• Counting My Blessings: Week In Review

    It was a busy week packed full of work, summer camp, and more fun activities.  We were able to get a lot done around the house too.  Thankful for my family and the many blessings I have been giving every day.

    I want to be accountable to you so the following are snip-its of some of the things I am thankful for this past week.

    Counting My Blessings – Week In Review:

    Monday –Thankful for that I was able to get Jake’s haircut done today.  We’ve been trying to get it done for over a week now, but finally found a good time to get it done.

    Tuesday – Thankful for a great chiropractor who helps keep our family in line.

    Wednesday – Thankful for the girls hard work as they finished up their Summer Reading Programs from the library.

    Thursday – Thankful for a family that pitches in to help when there is items that need to be done around the house and yard.

    Friday – Thankful for the girls having an opportunity to go to Roper Mountain Science Camp this week.  They learned a lot and had a terrific week!

    Saturday – Thankful for technology and the way we can stay connected with family, friends, and others even if there is a lot of miles in between.

    Sunday – Thankful for extra time with my family and a chance to relax, have fun, and make memories.

    What are you thankful for today?  I encourage you to take the time to write down a few blessings that you have in your life today.  It will help cheer you up and turn your focus on the amazing blessings you encounter each day.

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 4)

    We have finished our fourth and final week of our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).  It has been a real joy doing these fun events everyday.  In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.

    Here is what we did this week with a couple pictures to share of our adventures:

    Candy Cane left for the next person to enjoy at the gas pump.

    • Day 19 – Bought and donated canned goods for the Harvest Hope food drive that helps feed families in our local community.  The girls were so excited about helping fill up the barrel of food.  It reminded me of times that were tight in our lives and the many blessings we have including food to eat.
    • Day 20 – Left quarters taped to a local vending machine for the next person to enjoy a snack.  The girls had fun “guessing” what they thought the next person might get for their snack.
    • Day 21 – Taped a Candy Cane to the gas pump for the next person who fills up with fuel to enjoy.  The girls giggle at the thought of the next person pulling up and getting the special treat.  As we were pulling out of the gas station they started clapping and cheering as someone drove up to our pump! 🙂
    • Day 22 – Wrote a “Thank You” note and left goodies for the Hotel Maids who cleaned our room.  The neat part is one of the maids recognized us from an earlier trip this year and was excited to see the girls again.  It reminded me of the importance of leaving a positive impact on the lives of others no matter where you go, even when you are on vacation or a work trip (you never know who you may run into or see again).  We prayed for each person that was cleaning our hall at the hotel that day. 
    • Day 23 – Sharing special Christmas treats with a friend.  The girls were eating a snack while we were running errands when we ran into a friend and without hesitation they gave away the remaining goodies in their bag to their friend so that she could enjoy them.
    • Day 24 – Gave the extra cash we had leftover after paying for our purchase back to the cashier so she could apply it to the person’s purchase behind us in line at the store. 
    • Day 25 – Spread Christmas cheer to Family and Friends.  We did not go out on Christmas Day because we felt that it was important to spend time with our family that day so we decided to take the time to call, text, and talk to family and friends to wish them Merry Christmas and let them know that we love them.

    One of our favorite verses this week went along with our Day 21  activity. 

    Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. – Hebrews 13:16

     

    Thank you note written from the girls to the hotel staff.  “Thank you for cleaning our room!” (with lots of hearts)

    I was not able to snap as many pictures as we were doing the activities this week with the traveling and I felt like it was more important to participate in the activities then to get the “perfect” picture.  The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.

    My favorite day was Day 22 because the girls really did do most of it on their own.  I asked if they would like to leave a special treat for the hotel staff and they went to work writing notes and coming up with ways to spread Christmas cheer.  It was so amazing to see not only their excitement to do the activity but to hear them praying for the staff that would find the little treats and notes that they had left out for them.  Since the items were left on the table as we left the hotel it was the easiest one to capture pictures of as well.  I am thankful for the opportunity to do these wonderful activities with the family.

    This activity has taught our family a lot this year about the joy of giving to others.  It has been fun taking time every day to spread Christmas cheer and to pray for those who have received our goodies.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  This may become a tradition in our family for future years as well because it was such a great way to make ourselves specifically think about, pray for, and do something for others each day during a busy time of year.  I would love to hear the ways you spread Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    Karlie’s “1st Poem” written specifically for the hotel staff (the girls gave them a fish sticker).  The note said – “A fun fish for you for fun.  I love people.”

