This morning our last option for some settling before the end of the year fell through. The search is near a stand still, a crawl at best. While I continue to talk with churches around the country the process is moving slowly. I am choosing to become more and more private about where I am interviewing and how often. There are a lot of feelings that come with all this that I won't discuss here. I will say this has been a great challenge for me and for my family. It has been a trying year for us, broken bones, a lost job, a pay cut, housing fiascoes, a car that just failed, health insurance nightmares. We have managed this far to make it through each challenge as it has come at us. We are resilient people, who know amazing people.
We have known for some time that after the first of the year when our rent increases as does our insurance premium there would be no way to make the ends meet. With the housing issues from the Fall making our education options for L slim to none I haven't been able to even find part time work. This week after our child who is excited beyond words about Christmas drifts off to sleep, Paul and I will face some of the most challenging decisions of our life together. It seems very likely that just after the first of the year L and I will leave our city to live with family or friends. Paul will stay here hopefully with ample couches to sleep on so we can keep our income for as long as possible. Our hearts are breaking at separating our family during this time but our options are limited.
There's one more thing I need to say tonight, something I refrained from commenting on publicly since it began. I have not turned down a single legitimate offer for a full or part time call.
Grateful today that we have options for a place to land.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Monday, December 8, 2014
HOPE is a four letter word
Last week, liturgically, we entered Advent the season of waiting, the focus for the week was hope. We have been very focused on celebrating Advent this year as a family. We have been working on our days of giving which are going really well so far. We are having a little family devotional time and I have been participating in an online devotional. Usually we aren't so focused on this but where life is right now it fit and I hope as we move forward it will continue being a part of our family routine and practice.
All of this focus made me really think about what hope look like, especially in light of the circumstances in our country, the world, and our family life right now. A few weeks back I had a conversation via social media with church members from my home church. It made me start thinking about hope because it was a real and some what difficult conversation to have about church and life. The conversation was respectful and could be the start of more conversations. It made me hopeful for the future of the church even if the mainline church is struggling. My conversations with many churches right now many me hopeful for our denomination.
Then Ferguson, woah how on Earth do we see hope? Then Staten Island? Hope where are you? I think hope is there in the willingness to believe change can happen, in people willing to stand up and DEMAND it! It's a long road ahead in ending systemic racism in our country but we have traveled a long road already. Travelers are weary but they aren't giving up... HOPE is alive. Hope for something better, for justice, for peace. Which really is what this Advent hope is all about, a savior coming to usher in these things. Of course that gets tricky because Jesus has already been here and it hasn't happened and while most believe Jesus will come again, I think it is more likely to be followers of this Jesus character that bring what is promised in a savior. It is human kind doing the work of God that will change the world. Not that I am saying we don't need Jesus, we do, or at least I do.
Side Bar:
I want to clarify because I don't live under a rock and I have seen the sparing online: I assert that racism, particularly in our justice system, is a huge problem. However this doesn't mean that I am "anti cop". There are very good police officers, there are very bad power hungry police officers, the problem is bigger than just "cops" it's the whole justice system. To my law enforcement sisters and brothers I feel for you, pastor types also get to "enjoy" mass vilification. Let us remember people of color have dealt with vilification on levels much more consistent and harmful than either pastors or law enforcement have.
One look around the world and it can be hard to find hope. Then there is life, particularly at this moment my life. Since last December our lives have been turned upside down, with a broken arm and emergency surgery, panic attacks, a lost job, near loss of housing, a new job that doesn't pay enough to make the ends meet, a call search that was derailed, a hard end to an internship, a summer apart from L, taking in extra kids & it not working out, starting home school because of circumstance, and most recently our only car becoming junk yard worthy. The thing is when all these challenges keep coming at you, the littlest challenges start to feel like mountains. There are days when it's hard to hope, to keep ones chin up. Yet in spite of it all I have found in the past week that my sense of hope has only grown, that I have become more willing to see the world and my own circumstances through a lens of hope.
