THE SALE

The SALE was today. Yes, THAT one! I am so overwhelmed and awestruck. It was a difficult day. Very, very difficult. But, in the end, it was worth it. Not because we made grand amounts of money, but because, after the tears and rain had ended, I saw humanity. I want to tell you all about it, but, quite frankly, I am exhausted and need a rest...I also need to go to the grocery store, because, even though I am asleep on my feet, Taiger is excited after the sale and rambunctious! HOWEVER, I wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped with this sale. You know who you are. :) I appreciate those who posted about this event on your blogs and facebook. Thank you to everyone. Thank you, thank you! I only wish (WISH!) you could have all been here today with us. We missed you. I missed every single person from our board and wished we could have all been together. Thank you to Bryttan and Kramer who faced the elements and stood outside with me. Thank you to my Mom, who lifts me as I reach for my dreams, and takes them on as her own. She was up all night (litterally) with Taiger while I was busy getting ready, even though she had driven four hours from Idaho to be home so I could do the sale and she could work at our business. THANK YOU to our friend homes/ministries, Racham Ministries, Serving His Children, Foyer De Sion and Bethel for letting us HELP YOU! Thank you, 60 Feet, for letting us help you! We love you all and appreciate the work you are doing! I want to really thank everyone who came to the sale. You don't know what it meant to us. You don't know what it means to those caring for the children daily. And, above all, you don't know what it means to those children. Thank you, from the deepest part of our hearts. Thank you so, so much. We recognize your sacrifice and appreciate it beyond words. THANK YOU! Finally, THANK YOU, TAIGER, for sacrificing so much. Thank you for being patient while Mommy has been getting ready for this sale. Thank you for selling your favorite bed so others could have food and clothing. Thank you for helping make signs. Thank you for loving all of the orphans. I love you, Taiger! And I am so proud of you. :) Okay, off to the grocery store. Taiger has been BEGGING for apples for the past three days, and we have had none in the house. :) Poor little guy :) :)

Please, Monsieur, another note!

I am starting to feel like The Phantom Of The Opera with all of these notes. :) So, it is time for today's note. Sometimes, it is easier to do a major service PROJECT than to do a simple service, like wash the dishes for your mom. When it is a HUGE ordeal, you feel like you have done something great and amazing! Sometimes, the little things take the most sacrifice...because they take so little physical EFFORT. Does that make sense? So, something that is hard to wrap our minds around is that, for a nickel, you can feed a child a meal. A nickel. A nickel is so small, sometimes we don't even think about it. A quarter, we are slower to sacrifice, you know? But a nickel...they get lost in the bottom of our purse, or tossed on the dresser, and we try and figure out ways to "get rid" of them. When something costs a dollar and five cents, we often tell the clerk NOT to get us the change..."Wait! Wait! I KNOW I have a nickel! Please let me get rid of some of this change!" Well, here is your chance to "get rid" of that loose change. Those nickels that are worth so little alone. At least, for us. A volunteer at one of our Friend Homes in Africa told us a child at the school was so hungry, she ate her pencil. Renee with Serving His Children shows us pictures of hungry children. Why are they hungry? Because they don't have a nickel. Yes, one nickel would buy them an entire meal. And we thought the dollar menu was cheap! For the price of your snack wrap at w*endy's, you could buy TWENTY kids a MEAL. (Not saying YOU shouldn't eat...just putting in to perspective how little a nickel is to us, and how MUCH it is to those kids!) SO...at our sale we are going to have a Nickel Jar. It is a glass jar you can LOOK at and SEE how many meals will be bought. You can plunk YOUR nickel in the jar and visually SEE it added to the others...add a meal for a child. This sale will: *PROVIDE FOOD FOR HUNGRY CHILDREN.

