This will make xmas so much easier

mckayleesmom wrote: We were accepted for the Hero's at home program at sears...This is going to be sooo helpfull for xmas time.


Recently the Military contacted sears and made them change their policy. It use to be offered to only Active duty deployed soldiers...The military said that if they didn't change it to all and make it fair for all active duty to participate then they wouldn't allow its service members to take part. They agreed and changed it to all miltary members that are active duty. I applied on a whim and got the acceptance email today.

I'm so glad that Sears changed its mind and realized that just because my husband is not deployed doesn't mean that he doesn't work hard too. My husband is a Vet..just not an Iraqi one..

mckayleesmom replied: I forgot to add that this is still no guarantee...If they didn't have enough donations nobody will get anything..

Calimama replied: He's never been to Iraq? I didn't know that.


Congratulations!!! It's a great program!

mckayleesmom replied:
No..he did 2 tours of Korea and a couple other country's I can't pronounce...Not countries fighting us, but fighting each other...He was on the first plane headed out to Iraq after 9-11 and they pulled him off and gave him different orders for recruiting. He was part of the 101st who caught Saddam's sons. Recruiting kind of ruined his promotion status for infantry so he converted.

mckayleesmom replied:
It is a great program..Did you guys sign up? You guys were elligable. Even if its only 10 bucks its still helpful.

Calimama replied:
No, our battalion passed around the information but there are a lot of military families who wouldn't be able to provide Christmas for their kids at all. I didn't want to take someones spot that really needed it. KWIM? We're pretty blessed. Plus our families go crazy in the gift department.

mckayleesmom replied:
Understandable...We are just really struggling this year..so hopefully this will turn out good. As far as gifts go..we are not buying much because my mil is paying for everyone to go to gattlinburg and the kids will be sledding and the attractions there mainly....But this would be good for family gifts...We need a new microwave and pots and pans...among other things we have been putting off.

Calimama replied:
Yeah I think a ton of people will donate closer to Christmas!!! You'll have to keep us posted on what you guys get. We want pictures too.

sparkys2boys replied: Bri, what is this program?? Never heard of it?? I hope that you have a wondeful xmas and maybe in the new year things will get easier for you guys!! You deserve it

mckayleesmom replied:
Its a program where sears excepts donations towards the military during the holidays. People sign up and if they are accepted into the program they distribute the money to help military people during the holidays. It can be anywhere from $1 to 550 I think....I think they chose 20,000 families..The sign up ended October 31st.

Living in Jackson Alabama just killed us financially..not to mention being restationed 6 times in 5 years doesn't let us save anything at all. We were doing a little better here in Newbern till the economy tanked.

sparkys2boys replied: Sounds like a wondeful thing Bri!! I really hope that you guys can get some help for xmas!!!

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
I don't mean to be rude, but if that's the case, why all the new pets lately? What with the rat or hamster fiasco or whatever.. the ferret having health issues and having to go to the vet, Seems like a new dog, and having to buy food for it etc.. wouldn't be on my priority list if I was struggling financially, but that's just me..

Congrats on being accepted.

lisar replied: I hope you get it. However alot of people think that just because you are in the military you make good money. That isnt always true though. I know alot of people that think that way.

mckayleesmom replied:
First of all...You need to reread...I stated that we were doing ok till recently. I didn't purchase any of our pets..My mil did along with their supplies. The puppy I took because her mother was dying and they needed someone to take her that could look after her all day since she isn't weened yet. The Rat and the Gunner were Mckaylee's birthday presents from her grandma..The rat died days later and her grandmother replaced the rat with the ferret.

mckayleesmom replied:
Also..the ferret never had to go to the vet...We just called and they gave us advice..That was free.

As for the dog food..Gunner still has dogfood my mil bought him. He has had all his shots from his origional owner. The new puppy only eats a 50 cent can of dog food every 3 days...She isn't even a pound yet and can't even get her shots for another month or so in which the puppy's mothers owners are going to pay for. They were planning to pay for their shots anyways, but when the mother got sick and refused to nurse them they needed them to find homes where a person could care for them all day..They run a family business and couldn't stay home to make sure they were fed every 2 hours.

