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CoolCalmConnected.
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One More - C'mon, make a box!
And make a difference.
Hey - It's Us! 
It's a mighty big world. Better have a sister to hold you.
"Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Ferris Bueller
Philippians 4:4
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Yesterday afternoon – thanks to my good friend Renee and her two kiddos – we finished packing Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes.
Last night, we did one last quality check as we label-taped, banded, stacked and tallied the shoe boxes. Rachel also crushed/cut all the cardboard storage/shipment boxes for recycling. (“Mom, how many ARE there?”)
The final count:
| Ages 2 – 4 | Ages 5 – 9 | Ages 10 – 14 | |
| Girls | 9 | 30 | 21 |
| Boys | 16 | 22 | 32 |
Total: 130 boxes! Julia was pleased, because she felt compelled to top the 117 boxes from last year. I love it – but I don’t feel compelled. I think we’ll do as many as we’re supposed to do. (But the bigger number did make me smile.)
To get them to church this morning, we had to fill Rachel’s trunk….
….plus my hatch and back seat. Lois drove the van to church, by the way. She’ll be getting her license soon. Then she can run errands for her sainted mother. I’m sure that will please her as much as it does Rachel.
Everybody got to help carry. Several friends grabbed one or two (or five or six) on their way into the building. Julia did more “running” this season than did any of us. She carried at least 100 of the 130 boxes downstairs to the dining room table. Plus she’s turned into a good little bargain hunter. (“Mom – for the kids?”) Quite a change from the child who - in 2006 – could barely stand to give anything away.
Hannah stacked them all in the Welcome Center, sorting by box type. We’ve learned over the years to stack by box type – less likely to topple. Last night I removed every single leftover box from Rubbermaid cabinets where I shove this stuff all year. I matched boxes and lids, some of which – because we use boxes to store, too – were a decade old. Any unmatched lids/boxes got tossed. I bagged identical lids, and set them inside the matching boxes to store for next year. In 2011, we’re going to use these “stray” boxes first. Container Store and Costco/Sam’s boxes really are the best – clearest, thickest plastic with tightest-fitting lids.
Thanks again to everyone who’s helped provide a gift for a needy child this year.
You know who you are.
You don’t get anything in return. No lovely hand-written note, no plaque with your name on it, no gushy speech.
But you know.
And I am humbled and thankful to know you.
Posted in 
Not as humbled as I am to know you. Truly, you should be proud of your love and devotion to those less fortunate.
To raise your children to live by this is the most important value one can bestoy as a Chrisitan.
“Do into others…”
I love you.
our family will only be sending two this year. but the two are being packed by two little generous hearts who are starting to understand. and it’s beautiful.
You make my job very difficult!
The Grinch
I am amazed, thankful, and convicted … I love you guys!
Becky, I’m starting to know and love your lovely daughters. Blessings on you all.
Our school is doing a version of this. Guess who’s driving the boxes to the orphanage? ;>
Thanks for the inspiration. Again.
WOW!! WOW!! WOW!!
Truly I have the heart of a five year old boy.
In a jar.
On my desk.
Both hearts – living and apocryphal – are gladdened by this work. On to next year!