Today's Note

Sometimes, you have to give up what you love for what God loves. His path is greater, and even though our pain right now might be great, it will be dwarfed in the end by our JOY! Okay, so today's note is a little more complex than the usual "clothing and food". I hope this doesn't embarrass any of my readers, but I THINK we are all mature enough to handle to complexities of the human body. We are working with several people and groups who are working with the children and youth living at Mukisa (the prison in Uganda). One of the major issues facing those living there is sanitation for the older girls. During their menstrual periods, the girls are forced to tie banana leaves around them to absorb the blood. I can only imagine the humiliation and discomfort these girls must endure! On top of that, I can only guess at the infections and disease this COULD create, not only for those young women, but also for others living in the prison since there is no disposal system for ANY garbage there. Maybe because I am a girl, but more likely, maybe because I am HUMAN, I feel sicked and saddened at the situation in which these innocent girls are put, where they are having their very pride and modesty compromised. This sale will (hopefully, as we work with other groups to find a solution to this problem): *PROVIDE FEMALE HYGIENE CARE SOLUTIONS FOR THE YOUNG WOMEN AT MUKISA. *

Clothing!

Here it is, LATE at night again, and I am only just getting to my NOTE about our sale. =SIGH= Only 24 hours in a day? Really? AND no naps this week?! =SIGH...again= First of all, GOOD NEWS! President Obama PASSED the LRA DISARMAMENT AND NORTHERN UGANDA RECOVERY ACT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It has passed. How relieved my heart is. How happy and how LIGHT! Sometimes, when I am overly excited/happy (or sad/upset), I cannot find the words I want to say. The news of this bill passing has put me in to one of those states. You will have to trust me that I am thrilled about this news. :) Okay, so today's note. Ready for it?? This sale will help us... *PROVIDE CLOTHING FOR HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN! And when I say hundreds, I mean HUNDREDS! We have had SO many donations of clothing come in to us! These clothes will be available for you to SPONSOR at the Benefit Sale! The clothes will be going to Haiti, Africa AND China!

Today's Note

For some reason, I kept thinking I had already posted today's note about our sale! SO, once again, you are getting this late. Sorry! I have spent FOUR DAYS making slide shows to have at our sale! :D It has been a lot of work, and NOT the kind of work I am good at OR enjoy. Poor Taiger thinks the computer ate his Mommy. :( I am such a stinky Mommy sometimes. :( Anyway...moving right along (getting off the Mommy Guilt topic), here is our note for today about how our SALE will benefit others! This sale will help... * PROVIDE FOOD, MEDICINE AND OTHER DAILY NECESSITIES FOR 100 FAMILIES IN HAITI LEFT HOMELESS BY THE EARTHQUAKE (as part of Operation: 100 FAMILIES).

How This Sale Will Help, AND UPDATES! :)

Today's update is coming rather late, I know. I am sorry. Better late than never, or so I have heard.

Before I give you today's little note about this great Event and how it will help others, I wanted to give a quick update about SSS!

First, a prayer request. Dear Gabi of Racham Ministries arrived in Uganda, and not more than two days later was at Renee's house (Serving His Children) feeding the thousands of children in the food program. When Gabi had been in Uganda before, she had been in the sun without getting a sunburn. However, this day she served for hours in the heat and at the end had a terrible reaction to the sun, much like a horrible sunburn. I imagine maybe she had before been in Uganda at a different time of year, when the sun was different in the sky, and maybe not so near the Earth. Or maybe her malaria treatment made her skin more sensitive (as it is known to do). My point is, Gabi is wise enough to take care of herself so she can better serve others. Either way, Sweet Gabi now has what are akin to third degree burns over much of her body. Her eyes have been swollen nearly shut. She is in excruciating pain. Through it all, her heart is still so focused on serving that she has thus far refused to leave! She has gone to the hospital and is taking medications and using several different balms and ointments on her blistered and painful skin. Despite all that, however, her pain is still quite severe. Let us lift this sweet sister up in prayer as she deals with the pain, as her burns heal, and pray her spirits will be lifted. God is the great Healer, and can heal Gabi's body if it be His will. Please pray for Gabi!!

