Anti-Procrastination--and a story

I wrote this yesterday, but did not post it because I wanted the Princess Penny auction to have center stage. : )  Doesn't matter--it is just as relevant today, as you will see!

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It's Wednesday, and that means the weekly Anti-Procrastination Day.

And this week, I mean business.

Just recently I realized how much mental baggage I am carrying around with me daily from things undone that I really want/need done.  They are a drain on my thinking, and when I let them go too long they start to drag at my spirit.  There was something in particular that had been on my to-do list since my big GET IT DONE push this past Spring--and one week ago I still had not done it.  And since telling you all about this is one more thing I have been meaning to do for some time, this is the perfect day to do so!

You see, our neighbors on one side of us had a little dog named Willa, who for a while kept escaping from their yard, and running away down our busy road.  Of course any time we heard them calling for her we would go help look--that's what neighbors do!  But then they must have figured out where she was getting out and fixed the problem, because months went by without a single escape, and thus without us really interacting with them. 

But during those months our neighbors (who were living together but not married) went through a bad relational spell, and were fighting all the time.  And the woman was a yeller.  Our house is only about 5 feet from their house, and our walls are thin--we couldn't hear most of the words (although often we could) but we could hear the raging and miserable voices rising and falling, and things slamming and banging.  Sometimes I was really concerned that she was going to make him so mad he would  hurt her, because she was truly a shrieking harpy, attacking him, tearing him apart.  It was really ugly.  Sometimes they would start in yelling and the kids would be lying in bed listening to it for over an hour as they were trying to fall asleep.  I didn't know what to do about it--so we would just put on music, or talk to the kids about sin and how it consumes us and hurts our relationships if we let it, and pray for the neighbors.

I think they knew we could hear them.  They probably heard me yell at the kids enough to know how sound carries between our houses (I often find myself yelling to the kids to do/stop doing X, Y or Z while I am standing at the kitchen sink washing dishes before dinner--the place closest to their house where the sound probably travels the best.  I love being such a great example of parenting to the world. Sigh.).   And I know the woman at least felt badly about it--because one day this past Spring as we were sitting quietly schooling in the living room, the girls saw Willa running down the road again.  Of course I ran over to knock on the neighbor's door to tell her, and was thankful that they were home.  The neighbors went searching, and found her within 10 minutes--ironically in our backyard (she must have run through a different neighbors yard down the road and then backtracked up the creek).  So, it was all over very quickly, and was not really that big of a deal.

But then half an hour later, there was a knock on our door, and there stood the neighbor lady, with a large gift bag in her hand.  She wanted to thank us for what great neighbors we are, and of course I just said that's what neighbors do, but then she apologized for how they were not great neighbors, and the way she said it I knew she meant the fighting.  So she and I made it a quick and slightly awkward but friendly exchange.   Once inside, we opened the gift bag to find a large plastic tub of craft bits (with a $30 price tag on the bottom!) for the kids.  And then there was also a card for me--the wording of which confirmed my suspicion that this gift was given more as an apology than a thank-you.  Inside the card was a gift certificate to a local upscale kids/home boutique--for the amount of $300.  Yes, three hundred dollars. 

Of course I flipped out a little, and thought we can't accept this!  It was clearly a guilt offering.  Accepting it would be like taking blood money, a bribe to keep our eyes averted from the carnage.  But yet. . . I thought about the few exchanges I had earlier with this neighbor, who had lived next to us for about one year.  How I took her some fresh picked strawberries, and she brought over a rainbow-maker for the kids' window.  How I took her some fresh picked tomatoes, and she brought over a potted orchid for my kitchen windowsill.  Gift-giving seems to be one of her main love languages, as it is one of mine.  I thought about how I would be feeling if I was in her place--probably being really hard on myself for how poorly I was reacting to the conflict between me and my partner, and then also feeling so guilty for not being able to stop it, even if I knew it was negatively affecting others.  I would be feeling really vulnerable, and wanting to be accepted and loved and forgiven.  If gift giving is really one of her love languages, then giving back the gift would be like rejecting her love--and being critical not only of her in her weakness, but also of her attempts to make things right!

But I also felt badly keeping it.  It was just so over-the-top.  Finally, I decided we would use some of it to buy something fun or useful for our family, and with some of it I would try to buy something little and meaningful for the neighbor as a thank you back, and then the rest of it I would ask the store if we could break up into two separate gift certificates, like $100 each.  I can then give those to our local Crisis Pregnancy Center for a silent auction they have coming up--using this woman's love offering to spread even more love around our community. 

But most importantly, I needed to give the neighbor a big THANK YOU that would show her the forgiveness and acceptance and love I think she wished for.

But.  This is where perfectionism and life got the best of me.  Because  this happened right in the middle of all the stressful, busy, overwhelming season I had this past Spring, and I had in my head the "right" way to say thank you (for the kids to make a rainbow craft from some of the goodies from the big jar the neighbor had given them, because we know she likes rainbows) but that ended up being just one more thing to do and our weeks were already so full, and to also invite the neighbor over for tea and some "girlfriend" chat, because maybe God wanted me to minister to her heart with some loving, encouraging words, but my house was such a wreck and I was such a wreck and so I kept thinking I would get everything "right" and then take over the thank you/invite the next week. . . .  And I kept meaning to, and meaning to.

Finally, I decided the Week Without Children would be a good time for uninterrupted, adult conversation, and made up an invitation for tea in my kitchen and asked her to contact me to arrange it at her convenience.  I waited until after the mail carrier had come by, and then walked over and slipped it into their mailbox with the other letters.  And never heard from her.

But then about 2 weeks ago I started to notice some things were different over there.  Our houses are very close together, but their front entry and driveway are on the other side from us, with tall privacy fences in between, so we really don't see the neighbors coming or going or notice what they are about unless they come over to the far side of their back deck, which overlooks our yard.  But I started to notice all the usual things from the deck weren't there any more.  I didn't hear the neighbors as much (the terrible fighting stopped shortly after the big gift, so maybe the two are connected--I don't know), and somehow the house just started to seem less occupied. So on July 30 in the evening I asked DH to walk over and peek into their windows (looking through their front fence into the big picture window in their living room--not being a peeping tom, because anyone could do this just walking by) to see if he saw anything amiss. And he came back and reported that it looked like they were moving, as most of their furniture was gone.  And he suggested that since the next day was the last day of the month, they would probably finish moving their stuff out that next day.

