10 Day Give - Day 10

Yesterday I started the day subbing.  I wasn't scheduled but ended up subbing for my friend who was wishing she wasn't scheduled to sub that morning and since I didn't have anything going on, it did it.

That afternoon I spent time catching up on and finishing my Bible Study.  I really enjoyed the quiet house and the gorgeous breeze blowing through.

Last night I attended our planning meeting for starting up a choir in our church parish.  It looks like I will be giving of my vocal talents in the near future!

Nothing over these last 10 days was life-changing. I don't always think that giving is all about the extraordinary or the jaw-dropping thing that you do.  It is more about how you live your life, carry yourself, speak to others, and show you care.  There was nothing extraordinary in my giving these last 10 Days.  It was just regular everyday stuff that maybe took me a few extra minutes or took some extra effort on my part.  Isn't that really what giving is....giving just a little bit extra.  Giving that extra smile, that hug, to let someone know you care. 

We get so focused on the next task, the next practice, the next meal, the next meeting, the next load of laundry that we forget to stop and take the time to notice our neighbor sitting on his porch or the woman sitting alone at church or the child who is especially quiet.  We are so focused on running to the next errand that we forget to smile at the check out clerk or hold the door for someone.  My hope is that this 10-Day Give has inspired you to stop give that little bit extra - your time, your gifts, your talents, your money, your smile, or your kind words. 

10 Day Give - Day 9

I had such a fun day today.  I met my friend for coffee, which turned into 4 hours later we realized we better get on with our day!  I always enjoy my time with her and I really feel like she lifted my spirits and I hope I did hers too.  It is nice to bounce off mom/kid issues with each other and we can totally relate.  

After my 4 hour coffee, I rushed over to my favorite gift/decor shop to pick up a fall gift for my Secret Pal at church.  The person I have, had me a couple years ago and SPOILED me.  So, I am trying to repay the kindness by finding neat things to surprise her with.  While shopping I also found her Christmas present so I am super excited to have that checked off my list.  I will be dropping off her gift for her to find tomorrow!

Tonight I am going through some photos that I know my mom wants copies of and getting them uploaded and ordered from Shutterfly.com.  I know how much she will appreciate having these copies next time I see her.  

Tomorrow is my final day of the 10-Day Give.  It is a hectic day and not sure how I will get my GIVE in, but I will find something!  

10 Day Give Day 8

Today we went to church.  After church we had our annual Baked Potato Dinner.  They offer 12 different potato toppings so everyone can make their baked potato their own special way.  It was delicious.  All the potatoes were from either our Pastor's garden or from another member's garden.  How awesome is that?  Did you know today was Pastor Appreciation Day.  I left a card for our Pastor and his wife to let them know how much they are appreciated.  Unfortunately, I couldn't tell him in person because he was hospitalized last night.  We are hoping for a smooth and quick recovery for him. 

After the meal we ran back home to change (good thing we live only a few blocks away) and went back to church for the CROP Hunger Walk.  The CROP Walk's message is to "End Hunger One Step at a Time".  We met at our churchwith about 20 other locals for a welcome and prayer and then walked over to our high school track for a 1 hour walk.  Pledges will be donated and 25% will come back to our local Food Pantry.  Last year our food pantry received over $800.  That goes a long way towards helping families in our community.  Our whole family was happy to be able to donate and walk for hunger today.  Have you noticed a theme during this 10-Day Give time?  I really have a passion for helping those who are hungry and needy!

This afternoon I spent about 3 hours, yes, 3 hours with our daughter cleaning out and organizing her room.  I didn't even get to the clothes yet.  This was just the toys.  Oh my it was a J-O-B!  But, her room is now all organized and cleaned out.  One bag of garbage was taken out as well as one bag for donation.  Ugh!  One of these nights or maybe next weekend I need to go through her clothes and get the winter clothes out.  As much as I don't want to admit it, colder weather is coming.  I hope our daughter appreciates her clean and organized room and keeps it that way for awhile.