On a lighter note, we had ANOTHER bag of donations brought in. By seven o'clock tonight, I had cut my hair (myself! What an adventure THAT was) and had taken a shower so wouldn't be shedding hair clippings all night, like Sasquatch in the Spring. My clothes were COVERED in hair, so when I got out of the shower I decided it was "late enough" (do you ever justify that to yourself??) for pajamas and was wandering around the house taking care of five little boys (my nephews are here visiting! FUN!) when the sweet neighbor down the street came over with a bag FULL of clothing! I was embarrassed that I was in my pajamas so early (what happened to that justification!??!?!?!) and was not much of a gracious hostess (I think my efforts came across more as "kicking him out" then "welcoming him in"! Oh dear!). However, once he left, I was overcome with gratitude! I opened the bag and there inside were BOY'S CLOTHES!!!!!!!!!!! Something we are lacking greatly. I had wanted a few more boy's things to sell at the garage sale, but on top of that, I know there are boys at Mukisa who are in need of clothing and I really wanted to be able to send a few things to them. What a blessing this kind neighbor was! I am only sad that I am more worried about MYSELF and my appearances than about God's work. If only I were more like Gabi, who is so in tune to service that she becomes oblivious to the world around her and SO FOCUSED on service that she doesn't even realize she is getting a sunburn! (NOT, mind you, that I would want to be in her position of suffering so greatly, nor that I would wish that on ANYONE! Also, I realize the importance of looking after yourself so you can physically serve others, as I KNOW Gabi does, too. But the fact still remains that she was so focused on others she forgot herself entirely, and that is admirable.)

The next piece of good news (and when I say "good" I mean, "good as in YUMMY"), is that Natalie shared a little list of a few yummy treats she is baking for our Bake Sale! Let me tell you, folks, you are not going to want to be late to this sale! EVERYTHING will be 100% HOMEMADE! I kid you not. Also, Natalie is a very clean person with no pets, so you will not have to be afraid to eat her goodies! I have TERRIBLE Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (I know, right?! How DO I stand living in countries with lower sanitation than what I have been accustomed to?! I don't know, either, but I DO have faith that, when about God's work, He can make our weaknesses strong! And boy! Am I ever a living testimony of THAT fact!) and I would eat Natalie's food any day! :) So, no worries there. :) Some of the food she mentioned is so far past my repertoire, I didn't even know what it was (hey, if it isn't cheap brownies from a box, you have me stumped!), but they sounded DEVINE! Chocolate Cake, Jell*o cookies, Lemon Bars and Lemon Cake were just a few little names off that list. So, when I say YUMMY, I don't mean cookies from pre-packaged dough you can buy ready-made. I am talking gourmet goodies here!

Okay, and now the moment we have ALL been waiting for...Our little NOTE about how are GOOD (and YUMMY) Benefit Sale will, well, BENEFIT the people we serve!

Because of this sale, Sixteen Small Stones will be able to:

*SEND CARE PACKAGES TO BLIND CHILDREN IN CHINA!!

The Point

The Point radio station is going to attend our Open Air Benefit Sale Event! We are SO thankful to them for coming and are excited to have them there. :) We LOVE their station! :)

Another Note!

Here is your friendly note for today about something else our SALE will help! This sale will: *PROVIDE BLANKETS TO CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD (as part of our Operation: WARM BLANKETS)

Bake Sale and Introducing BLAKE and NATALIE!

Thank you, to everyone, who has helped and is helping with the Open Air Benefit Sale!! Thanks to our own Natalie, our sale is now going to have a BAKE SALE area! Don't worry, I am not doing the baking...no one likes burned cake, and that's a fact. :) No, Natalie is cooking up some of her special delicacies, and you aren't going to want to miss out on buying these scrumptious treats! Also, thank you to our newest Team Member, Blake! Blake has set up a facebook event for us so people can RSVP in advance to this event! (So, if you are attending, please RSVP on facebook!:)!!!!) Okay, so I realized after I wrote that that you have no idea who Blake and Natalie are! I think some introductions are in order (and I LOVE being able to introduce you all to our new members...one of my favorite things to blog about! :D!!!!)! Natalie and I have been friends for a long time! Although we lost touch for several years, I always have considered her a good friend, and I am so, so happy she is one of Sixteen Small Stones' leaders now! Natalie is an amazing woman with a HUGE heart! Almost weekly, she is sending our way bags of donations for the children. I think she is single-handedly going to clothe the entire country of Uganda! Natalie is always the first one to step up when we introduce a new project at Sixteen Small Stones. She rarely asks, "How can I help?" and instead just jumps in with both feet and starts working without having to be asked or told what to do. She is a mother to three small children and sets an example daily of how to live a Christ-like life. She is loving and kind and she gives and gives without expecting something in return. Natalie is our China Specialist. I am so, so happy she decided to serve in this position and I am so thankful she has joined our team!! I can't wait to see the great things God has planned for Natalie! Blake has been my friend since high school. For years, we were out of touch, but, thanks to facebook, we have reconnected, and I am so, so thankful for that. Blake has a heart of gold! He and his wife are so giving and would sacrifice anything to help someone in need. When the earthquake hit Haiti, their hearts were pulled to serve those most in need at that time. Having small children at home, they realized serving on site in Haiti would not be possible, but they still knew they wanted to help the people of Haiti during that trying time. Blake and his wife reached out to the Haiti people through Sixteen Small Stones, and Blake ended up setting up a short-term group called Hands Helping Haiti to collect supplies to send to Haiti, including toiletries, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc. His donated items went to a camp of over 100 families living in make-shift shelters in a church parking lot. Blake has been a huge support to me and to Sixteen Small Stones. He is always one step ahead of me with organizing things for Sixteen Small Stones, such as setting up pages on facebook for our events. :) Whatever Sixteen Small Stones needs, Blake is there to get things done. We are so blessed to have Blake on the Sixteen Small Stones team. He has already helped us so much, and I am so thankful Blake is on the Sixteen Small Stones board!!

