6 FREE Issues of WORLD

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Thanks, MoneySavingMom!

MakaziVille: Online Missionary Game

I discovered a free online game last week that I can't wait to share with you! It is called MakaziVille and I found it through the Duggar Family website. I know it was God who led me to this game at this time. We are currently studying Africa in our homeschooling, so when I saw the link to the game, I was so excited and I checked it out right away.

In MakaziVille, your child travels to Tanzania as a Bible translator and builds up a village including tents, churches, gardens, hospitals, markets, and more! They complete challenges and devotions to earn coins and points used to purchase things needed for the village, and along the way they learn about another culture and translating the Bible into other languages. You as the parent will get email updates about what your child is learning, and there are a few breakout challenges that get emailed to you that your child will need to complete before entering a code to get their reward.My 5 year-old likes to play the game with help from me, but my 7 and 8 year-olds can navigate the game themselves. There are a limited number of challenges that can be done each day, which can help limit game time. Another plus--there are no banner ads that kids can click on to accidentally bring them to another website. There is a leader board option where kids can add their friends' avatars to see their stats, which could add another component of friendly competition. :-) The game was developed by OneVerse, an affiliate of Wycliffe Bible Translators, in cooperation with the Duggar Family. So far we are loving it! If you try it, let me know what you and your kids think!

Free CDs from Your Story Hour

I'm really excited about this freebie! Get free Adventures in the Holy Bible lessons and CDs from Your Story Hour. Simply read the lessons and complete and return the quizzes and they will send you the next set of lessons and quizzes, along with a dramatized CD on the life of Jesus. Keep returning quizzes and they will send you another CD. By the time you finish the Adventures in the Holy Bible series you will have all 13 CDs in the Life of Jesus set, as well as a nice storage album to keep them in. One set of CDs per family.

Awesome Amazon Wipes Deal!

Sometimes it is so cool what God does for me! I just noticed last night that I was in need of wipes, so I was hoping some would go on sale really soon. I remembered the Amazon wipe and diaper deals I had missed out on in the last few months and sighed. I didn't pray about it or ask God, but He knew what I needed and He answered! He didn't have to do that--that is nothing but undeserved grace from Him!

Needless to say, when I got to my computer tonight I was really excited to jump on this deal! If you need wipes, jump on this quick, because the last several times I've seen a deal like this, it sold out fast and I missed it!

Get a Huggies Natural Care Scented Baby Wipes Popup Refill 216-count (3-pack) for only $10.15 with FREE shipping when you select subscribe and save with Amazon Mom. This works out to less than $1.15 per tub, or less than $0.02 per wipe, a good price, plus it will be shipped to my door by the end of the week with no coupons needed! (I ordered 3 so I won't run low on wipes for awhile--one less stressor!) Here's the step-by-step so you can take advantage of this deal:

• Join Amazon Mom if you haven't already. It's free and gives you free Amazon Prime 2-day shipping with no minimums on ANY items!
  
• Add the Huggies Natural Care Scented Baby Wipes Popup Refill 216-count (3-pack) (sale price is $14.50 from $21.19, but it will go down to $10.15) to your cart by clicking where it says "Save 30% with Subscribe and Save" on the right side under the "Add to cart" button. Choose your quantity and delivery times (I chose 6 months to give me more time to cancel!) and click "Subscribe Now". It will discount your wipes to $10.15.
• After your order ships in a couple days, you can go back into your account and "manage your subscriptions" to cancel your subscription, unless you want to keep receiving wipes.
  

Another bonus? If you have free Amazon gift cards from Swagbucks, you can use those to pay for your wipes!
**If you click on the link above and the price has gone up, that means the sale is over! Sorry!

Mothering Bracelets

I subscribe to a magazine called Above Rubies, a magazine dedicated to encouraging mothers, raising children, and healthy living. I recently found out about these Bracelets of Encouragement and wanted to share them with you. Each bracelet has a positive affirmation for wives and mothers to remind you of your calling as a wife and mother. These are the bracelets that are available:

I LOVE MOTHERHOOD
WE'RE A SMILING FAMILY
I'M A COVENANT KEEPER
I LOVE MY HUSBAND
I AM ABOVE SELF-PITY
MOTHERHOOD=ADVENTURE
I AM A NATION BUILDER
WORTH MORE THAN RUBIES

You can order just one bracelet with the phrase of your choice for $2.50, or you can order a bundle of 8 bracelets for $12. Better yet, you can customize your set of 8 bracelets and order 1 of each, 2 of one, three of another, or all 8 of the same! What a fun way to promote motherhood! Shipping is a flat $1.50.

