Misc. November

Good GRIEF, I'm behind!

Here are some final pics of November so I can finish up 2007 with December.

Rachel has had her MC Fair 4H and her Youth Retreat wrist bands on since AUGUST! EEWWWWWWW!

She won the contest with her friends, she wore hers the longest. I tried hard to convince her it was time to be done with them and she finally agreed. My favorite memory with the wrist bands was school pictures. The photographer gave a not-so-sure look and asked, "Can you take those off for the picture, honey?!" We said, "No, they stay on. Any chance you can you position her so they don't show? thanks."

Flashback: I so remember a very large turquoise butterfly ring that my mom would have loved for me to stop wearing. Oh my, I think I was 13 or 14 and I thought it was the greatest thing!! But she didn't make a big deal about it even tho' I looked SO goofy, I'm sure. I bet she danced a jig behind closed doors the day I decided to retire it and put it in my keepsake box.

Remember that, Ma?

Next are photos from working with Operation Christmas Child during collection week. We worked with friends at a local church collecting shoeboxes that have been filled with goodies for needy kids around the world. Boxes come in from all over our area - and the kids welcome these groups by carrying their boxes into the building, sorting and counting, running a shoebox "hospital" and the grouping the boxes for shipment. The boxes arrive from various churches, ministries, schools, clubs, businesses and individuals. Sometimes 3 boxes come in from a mom and her kids. Other times we received several hundred boxes, maybe from a Christian school or a Girl Scout troop. The girls and I worked 4 days that week and had a great time. Special thanks to the Gallaghers who are in charge of this drop-off location. They work the WHOLE week, from open to close, so joyfully! We enjoyed our time with you 4! The shoeboxes have to be packed in cartons. It's like a puzzle, trying to get as many shoeboxes as possible into one big carton. Emily is very good at it! The cartons are then loaded onto a tractor trailer each night. At the end of the week, this full tractor trailer heads to Charlotte or Boone North Carolina. The shoeboxes are distributed to their final destination from there. Here Emily helps (or watches? :) Grace G. stack the cartons in the back of the tractor trailer. Just kidding - Emily worked hard all week!

THANKSGIVING DAY

We went to Berkley Springs, WV to enjoy a yummy Thanksgiving dinner with Brian's family. Here is a shot of all Mom and Don's grandchildren - we were all together this year! First time in many years! So we had to get a group shot.