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

     

    The girls came up with most of this idea, love that they are putting together B.L.E.S.S. activities pretty much on their own.

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings (Week 2)

    Box of Candy Canes the girls shared with their class at gymnastics 

    We have entered our second week of our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. (Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises).  It has been a real joy doing these fun events everyday.  In some cases we get to see who receives our B.L.E.S.S. gift and in other cases we will never know who is on the receiving end.  We pray that whoever receives or finds these gifts will experience joy during this Holiday Season.  Each night we take down the B.L.E.S.S. activity for the next day and read the verse and the activity then pray for those who have and will receive our little BLESS’ings.

    Colored paper ornaments to hang on the Christmas Tree in the children’s wing at the local library

    Here is what we have done so far and a couple pictures to share of our adventures:

    Gathered and donated 105 magazines to a local public library and school library

    • Day 5– Picked out and donated gifts to Country Santa which gives Christmas presents to local children who would otherwise have none at Christmas.  The girls each picked out two gifts to give to Country Santa for another child’s Christmas then we prayed for the kids that would receive these gifts for Christmas.
    • Day 6 – Gave out Silly Bandz to kids coming in and out of several local stores.  I was surprised at the different reactions we noticed while passing out silly bandz from sheer delight to total disinterest.  The girls still had fun doing the activity and sharing with kids.
    • Day 7 – Gathered and donated magazines and a stack of books to a local library and school library.   Both the school library and local library staff were excited to get some new books and magazines.  Our family loves reading so this was a fun activity for us.  We spent about 30 minutes in the local library donating items, picking out books to read, and coloring Christmas ornaments to hang on their Christmas tree.  The lady at the children’s desk was so sweet when the girls showed her the ornaments that had colored for the tree.
    • Day 8 – Bought and gave Candy Canes to all the kids in the girls gymnastics class.  We just started taking the girls to gymnastics about a month ago (we got Groupon deal from a local gymnastics school) and it has been a lot of fun watching them learn not only new skills but seeing them start new friendships.  It has been great getting to know kids (and their parents) outside of school and church that we can be a blessing to as well.
    • Day 9 – Handed out candy canes as we were running errands around town and at local stores.  It was cute seeing the excited looks on kids faces as the girls handed them a candy cane.  The girls loved doing this activity so much I had to remind them not to “rush” to the kids with a candy cane because it could startle the younger kids or their parents if they saw another child charging towards their little one. 🙂
    • Day 10 – We had a blast making and delivering Christmas goodies to our neighbors.  It was nice to spend a few minutes and catch up with the people on our street.  Taking the extra time to reach out to our neighbors has made a tremendous impact over the last few years even on our small street.  One of our neighbors lost their only child right before Christmas a few years ago so this is a tough Holiday for them.
    • Day 11 – Picked out, wrapped, and donated gifts to the Heart of Christmas for kids in our local schools who would not have gifts otherwise this Holiday Season.  Our church coordinates with the school guidance counselor to get information on these kids who are in need (naturally the names of the kids are not given just their sizes, styles, needs, etc…).

    Delivering more goodies to kiddos at another local store!

    One of Brina’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas Tree at our local library

    One of Karlie’s ornaments hanging on the Christmas Tree at the local library.

    A stack of books we donated to the school library.

    A basket full of goodies ready to be delivered to our neighbors!

    One of our favorite verses this week went along with our Day  10 activity. 

     This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. – John 15:12

    Something as simple a sharing a little gift to say “Merry Christmas” to our neighbors has opened many opportunities to interact with them.  I think this verse really stood out to all of us this week because we don’t take the time to invest in the lives around us as often as we should.  This activity was a little longer because we made it a point to spend time socializing with each of our neighbors for a few minutes but we all walked home feeling even more blessed because of it.

    Heart of Christmas

    I am super excited to see how great this B.L.E.S.S. activity is going already.  It has been a true joy sharing with others (many of whom we’ll never meet).  It has been a great experience and I look forward to seeing what will happen with our fun adventures this week.

    Helping local kids by giving fun and practical gifts.