I want to tell you about what hope looks like when it comes into reality. A while back I had blogged on here about my early Christmas wish, to travel to my mom's house for the holiday. A few weeks ago I learned someone had read this blog and felt from that time on like God was nudging them to help. They prayed and it persisted. I want to tell you all the wonderful amazing details of how this came to be but I cannot tell you who this person was and I can't say much about the story that came with the gift we received with out revealing identity. I also didn't want to spill the beans about our holiday travel plans which have had to change a bit in light of the car situation. What I can say is that we received a very generous gift, that was a pay it forward gift. The giver had received a similar gift at a similar time in life and Paul and I are charged with giving a similar gift when we get settled. The giver had such great joy in giving this gift, it made a difference because in those moments I didn't feel like a charity case, I felt blessed, like in this totally unexpected way my prayers had been answered. I wanted to react in a way that showed my amazement but I was more like a deer in head lights. Overwhelmed by it all, I said thank you. This gift has made our holiday season so much more relaxed because things like the butter for our Christmas cookies were not a burden on our budget. I have been able to pay off the small outstanding balance on my student account at one school and the graduation fee at another school.
The thing is that this wasn't the first answered prayer in the last few months certainly it was a big one but there have been countless others. I wish I could name them all for you right now. We have found the money we were short on rent every month since October. People have just been amazing. It's funny because sometimes I get the sense that people know God is using them and other times they haven't a clue. Maybe there have always been this many small kindnesses in my life and I am just noticing them more. Someone said to me this Fall that I wasn't trusting God enough, I wanted to say back, um I have never trusted God so much in my life!
Then last week our van died, we knew it was coming, we held off death for sometime, but last we she overtook the van. Not a problem for Paul's work because he has a work vehicle. Personal life wise it was a huge problem. My hope started to dwindle. I made a tongue in cheek social media post about the van because what else was I going to do? That's when my younger brother chimed in, um you gave me a car once and I have one to get rid of, find a way to get it. Through a series of calls and our amazing family members the car will make the trip from his city to ours later this week if all goes as planned. We are having to rely on others a lot, I don't like being on the receiving end. It's the end I happen to find myself on these days but I have hope that one day I will be on the giving end again. You know what's funny about the car thing, I forgot I ever gave my brother a car. Seriously, I didn't remember it until he said that. Let's talk about transportation in the mean time, we simply have the most amazing friends, by Saturday morning we had keys to two cars that we could use at our leisure. Our friends just offered we didn't even have to ask. We also had rides places we needed to be. Being with out our car sucks to put it bluntly but it has given me the opportunity to see some pretty wonderful things in the people I surround myself with.
So what do we do when the person who holds up the minimum wage vote is an active church member? We find hope in the showing up, that maybe the message of Jesus will get even deeper into their heart, and help them see the hardship of a minimum wage job. What do we do when our justice system is so broken? We hope that our voices are heard, we demand they are heard in the hope of a better world. You get the idea.
By the end of the week I was very hopeful for what is to come in the world and my life. I don't know why I am in this strange place in life but I trust that I am exactly where I need to be and I hope that in the future I will understand it all.
I am grateful for all the people in my life who are audacious enough to hope in spite of the world that tells them not to!
All of this focus made me really think about what hope look like, especially in light of the circumstances in our country, the world, and our family life right now. A few weeks back I had a conversation via social media with church members from my home church. It made me start thinking about hope because it was a real and some what difficult conversation to have about church and life. The conversation was respectful and could be the start of more conversations. It made me hopeful for the future of the church even if the mainline church is struggling. My conversations with many churches right now many me hopeful for our denomination.
Then Ferguson, woah how on Earth do we see hope? Then Staten Island? Hope where are you? I think hope is there in the willingness to believe change can happen, in people willing to stand up and DEMAND it! It's a long road ahead in ending systemic racism in our country but we have traveled a long road already. Travelers are weary but they aren't giving up... HOPE is alive. Hope for something better, for justice, for peace. Which really is what this Advent hope is all about, a savior coming to usher in these things. Of course that gets tricky because Jesus has already been here and it hasn't happened and while most believe Jesus will come again, I think it is more likely to be followers of this Jesus character that bring what is promised in a savior. It is human kind doing the work of God that will change the world. Not that I am saying we don't need Jesus, we do, or at least I do.
Side Bar:
I want to clarify because I don't live under a rock and I have seen the sparing online: I assert that racism, particularly in our justice system, is a huge problem. However this doesn't mean that I am "anti cop". There are very good police officers, there are very bad power hungry police officers, the problem is bigger than just "cops" it's the whole justice system. To my law enforcement sisters and brothers I feel for you, pastor types also get to "enjoy" mass vilification. Let us remember people of color have dealt with vilification on levels much more consistent and harmful than either pastors or law enforcement have.
