12 Months of Giving Update

Just an update on our 12 months of giving for 2010. I never posted about our June and July projects. In June, we went to Clay Center, KS to visit Lance's grandma in her assisted living complex - she is 96 years old and the oldest one there! We did a giving project that involved her as well. Before we got there, the boys had painted 40 little flower pots and made paper flowers to stick in each one (with some help from mom). So when we visited Grandma Millie, we all poked the flowers into blocks of foam in the pots and added grass - together! This was fun for us to do with Grandma & I think she enjoyed it too! We ended up with these beauties!

The best part: Eli and Caleb gave a flower pot to each resident while they had lunch. There were only 13, so we decided to take the rest over to the nursing home side and hand those out while they were having lunch also! It was priceless watching the joy on each persons face as 2 cute little boys handed them a little pot of happiness! Totally made their day (mine too). Eli and Caleb loved it as well and I was so proud of them as they just walked right up and said "Here you go!". I definitely want to to this again - it was super easy and made such a big impact!

In July, we wanted to send a package overseas to a soldier. Eli's best buddy has an uncle who is in Afghanistan, so we chose him. We picked out snacks(that wouldn't melt), goodies, magazines, gum, and toiletries and packed a large flat rate shipping box from the post office. Then we wrote a note and the boys drew some pictures and we mailed it. It was only $12.50 to mail a package to Afghanistan for military personnel. Again, so easy.We learned it is VERY hot in Afghanistan and while we were out shopping for stuff for the box, Eli kept asking "Is it this hot?" I said "No, hotter", "What about now Mom - is it this hot?". "No, hotter" I said. We had wanted to add a roll of toilet paper, but ran out of room, so on the way to the post office Eli said "That's okay, I don't think they use the bathroom in Afghanistan"! How I love that boy!

Tara