Want an even better deal? Sign up as a preferred shopper and you will get an email with a code for 10% off!

Christian Fiction for Kids

H and G love to read which is great, but sometimes it can be hard to know what books are good for them to read, since I can't keep up with them. Here are some Christian Fiction series that we have found for them to read:

Young Cousins Mysteries, series by Elspeth Campbell Murphy. Fun mysteries with an emphasis on godly character traits. Very early chapter books, age 4-7.

The Three Cousins Detective Club, also by Elspeth Murphy. Similar to, but are longer than the above series, but still early reader chapter books. Age 5-8.

The Ruby Slippers School series by Stacy Towle Morgan is about 2 homeschooled girls who travel to different countries with their dad who is a missionary. They encounter a mystery in each book. My daughter H loved these books because the main character is homeschooled! :-) Age 6 and up. I believe there are 6 books.

Katie's World by Karen Mezek, about a young girl whose parents are missionaries, and she visits a different country in each book, encountering a mystery. Ages 6 and up. I think there are 6 books.

The Elizabeth Gail series by Hilda Stahl. About a young foster girl who is adopted by Christian parents and becomes a Christian. I read these books when I was younger and loved them, and my daughter loves them too. (H is 7 now). My only caveat--Elizabeth Gail does age in this series, so she does encounter love in the later books. So the first several books are fine for age 7 and up, but the later books you might want to wait. I think there are about 21 books.

The Spirit Flyer series by John Bibee (age 9 and up, I would think--my husband and I read these) Great Christian spiritual imagery, about a special bike that can fly. Along the series, the kids' eyes are opened to the spiritual realm and unseen battles that are being fought. There are 8 books, good for boys and girls.

The Mandie series by Lois Leppard--my daughter is about to start this series, and now they have movies out for the first two books, which our family has enjoyed watching together for family movie nights. I'm not sure how many books there are, but at least 40. Probably age 8-12.

And of course the Laura Ingalls Wilder books are great, and everyone knows about those, right? :-) But did you know about the Little House Chapter Books for earlier readers? These are books with shorter stories and chapters that introduce Laura and Mary in their earlier years. Age 4-7.

An Adventure!

We came home after having left the girls with a babysitter. It was dark and they were all upstairs and in their jammies. All was well, except. . .

The back door was open about 5 inches! It was great that the babysitter had taken them outside to play tag and get some fresh air and exercise, but NOT so great that they hadn't closed the door! Since it was clearly dark, the door had been standing open for at least an hour. Not good.

I explained to the kids (again) why it is important to close doors (don't you feel like you tell kids that over and over again?)! I told them that the door had been open wide enough to let in all sorts of bugs and small creatures, and that a friend of ours had just had a vole in their basement, which provided excitement at their house that I didn't want at mine!

Well, sure enough, we later found evidence of an unwanted visitor--tiny "droppings". Oh MAN! Ted got out the glue traps and we set them around the kitchen and pantry. We checked them in the morning, with no luck.

Later, Ted was holding baby J and talking to me while I prepared dinner. Suddenly, something scurried over both my feet!! It hadn't even quite registered with me yet when Ted calmly said, "here, take the baby. I saw the mouse run under the stove." Eek!

The hunt began. We blocked off our kitchen as best we could. We saw him run out from under the stove, but couldn't get him in time. I was truly trying to stay calm and quiet to be a good example to the girls, but I wasn't doing a good job of it. Ted is definitely better under rodent pressure than I am. At one point he quietly and sweetly suggested that I leave the room. Didn't he need my help? Not the kind I was giving, which wasn't helping!

The mouse ran up into an open area between the cupboards that we hadn't known was there. We tried scaring him out by banging on the cupboards, but he would run right back up when Ted moved to catch him. Now dinner was getting cold and the kids were hungry, so G volunteered to keep watch while the rest of the family ate. Periodically the mouse would peek his head out, and G would calmly and quietly say, "mouse". She was a GREAT lookout--much calmer than I was (me: "TED! THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" promptly scaring him back up the hole--yeah, not helpful).