One look around the world and it can be hard to find hope. Then there is life, particularly at this moment my life. Since last December our lives have been turned upside down, with a broken arm and emergency surgery, panic attacks, a lost job, near loss of housing, a new job that doesn't pay enough to make the ends meet, a call search that was derailed, a hard end to an internship, a summer apart from L, taking in extra kids & it not working out, starting home school because of circumstance, and most recently our only car becoming junk yard worthy. The thing is when all these challenges keep coming at you, the littlest challenges start to feel like mountains. There are days when it's hard to hope, to keep ones chin up. Yet in spite of it all I have found in the past week that my sense of hope has only grown, that I have become more willing to see the world and my own circumstances through a lens of hope.
I want to tell you about what hope looks like when it comes into reality. A while back I had blogged on here about my early Christmas wish, to travel to my mom's house for the holiday. A few weeks ago I learned someone had read this blog and felt from that time on like God was nudging them to help. They prayed and it persisted. I want to tell you all the wonderful amazing details of how this came to be but I cannot tell you who this person was and I can't say much about the story that came with the gift we received with out revealing identity. I also didn't want to spill the beans about our holiday travel plans which have had to change a bit in light of the car situation. What I can say is that we received a very generous gift, that was a pay it forward gift. The giver had received a similar gift at a similar time in life and Paul and I are charged with giving a similar gift when we get settled. The giver had such great joy in giving this gift, it made a difference because in those moments I didn't feel like a charity case, I felt blessed, like in this totally unexpected way my prayers had been answered. I wanted to react in a way that showed my amazement but I was more like a deer in head lights. Overwhelmed by it all, I said thank you. This gift has made our holiday season so much more relaxed because things like the butter for our Christmas cookies were not a burden on our budget. I have been able to pay off the small outstanding balance on my student account at one school and the graduation fee at another school.
The thing is that this wasn't the first answered prayer in the last few months certainly it was a big one but there have been countless others. I wish I could name them all for you right now. We have found the money we were short on rent every month since October. People have just been amazing. It's funny because sometimes I get the sense that people know God is using them and other times they haven't a clue. Maybe there have always been this many small kindnesses in my life and I am just noticing them more. Someone said to me this Fall that I wasn't trusting God enough, I wanted to say back, um I have never trusted God so much in my life!
Then last week our van died, we knew it was coming, we held off death for sometime, but last we she overtook the van. Not a problem for Paul's work because he has a work vehicle. Personal life wise it was a huge problem. My hope started to dwindle. I made a tongue in cheek social media post about the van because what else was I going to do? That's when my younger brother chimed in, um you gave me a car once and I have one to get rid of, find a way to get it. Through a series of calls and our amazing family members the car will make the trip from his city to ours later this week if all goes as planned. We are having to rely on others a lot, I don't like being on the receiving end. It's the end I happen to find myself on these days but I have hope that one day I will be on the giving end again. You know what's funny about the car thing, I forgot I ever gave my brother a car. Seriously, I didn't remember it until he said that. Let's talk about transportation in the mean time, we simply have the most amazing friends, by Saturday morning we had keys to two cars that we could use at our leisure. Our friends just offered we didn't even have to ask. We also had rides places we needed to be. Being with out our car sucks to put it bluntly but it has given me the opportunity to see some pretty wonderful things in the people I surround myself with.
So what do we do when the person who holds up the minimum wage vote is an active church member? We find hope in the showing up, that maybe the message of Jesus will get even deeper into their heart, and help them see the hardship of a minimum wage job. What do we do when our justice system is so broken? We hope that our voices are heard, we demand they are heard in the hope of a better world. You get the idea.
By the end of the week I was very hopeful for what is to come in the world and my life. I don't know why I am in this strange place in life but I trust that I am exactly where I need to be and I hope that in the future I will understand it all.
I am grateful for all the people in my life who are audacious enough to hope in spite of the world that tells them not to!
Monday, December 1, 2014
Advent Giving
We are starting a new tradition this year, as we count down to Christmas morning we are reading scripture, praying, and learning songs. Little L also has something to give each day which is often a surprise, we are on day two and she is looking forward to it each day!
We made her own Advent wreath and candles from re-purposed toilet paper and paper towel tubes, with tissue paper for flames, inspired by Pinterest of course. Each night before dinner we read scripture, sing our songs, and pray. On Sunday evenings we light the candles for the coming week and read a simple child friendly litany for lighting the candles.
(If you want more details on this please let me know and I will share them.)
