The Best Christmas Gift Courtlin Ever Received [PHOTO]

I've been given some amazing gifts over the course of my life, but there's one in particular that stands out more than the others.

Christmas has always been a magical time of year to me, but no Christmas as an adult could ever rival Christmas as a child. My childhood wasn't always easy, but the month of December was always absolutely perfect, and I have my mom to thank for that.

Back in July of 1999, when I was eight-years-old, my dad passed away. It was hard on my little brother and I, but it was even harder on my mom. We didn't have a lot of money for a very long time, but that didn't stop my mom from always giving us the best Christmas she possibly could. I remember getting some amazing gifts from her all throughout my childhood, but the first Christmas without my dad stands out the most to me. The first holiday after somebody you love dies is always the toughest, but my mom still found a way to make it wonderful for her eight and six-year-old kids.

For a long time, all I wanted was a cat. I loved animals, but cats were my favorite. I actually used to get a new cat ornament for the tree every year (which I'm a little annoyed about now because my whole tree is cat ornaments, but whatever). The thing was, we couldn't have a cat because my dad was highly allergic (which I now am. Thanks genetics!). Without my dad, getting a cat became a possibility.

A few days before Christmas, my mom told my brother and me we were going to visit my friend Tina's mom at her work. She worked in a veterinarian's office. When we got there, there was a present waiting for us. We opened it up, and it was a bunch of cat supplies. It didn't take us long to figure out what was going on.

That's when we got to meet our new kitty! She was a stray that needed a new home. We named her Jingle Bells, or J.B. for short. I loved her more than anything in the world, but she was pretty shy, so I don't think she loved me quite as much (she hid a lot).

And that, my friends, is the best Christmas gift I ever received. I would love to hear your stories of your favorite Christmas gifts! It could be big, small, alive, or inanimate... whatever! Share your story with us in the comments!