Ack!  No more time to procrastinate!  So the next morning I wrote out the thank-you note I should have written months earlier, and ran over and taped it to their gate.  Then the girls all sat at the kitchen table and made the sweetest big rainbow out of heavy cardstock and tissue paper and colorful embellishments and cotton ball clouds and a big red heart.  It took all day (except for lunch and some errands), and we finished right before having to leave for swimming lessons at 5pm.  It was still tacky with glue, but I was worried the neighbors would come and get the last load of stuff in the driveway before we got back from swimming.  And my timing was perfect, because when I ran over, there was a friend of theirs loading up the stuff from the driveway, and so he opened the garage so I could put the art in it by the very last load they would come back for (and I taped the thank you note on the back).  I am sure now they must have received it.   

I also found out from the friend that they only moved across the creek!  So they are still very near, and so I have hopes that the woman will contact me and say yes to my invitation, which I repeated in the thank you  note.

We'll see.  It's possible that my months of delay acknowledging the extravagant gift hurt her feelings and put a wedge between us.  It's possible she wants a clean break from their rough relational patch while living next door to us, and getting together with me would seem to defeat that.  It's possible she does not want to talk about anything personal, and fears I would want to.  None of this matters.  I thanked, I invited, we crafted and gifted.  I did what I needed to do to get the weight of the undone off my shoulders.

And it feels sooooooo good! 

Once the art and note were delivered, I felt free.  Spiritually so much lighter.  I did not realize how much weight just that one big undone thing carried.  I think it weighed so heavily because it involved the feelings of another person--and me imagining the unlove I might be causing that person to feel, which led me to feel guilty.  I have to remind myself that I did not ask for the overwhelming gift, it came at a really bad time, and I did not handle it like I should have, but it is over now.  DONE.  I refuse to carry any lingering remorse or guilt about it.  I will do what I intended with the gift certificate, and then that will be done too.  I even just got a notice that the charity auction is coming up, and the timing could not be better. And when I go shopping with the remainder, I will allow myself to enjoy it, and be thankful.  : )  I will be blessed by it and pray God blesses my former neighbor too.

But the huge release I have already experienced just from delivering the art and note leads me to think--what else have I been dragging my feet on that is a huge burden in my life/heart/house/thinking/energy/spirit?  I want to seek out those things and GET THEM DONE.  I have enough to worry about in every day--I don't want excess!

So even before I got out of bed this morning I thought about the things that I wanted/needed to do, the things that seemed most urgent or that I was spending too much time thinking about.  I'm making my list--and this time I'm not going to list everything, but just a few specific things, and then just get them done.

I meant to start today.  But this is a "summer school" week and my kids are choosing poorly and yesterday they did not get their (minimal) work done and I am finding I have to stay on top of them today (i.e. hang out here in the living room where they are working) to keep them focused and choosing well.  So, I could feel defeated before even starting my Anti-procrastination push.  But I'm just choosing instead to be happy for lots of blogging time today, and make firm goals for the big push.  I hope to blog more specifically about it tomorrow--and will let you know when I'm starting, in case you want to jump in the fun with me!  We can encourage one another! 

Happy Wednesday Thursday everyone!

Very special auction ends tonight!

[The following message is from Amy Rainey.  See you over at Princess Penny's auction before midnight tonight!]

Greetings!

Can you believe that another week-long auction is almost over? Only hours remain in our Princess Penny auction.

Have you been outbid? It is time to check things out. There are still some item with no bids, or with extremely low bids. Many items are still way below their retail value.

It is not too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts! Make your money work hard. Find a lovely gift, and help a precious girl come home. She matters!

Thank you in advance, my friends!

 Be Blessed,

 Amy Rainey

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My words now!  I can't believe how quickly time is flying by.  I did not realize the auction for Penny would only be one week long--and so I have not told you about it! 

This auction is one blogger's way of *doing* something to help special needs orphans get into their forever families.  She organizes the auctions, and then wonderful, generous people give things to help raise money for the adopting family, and then other wonderful, generous people place bids on those things.  I too have participated in several of these auctions, both in donating and in bidding.  There are some really nice things at very low prices still available!  I did early Christmas/birthday shopping the last time there was one, and got things like a custom-made baby quilt for my baby niece Sweetness, a handmade little girl apron for her big sister Spice, two handmade doll afghans (just right for the girls' American girl dolls, which can go in their Christmas stockings), and some homemade, pure vanilla extract in adorable little bottles for MIL and me!  So please go look at the things offered--maybe you will give yourself  the gift of getting some gift buying done while you are blessing Penny's family!

This auction is very special to me for another reason too--we have something very special up for auction in it.  : )   As you know from all the photos I have posted over the years (like here and here and here) my mother is amazingly talented, and the vintage-style smocked dresses she has made for the girls are beautiful.  Each girl has so enjoyed having special things made just for her by Grandma, and I have enjoyed seeing my girls in such cute things.  But now we are outgrowing most of the hand-smocked things, and I am starting to pack them away "for posterity."  Hopefully they will do well in storage under our house, and hopefully my girls will someday grow up and have daughters of their own, and will be glad to have those loving memories and beautiful things for their own girls.  But I have no guarantee of any of that.  I have been taught over and over through so many things in life that we can't hold too tightly to things.  There is a good chance that my best efforts at storing them will not lead to the end I hope for--we could have a house fire, or flooding, or I don't know what could happen, and so I can do my best to preserve them, but I can't count on having these beautiful, meaningful things forever. 

In other words, I can attempt to store up my treasures here on earth, or I could try to store up more treasures in heaven.  

So about a year ago I asked my mother if she would mind if we donated one of the dresses she made for my girls to help bring home an orphan girl into her family, and she graciously said yes.  So just last week as I was going through our "heirloom" bin to pack away things recently outgrown, I chose one dress that I thought others might like and would bid on.  It was made for Sunny, and worn by all three girls, but only to church, and so it is in excellent condition still.  It makes my heart sing to give something I love to God's "Kingdom work."  Not only will the money raised help bring a little girl to her new family, but whoever wins it is going to be so excited to give it to her daughter or granddaughter.  So I *could* have kept the dress, and hoped it would safely store for the next 20-30 years until there is a granddaughter old enough to wear it.  But now, in giving the dress to bless others for God's good purpose, it will be worn and loved by who knows how many more little girls! 

