Noah Spence relishes it, too.
“The best thing about being home is being with my family and friends,” he said. “I love them all, and I don’t see them very often (now), so it is very special when I get to be here.
“Christmas has always been my favorite holiday, and I am thankful for my parents for always teaching me the real meaning of the holiday.”
Devout in their faith, Greg and Helen Spence seem to harbor the true Christmas spirit all year long. It explains, for example, why they took on the task of adopting sons even as they raised their own.
For clarification, Noah is the only biological son of Greg and Helen. Helen had two sons in a previous marriage, Rod and Ray Scott, who are now in their 30s. Greg had a son, Greg Spence Jr., in a prior relationship.
Then they added the five adopted sons — Alex, Malcolm, Alonzo, Marcus and Tariq — over a span of time after moving to Harrisburg in 1998.
“There were other kids, maybe 15 or so, who have called our house their home from time to time (as foster parents),” Greg Spence said. “But (those kids) went back to their own homes once their parents got their issues straightened out.”
It has been a lot of work, Helen said, but never a burden.
“We are Christians, and we believe in God’s word, that ‘if you do unto the least of them, you have done unto me,’ ” Helen said. “It’s what human beings are here for, to do His work.