Here are her days of giving laid out, I invite you to join in an personalize it to your area! We made a count down chain that has the date, the theme for the week, the scripture of the day on one side and the giving of the day on the reverse side. (If you decided to give along with us and want more details on supplies let me know and I will flesh it out.)
We made her own Advent wreath and candles from re-purposed toilet paper and paper towel tubes, with tissue paper for flames, inspired by Pinterest of course. Each night before dinner we read scripture, sing our songs, and pray. On Sunday evenings we light the candles for the coming week and read a simple child friendly litany for lighting the candles.
Here are her days of giving laid out, I invite you to join in an personalize it to your area! We made a count down chain that has the date, the theme for the week, the scripture of the day on one side and the giving of the day on the reverse side. (If you decided to give along with us and want more details on supplies let me know and I will flesh it out.)
Hope:
Sunday: Kid Pick (she chose to work on painting for her cousin's gifts)
Monday: Shop for family gifts
Tuesday: wrap gifts
Wednesday: Make hand print cards
Thursday: Make a card for a soldier overseas. Mail gifts and
cards.
Friday: Donate a hat, scarf, and gloves
Saturday: Collect food
Peace:
Sunday: Kid Pick
Monday: Take friends to Lights Under Louisville. Clean van
windows, make cookies and hot chocolate, bring light up necklaces.
Tuesday: Provide cards for Baptist East chaplains. (Maybe
cookies too.)
Wednesday: Donate a toy to a charitable organization collecting toys
Thursday: Make dinner for our favorite neighbors/friends during finals week.
Friday: Kosair Children's Hospital, Orthopedic Emergency
Saturday: Leave quarters in the laundry room
Joy:
Sunday: Kid Pick
Monday: Humane Society to visit pets and bring cat and dog
food/ Make cookies
Tuesday: Put quarters in a meter/ Decorate and bag cookies
Wednesday: Deliver cookies to facilities and staff
Thursday: Cards to Veterans Hospital
Friday: Caroling
Saturday: Plan and host a game night
Love:
Sunday: Kid Pick
Monday: Center for Women and Families Gift Card Drive
Tuesday: Nursing Home Visit
Wednesday: Christmas
Eve Thank first responders with
treats.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
How do I Tell Her?
Last night L was in bed before the news in Ferguson started to unfold so I was able to watch some. As a rule we generally won't have it on if she's around, she's five, she has plenty of time to learn about the horrors of the world later in life. I haven't seen any coverage today other than social media because she woke up before me. I caught one story online early this morning that had me in tears because the thought occurred to me one day I'll have to tell her what a crummy world we live in.
L she's a free spirit and a lover, she loves people. To date she has never mentioned difference in skin color to us. She has friends of all sorts of backgrounds, she doesn't see them as her black friends, her Asian friends, her Hispanic friends, her Indian friends, and so on. She sees them as her friends, people who she can run with and play with. They are the people she can enjoy life with. It is the kind of childhood innocence we could all covet.
So how do I tell her that her friends with darker skin face different challenges than she does and will? How do I tell her there are people in the world that still believe our light skin color is superior? How do I tell her the legal system fails people with oppressive systems of "justice" and systematic poverty?
The truth is I, as a white, heterosexual, woman, do not have to have the same conversations with her as my friends who are black or who have black children do before they leave the house. That is the truth! The hard painful truth, we live in a world where some mothers have to tell their children even if you know you did nothing wrong you need to listen to and do everything the police tell you to do, warnings about keeping hoods off and hands out of pockets. And sometimes its vigilantes and not even law enforcement.
In all honesty I don't want to tell her the truth and won't today, not yet. One day though I am going to have to tell her and it breaks my heart because I know already it is going to break her heart. I see her sense compassion and fairness already and it will rock her world, just like it did mine.
Racism is alive and thriving. What is happening in Ferguson right now is about systematic injustice, not just one case. I do not condone rioting, it doesn't make sense to me. Then again I don't walk into the world every day worried that my beloved child will be the next Michael Brown.
L she's a free spirit and a lover, she loves people. To date she has never mentioned difference in skin color to us. She has friends of all sorts of backgrounds, she doesn't see them as her black friends, her Asian friends, her Hispanic friends, her Indian friends, and so on. She sees them as her friends, people who she can run with and play with. They are the people she can enjoy life with. It is the kind of childhood innocence we could all covet.