10 Day Give Day 7

Saturday was a day I gave to my family.  We started the morning with the boys' soccer game.  It was a gorgeous Saturday and was a fun game to watch.  It was the last game of the season and it ended in a tie.  We know how much time and effort the coaches put in over the season, so we were happy to give them a gift certificate to our local restaurant as a way to thank them for their time. My parents came to watch the game and then came to our home for the afternoon.  I made lunch for everyone and then we watched the Hawkeyes play Penn State and lose.  My mom brought a treat for me as well...she made me a Lemon Meringue Pie, my favorite, and it was soooooo delicious!!!  Then the evening was spent with my husband on our DATE NIGHT.   We had a great time and lots of excellent conversation.  Lately, I have been really craving that one on one time with my husband and I am so glad we had 2 dates this week.  It might be awhile before we get a chance to have one again.  We have a joke that it isn't really a date with out a stop at Target.  So, of course, we stopped at Target.  We needed to pick up our items for our weekly Food Pantry donation.  Rather than the kids bringing a monetary offering to their Sunday School, they bring a food item to donate to the pantry.  Normally, I like to take the kids and let them pick out something they would want to donate.  But, it was just easier this time for Pat and I to pick up the food.  We know what a great need there is in our area for food and it is something easy we can do to help out.  We picked up things like canned fruit and vegetables, pasta, and cereal.  All items we take for granted that are on hand in our pantry.  Donating food items is an easy way to give back to your community.  If you haven't done so, please consider contacting your local food pantry and finding out their needs today.

10 Day Give Day 6

Today I was able to spend my entire day (while the kids were in school) at home.  So, I took that opportunity to CLEAN OUR HOUSE. It was way beyond the "NEED" stage and was at the "CATASTROPHIC" stage.  I scrubbed floors, vacuumed in corners, and dusted every single item on shelves.  I feel so much better.  The house looks nice....at least for the next couple hours.  So, I guess you could say I gave my family (and myself) a clean house today.  My parents are coming tomorrow, so they can at least come and enjoy my clean house too.

After all my cleaning was done, I made some cookies to have after school and in case any of our friends come over before or after the football game, which usually happens.  The cookies incorporate two of my favorite things, pumpkin and white chocolate, so I just had to try them.  They are super moist and have just the right amount of pumpkin flavor.  They are delish.  Click the link to find the recipe for these great cookies,

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies.

Tonight we will be cheering on our local football team and hanging out with friends.  It is a beautiful, fall night and I am blessed to be able to enjoy it!

10 Day Give Day 5

This first Thursday of every month I donate my time and talents to our local library.  I lead a story time for the little ones in our community.  I started the story time when I think our daughter was 3.  I missed taking her like I had taken the boys when we lived in Cedar Rapids and I wanted to give her those same opportunities but without driving an hour round trip.  So, I offered to lead one at our library and it has been going ever since.  Out of all the volunteering I do, this is MY FAVORITE.  Today we had 9 kids and they are always so excited to come to story time.  The best part is when the kids see me out and about in the community.  I get the biggest hugs! So even though I am doing the giving - I think I am the one who gets the most from it!

I love selecting the book and theme for the month.  Then looking for songs, finger-plays, craft and a snack to tie it all in.  I am so thankful for the internet, as I have found lots and lots of ideas there.  My other favorite resource is THE MAILBOX.  It is a teacher resource book that is shipped every couple months.  I know that the teachers in our school use it and it has also given me great ideas.  I also have a story time friend, Lucy the Lamb.  She is a puppet and helps welcome the kids each time with our story time song.

Today's story time theme was Fall.  I read the book I SEE FALL by  Charles Ghigna and AG Jatkowska.  We also sang a song while dropping different colored leaves.  Our craft today was to make a fall tree.  I don't remember where I found this idea, but it worked really well for our group of 2-3 year olds.  You could also change this up for a Apple theme using red and green tissue paper.

Items Needed:
Blue Construction Paper
Brown Construction Paper
Red, Orange, Yellow, Purple, and Green Tissue Paper
Glue (Elmer's liquid glue works best)

10 Day Give Day 4

Today after subbing and then not feeling well, I chose to give something to our kids that they have been asking for.  I made Orange Julius for them this afternoon.  They have asked several days and I either forgot or it just didn't work for me to make it that day.  They were pretty excited and it really was a pretty easy thing to do for them.  If you want to make your own Orange Julius, check out my post HERE. 

