Receiving Is Good Too!

My 29 day giving challenge is up. I had hoped to finish with a bang by increasing my giving as the end neared. I may not have given much away but I still think I finished with a bang!
By my calculations, I had 10 days left of giving when I got sick. I got strep throat. My head felt like a bowling ball and my throat was so sore I dreaded each and every swallow. I laid around for several days trying to rest and heal. Needless to say, the only thing I could have given were my germs! As that got better, I got bronchitis! This went on for almost two weeks! Oh, the coughing!! Anyway, I kept thinking of how this was ruining my 29 days of giving and I was making mental lists of things I could give away when I was fit to re-enter society. As the days went by, though, it occurred to me how much was being given to me. Wait, I'm supposed to be the one giving! It was then that I realized the importance of being able to receive as well as give. I have never been comfortable with people doing things for me. When I had my knee surgery, a friend from church came and cleaned my house. That was hard to let her do. People cooked for me and came to visit. I appreciated it immensely, but it was hard nonetheless. But, as the calls came in to watch the boys for me and to bring me soup, it really got me thinking. My instinct was to say no thanks, I've got it. But this time was going to be different! I did let a friend come get the boys for the afternoon (I was able to get to the doctor while they were away), I did let another friend run an errand in town for me. I even called and asked someone if they could come by and pick the boys up to take them to class (our homeschool co-op classes) so they wouldn't miss it. They were also picked up for Tae Kwon Do so they wouldn't miss that and I was even texted a picture of them so I wouldn't feel left out! What special friends I am blessed with!
We can't do it alone. We all need each other. It is important to give and be aware of the needs of others. But, it is also important to be able to accept help when you need it. I think it's important to remember, though, that it's not about keeping score. I find myself thinking I can't ask her because she's helped me twice already since the last time I helped her. It has to be about the needs (of others as well as myself) and not the scoreboard!

Giving Update

I've gotten over parting with the quilt. I'll be ok!
Since then, I have given:
*time-kept a friend's child for an afternoon
*time-had 2 couples over (and their children) for dinner and game night. We know how to party! It got so rowdy, someone had to be taken to the emergency room!!
*time-went to the grocery store with my mom. You have to know, my mom is notorious for asking you to go clothes shopping with her and then, after you're in another town and in her car she springs on you the fact that she has to go grocery shopping afterwards (and out pops this mile long list). Ok, grocery shopping for my family is bad enough now I have to go with her too!! :) But, Saturday I did and with no (ok, few) complaints! :)
*time-we went to my in-laws after church Sunday to visit with my brother-in-law who has been working out of town for a couple of months now and was here for the weekend

Well, it looks like I gave the very thing I previously said I had the least of! I seemed to find enough time to share with everyone this weekend!

Giving Biggie!!

I knew the day was coming, but I didn't know it would be so hard. I gave my first quilt away today! It was for my niece.

What's the big deal, you ask? Well, I have been working on this quilt for almost 10 months! It was originally meant to be a shower gift, then I thought I would get it done in time to take it to my sister-in-law in the hospital when the baby was born but I didn't make that either!

In my defense, I have had to teach myself how to embroider (online) and learn how to quilt (read a quilting book). Insert finishing a house and moving somewhere in there too and you can see why it took so long!

I think it turned out pretty good for my first quilt. The embroidered pictures are vintage baby animals and they turned out really cute! I think Amy (my sister-in-law) really liked it. I love the idea of my handmade quilt being passed down through the years as my great-grandmother's afghans have been. I'd like to think it would be so appreciated.

This is Alayna. She's almost 6 months old. Who couldn't part with just about anything for this face?

Giving Update

I wanted to update you all on my givings since last challenge post. I have to write them down so I won't forget them. I don't want to post every single day on what I give as that would surely get boring.
To date I have joyfully parted with...
*time-kept a child just to give the mom an afternoon to herself
*made a cake for my grandma's 84th birthday (red velvet-her fave!)
*time-kept 2 young children so a friend could go shopping and enjoy a little time alone
*gave away a few items a friend needed from my garage sale pile (free of charge, of course!)
*made a wedding cake this weekend (did not charge for this, it was my wedding gift!)
*time-had a friend over for tea
*made a cake to take to my mother-in-law
*time-balanced Mike's business account, paid his bills and got them in the mail (glad that one's over!)
*bread crumbs (ok, I know this one hardly counts, but I didn't have anything else that day and my mom really needed them for a recipe!)
*ice-cream-I surprised the boys with an ice-cream for no reason except to treat them

Teaser: I am about to deliver my giving for today. It's a biggie (and, by far, the hardest thing I have had to part with)! I will have to post it later, gotta' go!

Giving Feels Good!

I am loving this giving challenge! I have given away a jar of homemade blueberry jam, a stack of magazines (I was saving them to go through and tear out pix or recipes I wanted to keep, but I decided to just give them away without even going through them! I have a friend who is building a house and I thought she might enjoy looking through them for ideas), clothes I no longer wear and the biggest brownie (Tanner and I were home by ourselves and thought we'd have a brownie so I gave him the biggest one leaving myself the microscopic crumb known as the other brownie).

I want to challenge myself to give away things that aren't so easy to part with. It's easy to give away things that you don't like or don't use anymore. Parting with clothes that I haven't worn in over a year wasn't that hard! I almost feel like it's cheating! This week I want to concentrate more on giving away things that are more meaningful to me. I'm not an overly materialistic person so giving away 'things' won't be that difficult for me. Having to give away my time is another story! We shall see...

*This is a picture of the church my grandma grew up in. I took this picture and had it blown up and framed for her for Christmas a couple of years ago. She was surprised as this is a two-hour drive away. She hung it up almost immediately. It's amazing how something so simple and easy can mean so much. I love it!