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen! Time for the GREAT GIVEAWAY! That's right, step right up, folks, you don't want to miss this opportunity of a lifetime! (Did it work? Should I apply for a job as a carnival barker?) Okay, so here's how it's going to go. 1.) Tell ALL of your friends to "FOLLOW" this blog. 2.) Your friends click, "follow this blog". 3.) Your friends leave a comment here that says that YOU told them to follow this blog. 4.) Be the one to get the MOST people to follow this blog and YOU WIN THE GRAND PRIZE! (WAY easier than tossing ping-pong balls into fish bowls ANY day...besides, this isn't rigged, as I have always suspected those games are. I don't know HOW, but I am SURE they are! Either that, or I just really stink at tossing ping-pong balls into goldfish bowls. Hmmmm....) OH YEAH! And YOU have to be a "follower" of this blog, too, in order to qualify! No one-time-pop-ins winning! ;) So, whether you have been following this blog without actually clicking "follow", or if this is your first time looking but want to continue to follow, PLEASE click "FOLLOW" so you can qualify to win! Okay, so the prize? Oh boy, are you going to LOOOOOVE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A TEAM SIXTEEN SMALL STONES SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, really! I am not kidding (WAAAY better than a giant stuffed Tweety Bird, don't you think?!) I wanted to make sure that the shirt would work for ANYONE who won, so it is a men's large. Guys: You can now sport your own Sixteen Small Stones gear and win big with the ladies (we LOVE a guy who serves others!). LADIES: Okay, so it may not be pretty pink, but it is STILL one super cool shirt. It would be PERFECT to sleep in...the fabric is soft!!!! (Shhhh...don't tell the guys! If they ask, tell them it is lined in sawdust!) Okay, so there it is! GOOD LUCK to everyone! :D :D

BENEFIT SALE!!

OPEN AIR BENEFIT SALE for AFRICA, HAITI & CHINA! SATURDAY, MAY 29 from 7:00am-2:00pm at 1811 SOUTH 1800 EAST SALT LAKE CITY, UT AH.

REMEMBER: Even if you can't make it, you CAN still make a donation! ALSO, even if you cannot be there, PLEASE tell your friends about this sale! THANK YOU!

Here is today's note for how our BIG SALE with lend aid to those who need it!

OUR OPEN AIR BENEFIT SALE WILL PROVIDE:

CLOTHING FOR YOUTHS LIVING IN MUKISA, THE "PRISON" IN UGANDA.

(Read more about Mukisa at sixtyfeet.org.)

This little girl at Mukisa is holding a women's skirt around her as clothing because she has no other clothes. Let's send some clothes to this little girl so she can run and play with her friends.

SALE! SALE! Help us get diapers to kids in GREAT NEED!!!!!

COME ONE, COME ALL! To our

OPEN AIR BENEFIT SALE for AFRICA, HAITI & CHINA!

SATURDAY, MAY 29 from 7:00am-2:00pm at

1811 SOUTH 1800 EAST SALT LAKE CITY, UT AH.

REMEMBER: Even if you can't make it, you CAN still make a donation! ALSO, even if you cannot be there, PLEASE tell your friends about this sale! THANK YOU!