If you want to see which dress, and my sweet Happy modeling it, I encourage you to stop by the auction.  Who knows--maybe you will see something else you want to bid on too!  : )

Just be quick, because the auction ends tonight!

p.s.  If you see me bidding on something, please feel free to outbid me. In fact, please outbid me.  It would make me so happy. : )

time to pull up your chair to the table!

Friends, whomever still comes by my little blog,

The Mulligan Stew adoption fundraiser/giveaway is coming down to its last week.  It is amazing (not in a good way) that this year there have only been 120 donors so far.  Last year they had 500.  That's a LOT of caring people--where are those people this year?  The prizes are great, and the total worth is around $5,000.  I am sure you can all do the math and figure out that even with just one $5 donation you have pretty good odds of winning something right now. ; )  Personally, I'd rather the odds get worse for me, and better for those kids.  But winning a prize would be fun too!

AND there are several matching grants available for some of the kids and families, and one is only for the next 24 hours!   If you have not yet visited Julia's blog, would you please go over and consider making a donation?  Any size will do! 

I confess something--I will never, ever ask any of my friends or family if they donated to any cause close to my heart.  It's not my business, and I never, ever want anyone to feel like they have to support orphans just because I do--hopefully God is calling each of us to our own life ministries, and that is enough.  But I admit when Julia posts the first names of the people who donated, and I see a familiar name, my heart gives a little leap.  Maybe that's my Susan!  Maybe that's my Rebecca!  I don't know if it is or not, but it is fun to imagine.  I'm sure even if it is a different Susan and Rebecca, I will always have this extra warm little spot in my heart for you ladies, just in case that was you. ; )

If it was you, thank you. 

So I will never ask any of you if you ever helped ransom any orphans.  But on this Sunday morning, the Lord's Day, I am going to ask you if you would please share the Mulligan Stew giveaway with people you know.  Would you please consider sharing the links with your family and friends?  On facebook, on your own blog, in an email? 

If you do, thank you.

Mulligan Stew--it's a party!

I just want to take a moment and encourage anyone still coming by my blog to please go to Julia's blog to read about the latest "Mulligan Stew" she is hosting to benefit special-needs orphans.  You can read all about it here.

Let me tell you why this giveaway is so close to my heart:

--Special needs people are often looked down upon in any culture for being culturally "on the fringe" of acceptability.  You know what I mean.  All people are uncomfortable with the unknown, and most of us don't get to interact with people with disabilities all that much, so when we are with them we aren't sure how to act, what to think. 

--Special needs people in some cultures are viewed so negatively and ignorantly that they are locked away in institutions as infants because of their differences--and unless they are adopted, will spend the rest of their lives there. 

--Another way to say that:  they will die there.  How soon before they die there is really the only variable.

--We cannot fully comprehend what life is like for those kids.  But if you have twelve minutes, please watch the video linked to this post and you will have a pretty good feel.  You will also hear the pain in the voices of a family who loved a boy from one of those institutions, who were on their way to officially being his parents, but who did not make it in time.  Due to lack of love and care, their son died only months before he would have been rescued.

--So you have orphans.  That's rough enough; they are pretty low in the hierarchy of who the world deems is valuable.  Under them come special-needs orphans.  And under them, at the very bottom of the whole heap, crushed and suffocated by the burden of unlove the world places on them, are the "Lost" children, those who are condemned for life death in conditions we would expect to see in a prison story set in the dark ages. 

--Julia's heart is for these "Lost" children--the most very "least of these" we could imagine.  Those are the children who will benefit from your participation in the giveaway.  Some of them have families coming to get them; some of them languish in unlove, moving ever closer to the age at which they will be unadoptable and will be sentenced to miserable lives deaths in those institutions.

So!  I know some of you who come by and read this blog also have big hearts, and care about helping those in need.  I know some of you take your Christian faith seriously, and would see this as another chance to obey God in "caring for orphans and widows in their distress."  And I know pretty much all of you would enjoy a chance to win a fabulous prize!  And let me tell you, there are some REALLY great prizes to be given away!  I even donated one. : )

(Last Fall I made a donation and entered the giveaway to help the Salem family bring home Hasya and Kael.  And I was so surprised that I won a $100 Target giftcard!  Whoo-hoo!  I was a little worried about money last fall, so it seemed like such a gift from God, which I could use for Christmas gifts.  Well, all circumstances working together, I did not end up doing so.  Then a month or so ago I decided to make a special trip to Target just because I needed some things I could get there, and I thought I should use the card before I lost it.  After getting to the cash register, I could not find the card!  But upon getting home, immediately remembered where I had stuck it in my purse--for safekeeping.   I started to wonder if the card was meant for me, or if it was meant to be passed on, to increase its giving--and when I saw this post of Julia's, I knew what the answer was.  So, in honor of Darren, I gladly offered it to Julia.  It's a special card, even *signed* by the fabulous Adeye, who I know would be so glad to know how the blessing just keeps going on. : )

So please go see!  Please look at the faces of the children who would be blessed by you.  Please donate and spread the love however you feel led.  Even $5 is something.  Don't forget, what matters is whatever we do. 

Whatever we do.

If you have a blog, please consider sharing!  You can copy the Mulligan Stew button and put on your blog, or link the post it takes you to facebook, email to friends--however you want to get the word out. 

All those fabulous prizes mean a LOT of people have given generously, so that the giving might be multiplied.  I hope you will help make sure the Mulligan Stew leaves all the families and children at the table filled to overflowing with love!

Much love to you all this week.



 

Valentine's Day Deux

so cute I had to share it twice. 

Today is our second Valentine's Day.   Mainly because of the traditional Vintage Homeschool Moms Valentine's Day party we will be having at church this early afternoon, for which my kids have been making Valentines all week long.  But then also tonight is the annual Parents' Night Out, where the college ministry at our church blesses us parents by providing an evening of free childcare!  So Dear Husband and I are going to drop off the kids and go do something fun. 

So it seems that, just like First Christmas Second, our Valentine's Day Deux is going to be the day with the most holiday fun. 

But too, by the end of the day yesterday, I had my heart all back in a good place.  I was seriously not trying to gripe or complain about my life or my kids--really and truly, I am always ALWAYS aware of how incredibly blessed I am.  But I was heart-struggling yesterday, and was being vulnerable about it, and now kinda wish I hadn't.  I shared what I did intending to encourage anyone else who was not having a great Valentine's Day--a day that is set up to sabotage love and just wound hearts in many families--but realized later it was coming off as one big pity party. 