Also, as part of my 40 Before 40 List, I sent a card to my friend, Ardie, who I know needs some encouragement.

10 Day Give Day 3

Since yesterday was my birthday and I received many gifts from others, I took the day off from the 10-Day Give.  So, today is my Day 3 of the 10-Day Give. 

Today we had a funeral at our church.  I spent the morning making sandwiches and preparing food for the funeral luncheon.  Then I served during the luncheon and cleaned up.  It was a priviledge to give up my day to serve a wonderful family in this way. 

Tonight we attended our niece, Ali's volleyball game.  We finally had a night that worked in our schedule to be able to attend one of her games and I am so glad we did.  It was Senior and Parent's Night, so she was honored for both.  She and two other seniors also sang the Nation Anthem before the game which was AWESOME!  She definitely is a talented young woman and we were proud to be there for her tonight. 

Are you also participating in the 10-Day Give?  What did you give you someone today?

10 Day Give Day 2 - Lima Leaf Day

Day 2 of the 10 Day Give was Sunday.  Every year, the first Sunday in October you can find me and my family giving of ourselves all day long.  My parents are the caretakers of a country church that was part of many generations of my mom's family.  The church is located in a beautiful area of NE Iowa that is no longer a town.  At one time, Lima was a bustling community with a railroad, school, store, and church.  It was even in the running to be the county seat.  But, alas, it fell to the troubles of the Great Depression and now all that is left is the Lima Church.


Lima Church - Photo courtesy of Rice Creative Services

 My parents along with several other volunteers have taken care of this church and its neighboring cemetery for many, many years.  Without their TLC and numerous fund-raisers, this beautiful landmark wouldn't be here either.

So, the first Sunday of October every year is Lima Leaf Day.  It is a fall festival with a meal, kid's games like ring toss, fish pond, and cake walk, petting zoo, country store and numerous vendors.  The meal is the highlight of the day and people come from all over and stand in line for maidrites, pork sandwiches, and homemade pies.  This year we actually RAN OUT of pies.  As far back as I can remember, I don't remember ever running out of pies.  It was tragic and I hated seeing the people's faces after waiting in line and finding out there was no more pie.  We had beautiful weather (my mom always says, "The Lord loves Lima") and a huge turnout.  The money raised helps to pay for the mowing of the grounds and cemetery and other upkeep/maintenance issues.  It really is a fun day and even though we are completely exhausted on Sunday evening, you are exhausted with a smile on your face because of all the people you saw and caught up with, the happy faces on the children who won a cake on the cake walk, and spending the day with family - all working together and giving of themselves for the same purpose.  Enjoy the photos from our day. 


Bennett, Reagan and Patrick running the ring toss




Pat taking the kids on a test run with the train.



Many people come out to see the vendors.

The lunch line has formed.



We can seat about 80 people at a time and we are busy for 3 hours.



My great-nephew, Henry, couldn't wait to have a bite of his chili dog!



Reagan even got to take a ride on a pony!

Even though there are no longer church services held in this church, it is a frequent site for weddings, family gatherings, luncheons, and funerals.  If you would like to learn more about Lima check out http://www.wadenaiowa.com/lima.htm

It is 10-Day Give Time Again

This is my third year participating in the 10-Day Give.  I love how it challenges me to find a way to give to others every day.  Some days it might be my time, some days my words, and some days I may be giving money or things. 

The 10-Day Give is a challenge to give something to someone each day - for 10 days.  This video below really says it all.



So, why don't you join me in giving to others for just 10 days.  Who knows?  Maybe it will turn into 10 more days.  Check out the 10-Day Give website HERE or their Facebook page HERE to sign up.  If you want to read some of the things I've done with the 10-Day Give in past years, click on the 10-Day Give Label down the right side of my blog. 