SO....At our Open Air Benefit Sale, you can score some REALLY NICE things! We will have children's clothes, adult clothes, and other amazing items!

Each day I am going to tell ONE thing that this sale will do to help the children in our homes. This sale will:

*PROVIDE DIAPERS FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE MALNOURISHED AND NEED SPECIAL DIAPERS TO FIT THEIR UNIQUE BODY-SHAPES, CRADLE THEIR FRAGILE BODIES AND BE SOFT ON THEIR SKIN, DELICATE WITH LACK OF NUTRIENCE.

SAVE THE DATE! BENEFIT SALE!!!!!! You DON'T want to miss this!!!!!

We have a date for our fun, exciting, wonderful Sale!

OPEN AIR BENEFIT SALE for AFRICA, CHINA & HAITI

Saturday May 29, 2010 from 7:00am-2:00pm at my house,

1811 South 1800 East Salt Lake City, UT 84108.

This is going to be SUCH a cool event!! Art project for the kids, lots of cool things for sale for YOU to bring home, and items there to buy and donate right then! LOTS of information, pictures, slide show of pictures of the people we help... No set prices...you donate what you think is fair and take the item! It is all about helping the children, and EVERY single penny donated goes right to helping the kids. There is also going to be a place to sign up to participate in Project: 1000 WORDS!! Sponsor a camera while you are there for 10 dollars. We will also have our shirts for sale for 20 dollars. Bring your jars of change, grab your kids, and come have some fun while serving others! :D

We do have a facebook event page set up, so feel free to RSVP there AND to use it to invite friends (even if you won't be able to make it). Please spread the word on your facebook and blogs.

The facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=122713431086455&ref=ts

PROJECT: 100 Words

Oh boy, oh boy! Am I ever EXCITED! My heart is OVERFLOWING with joy and GRATITUDE and a peaceful SPIRIT. We have a NEW Project starting at Sixteen Small Stones!!!!! And you are going to want to be a part of this one! :) I am going to have you read about it at the website instead of telling ALL about it here...BUT I know if I just post a link to it, you won't take the time to read it. (And you will be SO SAD you didn't when you find out more about it! LOL!) So, here are some "teasers" to get you, um..psyched? * It gives voice to those who have before had none * It will provide a way to see the lives of the children we serve from THEIR EYES * It will bring out the creativity of the children in our Friend Homes/Ministries. * It will most certainly be therapeutic for the children. * YOU will get something back for your donation...In fact, I have a feeling we will all get back MUCH more than we give with this one * It is called PROJECT: 1000 Words http://www.16smallstones.org/project/1000-words

THANK YOU! AND A Miracle!!