So how do I tell her that her friends with darker skin face different challenges than she does and will? How do I tell her there are people in the world that still believe our light skin color is superior? How do I tell her the legal system fails people with oppressive systems of "justice" and systematic poverty?
The truth is I, as a white, heterosexual, woman, do not have to have the same conversations with her as my friends who are black or who have black children do before they leave the house. That is the truth! The hard painful truth, we live in a world where some mothers have to tell their children even if you know you did nothing wrong you need to listen to and do everything the police tell you to do, warnings about keeping hoods off and hands out of pockets. And sometimes its vigilantes and not even law enforcement.
In all honesty I don't want to tell her the truth and won't today, not yet. One day though I am going to have to tell her and it breaks my heart because I know already it is going to break her heart. I see her sense compassion and fairness already and it will rock her world, just like it did mine.
Racism is alive and thriving. What is happening in Ferguson right now is about systematic injustice, not just one case. I do not condone rioting, it doesn't make sense to me. Then again I don't walk into the world every day worried that my beloved child will be the next Michael Brown.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Fight for the Routine
I have written a lot about this season of life where waiting and hoping are my main "task" each day. This is incredibly appropriate as I prepare lessons for Advent, the season of waiting and hoping. You could say I am having my own personal season of extended Advent. I have also written a bit about being on the edge of the abyss that threatens to suck me in.
I am a big fan of notes and lists, I have them everywhere they help me keep on track through out the day. Recently though I have not been writing lists and I started forgetting everything and then feeling overwhelmed. Last week I pulled out a sticky note and made a short list, I drew a line at the bottom and under the line I wrote, "fight for the routine". Our days haven't been too structured recently, we have meals, we get our homeschooling done, we get errands and chores done, pets cared for but it was haphazard. Last week I sat down and made a loose plan for home school lessons and organized our growing stock of supplies. I got the little back into a morning routine. We spent a lot of the weekend getting the chores and errands caught up. This morning I made it a point to get myself back on to my own morning routine beyond the showering and getting dressed. I took some time to exercise, to spend a little time in prayer, and I am the better for it. My routine is a form of discipline I need to keep me grounded.
It took me a while to figure out what our new routines would look like but I think we have them and they are starting to work together. My hope is that by the end of the month we can have most of our "work" done before lunch and have our afternoons full of creativity.
I am grateful to have found our new routine and hopeful that even as the winter cold approaches we can stick to it.
I am a big fan of notes and lists, I have them everywhere they help me keep on track through out the day. Recently though I have not been writing lists and I started forgetting everything and then feeling overwhelmed. Last week I pulled out a sticky note and made a short list, I drew a line at the bottom and under the line I wrote, "fight for the routine". Our days haven't been too structured recently, we have meals, we get our homeschooling done, we get errands and chores done, pets cared for but it was haphazard. Last week I sat down and made a loose plan for home school lessons and organized our growing stock of supplies. I got the little back into a morning routine. We spent a lot of the weekend getting the chores and errands caught up. This morning I made it a point to get myself back on to my own morning routine beyond the showering and getting dressed. I took some time to exercise, to spend a little time in prayer, and I am the better for it. My routine is a form of discipline I need to keep me grounded.
It took me a while to figure out what our new routines would look like but I think we have them and they are starting to work together. My hope is that by the end of the month we can have most of our "work" done before lunch and have our afternoons full of creativity.
I am grateful to have found our new routine and hopeful that even as the winter cold approaches we can stick to it.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Today's Prayer
God how I want to call you the loving God I believe in, because I do believe that you are a merciful and loving God who cares for each of us to the core of our very being. Yet I see all the brokenness in the world and it is hard to see the love. Especially as my friends grieve for their child. I believe that you are loving but I can't feel it. I ask this day that you would be with each of your children and guide them through the day. I ask especially for prayer for my own little family as we navigate these days of trusting. My prayer is that I will have enough patience to get me through the day, that I will have eyes and heart wide open so that I can see the tender joy filled moments and not get dragged down by the stress filled ones.
On this election day I pray that our leaders would work from a place of authenticity and not a place of dollar signs. I pray for all who vote that they would vote their conscious and not because of pressure from a social or religious group. I pray for the people who will feel persecuted today at the polls.
I thank you God for our daughter and her precious life. She is what I worry about most in this great transition. Help me stay open to her needs and her struggles.
Oh God you know the prayers of my heart, the ones that cannot be named in this space, the ones I am not ready to name, the ones that hurt. Please hear them.
