Convict Christmas

Many have heard of the Angel Tree Network, a project that brings gift to the children of incarcerated parents.  I feel honored to bring the voices of those very men back into the homes of their loved ones.  I hope that when you see your loved one here, you will smile.  These are men who I am blessed to have met.  They make the best of their time even in these circumstances.  These are men who love their families and can't wait to get back to the people they love.

Enjoy this and feel free to comment as the comments you leave will be sent in for your loved one to read.  And.....a Merry Christmas to you all!!


  

First and foremost I want to go beyond my family and thank any and everyone who takes the time to send a letter every so often to keep their relationships alive, who drive how ever far on any given weekend for a visit, who keeps money on the phone so their voices are not lost, who sends a little money to try to make these harder times easier....everyone who forgives us and doesn't forget us even though we are incarcerated.  I've been extremely blessed to have a strong family to support me through all of this...mom, papa, Ashley, Linda, Jenny, Keri, Breanne, Taylor, Sylvia, Brett, Randy, and my wonderful son, Hunter.  I love you and miss you all so much.  Without y'all, all of of this would mean nothing....thank you so much for everything.  So, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and let's make 2013 a whole New Year in more ways than one!

~ Scott ~

This place can be miserable at times.  Shakedowns.  What you can and can't do.  Someone telling you what you have to do all day.  Yet it still can't stop my joy.  Nothing can stop God's plan of salvation for my life!! :)  Thank you, Lord, for helping me find myself, and the way to you.  I send this message to everyone.  Trust in the Lord, Jesus Christ.  He died on that cross and what a price He paid because he loved us.  May God bless you all and Happy Holidays!

With Love ~ Juan ~

I love y'all and miss y'all unconditionally.  I hope and wish y'all a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year.  Make sure y'all enjoy yourselves and eat enough for myself too.  Sorry that I couldn't be one of y'alls gift under the tree this year, but don't worry.....I'll be this year of 2013.  Merry Christmas to my wifey and my beautiful kids.  Don't worry....daddy will be home soon.  XOXO.  Miss y'all greatly! :(  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my lovely loves, family and homies...thank y'all for y'alls loves, care, and support unconditionally.  XOXO XOXO XOXO.

Love ~ Keemone ~

To all my friends and family: Merry Christmas!  Wishing you all the best this holiday season: good food, good times, good friends and family, good presents (I let Santa know that coal wouldn't do for any of you).  Enjoy them and know that I wish I could be there with you.  With a little bit of luck, I will be next year.

I love and miss you all.  Happy New Year!
~ Chris ~

This to shall pass.  Hard times don't last forever.  I know through these years you've miss your little Howard.  Just know God has a plan for all of us and this is a stepping stone to attain greatness.  I know I can't be there physically this Christmas, but I'm there spiritually.  I pray your holidays are merry.  Thank you for loving me.  A special shout-out to my momma.  And all the others....Shea Frazier, Alonzo Mckever, Laquanna Coffie, evangelist Jonny Smith and Jeffrey Richardson.

A very Merry Christmas to you all!  ~ Howard ~

Sending my love to you this holiday season.  To my mom and dad who have been there for me every step of the way.  Where would I be without you?  I love you both!

Your SUN ~ Patrick ~

I would like to wish all of my family and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Especially my mom and dad.  I miss you so much dad.  I know you will continue to look over me through my life.  To all my friends: I will see you all soon!  Joyce, Jennifer, Sherry and Warren, Bulch, Barbara, T-2, T-3.

Love ~ Tommy ~

Lynn & Larry:
....for two of the most wonderful parents in the world.  Who this Christmas I can't be there to hold.  I send my best wishes and my love, full of Christmas cheer.  When you see Santa and his deer, tell them you have my love and best holiday wishes this year!  I love and miss you both so very much.  Happy Holidays Mom & Dad.

With eternal love, your son ~ Ran ~

It's Christmas time!!  Merry Christmas mom and dad!  Merry Christmas bro!  Merry Christmas Fuller Family!  Also to my aunts and uncles, cousins, their families and to my grandparents, Merry Christmas!  I would like to tell you all how much I think of you on a daily basis.  I have a lot of regret about all the times I skipped out on family get-togethers, but at no time moreso than during this time of year.  Just as I am missing from there, there is a hole missing for each of you in me.  This is the time where giving to our loved ones and friends swells our hearts.  Being here, I can do very little giving.  My only presents are words and paper....err, computer text in this case.  So, I can only do my best to fill these words with as much love and feeling and sincerity as possible.  The best gift I think I can give you all is to tell you that I feel truly blessed that you are my family and to assure you that I am having a Merry Christmas too.  I love you all very much.  To Cody: I hope someday you will read all I have written to you and know how much I love you. Merry Christmas, son!

~ G ~

Hey baby!  Just giving you and the boys a shout-out.  I wish you guys the best this holiday and a Happy New Year!

Love Your Husband ~ Bae ~

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  I miss you all and love you tons.  I pray for you daily.  Much love to all the little ones.  I appreciate all you do for me.  Which reminds me....can you shoot me some more pictures and a little more money?  Smile!!  Your boy will be home soon.