I want to shout a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the people who run our Friend Homes and Friend Ministries. They are wonderful, amazing, loving people, and I admire them so, so much. I could go on and on (and on) about what incredible people they are. I am so, so blessed to know them and have the opportunity to speak with them. SUCH a blessing! Aside from that, these people have sacrificed something very special for ME! Daily, hourly...every SECOND they are sacrificing themselves for God and to serve His children. But, on top of that, they did something that really blows my mind, and I am over the top thankful for them. To some of you, and maybe even to them, it seems ridiculous that I am SO thankful for what they gave me. But trust me...I REALLY AM "that" thankful. These sweet people allowed me to use their pictures. A picture is priceless and irreplaceable. A picture captures a moment, a memory, a feeling. A picture preserves for us something to which our weak, human minds cannot cling tightly enough. Time robs it from our memories, but the picture holds it for us to keep. Letting someone "use" a picture can often feel frightening. It is like sharing something so private and personal with someone. You know that when you hand this memory over to someone, it is not a memory to them...it is now a story. They will never feel the way you did in that moment picture was taken. Of course, a good photograph attempts to express that feeling, but, in reality, what happens for the photographer is that the picture reminds him of the memory and feeling he already had. When you give someone a picture, you run the risk that the picture did not adequately capture the moment to portray the feeling, but only conjures the feeling for the photographer, who, of course, is only remembering the feeling the real-life situation already produced. (Wow, was that confusing? I am so sorry!) What I am trying to say (and probably really failing at...so sorry!) is that I KNOW that letting someone "use" a picture is, really, an enormous sacrifice. Several people have entrusted me with their memories, their stories, and allowed me to use their pictures on the Sixteen Small Stones blog, website AND facebook. I deeply appreciate them letting me use these pictures, and I wanted to publicly express my gratitude at being offered something so precious and dear. THANK YOU to everyone who has offered for Sixteen Small Stones to use your pictures! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!! ***** I know the little munchkins in these pictures, and in all of the others we post, are SO cute you want to gobble them up and maybe share their pictures on YOUR blog, but PLEASE RESPECT THE PRIVACY OF THESE CHILDREN AND DO NOT REPOST THESE PICTURES OR USE THEM FOR ANYTHING WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THEIR OWNERS. THANK YOU!!***** Okay, are you ready for some good news? Ready to see the HANDS AND FEET of Christ at work? Ready see how God preforms miracles through His servants? Ready to see with your eyes the LOVE of God? Well, get ready to SHOUT praises, too, because this is going to knock your socks off! Remember little Sarah? Renee's sweet angel who helped us get the word out about our first project with Serving His Children in Uganda? Well, some sweet young ladies went to visit Renee and the healing home of Serving His Children. While they were there, they took videos of the work Serving His Children is doing. If you watch the videos that show the babies, you will see shots of Sarah. You ready to witness a miracle? Whoever claims miracles cease to exist...be prepared to have your theory seriously debunked. http://livinghislove.blogspot.com/2010/05/videos-from-serving-his-children.html (By the way... It is NEVER too late to donate Fuzzi Bunz diapers!!!!! Notice all these little baby-bums in these videos wearing disposable diapers? Let's work together to get these little tykes into some Fuzzi Bunz! Donations of money can still be sent via paypal from this very page, or can be mailed to the address above. Donated new and GENTLY used Fuzzi Bunz can also be mailed to that same address.)

The world is wide, and my arms are so small.

It is difficult when you realize your horizons are endless and you cannot do EVERYTHING. It is hard to see this whole, wide world and not long for all of it. It is a struggle to narrow down your point of view, thus, cutting out breathtaking views of others of God's creations. It is painful to let go of the vast expanses and instead hold dear the things within your reach. "Breclyn, you cannot save the world. You cannot save EVERYONE," she said. "But I will die trying!"

The Day We Have ALL Been Waiting For....

BIG NEWS! You ready for this?? OUR SHIRTS ARE DONE! YAAAAAAY! (Could you hear me screaming all the way in Nebraska?!) (Does anyone from Nebraska even read this blog?! I don't know. Just wonderin'.) They look FAN. TAS. TIC! (I played the syllable game in Kindergarten). I was so excited when Michael called to tell me they were in. Here's the story. So, I was SO sick this afternoon that I lay down and fell asleep. (I think Taiger was talking to me as I slept, actually....anyway.) After almost an hour, my phone rings and Taiger shouts, "MOM! YOU GET YOUR PHONE!" What a way to wake up. Bleary-eyed, I see that it is Michael calling. My brain is all fuzzy and I think maybe he is calling because something is wrong (Bryttan and my Mom are out of town, and if they couldn't reach me, they would call him...at least, that is what my half sleeping brain was telling me). I said, "Hello?" The voice on the other end sounded like one of the muppets. It said something about shirts and in. I was still thinking of Bryttan and my Mom and things were pretty confusing for a second there. Then, I realized what he was saying (even though his voice still sounded funny...not so much like a muppet anymore and more like an opera singer...I don't know.) I just remember saying, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" (By this time, I was kind of sounding muppetish and it was a little freaky. I don't know how many times I said thank you, but probably as many as my sleeping brain thought a muppet WOULD say Thank You.) He said, "Don't thank me!" At this point he sounded like Michael. Weird. I opera sang to him, "Well, you are the one that delivered the good news, so you get the thank you!" I hung up the phone.