Amen.
On this election day I pray that our leaders would work from a place of authenticity and not a place of dollar signs. I pray for all who vote that they would vote their conscious and not because of pressure from a social or religious group. I pray for the people who will feel persecuted today at the polls.
I thank you God for our daughter and her precious life. She is what I worry about most in this great transition. Help me stay open to her needs and her struggles.
Oh God you know the prayers of my heart, the ones that cannot be named in this space, the ones I am not ready to name, the ones that hurt. Please hear them.
Amen.
Monday, November 3, 2014
Birthday Cash Creativity
My nephews are teenagers or nearly teenagers these days. The days of calling my siblings to see what toy or experience they were just itching to have are long gone. When ever I ask the answer is the same, money. I have tried gift cards for movies or a favorite hang out but nothing is as desired as cold hard cash. I don't really have a problem with this other than it just kills my creativity, throwing some bills in a card feels so impersonal. Don't get me wrong I love getting an envelope full of money as much as anyone, I just hope that my nephews will get some sort of exciting experience out of it. If you get an envelope from Aunt Beck you pretty much know it's going to have birthday money in it. If you get a box there is a new level of mystery.
I have played with this idea searching Pinterest and I have found a few great ideas that I have in my back pocket for up coming holidays. Then over the summer long before any of their birthday's rolled around I saw it, the perfect container for cold hard cash, a miniature pinata! (Target is your friend if you are looking for one of these.) I made a mental note thinking I could have fun with this. Then a little while before their birthdays came I asked each of them what their favorite candy was. Of course they asked why and I told them you will see. This week the first birthday has arrived and I mailed off the first little birthday party in a box. Nephew number 1 likes twix, so I bought a bag of fun size twix, a little pinata, a cheap bandana, and a bag of confetti. The next stop was the bank where I asked for all singles, if shipping wasn't done by weight I would have gotten some coins too.
The steps:
I took it to the post office and shipped it off. I texted my nephew and said do not open the box until you text me. I made a little mission impossible like video with instructions to text to him saying don't use scissors or rip it open because you will ruin the gift. I made a second video with our daughter demonstrating what to do, which is hysterical because she is eleven years younger.
Note: I would add the candy after the cash next time for space reasons.
Was it more work than sending a card, yes. I had great fun getting creative with it and my hope is that my nephews will each have a memorable experience from their upcoming birthdays! At the end of the day I want them to remember the experience. When I die and they are sitting around at the repass after my memorial service I hope they talk about their crazy Aunt Beck and how annoying or fun the year of the pinata birthday was. Birthday's after all are worth remembering.
The only thing that would make this better is if I didn't have to ship it and I could be there to see their faces!
Today I am grateful for each of their lives and the ability even across the miles to celebrate each of the boys.
I have played with this idea searching Pinterest and I have found a few great ideas that I have in my back pocket for up coming holidays. Then over the summer long before any of their birthday's rolled around I saw it, the perfect container for cold hard cash, a miniature pinata! (Target is your friend if you are looking for one of these.) I made a mental note thinking I could have fun with this. Then a little while before their birthdays came I asked each of them what their favorite candy was. Of course they asked why and I told them you will see. This week the first birthday has arrived and I mailed off the first little birthday party in a box. Nephew number 1 likes twix, so I bought a bag of fun size twix, a little pinata, a cheap bandana, and a bag of confetti. The next stop was the bank where I asked for all singles, if shipping wasn't done by weight I would have gotten some coins too.
The steps:
 |
| The Supplies |
 |
| Add Candy |
 |
| Add Cash |
 |
| Add Confetti, hope your siblings forgive the mess! |
 |
| Shake Shake Shake |
 | |
| I tied a string to the pinata, rolled the bandana to make a blindfold, added a mini Louisville Slugger (we live near the factory and they come with the tour), tissue paper and confetti for the box . |
Note: I would add the candy after the cash next time for space reasons.
Was it more work than sending a card, yes. I had great fun getting creative with it and my hope is that my nephews will each have a memorable experience from their upcoming birthdays! At the end of the day I want them to remember the experience. When I die and they are sitting around at the repass after my memorial service I hope they talk about their crazy Aunt Beck and how annoying or fun the year of the pinata birthday was. Birthday's after all are worth remembering.
The only thing that would make this better is if I didn't have to ship it and I could be there to see their faces!
Today I am grateful for each of their lives and the ability even across the miles to celebrate each of the boys.
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