More Giving....Less Receiving

I have always tried to be a giving person...materialistic wise and physically. I decided to keep track this year of some of the ways that my family and I "give" per say, whether it be items or ourselves. Here is some of the list we came up with:

Greg and I decided last year to give more of ourselves than material to our children. We have held "Family Game Night" almost every Friday at 8:00pm. Whether board games or hanging on the Wii, we have had a lot of fun with each other.

We have also continued with our "Family Fun Box". Every Sunday, we pick an idea from the box to do the next weekend on either Saturday or Sunday. We have all contributed ideas big and small to the box. Once a month, we chose from a 2nd box which holds ideas that may have to take place closer to pay day. The kids absolutely LOVE the Family Fun Box. We added "Crazy Noun Day" to the box and have already done that one twice this year. Each child chooses a noun (5 nouns total since Matlyn can't talk yet) and I create an entire day around their nouns that we all participate with. The possibilities are endless and it can be very cheap too! Here are a few scenes from our "Crazy Noun Days":




Genin picked "soccer ball" as his noun (naturally). Boy was he surprised when I didn't take them all out to just kick around the ball. We played soccer golf!! Like I said, endless possibilities!






Reiner picked "restaurant" and we had to eat. Still had free birthday meal coupons at Bob Evans!





Greg and I have also done some "Boys Day Out" and "Girl's Day Out" every so many months. Here are some scenes from are "Days Out"





Kaplyn does some pottery painting with Mommy at "Fired Up"







Cameron and Genin show off their memorabilia from the Golf Tour they went on with Daddy.







Kaplyn shows off her freshly painted nails after getting her very first manicure with Mommy :)


We have also been getting in good with "Mother Earth". Greg and I are still chairing the pop tab program at BC Elementary. The kids collect and bring in pop tabs. Whichever class weighs in at the most gets a Happy Meal Party! The tabs go to the local recycling center where they are recycled and a check goes to The Ronald McDonald House :) We have been collecting our own cans at home which we donate at the same time as the pop tabs and just add it to the check for the RMDH. We have also been recycling paper. We have a large recycling bin in our garage where we collect everything from school papers to magazines to expired coupons. There is a collection bin at a church in Eighty-Four where we deposit these once our bin is full. The church receives money from all the paper in the dumpster.

For 3 years now, the kids and I have taken "Earth Day" and did some major good. We walk up and down Spring Rd and pick up all the garbage, a bag for metals to recycle and a bag for everything else. This past year it was a nice day out which made it much easier than the past years where it was cold and rainy. I was also almost due to deliver Matlyn this year and I think walking that 2 miles really pushed her loose...I ended up dilated that week! You definitely need a whole box of plastic gloves for this job! The photos below are scenes from Earth Day :)



Kaplyn and Genin pick up garbage along Spring Rd.








Cameron gets down deep to pick up litter.






I feel I have also done a lot of good in my MOPS group this year. We took on service projects here and there from October through December. My discussion group donated suitcases to foster children, donated stuffed animals to the local ambulances and took bags of groceries to the food pantry. We also did "Operation Christmas Child" where we stuffed shoe boxes with toys and supplies for certain age children. We wrote encouragement cards to moms overseas who are either married to soldiers or who are soldiers themselves. We have a compassion child (Veronica) who we donate to all year long. I also got a chance to provide a meal to one of my MOPS mom friends who had a baby in November...yay Devon :)

I have been cleaning out quite a bit this year and so far have donated 2 children's picture bibles and a yearly planner to my MOPS group. I have also taken quite a bit of clothing and various items to the City Mission and Goodwill.

I baked many goods to donate during the Great American Bake Sale.

At school, I have tried to do what I can, but with an infant, it gets slightly tough. I am PTA Secretary this year and still chair The Pop Tab Program, Boxtops for Education and Campbell's Labels. I have also added Tyson A+ and the PTA Press, a newspaper type letter sent out monthly to the parents. I am homeroom mom for Genin's class and a helper in Kaplyn's class. I also like to donate baskets filled with seasonal items to the PTA to give away at meetings. Market Day seems like an easy thing to do with the kids in tow...they can hang out in a large cafeteria while I am separating. Same goes for the Halloween parade goodie bags which Genin, Kaplyn and I filled in October.

For the holidays, I donated $1 every time I went through the line at The Dollar Tree. This provided items for women at the local shelter and for the troops. I also got a 9 year old "Angel" off of the Salvation Army tree to buy for. Stephanie had a nice Christmas this year :)

As done since he passed, our family chose a charity in honor of my brother Chad. All money we would have spent on him for Christmas and his birthday this year, went to St. Judes.

The kids have been very involved at school by taking in pet items during the Humane Society Weekly Drive and also the weekly food bank collection. The kids have also made cards to send to the troops overseas and made cards to give to hospitals and nursing homes for Christmas.

We all participated in the DQ Miracle Treat Day by buying blizzards which contributed proceeds to the Children's Miracle Network.

I have also donated my own time towards the kids sports. I volunteered to coach Kaplyn's cheer squad and also served as a practice goalie for my boys during their at home soccer practices.

I am so excited at how involved our family has been with others this year and how we have been able to give so much more than receive. I hope to top this in 2011!!!!