Day 32 Nov 14

I am selling some things on the internet to try to drum up some more money, and today, I delivered a couple pieces of furniture to someone. To have the ability to put something in the back of my pick-up, and transport it 30 miles really doesn't seem like that big of a deal. However, I have come to the conclusion that my husband makes these kinds of things look way easier than they are.  I couldn't figure out the ratchet strap thing, and the stinkin nightstand drawers kept opening and shutting and nearly scaring me half to death the whole drive! Note to self: get tutorial on how to 'tie things down' in my own truck!

day 31 Nov 13

Last week when I volunteered at the food bank, I noticed that some of the men who are 'in transition' (aka homeless) were asking for specific clothing items, like long underwear. The lady who deals primarily with those in transition had a 'stash' of items that they would ask for.
I got to thinking about how cold it is getting here at night. The shelter is not open yet, so these men must just be camping out in the elements. Anyway,  I wish I could do more, but I did take a couple of brand new bigger coats down to the food bank to be given specifically to those in transition.  I asked if there were any specific needs that they had, and the lady told me that they always need socks. I am thinking of trying to get a 'sock drive' going at church maybe, so that we can help to fulfill that need.
Last week, a man came through the food bank, and after he had gone through the line, he kind of stood in the middle of the room, and said loudly "I want to thank all of you who are here volunteering your time to help us." I'm pretty sure I'm menopausal, but I teared up like a baby. It made me so sad to think of all the people who are privileged and don't even know it. It humbled me to think that this man, who has nothing, can be so appreciative of me, who, comparatively, has everything. I am grateful to know that my time is appreciated, and if I begin to think for one minute that I can't make a difference, I have only to think of that man and that proclamation of gratitude. That will remind me that it doesn't take a lot, and that we can all make a difference.
I also heeded the call of a friend that needed to have her daughter picked up from the middle school because she missed the bus. I am so grateful that I can help out!

Day 30 Nov 12

What a great date! 11/12/13 :) One would think I did something wonderful today, but alas, I just baked. It was cold and rainy out. I had 3 bananas that were the perfect shade of rotten, so I made some banana bread and had one of the littles take a loaf over to the neighbor. I also found some rhubarb in the freezer, so I made a rhubarb cake. It is quite possibly one of the best things on the planet. That can't qualify as a service though, because I ate most of it all by myself, straight out of the pan. :)

Day 29 Nov 11

Today, I helped a pregnant lady load something up into her car. She said "oh, you don't need to do that!" It has been 8 1/2 years since I was pregnant, but I remember always being so grateful when anyone helped me do anything. Growing a human is hard enough work, I'm happy to do what I can :)

Day 28 Nov 10

For a person who does a lot of service, I thought my service would come along smoothly. But I have to admit, there are days when I really just wish someone would bring me a plate of cookies! This was one of those days. I did a little extra cleaning in my kitchen today, and I'm going to count that as a service to myself. Lame, I know.
I still need to work on praying for guidance in who is in need of service. Some days, that comes easy, and some days, I really struggle to know what I can do for someone. I need to remember that doing for others always helps me to forget about my own troubles, and work harder to focus on that.

Day 27 Nov 9

Today's service can really hardly be called that, but.....I cut my husband's hair in preparation of him leaving to go to training school tomorrow. It is something I normally do, that is why I say I can hardly call it a service, however; I know he appreciates it, and it is something that is personal and beneficial :)

Day 26 Nov 8

I have a special anniversary coming up. On Monday, November 11, my friend and I celebrate our 16th anniversary. We call it that, because, very simply, it is the day that we met. 16 years ago, my oldest son was in Doernbecher's Children's Hospital in Portland, OR. A few days after he was admitted, a baby girl came in having seizures. She had just been born, and was assigned to our 'pod'. A pod was a room that held up to 4 babies. I started sending notes to the baby girl 'from' my son, and a friendship began. We have been through so many things together, this baby girl's mom and me. We have been through marriages, divorces, births of other children and the loss of both of our sweet angels that brought us together. Today, I sent her a package for our anniversary. Tradition dictates silver for the 16th. I found a cute silver journal and silver pen for her. I even was so kind as so write some witty remarks on random pages of the journal for her so that she has some feedback when she writes-lol.