We quickly finished eating and Ted took over the sentry post while G ate her dinner. I told the girls, "let's pray again, that Daddy will catch the mouse the next time he comes out." We all quickly prayed as the mouse poked his head out once more. He made a dash for it, and this time Ted trapped him! Praise the Lord! I'd be able to sleep tonight because the mouse hunt was finally over!

After the mouse was safely outside a minute later, Ted asked the girls, "Now what did we learn from this adventure?"

Not missing a beat, G yelled, while jumping up with a fist in the air, "That God answers prayer!!"

"True! Great answer! And what else did we learn?"

They had to think about it a minute--"Not to leave the door open?"

Okay, that one might need some more repeating, but the first lesson was more important anyway, even if I did have visions of mice running over me as I went to bed.

Encouragement

Today was one of those days.
Tears and frustration.
Fears. Can I do this?
A call from a friend.
"Can I pray with you?" she said.
A sweet salve for a spent soul.

Jellybean Easter Poem

Here is another easy Easter idea that you can do with your kids. Divide up jellybeans by color (a good sorting activity), put one of each into baggies (one-to-one correspondence), and then tie them up with a bow with the poem below attached. Deliver them to neighbors, librarians, classmates, relatives, etc. to share the real meaning of Easter.

Here is the poem, by Charlene Dickensen:

Red is for the blood He gave.
Green is for the grass He made.
Yellow is for the sun so bright.
Orange is for the edge of night.
Black is for the sins we made.
White is for the grace He gave.
Purple is for the hour of sorrow.
Pink is for our new tomorrow.
A bag full of jellybeans
So colorful and sweet,
is a prayer, is a promise,
is a loved one's treat.

This week Target has Lifesavers Jellybeans on sale for $1.88.
Use the $1/2 coupon here to get them for $1.38 each.
CVS has jellybeans on sale for $0.77 this week, but they don't have black or white in them. It looks like the Lifesavers Jellybeans have white, but I'm not sure about black.

Resurrection Crescents

While you are making your shopping list, make sure to include the ingredients for some yummy Resurrection Crescents! They are super simple and delicious, and it is easy to have the kids involved in making them while talking about the Easter story. Keep in mind that these disappear quickly, so you may want to double (or triple!) the recipe. :-) Many stores have the ingredients for these on sale this week (both Kroger and Roundy's do!).

Resurrection Crescents
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
8 large marshmallows
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Separate rolls into eight triangles. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Dip each marshmallow (Jesus' body) into butter, roll in cinnamon-sugar and place on a triangle (explain that Jesus' friends put spices on His body and wrapped it in cloths). Pinch dough around marshmallow, sealing all edges. Dip tops of dough into remaining butter and cinnamon-sugar. Place with sugar side up on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in oven (tomb) at 375 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes. Serve warm. During the baking, the marshmallows melt and when you open the roll, it is empty inside! He is not here! He is risen!

*Some recipes say to put these in muffin tins. They get very sticky and messy, and I've found that cleaning off a flat cookie sheet or baking pan is a lot easier than cleaning muffin tins.

Make Your Own Resurrection Eggs

I posted this last year, but I know I have some new readers, so I wanted to share it again. It is an easy and frugal activity to put together, and it provides HOURS of fun for kids, while helping them remember the Easter story.

One tradition my family enjoys each year to incorporate the real meaning of Easter are Resurrection Eggs. They are a set of plastic eggs filled with items to help tell the story of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. You can buy a set for $6.99 here, or you can make a set of your own! All you need is an egg carton, 12 plastic eggs, and a set of symbols to put inside, as well as some verses to go along with them.

There are different versions of Resurrection Eggs, so I'll make a list of the versions I've found and you can pick and choose to assemble your set with what you have on hand, keeping in mind the order of the story. Real items work best (for sensory participation), but pictures work too, and a mixture of both is fine.

1. Palm Branch/Leaf OR Donkey (a picture would work)
2. Cup OR Bread/Cracker
3. Coins
4. Praying hands
5. Leather Strip OR Purple Cloth
   
6. Thorns OR Nails
   
7. Cross
8. Sponge OR Dice OR "King of the Jews" Sign
9. Spear/Toothpick OR Sponge
10. Gauze/Linen OR Spices/Cinnamon Stick
11. Stone
12. Empty!
    