Our financial situation should be looking better at the end of January. Unfortunantly that won't be before xmas and Mckaylee and Russell would notice. That is why I signed up for Hero's at home. It's not just for poor families. It was a way that sears wanted to let all our soldiers know how much they are appreciated. Some people are planning to buy appliances, redecorate their homes...You name it from what I have read. If I recieve anything, I plan to use it to make up for last xmas and last year when all my kids heard was NO. They went without anything extra that year. No candy, no toys, nothing. There was just no room for extra there...not even internet, which is why I was gone. If that makes me a bad person, so be it. If I don't get anything, I will just have to juggle things around and try to make it work. This will just make that alot easier and less stressfull to do. We had to take out 2 loans just to survive Jackson and that was something totally out of our controll for a number of reasons. They will be paid off in January. Gunner came from Grandma and is taken care of by her as well as the Ferrett because the rat died. Those were birthday gifts. We have a beta fish...the neighbor bought her and she bought his food as well and I'm really suprised its still alive, but it is. This new puppy was also free. I was suppose to buy a new ball gown for dh's upcomming ATC ball (which they cancelled and then decided a week and a half ago was back on which left less money for xmas because the military can do that..They pay for it, but you pay for it first and they pay you back whenever they feel like it)and Instead..I let my kids get a puppy. She was free, but I wanted to make sure we had everything we needed for her. The last clothes I have gotten..were at xmas from my MIL. My mom won't even give me money or gift cards to certain places because she gets upset because I will spend it on the kids. I don't get my hair done professionally and I can't tell you the last time I have gotten it cut. My xmas gift this year is doing secret santa. I grew up knowing my family was poor and that my mom struggled and the worst part out of every year was xmas and knowing that she was racking her brain trying to figure out how to buy us presents. I don't want that for my kids, so if getting a little help is how I can make that happen..I'm not ashamed to do it. If me or my husband have to go without to give our kids a friend...fine.

My kids are fed, have a roof over their head, lights, water, etc. Depending on what paycheck it is and what bills come out..sometimes there is some extra, but nothing you can count on definantly and that was scary to think about with xmas comming. The point is..we all juggle to make things work. Your family just works differently then mine. Our basic needs are still met which is most important, but it would be nice to be a little less stressed and wondering where its going to come from at holiday times.

I don't even think it should just be for military...it should be for everyone because everyone is juggling to make things work.

sparkys2boys replied: Bri, I don't think you need to justify yourself in here or to anyone hun. We all have hard times and we all get through them and I know for sure you guys will too. I think it is great that you have a program that offers a wonderful service to those that need it. Your dh sure has offered a service that your country that needed and still does. I think your doing a wonderful job of providing for the kids!! Keep up the great work and don't let people judge you, noone ever judges when a family gives up there partner to fight for our country, or when a loved one dies to help others.


And I really hope that you guys have a wonderful xmas! If there is anything I can do to help.. just let me know!!!

youngmomofone replied: I've never heard of it, but I'm so glad that yall got accepted. I know first hand how hard it is to be struggling and worrying about Christmas.

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
I agree, hun. I think it is well deserved. It's obvious you have a very giving heart and would do the same for anyone else. Please keep us posted and let us know what you end up getting. I just heard about this program for the first time this year and it's definitely something I will consider donating to.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: I'm sorry Brianne, I really wasn't trying to be offensive, and I can see that I insulted you, it wasn't the intent... you didn't need to justify anything.. we've all been there, where money was tight for one reason or another, and i'm sorry that you're in that position. I was just saying that a new dog wouldn't be in my priorites if money was tight, free or not. Which is a situation that I will likely be in once the divorce is final and I'm on my own financially.

mckayleesmom replied:
I know...I'm just trying to explain myself. Yes..money is tight right now, but it should be looking up before the puppy starts costing us money..Just not before xmas.