40
The number was so big.
I'm okay with it now.
It's over.
It's done.
I was sad, though, that everyone had a busy day planned but me, and I did not want to sit around and do nothing for my birthday. ( Am I the only one who doesn't want to do that? I didn't think so!)
So...this post is ALLLL about the day.......the 20th anniversary of my 20th birthday.
A little background knowledge before we officially begin...
I share my day with a very sweet little lady named Ellie Rose. We celebrated our day together this year. Corbin and I dropped Courtney off at volleyball camp and headed straight to Ellie's house where we would begin. Here's what we did....
Random Acts of Kindness Baby!
LOTS of them, too.
Here goes...from start to finish....
(and if a picture is worth a thousand words, what are 22 pictures worth??????)
Bear with me.
Birthday Girls
4 of the 5 of us getting ready to get busy with kindness!
(Corbin's the photographer and Courtney and Sylvia are at volleyball)
This was our first stop of the day.
Kids outside RMH
This is an Awesome place for volunteering if you feel so inclined.
After the RMH we headed to Freeman Hospital.
Just as we arrived, the Sunshine Trolley was in front.
We paid for the next passenger's ride on the trolley and then went inside.
We saw a lot of smiles while we were in the hospital!
Miss Ronda...stopped to "just touch" the beautiful scarves in the gift shop!
Haha. They were almost as beautiful as you are Ronda.
This stop was in the NICU waiting area.
We stopped here after we passed out treats to the "Big Brothers" and "Big Sisters" who were waiting on their mommies to deliver the new family members.
THAT was a fun room!
On our way out, Jack found a Rollie Pollie inside the hospital.
Don't worry.
He released the poor little thing outside safely.
(We rescued a critter....should it count as one of our RAKs?)
We saw this group moving dirt in a yard.
WE had a cooler full of cold water.
THEY needed it!
They were from San Antonio, TX.
They said it is hotter here than at home!!!
The temperature was 102 or 103 yesterday, and we've had NO rain.
It looked like a dusty mess while they were working.
However...they had the best attitudes.
They gave each of us salvation bracelets.
They sang "Happy Birthday" to Ellie and me.
They thanked us for the water ...
and got back to work.
Corbin took water to the guy running this bobcat (?) before we left.
We hoped that he would go over to the other yard
and help the kids.
(Wouldn't it be nice if he would????)
So far...this day was going exactly as I had imagined.
At this point in our day, I couldn't imagine it getting any better!
We passed out shopping carts and gave away quarters at Aldi's.
Look at her smile, though.
Sweet.
Next we took a lunch break.
It was good to get the 2 older girls from volleyball camp, too!
We even washed windows.
Always happy to help!
Concentration, baby!!!
That's a good girl .
Always smiling....Thank you Ronda!!
Jack...you missed a spot.
Ahh. Good job Buddy!
One of my favorite surprises today was putting chocolate bars in the drive-through tube for the teller at the bank. Neither of us bank at that particular bank. It was a fun stop! a few other stops included the Public Library to leave change for over due books and a laundry mat where we left quarters on dryers. FUN Times!!
We went back to give this group extra water.
Big LOVE.
The dirt work was finished.
The bobcat guy finished his own job and then came over to help them out!
These kids were an inspiration to work harder and have fun while I'm at it.
They were incredible.
Sigh.
All in all, I THINK we had just over 50 Acts of Kindness. I know that all of them are not listed. I'm sure I could not even remember all of them if I tried. We couldn't even write them all down as we did them yesterday!
We enjoyed some iced tea before Corbin and I headed to the fields for soccer.
Then we went to Grandma's for homemade peach pie and ice cream, visiting, and air conditioning
Yikes!
Then it dawned on me that.....We had more volleyball camp in the morning!
I whisked Courtney away only to find our house decorated when we arrived at home.
(This was the only picture I took last night, and Cory had the kids clean it all up this morning before I had a chance to snap any more pictures.)
Thank you friends for thoroughly decorating our house!
Who could imagine a day full of so many blessings?
Yesterday I was speechless.
(Bet you wish I would have posted this yesterday, huh???)
I continue to be humbled by the volunteerism that remains in our community.
I am honored to have had the opportunity to give to others.
I am thankful for my awesome God
who gives me strength, guidance, and inspiration.
40
..the new 30?
..the new 20?
It doesn't really matter.
Today is the first day of the rest of my life, and I love it.
It is simply ...Delicious.
May all your birthdays be as full of blessings as mine was.
I will leave you with The Prayer of St. Francis.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
- Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
- Where there is injury, pardon.
- Where there is doubt, faith.
- Where there is despair, hope.
- Where there is darkness, light.
- Where there is sadness, joy.
- O Divine Master,
- grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
- to be understood, as to understand;
- to be loved, as to love.
- For it is in giving that we receive.
- It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
- and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
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