Day 25 Nov 7

Thursday, while on our way home from a 'lunch and learn' at a local fire department, we stopped in a little thrift shop. The lady behind the counter said that she runs a ministry for homeless women and children. We made a purchase at the shop, and although it wasn't much, I donated some money to her cause. We talked for a bit about the changes in health insurance due to the Affordable Care Act, and how that will affect some of the people that this lady works with. I told her about a free help center where one can go to get signed up through the 'exchange' website. Hopefully, this information will help her to help others who are being affected by all of the changes.

Day 24 Nov 6~Food bank

I volunteered at the food bank again this morning. It was really cold, and I just kept thinking 'at least I get to go home'. Many of the people served at the food bank are homeless. They live in communities in the woods and by the river. It is downright freezing at night. They have to protect their things from the elements and even bears! I can not even imagine leaving my place of residence never knowing if it would be in the same condition when I got back. No matter how tough things are for us right now, or ever will be in the future, I hope that I can always remember these things.
On my way to the food bank, I saw a man with a gas can headed to his van. He was very obviously living in that van. I asked him if everything was ok. He said they are just trying to get home to the Cleveland area before Thanksgiving. I'm thinking that a gas jug at a time is going to take them a while. I gave him $20, and told him about the food bank. I am grateful to Heavenly Father every day for the things that I have. I am grateful that he shows me that there are those less fortunate, which humbles me greatly.

Day 23 Nov 5

Tonight, I helped with the cub scout meeting. At first there were only two boys there, and I thought it was going to be pretty easy-and then.....3 more boys showed up. Late. Loud. Disrespectful. Not in uniform. Needless to say, the 'treat police' in me came out-but just a tiny bit. I think that they will learn the expectations within a few weeks. I hope anyway. :)

Day 22 Nov 4

We took the kids out for a nice buffet dinner. This is special because we have not been out to dinner for quite awhile. We had a great night and got to spend some quality time together where I did not have to cook or do the dishes:)

Day 21 dinner and oil :)

Today, I took some essential oils over to a friend in the hopes that it will help her with her plantar fasciitis.
I also took dinner over to the neighbors.

Nov 2 Day 20

I don't feel as though I really did anything today, but I suppose I can count 10 hours of free babysitting-yes? We hosted our youngest's friend today. Luckily, they got along great, despite spending over 36 hours together in the last 48.

Day 19 Nov 1 bats in my belfry

Today I folded dollar bills into origami bats for my son to give his Batman fan friend for his birthday. It was definitely a labor of love! I also had one of my daughter's friends over for a few hours while her mom worked. We all have the same number of hours in a day. What we do with those hours determines who we are. I am trying to make my time count more by investing it in those I love. Helping my son or spending time with my daughter and her friend are hours well invested. I think that when we do things as an investment of our time, all of the other things that need to be done will be. I have seen it recently in my own life. I am doing more service work and spending more time with my kids than I have in a long time, all while adding close to 20 hours of homework to my schedule. I know that all the small things are falling into place because I'm taking care of the big things first.

Day 18 Happy Halloween

Today, I bought healthy treats (apple slices, carrots and pretzel/cheese snacks) for my son's 'harvest party' and spent an hour or so in the classroom. It really bugs me that they can't even call it halloween. The kids couldn't dress up. I'm so tired of the fear of offending someone dictating every facet of our lives. I know this is not a positive post, and not in the spirit of giving meaningful service, but that's my two cents for the day:)

Day 17

Today, I spent two hours with my husband while he put a motorcycle back together. I visited with the lady who owns the bike. She likes to talk. I'm a good listener:)

Day 16 Haircut.again.

Today's service was giving a haircut to both of my sons. Again, possibly not outside the normal realm of parenting, but I'm counting it just the same. :)

Day 15 Are you ready for some football?!

For Monday's service, I took a Seahawks fan (who also happens to be one of my best friends) to watch the Seahawks play Monday night football at a theatre. We had pizza and soda and watched an amazing game. The opportunity was presented to me by the car dealership where I bought my pick-up a few months ago. It was a sort of customer appreciation thing. I was happy to include my friend and we had a great time together.

Day 14 blood, sweat and tears

Ok, so no real bloodshed to speak of, however, today's service did involve much sweat and some tears. I was asked last week to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. While public speaking does not usually cause me angst, I had serious butterflies while up on the stand. It is always good to get positive feedback, and I was especially glad to know that my talk did uplift and inspire some.

