I love to read and I love to pass books along. I've been visiting Little Free Libraries when we travel for several years and thought it would be fun to make my own. And recently I have discovered several of them close to my home, as these libraries are located all over the world. The idea is you can take a book or leave a book or both (exchange a book for a new one).
Our little girl has also gotten into them- she likes to be the first one to spot them as we try to find new ones we have not visited....and she has picked out some interesting books for herself:
I downloaded the plans from the Little Free Library website and I've been working on this for MONTHS. And I have had a lot of help for this project- it has really been a labor of love...I took a woodworking class where I did most of the work. Our friend and next door neighbor helped me a lot with the door and gave me all the wood for the project. Another friend gave me the the shingles for the roof. My daughter helped me paint the Little Free Library and my husband helped me with the handle and attaching the door. When I put it that way, it sounds like I hardly had any part in this project, but I assure you I did!
I've been stocking up on books:
And put on some finishing touches. Since the library will be at our dental office, I thought it only fitting to have a toothbrush for a handle.
After running the Color Run last year with my little girl, I was excited that our small town decided to host one. Better yet, my husband sponsored, planned and volunteered at the event and it supported two organizations our family cares much about: the Boys and Girls Club and Lions Club. Win, win!
My little girl remembered the Color Run from last year and has been excited for weeks, as she has accompanied her Daddy to the Color Splash planning meetings and reminded me often “I need new running shoes, Mom!”
After running a mile the week before in a kids race for another fundraising run, I was optimistic she could do that again so I left the jogging stroller at the 1.2 mile part of the course for when I anticipated she would get tired. We walked/ran 1.5 miles (until pushing an empty stroller and holding my little girl’s hand got to be too much awkward bending for me).
Then I put her in the stroller, much to her protest, until she started yelling “Mom! Faster! I see more color!!!”
We had a lot of fun together. She and I guessed the color that we would be sprayed with at each color station (she was right 4 out of 5 times; I got none right) and our favorite station was where Daddy was, spraying us with pink!!
We ditched the stroller at the end so she could run through the finish and get more color on her own.
My husband was among MANY volunteers that helped make this race a success. Although we travel all over to participate in runs, it was fun to see our friends and neighbors volunteering at the Color Stations. Bonus was that the event was sold out, all 600 spots were full, and the event raised over $14,000 for two organizations that do a lot to help in our community. And it got a whole new group of people excited about being active.
I’ve been running for years and enjoy the stress relief, camaraderie, health benefits and post-run high that running brings. I get emotional thinking of how big of a part of my life running has been. There was the time I broke the school record in track and the friends I made in cross country in high school that I am still close with today. There are the numerous races and only marathon I ran with my family cheering me on, the friends that helped me train and brought me post-race gifts. There was the time I did my first race with my (now) husband, the pride I had when my husband qualified for and then ran the Boston Marathon, my family’s tradition of a Thanksgiving Day Run in costume. And pushing my little girl in her stroller on training runs in all types of weather, until now, she can run on her own. Running is a big part of our family’s life.
At 6 months pregnant, I’m having tailbone pain and I am hanging up my running shoes for now. I’ve shed a couple tears about this, as I will miss the Color Run with my family and friends this summer, my favorite local races and going on casual runs (my Friday morning tradition), pushing my daughter in the stroller. My daughter who know has become my trusty running partner/trainer, is always good for a “faster, mom!!!” even when I am already running my absolute fastest. But I have realized a couple of things too- like when I had a stress fracture and could not run for a few months- this too shall pass. This is temporary. There are a lot of things I can still do- I can cheer on my family, take photos and be a superfan on the sidelines of the runs they will continue to do. I can still go for walks, go biking and swimming. And rest is something my body (and the baby inside of me) needs. So it’s for a good reason. And listening to my body rather than pushing myself, is the right choice for both of us.
My husband and I
have always valued giving back to help others, but the Christmas after
our little girl was born, we started bell ringing for the Salvation Army as a
family. I also ring bells with a friend each year and we have a blast together. At 8 months old, she was the youngest bell ringer and it was the start
of a tradition that we plan to continue for many years. Now rather than being
bundled into a stocking like that first year, our little girl dances and
helps put money in to the bucket. We worked on teaching her to say “Thank You”
for those who donate and “Happy Holidays” to those who do not, although she
sometimes got the two mixed up and said “Thank you” to everyone. My hope is that
teaching her young will instill in her the desire to give back for years to
come. Bell ringing for 2 hours raises $100 on average, which can serve 50-80 people a nutritious meal according to the Salvation Army.
