Pay it Forward with a Gift

As you all know we have spent this month trying to spread joy and kindness and pay it forward. Yesterday we received a gift that payed it forward in our name! What a thoughtful and fantastic gift!

After explaining to Logan and Melina what this meant, they "got it" and thought it was really cool!

If you are stuck for that hard to buy person and need a lsat minute gift, consider something like this. It will make you, the gift recipient and the receiver of the donation all feel warm and fuzzy for the holidays! Can't go wrong with that!

Christmas Parties and more Acts of Kindness

To say this has been a busy week might be an understatement. I know most weeks are busy in our family, but it is Wednesday night and I am exhausted! 

Kindness

One of our Acts of Kindness this week was to have all the kids go through their stuff and we donated to Hannah's Treasure Chest. If you are local and don't know about Hannah's check them out (I included a link to their page). They are a fantastic organization that provides clothes, furniture, toys, books and dental hygiene items to children in need in 5 counties. They are ALWAYS in need of more items. If you have stuff to donate, please consider taking it to them; you can be sure that very quickly your items will be in the hands of someone who needs them.

A basket full of items to donate.

 Cub Scouts

We not only had a den meeting on Monday where we delivered cookies to the firehouses, but we had a big Pack meeting last night. Logan got the chance to through pies at the Cubmaster and Popcorn Kernel for selling a certain level of popcorn. Talk about a wild and crazy and fun night!

Look at the excitement in watching pies get thrown.

Good Aim!

School Parties

I made massive amounts of Christmas Popcorn for Logan's party. We filled these cute snowman cups with the popcorn. Logan was so excited to tell me this afternoon that everyone loved the snowman cups. :) 

Christmas popcorn…oh so adictive!

Snowman cups filled with popcorn.

Melina's Party was a lot more work, but so worth it! The kids had a fantastic time and they were so well behaved. It is such a joy to see their excitement! I had a reindeer themed party for the kiddos; I had 6 stations of activities set up and then we rotated the kids through each station. They finished with an ornament exchange.

Reindeer Food Bar

Pin the nose on Rudolph

Stickers!

Making reindeer antler headbands!

Icing cookies!

Making reindeer ornaments for the tree.
We also made necklaces, like the one Melina is wearing!

Ornement Exchange!

Cookies for Hero's

In light of all the tragedy in our world, we need to remember those who are hero's. Last night I had my Boy Scouts decorate cookies and we delivered them to every fire station in Beavercreek. It was another lesson in kindness and in giving back to those who serve us every day. The boys got a chance to say thank you directly to them. The firemen were very receptive of our unannouced visit and appreciative of the cookies. They even gave the boys a tour of the fire house while we were there. If you get a chance to stop by quickly and say thank you to those who put their lives in danger for our community every day, do it! It will brighten their day and yours! I promise!

Ready, Set, Go!

The race to the finish is on….and we're full speed ahead. 

The girls and I got our hair cut.

We made more White Chocolate Chex Mix and filled containers for Moms Day Out Teachers and Sunday School Teachers, Dance Teachers, the mailman, etc. Its our go-to gift each year. 

We took time out to do something FUN on Saturday. We went to EnterTRAINment Junction down in Cincinnati with Sammy Reese, our cousin! The kids had a great time. My boys were very interested in the trains, it was really fun! And we got to see Santa; they have a fantastic Santa experience! You go into a private room with just your family and Santa and they don't rush you. All of the kids got their chance to sit on his lap and talk to him.

 On Sunday, Melina, Meeka & Carson sang at church. 

It was super cute!

Om Sunday we had an ornament making and caroling party. The girls came home with trays full of ornaments for the tree.

We handed out our RAK cards all weekend too! To more people at Kroger, GFS, the pizza delivery guy. We gave gifts and made ornaments for more people too. Logan also gave his own money to SISCA, an organization to help animals, which his teacher is collecting for in lieu of gifts to her. Logan has given half his money to charity this year, all on his own accord, no one asking him to. I can not tell you how proud I am of that!

This week if filled with more madness, and I love it, but I am ready for Friday when I can stay in my jammies and I have no lunches to pack and kids to drop off!

Letters from Santa

Today the kids received their letters from Santa in the mail….I am sure the people on the next neighborhood heard the squeals of excitement when they saw the envelopes address to them form the North Pole! It was so fantastic to see their delight!!! I especially LOVED Logan’s exhilaration, and for three reasons.

1.     He could read his letter himself (although to give credit where its due, Melina did read her entire letter by herself too, it just took her a lot longer) and was so excited as he read each sentence.

2.    He came home earlier this month and told me that some kids don’t believe in Santa, that they just think it’s the parents. CRUSHED MY HEART!!! He still believes in Santa, but to think the day is coming…. I feel the tears already!

3.     He was so utterly excited he wrote Santa back immediately!

This was a super fun and easy thing to do and it is helping to keep the magic in our household!

The Envelopes

The postmark from the North Pole

Their Letters

Logan's letter back to Santa.

         We have still been handing out RAK cards. And it is time to start giving out holiday gifts to all those special people in our life such as teachers, bus drivers, mailmen, etc., etc...