Day 13 Laundry room-drop your drawers here

My service today was to do my son's laundry for him. Is this outside the realm of normal parenting, enough to be considered a service? Ordinarily, I would have to say no, because a mother should provide clean clothing for her children, along with shelter and food. In this case, however, I am considering it a service because this particular son has been relegated to do his own laundry since he turned 12. He also received a cell phone at that time, and in our home; privileges are not given without responsibility. He was a little behind on his laundry this week, however, so I did it for him.

Day 12 $

Today's service came in the form of a monetary donation. Short and simple sometimes is best:)

Day 11

My service today included a donation of food and water bottles and my time to the 5th grade family fun night and spaghetti dinner. I had a migraine for most of the day, so I was glad to have already bought the food and signed up to help set up-otherwise, I might have been perfectly happy to stay home and do nothing:)
The neighbor that I carved a pumpkin for yesterday showed his appreciation by bringing over a small cake and cupcakes tonight. (Which the kids really enjoyed!) He said that he sent a photo of the pumpkin to his mom in Boston, and she loved it. That makes me so happy!

Day 10 bringing Boston To Washington

In an effort to make my daily service more meaningful, I have tried to be observant of those around me. Our neighbor stopped us to say "My Red Sox are playing in the World Series!" He was so excited about it, and sad that he isn't there rooting them on in person. So, I got a pumpkin and carved the Red Sox logo into it for him. He looked so happy. I thought he would put it on his front step, but he took it in the house with him:)

Day 9=treat police

My 10 year old (Seahawk head) had cub scouts pack meeting tonight. His den was to bring treats. He baked a pan of brownies, which I cut REALLY small because there did not seem to be enough to go around last month. When we got there, I noticed that there was only one other plate (presumably brownies) on the table. I excused myself and went across the street to get some cookies. Toward the end of the meeting, I raised my hand and announced that I had hand sanitizer that I wanted the kids to use before getting ONLY ONE TREAT in an orderly fashion. One of the dads came up and said, "So I guess you're the treat police, huh?" I'm not sure if he was kidding or not, but I proudly said, "Yes, someone needs to be."  I don't want to be THAT mom. You know, the one that is bossy and makes sure everyone is polite and orderly and has the common sense that is apparently not-so-common. However, it was evident after last month's meeting, that these kids need someone to lay down the law. I have noticed that all too often, adults are hesitant to say anything to kids that are not their own. Some of the kids are well-behaved, but most of them are quite unruly. It takes a village, it really does. I have no problem putting a child in his place. I do it out of love and respect. So my service today is not the brownies or cookie. My service today was striving to instill a modicum of respect and manners in these young men. So I may be the treat police to one dad, (or to the whole group-who knows?) but there is a chance that someone saw me as a person who cares enough to demand respect.

Day 8 more soup

I have wanted my service to others to be more meaningful. One way that I decided I could do that would be to be more observant. Today, I noticed that my neighbor across from me seems to be home alone. He is a younger guy-probably mid-20s. I think he lives there with his parents. I noticed that his mom's car is gone, and he didn't park like he normally does to make room for it. So, using my sharp deductive reasoning skills......I figured with his mom being gone, he might need some dinner. I employed my hubby to go ask him. My hubby reluctantly obliged. He took a homemade 'pumpkin' breadbowl full of soup over to him.
We also delivered a candy-gram thank-you to some friends of ours. I don't really count that as a service, since it was a thank-you.....however, it did put a smile on their faces:)

Day 7-there's a bird on your head

I don't really know if I can count yesterday's activity as a service, but I am marking it down:) My 10 year old was in need of a haircut, and we have seen a lot of cool haircuts that have the Seahawks logo shaved into the hair. I have always cut my boys and my husband's hair-but nothing fancy. I mean, I don't even use scissors! Well, I thought I might be able to perform this artistic do on my boy's head. I looked at some pictures and video online. It looked simple enough-for a professional. Since I am nowhere near the pro category, I told my son, "I'm just going to cut your hair normal, I don't trust myself to do the logo." And then it happened. My little boy said something that gave me all the confidence and pride I could muster. He said, "I trust you." Ok, well, that's it then. If he believes in me, then I can do it! I shaved the Seahawks logo into my son's hair. Well, I shaved a poor rendition of the logo into his hair;) But, he loves it, and was so excited to show it off-particularly to his teacher, whom he really thinks the world of. So I don't know if it's fair to count the artsy haircut as a service that I gave. I really feel like the unwavering confidence that my son has in me was the real service here. I am blessed beyond measure. It seems like a little thing, but it is huge. It confirms to me that sometimes, it doesn't take a huge gesture to show someone you care, or that you believe in them. "I love you" are 3 powerful words. Yesterday, I discovered how powerful "I trust you" can be. I think I'll use those more often.