It is interesting in
the times that we’ve rang bells the interactions with people we’ve come
across:
-People who look for
the bucket and already have their money out well in advance
-People who are
quick to wish us a “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas” and thank us for being
there
-People who avoid
eye contact at all costs even when you have greeted them
-People who are
looking very intently at their receipt (this seems to be the majority of
people)
-People who are
friendly but walk as far away from us as possible as if we are going to
pickpocket them for money (we are not)
I wish I had a sign
that said “We are enjoying our time as a family by ringing bells. We have no way
of knowing who receives assistance from the Salvation Army or who just gave all
the money they had at the last store they were at. It does not matter to us
either way. It does not matter to us if you donate or not; we will still wish
you a “Merry Christmas” and we will still ring our bells. Have a nice
day.”
Ah, but there will
be no sign, just bell ringers at stores throughout the country, continuing this
Christmas tradition…so, if you come across the, please at least acknowledge
them. A smile is a free gift.
One tired little bell ringer, towards the end of our shift
“When someone does something nice for you, you
never ever forget it” ~ me
I suppose it is a play off the quote “People will
forget the things you say, but not how you made them feel” by someone much more
famous than I (forgive me, I don’t know offhand who that person is).
I have very distinct memories of all sorts of
really great things people have done for me over the years (I distinctly
remember the bad too, but try not to focus on those), and I still feel the love
I felt at that moment when I think back on those really great things. I
remember the Christmas tree my mom’s coworker gave us years ago because we would
not have had one otherwise. I remember the people who were there when I needed
support after the loss of a friend, the illness of a family member, the struggle
to understand why life happens the way does. I remember the car rides when I was
stranded along the side of the road, the unexpected gift of chips and salsa after
running a marathon, those who helped me scrape paint, then repaint and replacewindows, and roof my house as a young homeowner. I remember the people who
stayed with me when I was scared- their presence a huge gift to me. I remember
those who paid for a meal when I was down to my last $5, and helped after my
daughter was born, cooked for me, let me nap, gave advice. The letters and cards
that come at just the right time in the mail, provide encouragement, “a hug in
an envelope”, so to speak. I remember those moments and savor those moments;
they’re gifts- those memories. When I think of those people who gave those
gifts, the really great things they’ve done often define them- a moment of
generosity that gives a glimpse to who they are.
Giving is a very personal thing and when we
decide to give, we cannot judge. We give because we want to give and we hope we
are making a positive difference in someone else’s life. My hope is that the
gesture we make or the assistance we provide gives the recipient the help they
need and it is appreciated, and that someday they will pay it forward, but that
is not always the case. And that has nothing to do with it. When you decide to
give, you give because you want to. What happens after that is not up to the
giver.
I stopped to pick up a list for our local Adopt A
Family Program and left in tears. This was intended to be a rather quick errand:
run in, get list, run out. And I am still trying to grasp what exactly happened
in there except I was overcome with so much emotion. It wasn’t the
nondescript office building where the temporary office is housed, nor did I come
in contact with any other people than the two volunteers that were there. It
just got me thinking…about those people that have helped me over the years. And
about the people I have been able to help. And then I couldn’t stop crying…a
mixture of happiness for those who have helped me when I needed it the most, and
a happiness for being at a place in my life where I can give back, yet an
overwhelming sense of sadness for those who need, not just this time of year,
but always. And realizing that although people tend to be generous around the
holidays, there are individuals and families that struggle all the time. A
humbling emotion for the fact that we are all just one catastrophe away from
struggling ourselves, be it a lost job, a terrible accident, natural disaster, a
health concern, or any number of things that can turn our lives upside down in a
minute. A hurtful emotion of those who judge others. I’ve felt the brunt of
judgement my whole life and because of that, I try really hard not to judge
others. We can all have opinions, but to make judgements based on our opinions
is just plain wrong.