So let me reassure anyone--it was a fine day.  The kids were not perfect, I was blue (it is that time of the month, so that *might* have been part of it. ahem.), the house looks like the beginning of a hoarder's episode, the long-running allergies are starting to really wear at me, I started Lent already feeling like I was letting God down (more on THAT later)--and really, it was a fine day! 

And that's what I was trying to say in that last post, trying to encourage anyone feeling as discouraged and heart-weary as I was not to think about the way we wish things would be, and instead be free to look at our messy lives and forget the bad stuff for a moment and just be blessed by whatever good we have in them.  Whatever love we have received.  To forget our ideals for a minute and just give love however we can, right at that minute. 

Because it does not matter how much around us is less than ideal--whatever little bits of good we can see around us are Good, and worth celebrating.

However we wish we were being loved at any given moment--whatever little bits of love we can see pointed in our direction are Love, and worth clinging to.

And I have the perfect way--for me, and maybe for some of you--to get some more Good and Love into your day, in honor of St. Valentine.  There is a family, who you can read about here, who is trying to bring home two orphans with dwarfism from China.  They seem to be the ideal family for these children, who will likely spend their lives in an institution if they are not adopted.  They are doing such a fun fundraiser--for every donation, they add hearts to a wall in their house, and share photos of the wall on their blog as they get more and more donations!

Except as of this morning, they are not getting many donations.  In fact, they shared with obvious heartache that yesterday--on the day celebrating LOVE--they only received one donation, so only one heart went up on their wall.  Oh, can you just hear all those little hearts crushing under that blow?  All the adorable children in the family who cut out pretty hearts in anticipation of all the LOVE they would receive from people who care about children being placed in families?  They are little kids who want to share love with two little unloved kids in China--of course they assumed lots of people would have love to share in response! 

My own children recently helped with an enormous undertaking, cutting out paper hearts for an art project on one wall of our church coffeeshop:

photo credit: Abbey Coffeelounge on facebook, instagram

It took my three girls and five other girls--plus help from me and my dear Becky--several hours to make all those hearts.  It was fun, but seriously a lot of work.  So I can really see in my mind's eye all those cute little girls and boys in this family so eagerly getting out their scissors and paper and making those hearts, cutting with concentration to get them just right.  Then being so excited to get to put them on the family wall, each construction paper heart meaning one more person who loves them, who is joyful in sharing their excitement, meaning one step closer to bringing their new siblings home. 

And instead, yesterday--the day of Love--I imagine all those little hearts crumbling, all their hand-made paper hearts lying forlorn.

So if any of you readers did not get your fill of love yesterday--please consider GIVING love today!  It will make you feel so good!  It will redeem a little bit of Valentine's Day for you--at least it does for me!

And if any of you were blessed with an abundance of love yesterday--please consider SHARING some love today!  Your blessings will increase!

xoxoxoxo

On the 9th Day of (Blogging About) Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me. . .

My best Real World Steampunk outfit to date!

Look at the so steampunky belt and jacket my Dear Husband got me for Christmas!  Ok, ok, so I did hunt them down on eBay. . . and I did bid, and win them. . . but my Dear Husband earned the money to pay for them, and was happy for me when I found them, and glad for me to buy them--and would not let me open and wear them before Christmas, and did wrap them. . . so technically they are from him.  When I finally did get to wear them I was so excited to find they went so perfectly with the blouse and skirt I have had for years, but which I really did not have things to wear with.  The boots are also something I have been meaning to share with you for a while--they are waterproof leather too, so I have one really practical and comfortable and neo-Victorian church boot!  If you enjoy fashion or want to know more,  I did blog about the outfit and boots more over at Minnie Zephie's Steampunk Treasure Trunk.

But my Dear Husband also did give me gifts that came directly from his hands and heart.  The first I want to mention happened during First Christmas (Second), when we were opening our stockings.  Some of you might remember me writing previously about a new tradition he and I started a couple of years ago--putting things in one another's Christmas stockings we find around the house that represent things we are thankful for or appreciate about the other person.  This year DH did the usual wooden spoon, representing liking me cooking for our family, and several other symbolic little things--but there were two in particular that made me cry.  First, he put in a crumpled piece of math scratch paper one of the kids had thrown away.  When I held it up quizzically, he said he was really glad I was homeschooling our kids.  Cue tears!  This meant soooooo much to me--he was a reluctant homeschool dad, and can tend to worry and be unintentionally critical, mainly because we have different expectations of "success" and "progress." So that token of encouragement in my stocking was so meaningful!  The second one was a little bit of yellow yarn--I immediately recognized it as one of the pieces of "straw" from our Advent manger, which I have previously written about here.  But what could it mean?  My Dear Husband told me it meant he was thankful for my Christmas traditions that have become our family traditions.  Cue tears again!  Esp. after what I shared in my post about the origin of First Christmas, in this post, that was such a sweet and encouraging and significant thing to say to me.

Then DH gave me another gift, after that--it was not technically a Christmas present, but it was a gift all the same, and a big one at that.  Some years ago, we started a holiday tradition by accident--my dear Becky and I had some evening event (probably a SoulKitchen core leaders meeting) to attend mid-December, and her husband was going to be out of town, so we asked DH if he would be willing to take care of her kids as well as ours for the evening.  We sweetened the deal by suggesting they all watch Christmas specials (for which DH has a particular fondness) and have pizza and cocoa and popcorn (all of which DH enjoys), which the mommies would get ready in advance.  So that's what we all did, and the kids loved it so much that the next year they begged to do it again.  So we did, and that time Becky and I went out for a rare girls' night.  Then last year I remember she and I decided to use our night "away" to hang here at my house (the Christmas special-fest traditionally happens at Becky's) and have a gift wrapping party, with a cozy fire, and Josh Groban and Loreena McKennitt playing softly in the background and mugs of Candy Cane Lane tea at hand.  She and I were both tired and stressed, as I recall, but making something we had to do into a  girlfriend event was such a good idea, and the pleasant evening was over much too quickly.

This year we just did not have a chance to do the traditional event before Christmas, much to the disappointment of the kids.  So we made sure to do it as soon as possible after, which turned out to be the Sunday before New Years.   We held the party at our house this year, and arranged it so that Becky and I got to escape for a good five hours, and this year in the company of our mutual friend "Rosa," whose daughter joined the crew here too!  And with that time away we did such decadent girlfriend things--going to see the new movie version of Les Miserables, and then having Indian food after!  The movie, as I am sure you know by now, was fabulous, and the food was great--but it was the relaxed, mind and spirit-synced conversation that I enjoyed the most.