Since today is Day 1, I will go ahead and post my give for today.   It was an easy one because it was already scheduled.  Today is the Boy Scouts Scouting for Food Pick Up.  So, I filled the sack with groceries for them to pick up and donate to our local food pantry.  It was very easy to grab things from our pantry that we are fortunate enough to be able to replenish.  If you don't have a Boy Scout Group doing this in your community today, find out how you can drop off food to your local food pantry.  It is one of the easiest ways to give back to your community.  You just might be feeding your child's classmate, a family from church, or even your neighbor!

10 Day Give - Days 2, 3, and 4

As you know I've been participating in the 10 Day Give again this year.  On Day 2, Saturday, our family attended our daughter's soccer game.  Then I had some time alone in the house while Pat and the kids ran some errands.  I cleaned the house and set out all our fall decorations.  I also spent a lot of time working on a "top secret" project that is a gift for my husband.  He will be turning 40 this month and so I have to work on it when he isn't home.  So, even though, I won't be giving it to him for a few weeks, I gave up some free time so that I could work on this project with him.  Then once the kids got home, we played some Wii, I helped them pick up their rooms, and then hung out the rest of the afternoon and evening.  So, it was mostly a day of giving of myself to my family.

On Day 3 our family attended church where I gave our tithe and gave quarters for our Heifer Project tube.  We also had a visitor in our church who I went up to and welcomed in our church that day.    We then attended our sons football games.  This day was actually my birthday, so I was the receiver of gifts and love today.  I received over 75 greetings on my Facebook wall recognizing my birthday.  What a lovely gift that was.  We had lunch with my husband's sister and her family and I made a phone call to my parents.

On Day 4, I decided to treat the students in my classes at the highschool.  I took a big bag of M & M's and put some in a cup for each of the students to enjoy during class.  They were all shocked that I would bring in candy for them and let them eat it during class. 

Again, none of these giving days are anything huge or life-changing.  It is just my small way of saying,"hey, I care about you, I appreciate you."

10 Day Give - Day 1

Today is the first day of the 10 Day Give.  I decided today that I was going to give words of encouragement today.  Since I work at a high school, there are many, many frustrating days after dealing with students, with other teachers, with schedules, with parents, etc.  So, today I decided that I would try to give words of encouragement to others that I felt needed it.  I praised other teachers by saying what I admired about them, or thought they were doing well.  I praised students that I had felt worked hard on assignments or were being good role models.  I praised our administration whom I know, deal with a lot of "crap" day in and day out.  Some of those that I praised today, were embarrassed and some were appreciative.  I think the students were the ones who really appreciated the praise the most.  It felt good to share positive words of encouragement and I know I need to do that more often. 

The 10 Day Give - Join Me!

Won't you join me in THE 10 DAY GIVE?  This is my 3rd year and I have already been thinking of ideas for what I will be doing for those 10 days!

Here is some info about THE 10 DAY GIVE:

The 10 Day Give is a challenge that is designed to help us get our minds off of ourselves and start thinking about how we can help others.



The thing is, I think most people really want to make other people’s lives better, but with everything going on all around us all hours of the day, we just don’t get a chance. This is an opportunity to choose, on purpose, to give of ourselves. There really are hundreds of opportunities that we overlook each day. My goal is to just grab hold of one of them each day.

For some people that means giving money, for others time is far more precious than money, and for others it may mean their expertise in an area. But, no matter who you are, we all have something to give.

It could be taking someone out to lunch, it could be babysitting for an overworked mom, it can as simple as giving your precious time by taking your mom to the park to talk. There are no rules, no judges, and no right or wrong ways of completing the challenge.

But, I encourage you to sign up for the challenge and decide to give whatever you can – it’s only for 10 days. And who knows, maybe it will become a habit.



So, why not decide to take 10 days to give something to a different person, each day. It doesn’t matter what the gift is, how much it costs, who it is given to, or how it is given. The point is to just to give – on purpose. We hope you decide to join us.

If you would like to join THE 10 DAY GIVE, sign up on their website http://christianpf.com/10daygive/.  You won't regret it!

If you would like to see some posts about my previous 10 DAY GIVE activities, just click on the year, then October and those posts will be listed.  Stay tuned starting October 1st, for postings about my 10 DAY GIVE challenge!