XOXO, the "lil Saint".  ~ Anthony ~

I want to thank all the people that's been by my side during my incarceration.  Thank you Barbara, Shoquelle, Angela, Bobby, Kricket and Ashley for everything and not giving up on me.  I know it sucks that I can't be there with you guys/gals in flesh, but I'll be there in spirit.  It won't be long before I'm back home so you all can knock the dust off my chair around the dinner table.  But, I wish you guys/gals a happy holiday and a Happy New Year.  I love you guys.

Sincerely ~ Mel ~ 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the people who show me love.  Mom, Uncle Rich, U.T., A.K., Dobbs, and all my cousins.  Betty Boop, Michael, Nakir, and to my beautiful baby girl....Jamie.  Daddy loves and misses you!!

~ James ~

It's been said that grandma got run over by a reindeer, but where I come from it's cornbread and chicken and grandma really got run over by an airboat.  Where I am now, my Christmas tree is made out of cardboard and is 10 inches tall with glitter for the lights and paper boxes as me and my bunkies present.  We try to make it like home, but nothing could really compare: home is where our families and friends are.  Even though I'm not home, all of you are still in my heart.  I'm blessed to have y'all in my life.  This is the second Christmas I've missed, and hopefully the last, but I've learned that it's not about the presents and parties.  It's really about the people who you cherish.  Even though I'm so far away, I'm still having a Merry Christmas knowing that I have great people by my side.  I hope y'all have a Merry Christmas as well.

Love,
~ Forrest Robert ~

To my close family: Hey guys what's up?  Hope that your holidays are going good and all is well.  I just wanna say that I'm glad to have a family like you guys to help me through the good and the bad times.  But this time won't last forvever.  I'll be home next year.  Always know that I love you and miss you like crazy.  This is to you, Charlie, Melissa, Kim, Aunt Judy, Grandma and Aunt Ethel.  Lots and lots of love.

Your hard headed loved one,
~ Blake ~

On this day, I just want all of you to know that at the end of the night, no matter what the storm brought in, we survived.  Things may not be how we want them to be, but we can all look around and be thankful that we can share it all with people that we call family.  I had a rough year and might have many more to go, but even when I can't be there with all of you, I still have my family in blue to share J.T. with.  Lil J.T., Isaiah, Emma, Miss B.B., mother-on-law Barbara, mother-in-law Robyn, mother-in-law Vicki, Trick, E, Buddah, Machine, House, Buck, Shae, Ty, and nephew: I love y'all.  Baby Mommaz, I just wanna take tha tyme to just say thank you for takin care of my kids over the years while I was running the streets and didn't know how to change.  Today is the day that I share forgiveness because I was bitter in my heart cuz y'all left me for dead.  I feel like it's best for things to be as they are and I just want y'all to give your all to the family that surrounds you right now.  You'll never know what it's like to not be there no matter how hard things get because bottom line is you have another day to weather the storm or make things better.

If I had one wish....
~ Steven ~

I'm sending a very Merry Christmas wish to both my mom and dad: love you both!  A special shout-out to my lady Samantha: love you angel!  To all my friends and family: have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year!

~ Shaggy ~

To my loving family this holiday season.  I started this trip 10 years ago and when I was locked up, I found out who really cared about me.  It wasn't my so called friend, it was my family and one family of friends....the Thomas family.  So this year, my final Christmas away from home, I want to send to all of you my love and respect.  Also, my great thanks for all that y'all have done and for the love and support you all showed me.  This has been a real eye opener for me.  It has shown my what's important in my life.  I now want to be a good father to my son, a son to my mom and dad, a brother to my sister and brother, an uncle to my favorite niece and a loyal friend to my true friends. I love you all.  Last, but certainly not least, I want to thank my girl for taking a chance on me when I was at my worst.  You've showed me love and stood strong by me, allowed me into your family and I love you for that.  Thanks for believing in me when most would not.  Also, to Brit, Randy and my little buddy Grayson.  Thanks for allowing me into your lives.  You all have my love, loyalty and respect.  If you ever need me, I'll be there.  Happy Holidays and see y'all February 24th, 2013.

Love,
~ Gator ~   

To Mom, Sonny, Shanda, Sis, and Boy's:
To my loving, wonderful family on this Christmas day.  Here's something from me worth more than money and a present could ever be.  I'm sending you this to show you how much you all mean to me.  To show you how much I appreciate all of you for sticking by me through thick and thin no matter the outcome.  I love you all more than anything in the world and I miss you so deeply.  Have a wonderful Christmas and an even better New Year.  Merry Christmas, your son/brother/uncle.

Love ~ Lawrence ~

Cheers to one less Christmas that I will spend away from my family.  I am learning to see how full the glass is, rather than how empty.  This time of year I like to look back and see how far I have come rather than what is left to go.  Sobriety, mixed with God in my life and the people that love me, gives me a positive outlook.  An old Christmas carol states "peace on Earth"...that's what I wish for, along with knowledge, wisdom and more forgiveness.  A special shout-out to my brothers and sisters.  Along with our parents, the two people that made me possible.  I love you mom!  And to my best friend, Brooke, the lady who makes all this possible.  Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your life.  Your love, friendship, and forgiveness challenge me daily to be all that I can be.

~ Michael ~