And my Dear Husband really proved himself this time--can you imagine a Daddy having six active little girls inside such a small house for so long?! (It was a cold and rainy day, so they had to be inside--that and it was pitch black outside by 4:30.)  But from what I heard, they played with the plethora of Barbies, and the two youngest--Happy and Mini-Rosa--created a Spook House in the bedroom for the others (which the older kids scoffed at, until DH set the proper mood by turning off all the lights and playing dramatic and sinister-sounding music from the Batman movie soundtrack and then made the girls go in the bedroom one at a time armed with only small flashlights. . . the loudest scoffer of course going first).  They ate the dinner I had prepared and set aside for them.  And of course they watched some vintage holiday specials, ending appropriately with the one about Rudolph helping find the missing baby New Year.  As always, it ended too soon--well, for everyone but DH I imagine ; )--but it was such a fun way to wrap up the holiday season.

All in all, my Dear Husband really went out of his way to be thoughtful and loving and considerate and sacrificial this Christmas.  The warm fuzzies I got from all that are staying with me still.

 Our front door, as Becky and I found it upon our return--festively decorated for Christmas. . . or should that be for the Nightmare Before Christmas?  

On the 8th Day of (Blogging About) Christmas, my Mother Gave to Me

Sorry--I'm just not done talking about Christmas after all.  Originally, I thought it would be fun to keep writing about Christmas during the 12 days of Christmas, which end on Epiphany.  (I have just this year figured out what those actually were in the history of the church, and was pleased with the idea of so quickly applying that new knowledge in my own life, in my own way. ; )

Then life happened, and you all know how that goes.

Nothing bad is going on, don't worry!  We have so far avoided the whole sickness thing that seems to be hitting people coast to coast, although I am already getting smacked by some seasonal allergy, which greatly diminishes my energy and drive.  But even still, I am getting homeschooling back up into gear, and am purging, and my house is filthy, so as I go through cupboards and bins trying to purge and find homes for the new Christmas presents, I am also deep cleaning as I go.

So even if it is taking me well into the New Year and way past the window of culturally acceptable Christmas blogging, there are things I still want to share with you. All good stuff!  So, a few more days of "Christmas" to go here on O Blessed Day!

Today I want to show you all the complete fashion show of my adorable Smiley in the new outfit my mother made for him for Christmas.  As some of you may remember from previous fashion posts, like here and here and here, my mother is an expert seamstress and hand-sewing artist.  

Normally she makes things for the girls, but this year she finished a project for the boy:

Barnyard themed cord jacket and overalls! 

(These pics were taken next to my flower garden, at the front side of the house--with our neighbor's lovely seafoam-colored house behind.) 

(Double-click on any pic to see them all enlarged)

The back of the jacket. . . (and look at how my mother expertly lined up the plaid in the back of those overalls!!! That's the kind of subtle detail that really elevates her creations to the next level.)

Work it, baby, work it.  My little GQ model. 

Close-up on the lamb detail on one front pocket. 

Close-up of the rooster on the other side. 

With the jacket unsnapped, so you can see the overalls and their smocking scene.

The cutest farmyard scene!  All that needlework is meticulously done by hand, people!  And do you see how the lining on the inside of the jacket is also farmyard themed?

I rolled up the bottoms of the pants just because he was wearing his boots--they are long enough that he will get to wear this for at least another year, which is perfect. 

By the way, he insisted I button up that top button on the shirt, which cracks me up.  So little farmer geeky!

The outfit is just too adorable on him, Mother.  He loves it, and wants to wear it all the time.  Like yesterday.  And today.  

In this picture I told him to act like he was giving you a hug.  In lieu of the real thing, here you go!  

On the 7th Day of (Blogging About) Christmas, my MIL gave to me. . .

I already showed you some of the thoughtful gifts my MIL gave me for Christmas this year--but I thought I would include the short story of one of my favorite gifts from her this year:

MIL hosted the big family dinner on Christmas eve for the extended family who were there--18 people in all. She and I worked in the kitchen together for many hours preparing the food, and not only did it all turn out well, but she even made a distinct point of thanking me to my face for all my help, and even saying more than once that it was a success "thanks to me." Later she even said it on facebook too! This was really huge, because she does not compliment people lightly, and she was really affirming our relationship as MIL and DIL in that holiday. : )

Also, there was one really uncomfortable moment in the dinner preparations when she realized I had cut the broccoli side dish the wrong size (fork-sized florets instead of large, fancy clumps) and was really upset--and she started haranguing and not letting it go, and I felt the old rush of cold prickly adrenaline wash over me and the old urge to cower and deflect, but through the power of the Holy Spirit and the culmination of hard earned wisdom, I just stood and looked her in the face and said, as many times as was necessary, "I'm sorry," with my face and tone conveying my sincere apology, but also conveying confidence in her ability to forgive me. And it was momentarily really uncomfortable, but also really powerful--because she responded to my cues that implied Yes, I wronged you, but please believe that it was slight and unintentional, and Grace is here in abundance, so please accept my apology and let's forgive and forget, and all will be well and after a minute or two she self-regulated and then we went on together again peaceably finishing preparing the meal and getting it on the table. This likely sounds like such a little thing to the rest of you--BUT this is the kind of thing that for years and years used to happen every few minutes, every day, all holiday long and would lead to HUGE gulfs of perceived negative intent and feelings of being wronged, and hours of tongue-lashing. So for it to happen just once in a whole visit, and then be handled so maturely and Gracefully by both of us--GINORMOUS meaning for me. The embodiment of all the Good work the Holy Spirit has been doing in both of us.

And that is why her pointed words of praise later that day and affirming our partnership in the kitchen were also so meaningful--because the preparations had not been without "incident" and I had majorly "messed up" at least that once (who knows how many times she held her tongue and I never knew I was doing something annoying or wrong), but with her words she was making sure I knew I was forgiven and it truly was not something that would be allowed to hinder our relationship. So I treasure that moment, and those words. My Mother-In-Law was purposefully speaking to one of my Love Languages--Words of Affirmation--and I received it! 

Praise the Good Lord above for this Christmas miracle! ; )

Finishing First Christmas, and When (the Civil) War Hits Home

So, I spent my blogging time for two days writing a long, sentimental post about our First Christmas this year, complete with photos from this and past First Christmasses.  And then last night when I went to finish it and post--something happened and it all mysteriously vanished into the void.  I would be really bummed about the wasted time and lost effort--except I have so many friends and family members who are starting out the New Year with horrible cases of the flu, or with children in the hospital, or having family members recently passed away, that I will consider a lost blog post and a minor quarrel with my husband (completely unrelated ; ) getting off easy.