Last 2 days of the 10-Day Give...

Day 9: As I mentioned on my first day of the 10-Day give, I give the storytime at our library. Today there was a conference to teach librarians about how to add music to storytimes. So, the local library paid for me to attend the program. The drive to the conference was 45 minutes each way, and I spent most of the drive there and home, praying for people that have been on my mind. I basically went through the people in my life and said prayers for them based on their personal struggles or whatever hit me at that moment to pray for. It was a peaceful trip each way and I enjoyed that time with Jesus. Then that night I was the receiver of giving. My brother-in-law took my husband and I and some of his adult children out to dinner at a very nice restaurant. We had such an enjoyable evening and even though I was the receiver, I made sure that he knew how much I appreciated the evening and the delicious food and drinks and even cheesecake for dessert!

Day 10: Today turned out to be a very cold day here in Iowa. In fact, we woke up to snow falling outside....on October 10th! Ugh! As much as I wanted to stay in my cozy house and snuggle on the couch, we all bundled up and went to watch our son Bennett play soccer. I know how said he would have been if I had told him that I was going to stay home. Thank goodness the game was only an hour and then we could head back to our warm house. This afternoon I had our friends kids come over to play while the parents and my husband worked on insulating their addition to their home. I knew how much our kids would enjoy and afternoon playdate and how much they would appreciate having the kids out of the way of their work. I also had made homemade potato soup for supper and our family enjoyed eating it while we watched the Hawkeye's beat Michigan that night!

So, over the course of these 10 days, there was no ground breaking gift that was given. I just tried to give a piece of myself to those who are part of my life each and every day. I wanted to end the 10-days with those whom I care about knowing how special they are to me. I hope I accomplished that.

4 More Days of Giving........

Day 5: I really, really wanted to stay home while my daughter was in school, but I knew that I needed to go visit my hospice patient. So, I went and spent some time with her and am very glad I did. I noticed that she had declined a bit since last week and I know that my time with her is limited. I again read some of her favorite hymns to her. She and I both became teary at times and it was such a blessing to me to be able to remind her of those beautiful hymns that she loves.

Day 6: I spent the entire day doing laundry and putting it away. Rather than leaving the clothes out for the kids to have to put away after they got home, I put it all away for them. I also sent a card to someone that I care about and wanted her to know she was on my mind.

Day 7: I treated my husband to lunch with just the 2 of us, which we don't get to do very often. Then after lunch, I went to Target and got a little treat for each person in my family. I decorated our home for the fall/halloween season. The kids had been asking me to do it and I finally decided to make it a priority this afternoon. Our home is now all decked out in fall colors! Tonight I was really tired and wanted to stay home, but instead I went to our school for a meeting. I followed through with my committment which is something I really didn't want to do tonight. I am glad I did because the meeting was very informative and I realized the challenges ahead for our committee.

Day 8: Today, was my first day of working as an associate sub at school. I was working in the special ed room which I had never done before. I really focused on giving each of the kids my attention, praising them, and showing them I cared. Each of the kids have their own struggles, and I tried to just be a loving adult for them today. Then after I got home at noon, I put some supper in the crock pot and had a warm and healthy supper for my family after my husband and oldest child got home from football practice. That is something I haven't been able do lately due to our various schedules and practices. It was nice to have us all sitting around the table eating together even if it was much later than normal.

I don't think that any of these ways of giving were extraordinary, but that is my point. Each one of us can give to others every day so easily. It doesn't have to be anything grand or take a lot of effort. It can just be as simple as a smile to a stranger or holding the door open for someone. I hope that maybe these small things have inspired you to take a moment to give of yourself today. Someone will really appreciate it. Two days left to go.

4 Days of Giving...

I said I had started the 10-Day Give and I did start it on Thursday, this is just the first chance I have had to give you an update!

Day 1: About a year ago I started giving a toddler storytime at our local library. We have it once/month and each month I pick a theme, read a couple books, have some songs/fingerplays, a craft and a snack. The last few times we have had 6 children and I just really enjoy seeing them come each month. I hope I am encouraging a love of reading in the children and giving them something fun to do as well. This month we had a birthday party theme. When I started storytime, I got a lamb puppet named "Lucy" for our Storytime pet. So we pretended it was Lucy's 1st birthday at Storytime, complete with party hats, games, favors and birthday cupcakes. I think all the kids had a great time and I look forward to giving of myself each month at storytime.