    The main purpose of this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving and sharing to those around us.  I plan to do another update on our fun B.L.E.S.S. adventures next week.  Sometimes it’s the little stuff that can make the most positive impact.  I would love to hear how you are spreading the Christmas cheer this Holiday Season.

    To learn more about our 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activity and what we have done far check out the links below:

    I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the 25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Blessing Lives Everyday with Special Surprises (B.L.E.S.S.): 25 Days of Christmas Blessings

     

    I have been thinking about ways we can be a blessing to others throughout this Christmas season. It is easy to get caught up with the shopping, parties, celebrations, and everything else that we lose sight of what’s really important.  I want the girls to experience the joy of giving and helping those around us so we are delivering special surprises over the next 25 days.  I came up with the acronym B.L.E.S.S. to help remind us why we are sharing these little blessings.

    • Blessing
    • Lives
    • Everyday with
    • Special
    • Surprises

    The plan is to deliver a small special surprise to at least one person every day from December 1st to December 25th.  Each bag contains an activity to spread cheer and a scripture verse to discuss.  At dinner we will discuss our current days activity, pray for the people that received our gift, and get our bag for the next day.   The girls and I have came up with a lot of great ideas of ways we can share blessings with people around us (some will go to people we know and others to complete strangers or people we will never meet).

    Here’s how we put our B.L.E.S.S. activity together:

    Stack of B.L.E.S.S activities with scripture verses

    B.L.E.S.S. Cards to give out during our activities

    One of the B.L.E.S.S. Cards we made

    Day 1 through Day 25 bagged and ready to hang up

    All 25 Days of B.L.E.S.S. hung up and ready for us to start!

    The girls are very excited about doing this fun 25 Days of Christmas Blessings activity.  I hope to share some of the stories, what we did, experiences, pictures and lessons learned as we go throughout the the 25 days.  It is my intention to update you at least once a week.  I will share as much as I can but the real reason for doing this activity is to teach our family the joy of giving to others.

    (Update) I have been asked by a number of people for a printable version of the  25 Days of Christmas B.L.E.S.S. activities, verses, and sheets to handout so here they are for your family to enjoy as well:

  • Love It – Purple Heart Necklace

    My Purple Heart Necklace, beautiful reminder of the blessings in my life! Thanks Handsome!

    My husband has known for years the impact the Little Purple Flower had on my life.  We were dating at the time the incident occurred and he was delighted to see God use such a beautiful reminder to encourage me.  Since that time Jake has on numerous occasions surprised me with a gift that had a purple flower or something similar on it as a reminder of how much He loves me.  The gift is also a visual reminder that God daily gives me the many blessings I have in my life.

    On Valentine’s Day my husband and I celebrated together at Winter Jam 2011.  When I got up to go to the restroom before the concert started I came back to a small package on my chair.  He gave me a beautiful purple heart necklace (totally surprised me) as a way to remind me of His love and the many blessings in our lives as a couple.  I had no idea that he was even saving his money to get me such a sweet surprise.

    He had been looking for the perfect necklace for awhile until he found the purple heart which he thought it would be a perfect fit for me.  For those of you who know me personally I am not a glamour and glittery type of person.  I grew up with three brothers on a farm and was more of a tomboy than a princess. I can count on one hand the pieces of jewelry I wear regularly.  Every single piece I wear daily Jake picked out on his own for me (most of them were surprises too).  I wear my watch, engagement & wedding rings, and my heart necklace he gave me for our 7th anniversary every day.  The only other time I wear different or more jewelry is for a special event or Date Night when I an extra necklace, ring, or bracelet.  So needless to say I was shocked to receive a necklace on Valentine’s Day and my heart about burst with love for him when I realized it was a purple heart meant to remind me of the little purple flowers in my life.

    I am surrounded by many blessings in my life.  Some days I have to look harder to find those blessings but they exist no matter how big or small.  I am thankful for a God who extends love and grace to me every day.  A husband whom I adore and kids that bring so much joy and laughter into my life.  The best part is they all love me despite my imperfections and crazy days.  Thank you babe for reminding me of the MANY blessing in my life.  I am thankful for the amazing gifts God has given me!

    “Love It” is a series of posts on items that I use regularly in my household that I love!  There are some items in our daily lives that make life more enjoyable, efficient, or just plain fun.  I will be sharing with you some of the products that have been given to us (or to me) that have made it to the top of my list.  It’s my way of giving a huge thumbs up!