:: The Birthday Project

A few years ago I was on pinterest and read about "the birthday project".

So for my birthday last year, I decided I was going to do it.

Instead of thinking of myself on my birthday, I was going to think of others and serve those around me.

And I'm not lying to you when I say that it was the BEST birthday I'd had in my 32 years.

Ava and I went around and did 32 random acts of kindness.

And I decided that this needed to be a tradition.

So last week I turned 33 years old.

And my service buddy came out with me again.

Ava was pretty excited . . . and Reese came with us to do a few of them.

I want each of my children to learn the joy of serving others

and what better way for them to learn it by helping/watching me do it. 

Go here to see what we did last year.

And here's what we did this year . . . 

I was brought yummy cinnamon roll pancakes in bed . . . and I shared it with my little ones.

I sent a card to a relative who's been having health issues.

I took the girls with me to exercise, so that Tommy could study. 

We left a note on someone's car in the parking lot.

We gave some cold water to our pool attendant.  She was so gracious.

We went to a nearby park and picked up trash.

{they always have a 4th of July celebration here the weekend before my birthday . . .

so it gets pretty trashed}

Ava chose a toy at the dollar store and left a dollar on it.

We left a quarter on the pay phone . . . are these still used?

We left a note on the mirror in a bathroom.

And a note on the diaper changing table.

We left coupons on items I wouldn't be buying.

We bought the grocery attendant a candybar . . . Ava was too embarrassed to give it to him. Ha!

 We left popcorn on the RedBox.

 We put shopping carts away in the parking lot.  Although, the cart guy was out there and was wondering why we were doing his job.  Lucky for him, it was my birthday.

Left some money at a gas pump.

Let some cars go in front of me.

Took some clothes to the nearest thrift store.

 Left money for someone at the carwash.

 Went through my boxes and boxes of girl clothes and gave a bag to a friend that will be 

expecting her first.  Look at Ava's face . . . it was hot out there.

 Picked up our babysitter and Ava gave her a candybar.

Ava drew a picture and we taped it to the mailbox.

I'm sure we'll hear about this at our next HOA meeting . . . "No taping anything on the mailbox!"

 Left the mailman some cold water.

 Left a dollar in a finance book at the library.

 Read quite a few books to the girls at the library.

 Made a yogurt stop and left a tip in the jar.

Left some coins on a washing machine.

 While in the laundromat, there was a homeless man and I gave him a bottle of water.

 Bought the missionaries in our church giftcards to subway.  They loved it.

 We had bought a vegetable tray and brought it to the nearest fire station.

They let Ava sit on the firetruck and then gave her a coloring book and pencil.

Reese wouldn't go near the guys.  Four to five times this past week, she'll put on her sad face

and tells us that she didn't want to go on the fire truck.  She cracks us up.

We went to an early movie so that Tommy could go to his softball game.

Aren't I a sweet wife.  

We doorbell ditched some neighbors and left some yummy popsicles on the doorstep.

Hope they saw them before they melted.

Arranged for flowers to be brought to my mom for giving birth to me 33 years ago.

Wrote a message to someone on facebook who has been faced with trials recently.

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

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted."

                     -Aesop

Give it a try . . . your  birthday will be better because of it.

Go here to learn more about The Birthday Project.

:: Family Happenings - 5 years old

It's hard to believe that five years ago today, this little girl was a tiny babe who was placed in my arms.

She was the most beautiful baby I'd ever laid eyes on.

Oh the emotions Tommy and I both went through.

Excited, nervous, so grateful, wondering if we'd ever be good enough parents.

And five years later, we are still madly in love with our little girl.

{she just tries our patience a little more}

And we are still learning . . .

So grateful for who she is.

Happy Birthday little miss Ava!

We love you!

:: The Birthday Project

So, last year, I pinned this to one of my pinterest boards and

 was determined to do it for my next birthday.  

I've had a few family and friends that have done it

and I wanted to give it a try too.