Day 6-yes, soup for you

Today, I made soup for a craft activity/lunch at church. As it turns out, I also made lunch for tomorrow for my family:) This past week, I spent several hours of my time volunteering for a few different organizations. My presence, while appreciated, was not mandatory. The event or activity could have very well carried on without me there. Perhaps not as efficiently, or quickly, but it would have carried on nonetheless. My goal for service next week will be to make my service efforts more personalized. I really want to make a difference. I want to provide service that only I can do. I think it will be more meaningful if I do that. Tomorrow would by my oldest son's 16th birthday. I will begin my quest of more personalized service to others in honor of him on his special day. I need to make sure that my motivations are out of a pure love of Christ, and a want to be more Christlike. I will strive to be more prayerful in seeking out those in need.

Day 5 The dance

After selling tickets for the Middle School dance earlier this week, I was privileged to be able to chaperon the 'black out dance' tonight. Truth be told, I didn't do a whole lot-but I didn't embarrass my son either-so I think it was a success! I was pleasantly surprised at how many parents were at the dance. It gives me hope that there are lots of kids out there that give their parents a pass instead of an eye roll. Although I would like to be able to be a philanthropist, I love having the ability to give of my time. But in the end, I think we'll find it really is all about time anyway.

Day 4

Today's service was uneventful. I volunteered my time at Caleb's school again selling tickets for the dance tomorrow night. Monday, we sold 15 tickets, today, 113. I love watching the kids interact with each other. I look back at my own Jr High days, and I see so many similarities. Hair styles and clothes are slightly different, but all in all, not much has changed. My presence at the school today was not necessary to the success of ticket sales, by any means, however,  I do hope that Caleb knows that I am there because I love and support him. That would be my measure of success; that my son knows how important he is to me. The small glimpses I got of him at lunch mean the world to me. I know that not all moms have the time to spend at their child's school. I also know there are some who have no desire to volunteer hours at the Middle School. There are probably MANY kids who don't want their moms there. I am grateful for the opportunities that I have, my desire to be present, and mostly, for my children who welcome me into their world.

Day 3 We have water.

Well, I have been praying for God to let me know where He needs me. Yesterday, I received an email asking for help at the local food bank. So today, I spent 3 1/2 hours there handing out food. There was never a lull in the line of recipients. Several of the people are homeless, and as the weather turns colder and colder, I just wonder how they survive. One of the biggest needs for the people that are homeless is water. I know that we all reflect on our lives and we know how very blessed we really are-but to think of not having something so simple as water? Well, that just breaks my heart. I was humbled today, as I know I very well should be. We are having a tough go of things right now, but I saw at least 100 people in our tiny little town today who are most definitely worse off than we are. We have a home. We have a car. We have a pantry and refrigerator full of food. We have a warm bed. We have access to technology and education and medical care. And we have water.

Day 2

Today I gave a couple hours of my time to chaperon my third grader's field trip. We went to the Salmon hatchery in Issaquah, Washington. The hatchery has 2 full time employees and one part time. Everyone else at the hatchery is a volunteer. That is astounding to me. At a time when our government is literally shut down, I witnessed a fully functioning operation that relies almost solely on the generosity of people. Scores of people give of their time and talents to educate others about one of our area's resources.  We should all be so willing to give of our time~that one thing that is precious to everyone. The salmon is admirable as well. Always heading upstream-no matter the obstacle-ever with the end in sight.  “… It’s in the nature of the human being to face challenges. We're required to do these things just as salmon swim upstream.” ~Neil Armstrong~

Day 1

Today I volunteered at Caleb's school for 2 hours and sold tickets to an upcoming dance.  I was able to meet some of Caleb's friends-particularly the one that invited him to a birthday party this week-end at Great Wolf Lodge. Today was neon day at the Middle School-and it looked an awful lot like my jr high did in the mid 80's:) I thought it was interesting to see that there are still uniquely defined social groups.  I was able to meet a couple other moms that volunteer and/or work at the school. I'm scheduled to sell tickets again on Thursday. Happy Monday!