So instead of trying to recreate that post, I'll tell you about one of the Christmas group gifts to our children that I have gotten a lot of chuckles over, both before and after the children opened it: boy Barbies.   You see, the girls inherited a modest collection of lady and little girl Barbies from my childhood and from their cousins Emily and Sarah, but they have never had any Ken dolls or little boy dolls.  So this Fall I noticed that Sunny in particular would do her best to dress some of the ladies, those with the shortest hair and less made-up faces, in the most masculine of the ladies' clothing and pretend they were men.  (Rebecca, your Marie Osmond doll from our childhood was the "man" most often!)  So I decided the girls needed some men, to make "real" Barbie families with.  I did not want to buy new Barbies, because they are expensive, and because I really am trying to avoid buying plastic toys, and because my kids would be completely happy with dolls in good used condition--but two pleas on freecycle did not score me any free used ones.  So, I hit eBay, and after a good month of optimistically bidding low (and therefore not winning--even used on eBay those dolls are expensive!), finally scored two Excellent Used Condition dolls and two New In Box dolls--having to get new because I wanted brown-skinned men too, and those are harder to come by. 

Smiley also got his first "dolls" this year, and when I started researching GI Joe action figures on eBay, LOOK what I found:

Johnny Reb and Billy Yank!  What an awesome way to wrap up a semester of studying the Civil War.  (You can even find General Grant and General Lee GI Joes on eBay--if you have the $ to throw down for those!)

I wrapped up the North and South GI Joes in one box for Smiley, and then the other male Barbies in a box for the girls (along with plenty of EUC Barbie babies, since you know once all the women have men, babies will follow ; ).  And as I did, I could see with my mind's eye how my kids would likely, enthusiastically, play with them all, what with our recent immersion in the Civil War and all. . . . Poor Malibu Steven--your world of fun and leisure is about to drastically change:

photo credit

Sure, enough, within minutes of opening the Barbies (the very last gift opened), poor Steven and the other brown-skinned Barbies were forced into slavery and bossed around by Plantation Mistress Barbie (her husband, Johnny Reb, was away fighting in the war).  Marie Osmond became a woman passing as a man to spy for the North, and my old long-shorn Skipper played a Union drummer boy (because she was too young to enlist).  Other Barbies were Quakers who did not believe in slavery and wanted no part in the war  (because, yes, Mother, we watched "Friendly Persuasion" at the end of our study unit).

This is the kind of imaginative schooling-fueled play my kids do all the time.  I have heard it is not, um, usual.  In fact, I was telling my (fellow homeschooling) friend Sara about all this yesterday, and she laughingly encouraged me to blog about it--because she thought what my kids did with their Barbies was such a refreshing change from the normal princess stories most Barbie dolls are trapped in by our culture.  I guess she's right--but without public schooling and TV and radio and magazines, we are pretty out of the loop of what everyone else does with their dolls, and this all seems perfectly normal to me.

Although on a more serious note for a minute--when I watch my kids re-enacting in their play (whether Barbies, or dress-up, or backyard romping with friends) the things I am putting in their minds through school, and documentaries, and books, and reading the Bible, it makes me awed at the responsibilty of that.  They truly are little sponges, in their hearts and minds. 

Here's a photo of the girls, late afternoon on First Christmas, still in their pajamas (and the new handmade pj bottoms from my Mother) and surrounded by newly opened gifts, already immersed in all things Barbie:

I so hesitate to share photos of my house when it is not looking its best--but let's face it, that's pretty much all the time, and this shot so perfectly summed up the contented close of First Christmas.  And shows you all just how big my living room/master bedroom suite is, esp. with a Christmas tree. : )

There's actually more open floor space between the living room and kitchen, in what we call the entry, where Smiley got out his trains to enjoy some of the new train track he received:

And I might as well wrap this up with a few more photos from our gift-opening on First Christmas, originally intended for that lost post (too many of my photos turned out blurry, there in the dim light of the living room when I did not have the right setting on the camera.  So that's why I don't have any more good pics of the two eldest!  These are just the few that turned out halfway decent.):

Thanks for the ornaments, Grandma! (She's standing on the trunk that you see in the Barbie sprawl pic, which had been pushed over to our bed during the excavation of gifts from  under the tree, in case you were wondering why she appears so tall.  I'm taking these photos from my comfy seat at the foot of my bed.)

Smiley loves this adorable jacket my mother made him for Christmas--I'll have to get a good pic of him in the whole outfit and post it. : )

The kinds of sweet and simple handmade gifts the kids make for us and each other.  (It's a, um, colored snowflake? Paper doily? Whatever--it took some serious time and creative effort to make, and that's the real gift.)

Christmas in Photos, 2012

A quick recap of Christmas in Chico, with photos:

MIL encouraged us to get by the tree on Christmas Eve day, for an impromptu family portrait.

Me taking the opportunity of DH having our camera out to get a pic of me in my new finery: my boots, my new earrings, and the new top and scarf I bought during my birthday retail adventure with my dear Becky.  And me daring to wear my one pair of skinny jeans--hand-me-downs from MIL--without something long over them. Ta-da!  Gotta love the kids already delving under the tree to hunt for presents. ; )


--As I have already mentioned, we had a lovely time, probably the best we have ever had.

--MIL initiated a family reading of the Christmas story from the Bible on Christmas Eve.  This is the first time we have ever done this at their house, and it was full of meaning.

--MIL also really showed me that she heard me when it came to the presents.  She and I had been emailing and communicating for a month or two on the main gifts for the kids and for DH, and so had bought things we could actually use, or that we both (and DH too) thought the kids would really get enjoyment out of.  I think we actually brought home less quantity of presents than in previous years, which is great in itself--but each gift showed a lot of thought and desire to share enjoyment, which is the whole point anyway.

A quick gathering of Oma and Opa and the kids in front of the fireplace on Christmas morning.

--MIL also was so thoughtful in her gifts to me, encouraging me to pick out things I actually wanted.  We went shopping the day before Christmas to get a few last-minute things, and I saw this sweater dress and actually liked it, and she liked it, and she urged me to get it with discount coupons she had, and so I did, and she wrapped it up and put it under the tree, and after I opened it I wore it the rest of Christmas Day, which I knew she would like.  : )  And look--I'm wearing it with the Trade As One scarf she bought me as an early Christmas present back in November!  And with the new boots she bought me for my birthday!  So that's why I had DH take photos of me in my new MIL-gifted finery there at their house--so she would know how much I appreciated each thoughtful gift.  And so I could share them with you all!