I am just one person of many, trying to make the
world a better place because I can. Because people have done that for me when
I’ve struggled. And I will never forget that. I am willing to give my time to
help others. I am willing to forgo that meal out to instead pay for someone
else’s. I make a conscious choice to limit the number of gifts we buy for our
daughter at Christmas to instead buy for those who would otherwise have no gifts
at all. It is important to me to raise a daughter who values the needs of
others, appreciates what she has and who realizes how lucky she is to have a
loving family, a warm home, food and clothing. As parents we want to give our
kids everything we can, but I think it is important to put perspective into
their world as well. Because I struggled as much as I did as a young college
student and homeowner, I have the perspective I do. And I wouldn’t change that
for anything.
I donated my hair about 4 years ago after being moved to tears by this video. At that time, any dye had grown out and my hair was
healthy and long enough to satisfy the 10 inch minimum. I figured that I have
spent the last several years taking care of my hair and I might as well give it
to someone else who can use it more than me. It was such a good feeling then
that I knew I would do it again. I immediately started growing it to donate it
again. That day came on Friday. I was able to donate 11 inches of my hair and
this is what I am left with:
This style should grow out well as I think I
will donate it again once it is long enough. My life is simplified by not
getting my hair colored. Plus I hate that whole process and the chemicals and am
completely comfortable with my natural color. And the shorter style is much
quicker to dry and does not get stuck in my zippers, my scarves and feels so
healthy. And I am giving my hair to help out someone who does not have any. That is a good feeling.
I am referring to the motto for the Salvation Army: Doing the Most Good.
This weekend, my friend Jenny, Bundle, and I rang bells for the Salvation Army. First off, everything (yes, everything) I do with my friend Jenny is an adventure, so I knew this would be fun. And it was!!! Although aside from me almost knocking over the bucket, it was one of our less adventurous endeavors, but fun nonetheless.
This was Bundle's 2nd year ringing bells for the Salvation Army. We decided even at 8 months old last holiday season, it was important for us to start this tradition. Last year when we rang bells as a family, she fit in a stocking:
This year, Bundle no longer fit in a stocking and the Salvation Army must not have many mini bell ringers as they did not provide stockings for her, so I found an apron for her to wear so Bundle looked official. She entertained us by dancing and jumping and singing along with the singing chipmunk we brought with us (pictured) while Jenny and I rang the bells. It was an absolute blast. Bundle got a kick out of giving people high fives and saying "thank you" and helping people put their money in the bucket. Even more important, we helped out a cause that helps others. My husband did not ring bells with us this year, but was gracious enough to stop by and take photos for our scrapbook.
I lot to run. So does my husband and my daughter often tags along as we participate in numerous races each year. My husband even has a blog about his races (http://jonathondelf.blogspot.com/). Our favorites are the races that raise money for a good cause. A few years ago, we started the tradition of running a race on Thanksgiving Day with our family, who either particpates or cheers us on. I figure I can eat that extra portion of dessert if I get a run in before the big meal:)
This year, we spent Thanksgiving in Faribault, Minnesota with my family. Mt husband and I participated in the IRIS (Infants Remembered in Silence) Turkey Trot 5k Run. (http://www.irisremembers.com/) and this was one of the most emotional runs we've participated in as this is a cause that is close to our hearts. IRIS honors the babies that were never born or that died very young and provides a resource for parents and families to help them cope with that loss. My grandma, aunt and mom (which means I have siblings I have never met) have all lost babies and we have close friends that had babies they never got to meet as well. We had signs and tags made in their honor and had a prayer for all of those affected before the start of the race.
My brother and I with the sign for our brother who was stillborn.
Each of the leaves has a name of a baby that was being honored.
I ran/walked the race with my cousin and it was the first time we had every ran a race together. We went for a practice run a few weeks ago!
Here's the crew! A special thanks to my mom for watching Bundle so we could do this race!
What's a race without Superfans?! My aunt and cousin stood out in the cold to cheer us on! LOVE!
My husband, dressed as Santa finished 5th overall
There were angel ornaments that were given away and I took a few to give to those people I care about that have lost babies.
Not to make light of a very serious event, but I look for excuses to be goofy and a Thanksgiving Day run was a great excuse to break out my turkey hats. I didn't realize until later that day my hat was on backwards:)