Sunday afternoon (the day before my birthday) I remembered about it, and started making a list.

Unfortunately, I had to work, and fortunately my husband gave me a few birthday surprises,

so I wasn't able to complete all of the 32 random acts in one day,

so we just did it in two days.

Here's what we did:

1.  I worked on my birthday and had a smile on my face.  

2.  I called a friend that I miss and haven't talked to in a while.

3.   I placed a few dollars near the gas pump.  Someone's gonna be happy.

4.  I drove a lot on my birthday . . . and let many people go in front of me.

5.   We left a few frozen treats on some doorsteps, rang the doorbell, and RAN!

{Ava was a little confused . . . "we ring and then run?"}

6.  We brought a bag of old toys to a family who has three new foster children.

7.   We found a laundromat and placed some coins on a machine.

8.  We left a happy note {and a beautiful drawing} on a car.  

9.  We picked up trash at the park that held a 4th of July celebration a few days earlier.

10.  We made cookies and brought them to a friend who just had a baby.

11.   We took some friends out to get yogurt.  Yum!

12.  We brought cookies and homemade strawberry jam to the nearest firestation.

{they offered to have a picture taken with Ava and for her to get up on the

fire truck but she was acting a little shy}

13.  We brought our pool attendant a water bottle and a candy bar.

{he was shocked!}

14.  There's a certain house in our neighborhood that always has their yard decked out for EACH holiday!  So we rang the doorbell and gave them a note with a candy bar.

{the husband thought we were bringing them to everyone in the neighborhood . . . had to explain

and then he said his wife would appreciate it}

15.   Brought some fudgesicles to friends that had just returned from the pool.

16.  We gave a note and candy bar to the mailman.

17.   We let many, many, many pedestrians cross in front of us.

18.   We brought some clothes to the nearest thrift store.

19.   We left a dollar in a finance book at the library.

20.  While at the library, I read as many books to Ava as she wanted me to read.

{well . . . to an extent.  it was at least more than 1, less than 10.  we couldn't be there all day.  :)

And she did tell me that it was so fun!}

21.   We gathered shopping carts at the nearest grocery store.

22.   We placed a bag full of coins on a phone.

{are these still used?!?}

23.   We bought one of our favorite cashiers a candy bar.

{she thought Ava was returning it to her.  We told her that it was for her.  I almost started crying

when she kept on saying "Why, why are you giving this to me.  That's so nice!"}

24.   While at the grocery store, we left a bag of popcorn on the redbox machine.

25.   We went to the dollar store and Ava chose an item in the toy section 

that we taped a dollar to.

26.   We gave the "sign guy" on the corner a bottle of water.  It was warm out there!

27.   We visited a friend and brought her some yummy treats.

28.  We bought giftcards for a few missionaries in our area.

29.   We met some neighbors across the street from us and gave their daughter a candy bar.

30.   We fed those young missionaries.

31.   We babysat my neighbor's daughter for the evening.

32.   We brought some cookies to the neighbors that live behind us, whom we've never met.

{and yesterday, their girls AND their grandma climbed in their playset

and thanked my daughters for the cookies.  my girls were so happy to see them.}

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

These tiny, little service projects made such a big difference to those we were serving . . . and to me. 

It was MY birthday and I wasn't thinking about MYself.

That's exactly what I needed.

I was happier than I've been in a long time.

And what was awesome is that all of these weren't planned.

There were a few opportunities that just presented themselves and I'm grateful for those.

It was so important for me to do this with my family so that

I could teach the joy of service to my daughters.

When we were finally finished, we were on our way home and I asked Ava

how she felt.  Doing all these fun, little service projects, how did it make her feel?

Her answer, ". . . I don't want to talk right now."

Ha! I think I might have wore her out.

But I know that little 4 year old girl learned something.

She felt something inside.

What a fun birthday tradition that has begun!

I will be posting to these linking parties here.