Day 2: It was Homecoming weekend at our school this weekend and Friday night was the football game. We live right across from the football field, so we decided to have a tailgate party before the game. The weather didn't cooperate very well, as it was cold and rainy. So we ended up tailgating inside and didn't even go to the game. We had 23 adults and children here and had a blast. We grilled burgers and hotdogs and shared in some wonderful fellowship all evening. I love to entertain and have people over. There were people over at our home that had never met before and I love to see new people getting to know eachother and mingling. So, on Friday night I opened my home and my refridgerator up to lots of friends and I hope a fun evening was had by all.

Day 3: Ironically today was my birthday. But, I think I can still find some ways that I gave even though I was the receiver of many others on Saturday. Saturday morning, our son had a soccer game. Again the weather was COLD and rainy and windy, but I sat outside and cheered our son on even though I really wanted to be at home under a blanket! Then once I got home I had to bake and decorate 4 cakes for a fall festival that I will write about on day four. Saturday evening, my Sister-in-law watched our children so my husband and I could go out for dinner. She is also doing the 10-Day give, so I was very appreciative of her giving of her time to take care of our children for the evening! :) While we were waiting to be seated for dinner we ran into friends at the restaurant....friends that were at our house on Friday night, acutally. So, once we were shown to our table we invited our friends over to join us for dinner. Even though Pat and I don't get a lot of time to ourselves, we had a laughter filled meal with our friends, Mike and Tina, that brought a lot of joy to our dinner.

Day 4: My parents have been the caretakers of country church as cemetary that is very dear to our family. This church has been integral to my upbringing. So, every first Sunday in October, for as far back as I can remember, I have been a part of what is called Lima Leaf Day. (Lima as in lima bean). There used to be a town called Lima that most of my mother's family was born and raised in. So, every year, we travel "back home" and work at this event. A meal is served as well as different kids games and a country store where crafts and goodies are sold. I usually work in the dining room, seating people and keeping everything clean. The last couple years I have also worked the food-line. As a child I remember running the fish pond and the ring toss games for the kids. Now my kids help out with those games! One of the big games is the Cake Walk and this was why I was making cakes on Saturday afternoon. We usually serve anywhere between 500 and 700 people at this event. Today I started working in the dining room and ended my day on the food line. I enjoy seeing people come back each and every year to help support this church and cemetary that is so important to so many people.

I am not sure what the rest of the 6 days will hold for me and whom I will be giving to, but I am enjoying looking for those opportunities where I can give of myself to someone else.

I've Started the 10-Day Give

Last year at this time I found out about a group that was trying to get people to give of themselves for 10 days in a row. So, I joined in their cause and spent 10 days giving of myself to others. What I realized is how easy it is to give of yourself and how often I was doing it. I think it comes naturally to put others needs before my own and I enjoyed completing this challenge last year.
So, stayed tuned and see how I have given of myself each of these days. I would love to hear if you have been giving as well.



From the 10-Day Give Website:


The 10 Day Give is a challenge that is designed to help us get our minds off of ourselves and start thinking about how we can help others.
The thing is, I think most people really want to make other people’s lives better, but with everything going on all around us all hours of the day, we just don’t get a chance. This is an opportunity to choose, on purpose, to give of ourselves. There really are hundreds of opportunities that we overlook each day. My goal is to just grab hold of one of them each day.
For some people that means giving money, for others time is far more precious than money, and for others it may mean their expertise in an area. But, no matter who you are, we all have something to give.
It could be taking someone out to lunch, it could be babysitting for an overworked mom, it can as simple as giving your precious time by taking your mom to the park to talk. There are no rules, no judges, and no right or wrong ways of completing the challenge.
But, I encourage you to sign up for the challenge and decide to give whatever you can – it’s only for 10 days. And who knows, maybe it will become a habit.
So, why not decide to take 10 days to give something to a different person, each day. It doesn’t matter what the gift is, how much it costs, who it is given to, or how it is given. The point is to just to give – on purpose. We hope you decide to join us. You can check out their website here: http://christianpf.com/10daygive