Our crew hanging out (literally!) with two of their cousins on Oma and Opa's back patio.

--We got to spend some good quality time with two of DH's cousins and their kids.  They are really nice people who we engage with as friends as much as family, so we always enjoy seeing them.  It was really fun, too, to see our kids playing and hanging out together, since all our families live at least several hours from one another and we don't usually see each other more than once a year.

We went on a walk with some cousins in the big park there in Chico, which is right across from DH's parents'  house--and came upon a tree decorated with handmade upcycled ornaments.  What a fun bit of unexpected beauty.  A fitting metaphor for our entire Christmas visit.

Blessing others!

My dear readers, the beautiful Adeye over at No Greater Joy Mom is having a giveaway to help raise adoption funds for families who are in the process of adopting special needs kids.  Please visit this link to read about it, and to see the faces of the children you will be helping bring home.

If each of us just give a little tiny bit, it all adds up--just like the Desmond Tutu quotation that has been inspiring me for so long there at the top of this blog, each little Good thing we do sets more Good in action, and little by little we change the world.

There is another way I would ask you to help support special needs orphans;  another blogger mom and adoption advocate, Julia at Micah Six Eight has been posting about a special online event going on right now.  There is a company called Cultivate Wines that every year gives away money to the charity chosen by visitors to their site.  This year Reece's Rainbow is one of the groups who has a chance to win.  Every single penny they win will be put into the adoption funds of special-needs orphans. You can vote in this contest once a day until the end.  I have been voting whenever I remember, and now am going to every day.  Would you please do the same?  There are many worthwhile charities who are in the running for this prize money--but what a HUGE difference it could make to the orphans who will receive the money in their adoption funds.

Click here to see a link to the contest (all the way at the bottom of the post) and read a great God story showing how nothing is impossible for Him--and how He moves us to be His tools of love and mercy when we are listening to Him.

Now, go bless!

And God bless!

Blessed

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I don't think much in this world is coincidence. So I was not really surprised when my dear Becky read Sunday's post and told me that what I had written had really gone along with the whole message at Vintage Faith yesterday morning, which I missed because I was still at home typing and crying. The message was on the above passage of Scripture, from Matthew Chapter 5, the beginning of the much-loved Sermon on the Mount. So this morning I decided to go to that passage and consider those words of Jesus in light of what all is churning in my heart.

I am sure you can see many connections. This could have been written about those parents who I care so much for, those who are lovingly sacrificing themselves for their children over and over, day in and day out. Julie. Barb. Dorothy. Lisa. Keri. Kari. Susie. All the mothers and fathers who are living love fully and suffering for it. So at least for today, I am praying these words over them.

And it is also not a coincidence that two of my favorite adoptive blogging mothers wrote pieces that continue the ideas in that last post, and in the two posts that inspired it:

Lorraine wrote this beautiful piece that reflects further on the value of their adoptive daughter's life, and shows even in her many potentially scary diagnoses, she is totally held in the hand of her Father in heaven:

Our character is shaped greatly by Him and the things He allows us to walk through. It is a gift to walk through life, and death, with specials needs children. There are things He teaches us through these experiences that cannot be learned any other way. Our hearts are forever changed, looking much more like His than we could ever imagine, because that is His plan for us.   

Dorothy linked today to this old post by Julie, which perfectly addresses the heart of a child with hidden disabilities, who is so worth loving and parenting, and which--in God's upside down way of things--ends up even being a blessing because it is hard:

 

My son has a beautiful, loving heart. He has a heart for God and wants to please him. He really does. I have to focus on the beauty of the soul that God has given him at times when all I can see is the craziness that alcohol and early neglect has done to his brain structure. I have to hold on to the hope that our faith brings and know that our family was designed by God. During the times that I think someone else would be better equipped to handle the FAS/RAD, I am reminded that each child in our family was meant to be here with these ill-equipped parents and wild bunch of siblings.

I remember the early days, when all I could think was "I used to be a good mom." I did alot of relying on my own skills and the pride I had in my ability to parent. Now, I am thankful for my little challenging child..because he never allows me to rely on myself and my abilities...he drives me to look to God to find the strength to parent. He has taught me so much. 

Most meaningful of all for me personally was what Adeye wrote, which might have been written as a direct response to my post, my own fears and failures, except she is not a reader here--so I'll take it as the response written by God through Adeye to me and to whomever else needed to hear that truth!

She writes:
So often in adoption circles we use a very well-quoted scripture.

In the 25th chapter of Matthew, Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

I love that Scripture! I have read it hundreds of time. And every time I read it I am reminded, obviously, of how important it is for the body of Christ to be taking care of the weak, the lonely, the hurting, the needy, the widow, the orphan, the destitute, and the downtrodden.

But recently, something different has struck me.

“WHATEVER you did…”

WHATEVER.

The Scripture doesn’t say, “When you have gone and adopted four children with profound special needs…you did it for me.”

Neither does it say, “Once you have gone on two overseas mission trips and made a huge impact in the lives of hundreds of children in a heinous orphanage…then you finally did it for me.”

Nor does Scripture say, “Go out and find fifty hungry people to feed this afternoon, and only then will it be for me.”

No, Jesus made it so simple for us to follow what burned in His heart.

WHATEVER you do…

Whether you ARE called to grow your family through the blessing of adoption and have a multitude of children from all over the world in your home.

Or whether God puts it on your heart to support just one orphan monthly through a relief organization.

Whether God calls you to pack up your entire home and relocate to a Third World country.

Or whether He whispers to your heart, “Do the fostering classes and open your home to one child whom I have already chosen for you.”

Whether God tells us to sell everything we have and give it all to the poor.

Or whether He burdens us to clear out our overflowing closets to help the little girl in school who only has one pair of shoes…

WHATEVER you did...

“You did it for Me!”

How freeing! How amazing to think that just the smallest, least noticeable thing that we do for the sake of expanding the Kingdom of God on earth is HUGE in the eyes of Jesus.

“Whatever” can mean anything….
.   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .

My words again.  I did not mean to sound so cynical at the end of my last piece, when I said "at least I can throw money at the parents running into the building."  I know each and every dollar I give to families to help bring their children safely home is so appreciated--it all helps, every last bit, and I know when I give out of love and concern for "the least of these" the amount I give does not matter, just that I did give, and had the right heart when I did. It is a form of obedience for me, and honoring God, and worship.  It is all win-win-win, it blessed God, it blesses the families and the children, it blesses me.  But for a moment there I felt like that was not enough--not the amount I might be able to give, but just the fact that it sometimes feels like even a million dollars, if I had it, would be the least I could give.  That what God really wants is all of me.  My whole heart.  My whole attention.  My whole trust.  And that's what I am not sure I am giving fully.  So Adeye's post really encouraged me to look at my small obedience for what it is, and rest secure in that.  For now.

And in the meantime, I am going to be encouraged by Becky's words to me too.  In response to my post and what the speaker at church said about Jesus' words on the Mount, she wrote to me,"The poor in spirit are those who have nothing to offer the rest of the world – the truly “worthless,” to the rest of us. Those who mourn are those who are feeling, deep in their souls, the brokenness of the world. The agony of sin, death, sickness, sadness, broken relationships. But in God’s upside down world, it’s these folks to whom the Kingdom of God, the reign of God, the favor and blessing of God, is most readily available."

It is a blessing that I mourn.  It means I am aware of my own sin, and the brokeness of the world in general.  And in that awareness I just want more God--more God in the world, more God in me.  And I think that is the beginning of transformation, into becoming something really useful to Him.

the freecycle fairy

It starts like this:

Find stashes of still good stuff you don't really have a place or need for.  Grandmothers' attics are a great place to look.

Do you hear that, Smiley?

Saw them in concert there in at my hometown in Illinois in '87.  Now in California, where the actual Joshua Trees are. Small world.

You mean we can take Amanda the Honey Bear with us?  Yes, my dear girl, but only to find her a good home through freecycle.

And naturally leads to this:

Blessed
to Santa Cruz County Freecycle
OFFER: retro 80's digital clock--wor​king

A classic 1980's digital clock, with red luminous numbers, 2 alarms, radio, light, can run on battery or plug into wall.  ALL WORKS GREAT!

The only problem with this retro bad boy is that my husband just cracked the plastic front that covers the number display. : (  So, we decided to downgrade it from living room status (yes, we are that chic--it matched the boombox we use for a stereo ; ), but don't have use for it in any other rooms.

This clock radio would be PERFECT in a shop or garage or basement, someplace where you might want the radio and clock components and don't need it to look perfect.

Best of all, I will bring it to you!  Just tell me in your reply roughly where you are located and I will choose a recipient based upon the errands I will be running this week.

------------------------------------------------
Blessed
to Santa Cruz County Freecycle
OFFER: five wooden badminton raquets

raquets?  rackets?  you know what I mean.

Four vintage-feel wooden badminton raquets, some of which are slightly warped.  originally a very nice set--made in Japan.  warped didn't matter for my husband and kids and I to play with them in the yard--HYSTERICAL fun!  But now we have inherited another set and so want to find a home for these. 

If you are interested, I might be able to bring them to you! just let me know in your response roughly where you live.

--------------------------------------------------
Blessed
to Santa Cruz County Freecycle
OFFER: old but clean stuffed animals, including giant bunny

I have two medium sized stuffed animals from my childhood, recently reclaimed from my parents' attic in the Midwest.  They are in good used condition, and have lots of loving left in them--one is a bear, one is a dog.

The large bunny, Peter of course, is about 32 inches high, and is made for hugging.  All three stuffed animals smell and feel clean--just not new. My kids would love to keep them, but we just don't have room, so we brought them home from the grandparents' to freecycle.

Anyone have a home for them?

i will gladly bring them to you!  Just tell me roughly what area of town you are in, and I will choose according to my errands this next week.

----------------------------------------------------
Blessed
to Santa Cruz County Freecycle
OFFER: music, movie posters and art prints

I am hoping this offer makes somebody (or several somebodies) excited.  I just recovered all the posters my sister and I had up on the walls in high school and college.

music lot:
The Cure--Boys Don't Cry (the huge one)
Pixies
REM--tourfilm
U2--tour posted from the Joshua Tree tour
and a-ha!
 
art print lot:
2 Monet
3 M. C. Escher
1 Norman Rockwell

movie:
original Princess Bride poster (large)
original Willow poster (small)

i only ask that you take all of one lot, or take the whole lot! 

best of all, I will bring to you!  When you respond, just tell me roughly what area of town you are in, and I can bring by as I do errands next week.  I might be anywhere from Aptos to Scotts Valley, so never hurts to ask!


Which naturally leads to this:

Lynessa
to Blessed

I would LOVE that Princess Bride poster. It's my favorite movie.

-----------------------------
Brenda
to Blessed

Hello and good morning Blessed!

I would be delighted to receive the music posters. I'm a HUGE fan of The Cure and U2 and really like the Pixies, too. If these aren't already spoken for I would love to give them an honored space on my walls.

-----------------------------
Mary
to Blessed

Hi, i would love your clock, i have been looking for one for a while. i hope it has not been taken.

-----------------------------
Tehya
to Blessed

hi! we would love these! my daughter and i would have a blast on the beach..

-----------------------------

etc.

And ends up with:

me driving all over the Santa Cruz area in the dark tonight, dropping off goodies on people's doorsteps.  I was planning on doing it in bits and pieces, arranging my other errands and freecyling to be most efficient, but traffic during the day has been terrible (lots of tourist traffic as well as untimely construction on the highway) and my in-laws are coming this weekend, and I decided it would be well worth it to go out and about tonight after the kids were tucked into bed.

All the things I listed have new homes. And some of the things I delivered was to a family who are foster-adopting two little girls, and talking with the Grandma for a few minutes, I found out they homeschool, and do it through the same charter we do!

Freecycle is soooooo much fun.  You don't have to drop things off--most people just set them out and wait for someone to come get them.  But when I have things to go, I love just getting them gone, so I happily drive them to their new homes over the course of a week or so, as I do errands.

But tonight, it was totally worth the gas and time just to have them out of my life.

There will be quite a few people with surprises on their doorsteps in the morning!

Peter the rabbit is likely cuddling his new child, Brianna, tonight.  He and his other stuffed companions were delivered last week, left sitting on the porch of the interested family with a sign between Peter's paws that introduced them all by name and said they were so glad to be at their new home.  I got the cutest email from the mom later, telling me her daughter had decided not to change their names, since they had those names for so long, and that she loves them. : )