Now print out the verses for the items you chose:
Donkey: Mark 15:7
Palm Branch: Mark 15:8-10
Bread: Matthew 26:26
Cup: Matthew 26:27
Coins: Matthew 26:14-15
Praying Hands: Matthew 26:36
Leather Strip: Mark 15:15
Purple Cloth: Mark 15:17
Thorns: Matthew 27:29
Nails: John 20:25
Cross: John 19:17
Dice: Matthew 27:35
Sponge: Matthew 27:48
Sign: Luke 23:38
Spear: John 19:34
Gauze: Mark 15:46
Spices: John 19:40
Stone: Matthew 27:59-60
Empty Tomb: Matthew 28:6

I highly recommend that you number the eggs on the outside, so you know which egg to open first. This way kids can tell what order the eggs go in as well. You can also print out the verses and cut them up to put inside each egg or leave them all together and keep the verse list with the set. Our family likes to take turns hiding the eggs. Then the girls find them and put them in the egg carton and once we have them all, we go through them in order, retelling the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. Have fun making your set!

ChristianBook.com Sale!

ChristianBook.com has a Spring Fever sale going on right now and their prices are incredible--up to 99% off! There are over 200 items that are under $1, so you might want to head over and check it out! There are CDs, DVDs (80 for under $5!), children's books, fiction books, valentines, teacher, graduation and wedding gifts, Bible study guides, and more. The best stuff won't last long at these prices!

There are free shipping codes here. I'm guessing they won't work--but it's worth a shot. Even with shipping some of these things are a great deal!

Thanks MoneySavingMom!

My Baby Bloomed!

Over a year ago I posted about the Christmas Cactus I got from my Grammie when she died six years ago. I'm happy to report that despite my "black thumb", it is still alive and well. In fact, it started blooming around Thanksgiving and has had at least one bud or flower at a time from then until now--and I'm hoping it'll keep blooming until Easter (three weeks to go)! I love the symbolism of the Christmas Cactus blooming with new life between Christmas and Easter, which reminds me of the new life we can have because of Jesus Christ.

In 2007, when the plant was looking pretty sad, I asked my Mother-in-law for advice to nurse it back to health. She gave me some tips and also suggested I cut off one of the healthy shoots and plant it, so that if the big one died I would still have something from Grammie's plant. She had me break off a good section and just stick it in a pot of dirt. I was doubtful, to say the least. Without roots, how would it grow? I thought for sure it would shrivel up and die, but I faithfully watered it and kept it by a window, just in case she knew what she was talking about.

Fast forward about 2 years, and look at my baby Christmas Cactus now! It bloomed for the first time! I'm so excited that I want to cut off several more shoots to start in pots so that each of my girls can have a part of their Great-Grammie's Christmas Cactus when they are ready to be on their own. They won't have the same memories of it as I do, since they never knew their Great-Grammie, but I will tell them stories, and hopefully they'll have memories of their own of growing up with this giant Christmas Cactus. It'll be a little slice of home for them, and hopefully when it blooms each Christmas and Easter, it'll be a reminder to them of God's faithfulness to us and Christ's sacrifice for us. And hopefully we'll all be able to keep Grammie's Christmas Cactus alive for many years to come. :-)

P.S. Does anyone have easy tips for how to keep a Christmas Cactus dusted?

Cupcake Faith

Hyundai, Glamour Magazine, and JuiceBoxJungle sponsored me to write this post about a poignant parenting moment that could possibly be put to the big screen by an A-list Hollywood star, like this short film Kate Hudson did. You can enter the contest, too by clicking here.

Have you ever dreamed of having part of your life portrayed on the big-screen? Honestly, I don't think I have. I don't feel like I have stories dramatic enough--and maybe that's a good thing! The life of a stay-at-home mom doesn't feel very glamorous most days, and that's okay. But there probably are parenting moments in all of our lives that might be funny enough or touching enough to be worth a short film.

One poignant moment that came to mind was H's third birthday. We made cupcakes that day to celebrate, and she was helping me decorate them. She suddenly looked up at me and said, "Mommy, I want to share my birthday cupcakes with the poor." To be completely honest, it felt almost like I'd been hit in the stomach. I tried to overcome my surprise, and after a brief pause, I tried to say that while it was a nice thought, I just didn't think it would be possible. I came up with all sorts of lame excuses in my mind--how uncomfortable would that be? I don't personally know any poor people. There aren't even that many cupcakes, just one batch--not nearly enough to share with a whole shelter. Plus, these were homemade cupcakes and who would take them not knowing what was in them? (from the teacher in me, where school treats were supposed to be store-bought). "Oh. Okay," she responded, and she let it go. But God didn't.

