All I Want for Christmas is.....a Zebra?

A zebra.

That is all that S3 wanted for Christmas this year. And he was very specific about it. A zebra that is soft with little beads in it when you squish it, to be exact. His words, not mine.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a zebra?

My thought was perhaps it would be in the form of a beanie baby or that zebra on Madagascar. Nope, those are completely impossible to find. I stopped looking on my own and instead asked in every store I came upon. No one had one. I got desperate and begged friends to look, one of my friends husband has a job that lands him at the mall EVERY day, he couldn't find one anywhere.
I knew where there was one. At the zoo gift shop. The zoo that was closed for the season.
But on Christmas Eve eve, my dear friend KE called and said “hey, did you still need that zebra for S3?”

“Yes,” I hissed into the phone, running for the laundry room where no one but myself ever enters, “Did you find one?” I dared to ask.

“Yah, my Nana has one. It's used, but barely. Would you like it?”

It was all I could do to keep from jumping up and down. “Yes, yes, yes!” I cried excitedly in hushed tones.

“I'll meet you at school and you can get it there,” she offered.

Oh, this is the sweetest friend ever and her Grandma must certainly have a direct line to Santa! We met, made the exchange (well, not really an exchange, she handed me the zebra beanie baby and it was all I could do not to cry), and I went home to wrap it up. It was so little wrapped I literally stuffed it into the toe of S3's stocking so it would be the last present he opened.

And I had a gift for him, a gift I was sure he was going to love, but he wanted that zebra. He told everyone who asked, he wanted a zebra. It was the first time I have ever prayed to God to find a particular gift....and when KE called with it it seemed almost unbelievable, God answered the prayer of a desperate mother for a zebra???? Why do I ever limit God?

So, Christmas gifts were opened and the joy on S3's face was more than I could put into words. Here are a few photos.... And then God, just to be humorous, I am sure, added this to the story.....

Christmas night we were hanging out at my parents playing cards when my oldest brother says, “So, uh, hey, did you ever find a zebra for S3?”

“Oh, yes!” I gushed and shared the story with him.

“Wife tell you what Jr got for Christmas from his aunt?”

“No.” I answered haltingly. What did he get? And why did my brother have a smirk on his face.
This is why.

I wouldn't trade that little zebra for anything, it was just what S3 wanted. He has carried it to bed with him every night since he has gotten it. But to see this huge zebra, it was like God saying “Don't doubt me, ever.” Got the point there, God.