So what can you get out of this?
1. The satisfaction of seeing a little effort on your part yield a lot of joy in the lives of others.
2. The assurance of what you sow you will reap. (2 Corinthians 9:6)

"Give away your life, you'll find life given back, but not merely given back - given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. (Luke 6:38 The Message)

Final Days of Giving

So, my final days of giving were days spent with friends and family. On Friday I spent the evening with my friend Tammy having a girls night out. We had such a great time, but fortunately I was more of the receiver because Tammy treated me for my recent birthday. But, while we were out, I bought a couple shirts and a dress for my kids and a birthday present for my hubby. Saturday we headed up for my nephew's wedding where I helped to watch my niece's 3 children while they were all getting ready for the wedding. Then my husband videotaped the wedding and I took some candid shots. Then Sunday was my great-nieces baptism. Since my sister (the grandma) had gotten sick overnight, I took photos and then helped at the house getting all the food ready. Of course gifts were given and lots of hugs and smiles and everyone had a great time. We even took a detour on the way home to watch my husband's nephew play soccer and win! So, it was a fabulous weekend. Unfortunately, whatever my sister got, several of the rest of us got as well. At least 10 of us have gotten a virus and we have been down and out since Sunday including myself and 2 kids. So, the giving even spread to the sharing of this nasty virus. Anyway, hopefully we will all be on the mend soon, and the giving that was done in the last 10 days will help me realize that I can be a giver every day in some small way if I just look for those opportunities!

Still Giving: Days 5, 6, and 7

On Tuesday I spent the afternoon with my family and husband's family watching our nephew play football. On Wednesday, I did the same thing I do every Wednesday. I attend a Bible Study called BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). Every Wednesday morning I go early and watch a few children while the leaders pray before we get started. I truly enjoy attending this Bible Study and if you would like to learn more about this international organization go to http://www.bsfinternational.org/ and find a class near you! I then got a haircut and gave my stylist a bigger tip than I usually do. Today was a crazy day for me. I was trying to get stuff done here at home and then run into town as I had to buy some gifts, groceries, and clothing. We have a wedding and a baptism this weekend in our family and had to make sure we all have proper attire. So, my son got new shoes, and the kids got new clothes. Then tonight I made a big meal for the family including fried chicken, mashed potatoes, squash, corn, and cantalope! This weekend we have a lot going on, and know there will be a lot of giving going on. I am helping to watch my great nieces and great nephew during the pre wedding/wedding festivities, we are video taping the wedding, we of course are giving gifts at both the wedding and the baptism, and of course, all the special family moments that will be shared will be the best part of giving!

Giving days 3 and 4

How's the giving going for you? Is it easier than you thought? Yesterday we went to church, so it was easy to write a check and give to the church. We also had friends over in the afternoon, sharing food and fellowship with eachother.

This summer I was in charge of our Vacation Bible School at our church. I didn't want to do the usual crafts that we do every year and spend the money on things that sit around and get thrown away after a few days. So, I combined our mission project into our craft project. I bought enough fleece for the kids to make 15 fleece blankets. I got them all trimmed and cut and ready to go, so all the kids had to do was tie them. I left 1 blanket undone for the older kids to do from start to finish. So, during our craft/mission time that week, the kids tied 15 blankets. The blankets were then to be given to our church members who were hospitalized, home bound, in a nursing home, or maybe just needed their spirit lifted. The preschool children who were too young to tie blankets, made cards to go with the blankets. So, after VBS, we have handed out 8-10 blankets to members of our church and all have been so appreciative of them. The children have been able to be a part of the delivery of the blankets and see the enjoyment of those who have received them. So, today, since we didn't have school, myself and another mom took our kids to deliver a blanket to a man who has been in ICU off an on for months following a stroke and is now in a nursing home. We took him the blanket and we were able to chat with him a bit. I hope it will lift his spirits and, of course, I hope we are instilling the giving spirit to our children!