My Grandma!

Today I went and visited my grandma. I really love to go see my grandma, mostly because I always leave with a smile. She truly cracks me up. Today when I walked in the door, she just stared at me and gave me a blank look as if she didn't recognize me. Then she said, "Well where are the kids?"

I replied, "Well it is good to see you too, Grandma!"

Then she started in with that contagious laugh, it made me laugh also. She tells me, well I was just assuming that you would bring the kids with you. I told her that they were all in school, and next time I came to visit I would make sure I had a kid with me, even if I had to kidnap one of Karen's boys. This made her laugh even harder. We had a really good visit. I really love spending time with my grandma, I need to do it more often.

"A grandma has ears that truly listen,

Arms that always hold,

Love that's never ending,

and a heart made of gold."

An Easy Give!

Well today my little give was helping a group of eight year old girls do some scrapbook pages. This was really rewarding. I love helping children, do creative projects. Children are always so excited to use their imagination and be creative.

"The only truly happy people are
children and the creative minority."
Jean Caldwell

Little Shoes, Little Give

Hi, I am Jenny's sister Karen (yes, the previous post was about me) I have been trying to think of something I can post. I feel like all my time and energy goes into taking care of my four children.

The other day a bag was left on our door step with a picture of children from Africa, there was a letter asking for shoe donations. My two boys had recently watched American Idol gives back, and were aware of the needs of the children in Africa. It was so neat to see my children running around the house looking for shoes that they could give.

I've been thinking my biggest give right now is teaching my children to give and do kind things for others. If you are taught to give at a young age, you will always be able to have a giving heart.

I love this picture of my boys, working together to start up a movie. I love watching them get along and giving of themselves. Keep giving...

I wish for ...

Today I will be doing tons of house work.  I saw this little carton and it really made me giggle.  Yet, I shouldn't be to hard on my husband, after all he is out doing yard work today.  

"Cleaning your house while your

kids are still growing is like 

shoveling the sidewalk

before it stops snowing."

Phyllis Diller

Anyone Can Serve

"Anyone can serve, because 

we all have something to give."

Sharon Davis

The Little Give hasn't even been up for a week and already I am doing exactly what I didn't want to do. Overwhelm people!  This is really supposed to be a feel good blog.  I was talking to my sister, and she said,  "I just don't think I can do The Little Give."  This really surprised me because my sister is the best Little Giver I know.  She told me that she just couldn't do all the things that I was doing, like give blood or do big service projects.  (She obviously hadn't read my post about giving the stranger the coupon.)  I explained to her this isn't about the Big Give. It is about the Little Give.  What might be a little give for someone might not be for someone else.  Everyone is in different stages in their lives.  

Eight years ago there is no way I would have gone to give blood (unless it was for a pregnancy test, ha ha).  I was busy with little children who needed my undivided attention.  Right now I am at a point in my life that while my children are at school,  I am able to donate blood.  For me that is just a little give, because I have some spare time during the day.  Everyone is different, yet everyone has the ability to give something, however small.  So go out there and do a Little Give!

Great opportunities to help

 others seldom come, 

but small ones surround us daily.

Sally Koch

Have a Perfect Day!

"You can't live a perfect day

without doing something 

for someone who will never

be able to repay you."

John Wooden

OK it is time for a little give challenge!  Do a random little give for someone today.  Tell me what you did on the comments.  You can do it,  be a Little Giver!

I did my little give!  Now don't laugh because it really is a little give.  I was at the gas station and I had an extra coupon for $0.10 off of each gallon of gas.  So I gave it to the man next to me.  He was very appreciative.  I know it is not much, but I couldn't do any heavy labor because my arm is still sore from giving blood (ha ha ha).  I can't wait to see what you did today!

Free Cookies and Juice!

So my little give for the day, was donating blood to the American Red Cross.  I went to the Red Cross building, they let me walk in off the street.  The whole process took only about 45 minutes from start to finish.  After I was done I got free cookies and juice.  So if you are ever in the area and would like some free cookies and juice, stop on by.  They also let you make appointments.

Give Blood - The Gift of Life

To learn more blood donation opportunities

visit www.givelife.org or

call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE (1800- 448-3543) 

Christmas Box House

Christmas Box House

Service Project

This was actually a service project done by my 14 year old daughter and her friend.  They passed out flyers asking for donations to benefit the children at the Christmas Box House.  They also put up signs in the neighborhood reminding people to donate.  Then they went out and knocked on doors and collected the donated items along with money.  Last night we went to the store and purchased items that the Christmas Box House was in need of.  I am so proud of my daughter for helping to spearhead this project.  They are going tonight to the Christmas Box House to read stories to the children and give them the items that they collected.  She is so excited!  This makes me so happy that she feels joy in serving others.

The Christmas Box House International, in partnership with local, national, and international, communities and groups, provides assistance to prevent child abuse and services to improve the quality of life for children who have been abused or neglected.

This is the mission statement of the Christmas Box House.  They are a wonderful organization, with many opportunities available to provide service for children who are in desperate need of love and kindness.  This is a great way to give a little time and get a big reward.  Helping children is always rewarding.  I am trying to set up another service project with them in the future.

"Children who participate in serving others are likely to continue serving all their lives in many different ways to improve their surroundings, with lasting benefits for our country and the world we all live in."

A Hug, a Kiss, and an I Love You!

Well it is amazing what sleep can do, for your mind and spirit.  I am really excited to start giving. I told my husband about this whole idea of the little give.  I told him how I wanted to try to give something each day.  

He said, "You already do that every day, making lunches, ,driving kids around, laundry, cleaning, etc."  

No, I told him,  that is not what it is all about, I want to do more, I want to give more.  But then I got to thinking and he's right.  Giving really does start at home. So today my little give is going to be getting as much done around our home as possible.  I also want to give each of my children a little give.  Sometimes a little give is just a hug, a kiss, and an I love you!

What is the Little Give?

It is Sunday night and I just got done watching The Big Give Finale.  I didn't watch this whole series, but it looked like it would have been a really fun show to watch.  I guess that the show was about people giving, it looked like it would have been inspiring.  I think that sometimes when people watch shows like this, they have big ideas but maybe not the resources to pull it off.  This is exactly how I feel. 

The interesting thing is I have been feeling a little blue lately.  My husband and I were talking and he asked me if I knew what was wrong.  The truth is I don't really have a reason for feeling sad.  Yet, sometimes I find myself feeling very unfulfilled.  I love being a mother and a wife, but sometimes I just want to have the satisfaction of accomplishing something big.  My husband gave me some really good advice.   He said, "Jenny find something to do that will make you happy."  I told him that I just don't know what that is, and he said,  "You are always happy when you are serving".   He told me to lose myself in Service.  He is so right.  This kind of thing always makes me happy.

That is when I got the idea for the Little Give, I might not be able to give big but I can give a little.  It is getting late, so I am going to sleep on this whole idea.  Hopefully I will have a good idea and I will post it tomorrow.