As we continued frosting the cupcakes, the pit in my stomach grew bigger and bigger. I realized I had responded selfishly. What was I trying to teach my daughter? She had been learning at church that we should share with the poor, and was trying in her three-year-old way to make that a reality. She was trying to live out her faith, and at the first opportunity, here I was, standing in the way of her sweet, growing spirit. I said I wanted to cultivate a life of generosity in our family, but was I going to walk the talk? Even if it was uncomfortable or embarrassing?

We finished decorating and she went off to lick and wash the frosting off her hands. I sighed. I almost started crying. I took a deep breath. I got out the phone book and called our local homeless shelter. I feebly tried to explain the situation to the receptionist who answered.

"Hi, um. . . it's my daughter's third birthday, and we just finished making a batch of homemade cupcakes. She had the idea that she'd like to share some of them with someone less fortunate. We only have an extra dozen or so, but could we maybe drop them off to brighten someone's day?"

"Sure, come on over!" she replied with enthusiasm. I again asked if it was okay that they were homemade, and she said no problem. Okay, I thought. Now I have no excuses. I took a deep breath again and called H over.

I sat down on the kitchen chair and pulled her up onto my lap. I said, "remember you had the idea to share your birthday cupcakes with the poor? Well, I called the homeless shelter and they said we could bring them over. Would you still like to do that?"

She brightened immediately, "Oh yes! Do you think they will like them? Do you think they will help someone who is sad feel a little better?"

"I'm sure they will, honey, and I'm so proud of you for being willing to share. I'm sorry I said no at first."

H and I drove over to drop off the cupcakes that afternoon, and something changed in me. Almost four years later, she probably doesn't even remember this story, but I don't think I will ever forget it. There's nothing like being humbled by your child's generosity; having it come smashing into your own heart of selfishness and pride. Something as simple as cupcakes, child-like faith, and obedience can change your heart if you let it.

Share Your Stockpile

Now that you know how to spend less and get more, how can you use your new found skills to bless others?

The Salvation Army is an easy one--and usually there is a branch in just about every major (or even minor!) city. Just give them a call. They are thrilled when I drop off bags of cereal and pasta (for example--those are 2 items I can get for very cheap or free and have plenty of).

Another idea is to call your local homeless shelter. One year my then 3-year-old daughter H said she wanted to share her birthday cupcakes with some of the poor. I politely shooed away her idea, saying that probably wouldn't be possible, but that it was a nice thought. But God wouldn't let me let it go--he kept it on my heart! So I pulled out the phone book and gave them a call. I told them we had some homemade cupcakes from my daughter's birthday that she wanted to share and we had an extra dozen--could we drop them off to brighten someone's day? She said we sure could, so H and I drove right down and delivered some cupcakes. It was a humbling learning experience for me. It doesn't hurt to ask!

Last year I helped gather toothpaste and toothbrushes to send to Lima, Peru with a missionary I have contact with. She had a goal of 1500 toothbrushes and tubes of toothpaste, and I was thrilled that I was able to help. A few friends helped, too, and I mailed off a box FULL of about 100 toothbrushes and 4 oz. tubes of toothpaste!

You can also share some of your stockpile with friends and family. There have been many times I've given away boxes of cereal, bottles of mouthwash, tubes of toothpaste, tubs of wipes, and other items to friends and family members because we have more than we need.

A lot of grocery stores have drop boxes for local food pantries. This is an easy way to donate some items so you don't even have to make a special trip!

Several churches are willing to take donations, too. Church nurseries and preschools welcome donations of diapers, wipes, crackers, Cheerios, and other items. Our church also collects individually wrapped candy to hand out to kids at Awana or special events.

Every year our family likes to put together shoeboxes for children for Christmas. We do some for Operation Christmas Child and donate some locally. Stock up on school supplies, wipes, socks, small toys, soap bars, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and other items throughout the year when they are on sale. Set aside an area (like the top of the closet) with some bags that you can fill throughout the year with small items. Once it's time to assemble the boxes, you'll be surprised at how much stuff you already have to fill them!

Toys for Tots is another easy Christmas idea. Watch the off-season sales for toys or games and then save them in your special donation area to donate later.

What other ideas do you have? Please leave a comment!

