Now I Can See What I Have

This afternoon while getting crackers out of our cabinet, I decided to go through and clean it out.  I threw out the expired items and have several bags worth to go to MUST Ministry barrels this weekend.  It was pretty easy to know what is not going to be used by us (or that we have extra of), and so many right around us go hungry.  I hate to think of how awful it is to be hungry.  Or to be a parent who can't provide for their children!  I guess this weekend I will be praying harder for those who need a job.

Johnny's!

We are having dinner with James' mom tonight and maybe brothers.  I put a few pieces of dark chocolate in a pouch for her, since she lives with all men.  They just don't always understand little things like that!

A Dark and Stormy Day....Again

This week has not been easy with 3 days straight of rain.  Feeling trapped in the house because of rain and a sick kid made it hard for me to think of other people.  But I find that when I consciously do that, my bad mood eases up some.  After dinner I wrote a note to a friend who had surgery a month ago.  I just wanted her to know I am still praying for her recovery.  She probably already knows that, but being reminded can't hurt!

How Blessed I Am!

This morning I dropped off the coffee and cup at our friends' Jim and Rita's house.  Why them?  Don't know, just felt like it.  I hope people don't start thinking I am weird for doing these things.  :)  Then I spent the rest of the morning with Carrie and her baby and my Kaitlyn.  We had such a great time chatting without the big kids yelling at each other!  I made us special pumpkin lattes (eat your heart out Starbucks!)  This morning there was a rose outside the window (seriously, my roses keep growing and it is almost November....) so I gave it to her to take home and maybe smile the rest of the day.  I know I will cherish today for years to come!

Well Half of It Is Done....

This morning at the grocery store, they had a display of discontinued coffee cups really cheap.  I thought to grab a few and some little packets of coffee.  I am going to deliver one tomorrow with a note that says "Have a cup of coffee on me." (Aren't I clever? Ha!)  I couldn't take it anywhere today with the day I have had, but tomorrow is another day.....

mmmmm

Tonight James and I got to go to Barnes & Noble without the kids.  Once again, we know how to have fun on a Friday night!  After finding the little bags yesterday, I used one today.  This time I put a few individually wrapped dark chocolates in one.  I brought it in my purse and left it for someone to find (not hidden so it stays there for a month of course.)  I am off to think of ideas for next week.....

Little Goodies

This afternoon I walked around the house trying to think of things to do.  I have little shiny muslin bags from my Party Lite days so I filled one with some Clinique items I haven't used. (Yes I like Clinique.  What is your point?)  I brought the bag with us to dinner, and ended up leaving it for our waitress.  She tried hard to get the girls to eat their dinners.  It worked on Lauren at least.  I left a post it note thanking her for her help.  When I do things anonymously, I like thinking of the person's reaction.  I will never know if she didn't like it-in my mind she was thrilled!

Lauren's Turn

Lauren's assistant preschool teacher has been out sick the last few days.  Miss Heagy is a sweet young lady who loves being with Lauren, so Lauren is making her a card to take to in tomorrow.  Hopefully she will be there to accept it in person!

Thank You Grandma Anne!

Our first year in this house 7 years ago, James and I planted lots of flowers and bushes for 2 days.  Then we pretty much stopped taking care of them.  I am in awe every time something flowers.  We got a rose bush because roses always remind me of my Grandma, and I can see the bright red blooms out the front window.  It always makes me smile!  This bush that started out so tiny just grows and grows every year-even this late October morning!  When I looked out the window this morning and saw the bloom, I knew what to do with it.  Kaitlyn and I were literally about to walk to the car and go to the gym, so I cut the flower and took it with us.  My good friend Holly is a trainer at the gym and in August her youngest daughter left for college.  She is such a strong person and such an encourager and motivator, that it is easy to forget she is having a rough time.  I handed the rose to her at the gym and we hugged.  She said she had really needed it and would carry it around all day with her clipboard.  Such a simple act is making us both smile and think of our grandmothers all day! 

The Things We Take For Granted

Last week was a great time to learn what MUST seems to need.  While we did laundry, men would come up and ask for things like towels, shampoo, etc.  The things I had to tell them I didn't have enough of were razors and washcloths.  So today I picked up some disposable men's razors and found some old washcloths.  Kaitlyn and I will go drop them off in the morning and hopefully bless some men who could use a boost!

Me Me Me

It is my day today!  The girls and I have gone to a few clothing and shoe stores looking for clothes for me.  I have let myself rest more than normal, and I could get used to it!  Nice end to a busy week.

