully inspire hope.”

mother son photo
Courtesy of Jennifer Marie Photography
Courtesy of Jennifer Marie Photography

**This story was written by Mandi Booker, published with permission. Follow her journey on Facebook

Why We Stopped Going House to House for the Holidays

We hit a breaking point. We were so tired of rushing from house to house; we had truly begun to dread holidays. It was time to make a change for our family.

WATCH: Hobby Lobby Lights Up Mom Hearts With Viral Christmas Ad

Has Hobby Lobby entered the world of emotionally persuasive holiday short-form cinema? It would certainly seem so! And their Christmas ad effort is 100% geared toward what is undoubtedly their most loyal customer: busy (exhausted, out-of-time) moms.

“This Christmas I Want Food”: What These Foster Kids Want For Christmas Is Heartbreaking

None of them asked for this year’s hottest toy, or another video game to add to their collection. No, the children who filled out these tags listed their “innermost dreams”—things that should be part of everyone’s childhood.