By this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' Acts 20:35

The Best Gift of All

Take some time during the busy-ness of today to reflect on WHY we celebrate Christmas. G has been praying all month that people would remember that Christmas isn't about presents or Santa, but that it's about Jesus' birth, and that he came to save us from our sins. I'm sure you got some gifts today, but if you've never accepted the most valuable and important gift of all, then you are missing out. Jesus wants to give you eternal life. He wants to wipe your slate clean. All you need to do is accept the gift he is giving you, instead of turning away. It's Jesus' birthday, but all He wants is to give you a gift. Will you accept His gift today?

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8,9

As usual, if you have ANY questions, please feel free to leave a comment or email me. I am more than happy to help in any way I can. Merry Christmas!

Sage-Give A Day, Get A Night

I've been meaning to post about this for FOREVER, but kept forgetting! I'm sure a lot of you volunteer, so I wanted to make sure you knew about this. Sage Hospitality wants to encourage volunteerism, so if you give 8 hours of community service to a registered 501(c)3 organization by March 29, 2010, you can get a free night's stay (see here for hotels), or 50% off on hotel rooms at all 53 Sage hotels across the country (includes some Sheratons, Courtyards, Fairfield Inns, Holiday Inns, and more). It looks like you must complete your stay by March 31st, 2010.

Many churches are registered 501(c)3 organizations, but you'll need to check to make sure. Guests will be asked at check in to share an original letter on official letterhead signed by a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization verifying the time volunteered--8 hours must be completed. Volunteer hours are to be unpaid hours. Reservations must be made 48 hours in advance and are based on availability. One complimentary night per individual per hotel throughout the duration of the promotion.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our company has mostly arrived and we're starting to cook the turkey and the ham, among other yummies! I wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and find out what you are thankful for. These are just some of the things I am thankful for this year:

• My wonderful husband, who works so hard for us and loves us all dearly.
• Our beautiful girls, who are each others best friends.
• My dad, who is mostly recovered from his cancer and heart surgery, and the rest of our extended family, who we love dearly and sincerely wish lived closer so we could see them more often.
• Coupons! :-) (You know I had to throw that in there!)
  
• The freedom we have to worship and grow at our church.
• Jesus Christ, who died and rose again so that I may have life, and have it to the full.
  

What are you thankful for this year?
I'd love to hear, so please leave a comment!

Click to Give--Easy and Free

Times are tight for many people, so giving can seem to be a challenge. But a simple click of your mouse can make a difference! Click the following links once a day (and click the button on each page) and help:

• Feed the Poor
  
• Help the Homeless
• Fight against Cancer
• Fight Animal Cruelty
• Help stop Child Abuse
• The Animal Rescue Site
• The Breast Cancer Site
• The Hunger Site
• Welch’s Harvest of Help

You can come back and click daily for each of these causes. The sponsor money generated from advertisers by your clicks goes to support these various charities. It's easy and only takes a minute of your time. Will you give something today?

Thanks Kingdom First Mom!

Veterans Day and Bell Ringing

Today all four girls and I went to ring bells for the Salvation Army red kettle campaign. This has become an annual tradition for us, and I'm really glad we do it. We talk about serving others and raising money for the poor. This year our shift fell on Veterans Day, so we were also able to talk about what Veterans (not the same as veterinarians!) are and why we honor them on this day.

Last year our shift was in December, and the windchill happened to be below zero. The store I picked, although we were between the doors, was not heated. Needless to say, we were VERY cold, though we did complete our two hour shift!

I wasn't about to make the same mistake again this year, so when online signups began a couple of months ago, I jumped on a shift much earlier in the year (and at a different store!). It later occurred to me that our shift was on Veterans Day. Hmm, I'd been thinking about staying warm, not about the fact that November 11 was maybe a little early for some people to be hearing Christmas carols, besides it being Veterans Day. But we decided to make the most of it.

The girls and I made a sign that said, "Honor a Veteran, Donate Today" and put it by the kettle. We all dressed in red, white and blue and waved a small flag. We decided not to sing this year, but just to smile and wish people a good day while ringing our bells. These pictures were taken at the very end of our two hour shift, by which time F was asleep in the Ergo on my back, and G was asleep in a cart next to us (her medicine makes her sleepy).

Only one person asked why we weren't singing. I offered to sing her a song, but she turned me down. :-) A few people commented, "oh, is it that time of year already?" Most people can't pass up such a cute group of girls, so we got a lot of donations! (I know I wouldn't get nearly as many donations if I were ringing bells by myself!) It worked out great, and I think we did our part to kick off the red kettle campaign this year!