Operation Flag Delivery ...

Mission Successfully Completed.

[who can resist these brave soldiers?]

There were about 45 children who made these at our KWAV's group this week. We delivered them to the local VA Hospital today and it was pretty darn sweet. We had a group of preschoolers handing them out. They would smile at the Veterans in the cafeteria and hand them a flag with cute shy voices saying, "Thank you for your service to our country." The Veterans were so touched. It was such a simple thing to do and they were very touched. We were asked not to snap any photos of the Veterans, but here is a picture of our handy helpers:

My two favorite moments:

1. My son handed his flag to an older Veteran who was wearing his marines hat proudly and the gentleman said, with tears in his eyes, "You just made my day. Thank you, son."

2. A group of fellas were sharing lunch and 2 of our preschool boys handed them all flags. They smiled at our boys and then saluted them. Then, they taught the boys how to salute. Precious.

It was a blessing to see these individuals feel appreciated. My son was beaming with pride and felt super happy that he made them happy.

Go bless someone this weekend.

Veteran's Day Craft Project

In honor of Memorial Day this weekend, we wanted a project for the kids to do that would bless Veterans. It was very simple, fun for the kids, and turned out really sweet.

How To:

Print the "Dear Veterans" template - click here to download the google doc

Use a paper cutter to cut into 4 postcard sized letters

Punch two holes along the right side of the "Dear Veterans" side

Have the kids sign their names and their ages on the letter

On the blank side, have the kids sketch a flag with the rectangle in the upper left corner, and then the stripes.

Color the rectangle blue, and stripes red and white

We had stickers for them to apply to the rectangle

Thread the straw through the holes in order to complete the "Flag"

Beaded Saftey Pin How To:

Have the kids thread red, white and blue beads onto safety pins, and then pin to the front of the letter.

Mail or deliver to Veterans you know!

Love Notes How To

This idea was inspired by the Love Notes boxes that Becky Higgins made for her friends. We modified it slightly to fit our project, but she is the genius who came up with the idea!

If you are interested in making some Love Notes boxes for a family you love, this is what you need:

a small box of some sort - either a take out box like we used, or small container

post its

the "love notes" label, for on top of the box - Click Here for the google doc

the "love notes" verse for the front of the box - Click Here for the google doc. We attached the verse with a small brad, but you could tape it, staple it, or use a cute sticker or japanese masking tape.

the "love notes" description for the inside of the box (or it could be tied to the box with cute ribbon or twine) - Click Here for the google doc

These would be super cute to give out at Christmas or Valentine's Day to families you love. You could put some Hershey's kisses in the bottom of the box to sweeten the deal.

Now, go love on someone.

Blessing Bags How To

Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?

You see them and you know they are in need, but you are not sure what to do. You know that handing them money is not the best thing. But, you also see that they clearly have some needs. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are asking for help.

How can you help?

Here is a simple idea - blessing bags.

[photo: joy's hope]

This was such an easy project. We are now going to keep a few "Blessing Bags" in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the streets who is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. I first learned of these bags from my friend, Julie. I am using the picture of her bags (see above) because the ones we took were taken in horrible lighting and turned out really grainy and hard to see what is inside of them.

If you'd like to make your own Blessing Bags, this is what you would need:

Gallon size Ziplock bags

items to go in the bags, such as:

chap stick

packages of tissues

toothbrush and toothpaste

comb

soap

trail mix

granola bars

crackers

pack of gum

band aids

mouthwash

coins (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)

hand wipes

you could also put in a warm pair of socks, and maybe a Starbucks gift card

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

This would be a great activity to do with some other families. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Set up all the items around a table and walk around it with the ziplocks and fill the bags.