Just Sort of Fell Into My Lap

Last night was fun but over 5 hours of washing, drying, and folding laundry is exhausting.  I worked with someone who does a lot of volunteer work, which was good to hear about.  We had a discussion with one of the residents and many of them thanked us.
No rest for the weary today!  This afternoon Lauren and I will be icing pumpkin spice cookies.  The other day I had the dog in the yard and a family walked by.  They just moved to the street behind us, so we are taking cookies to them tonight!  (Lauren has been asking for pumpkin spice.  Love that child!)  I probably would not have thought to make them cookies-even after being the neighborhood's welcoming person several years ago.  Something is changing in me, and I love it!

Wash Dry Repeat

I am writing now because I am doing laundry at MUST tonight from 6-11.  It should be an interesting night, but I will be going straight to bed afterward!  2 of us will be doing laundry for 20 men in the shelter.  I am a little nervous but am so glad I am doing this with someone who has done it before and loves interacting with the people there.  That should make it easier on me to figure things out!

Less Than 5 Minutes

This afternoon I have a few minutes before I start making dinner, so I wrote a note to a hurting family member.  Before starting this blog, I have done this sort of thing.  But now that I am forcing myself to think of things, it is happening more often.  I like to stock up on packs of little cards, so there is no excuse to not pick one out and send it. I mean, how hard is it to take these few minutes out of our day to write to someone we love?  It may make their day and possibly change their lives.  You never know.....

Out with the Old

Today I went through the house and found books to donate to the library.  The kids have too many, and I had cook books I have never used.  Now we have room for more (and less books on the family room floor!)  There is now a giant Pampers box in my car ready for tomorrow.

Quiet Friday Afternoon

My children are happily coloring right now, so maybe this is more for myself.  Today's goal is to get them to color pictures for their Boppa and Nana.  Since they haven't seen the girls recently, I thought this would be something nice to do for them.   Lauren loves to color and has quite an imagination, so who knows what it will be a picture of?

A Little Lipstick is a Good Thing

I was told a few things yesterday.  One is that no, the thought is not enough so I got some stinkin candy today.  (haha you better be happy now.)  The other is that my kindness is rubbing off on someone from this blog.  It meant so much to hear Carrie say she gave someone who is grieving cookies she made.  Some days this whole idea gets to be a bit much for me, and this week was a perfect time for encouragement like that!  Today Carrie was on the receiving end-I gave her the gift with purchase from Clinique.  I love getting those, but I don't need the gift this time.  I knew she could use it more with life going on these days.  It is good to be reminded to put yourself above your husband and 3 kids sometimes.  Everyone benefits when Mama is happy!

My Family Deserves More

I wish it wasn't this way, but I only really appreciate my own husband when I need more help.  I am nicer to strangers than my own family it seems.  Today I wrote James a note telling him how much I appreciate how much he does for us.  I had planned on picking up some candy for him but ran late at the chiropractor this afternoon.  It IS the thought that counts, right honey?  :)

Was I Too Literal?

You know how they say to give until it hurts?  Yeah, I don't think that is supposed to be actual pain....After being out all afternoon and then being at the chiropractor until dinner time, I hadn't done anything for anyone.  They told me to rest (how do you tell that to a mother of young children?)  I didn't want to just skip today though!  I went through my stash to give out and found a little book about God's wisdom for every situation.  I put it in a manila envelope and set off to put it on someone's doorstep (I am liking this anonymity by the way).  You may be asking where the pain came in-well it is not a good idea to take a puppy out on a stealth mission or when you have a hurt back and have just been adjusted.  I wasn't even supposed to be walking, but I felt compelled to do this.  Maybe the recipient needs to read the book or knows someone who does.  I will probably never know, and I kind of like it that way!

Can't Disappoint My Two Followers!

Well, I was thisclose to not doing this today since I hurt my back the other day.  Poor pitiful me could not do much today, blah, blah, blah.  Why should I be nice to someone else?  But tonight I started thinking about what I could do and what do you know, my stress headache started to feel better! Maybe the Advil finally kicked in, but I believe it was because I decided to push through and think about someone else.  I sat down and wrote a note to a dear family friend Ms. Edna.
I am proud of myself for staying on the right path!

For My Family and the World at Large

Since Kaitlyn had her shots yesterday, she has not felt great today.  Seeing how tired and puny she is from just shots made me want to clean clean clean.  The level of cleaning I have been doing today is usually saved for after one or more of us has been sick.  This time I jumped ahead of the game and maybe we will avoid us or someone we know getting sick.  It doesn't seem like much now, but I will be feeling sore tomorrow!