I had told Michael I wouldn't be able to make it in today to pick up the shirts, but with the snapping shut of my cell phone, my brain snapped awake! Suddenly, I was Breclyn again (with Breclyn's voice now, thank you very much!) and was like, "=GASP= OUR SHIRTS ARE IN?!?!?!? They close in 40 minutes?! I GOTTA GO! I NEEEED those shirts! TODAY!" (For no real reason, mind you.) (PAUSE the story. Back up. Taiger would not do ANYTHING today...even get dressed! I tried, okay? One of his morning "chores" was to get dressed (wish MY parents had been so easy...I had to milk a cow at 5:00am! Not really.). If he does his chores, he can play his video game for a while. I believe in natural consequences where possible, and so his consequence was that he didn't get to play Nintendo. Unfortunately, that didn't bother him today. And that is why he was sitting around in his underoos at 5:00 this evening. Okay, un-pause and fast forward.)

I told Taiger who had called and that our shirts were in and asked if he wanted to go with me to get them (REMEMBER: There was no one here to tend, as Bryttan and Mom are gone, but I asked him anyway to make him feel like he was in control. Such a good Mom, eh? Such a liar.) He said he didn't want to go. So, I put on my Mommy voice (intentional voice change this time) and made Taiger put down his Legos and get dressed. He mopped and whined and I went into Speed Racer mode! I ran around getting his clothes and throwing them at him. I dug up his missing shoe, and we ran to the car (NOTE: Something really cool happened during this time, about which I will post later, just so you know). We sped (a figure of speech, I was TOTALLY obeying ALL traffic laws) to the freeway...and what a mistake. Of course. Five o'clock traffic. Blast. We counted the minutes until they closed. I was so scared we wouldn't make it on time! I called Michael to check again what time was the shop's closing time. While stuck at a light, I texted him and asked if he could call the shop and ask them to stay open later for me. We were about three minutes away, and it was already 5:29. BLAST again. Then, I could see it. FAST SIGNS. The shop was in sight...and we were stuck at another...ANOTHER...red light. So, what did I do? The only thing a woman in such a state could do. I turned a right...and jumped the curb. Into the neighboring parking lot...luckily, the lots connected. We raced up to the shop, and the lights were off...BUT WAIT! A ray of hope! The open sign was still on! They were closed, but not "really" (okay, they REALLY were...they just hadn't shut off the neon light that said "OPEN", and in my desperate mind, that meant they were OPEN to ME!). I raced in, just in the nick of time! What a blessing!

Taiger and I at Fast Signs...Taiger is wearing his new shirt. Notice my bed-head hair?!

(OH! And my Karamajon necklace? Eh, eh?)

AND....we have the shirts! HOORAY So, I want to SHOUT OUT to FAST SIGNS of Murray, Utah. You are incredible! When they were having to re-open tills for my change, etc. I apologized for coming right at closing time, and they said, "It is fine! We are not like (and they named this really big chain store that I loathe and hate that starts with a wal and ends in a mart), we are not DYING to leave RIGHT at closing time! We want to help you!" I THINK some HOT guy came out of the back at that point and said, "And we love you, and think you are amazing, and BOY does that outfit make you look thin". I THINK that is what happened...but I could have just been blinded by the fact that I now LOVE FAST SIGNS! THANK YOU for your amazing service and how quickly you got the shirts done for us! :D Okay, so now you are all wondering, "HOW DO I ORDER ONE OF THESE SUPER COOL SHIRTS?!" Easy-peasy-rice-and-cheesy (please tell me you have seen, "Meet The Robinson's". If you haven't, go do it. Now. No wait...AFTER you order a shirt!) REMEMBER: THESE SHIRTS WOULD BE GREAT MOTHER'S DAY GIFTS!!!!!!!!!! (Read more at my other blog, http://www.manygrandadventures.blogspot.com/) To order your shirt, you can use CHECK OR PAYPAL! For check, please fill it out to Breclyn Everett and mail it to the address on the left of this screen. Be sure and email me or include a note with your check that tells your name and what size and color for the shirt. Please also give me your email address and a mailing address. {LEASE also state how many shirts you would like. THANKS! For Paypal, click on the paypal button on the top left corner of this screen. In the comments section of your payment form, please include your name and what size and color shirt you want. Also please let me know your email address and your mailing address. PLEASE also not how many shirts you would like! THANK YOU! THANK YOU, AGAIN!

HERE ARE THE THREE COLOURS FROM WHICH TO CHOOSE! :

LIGHT BROWN

ORANGE

WHITE

BUSINESS CARDS (and a plug for Vista Print)

Guess what?! We have BUSINESS CARDS! REALLY! They are BEAUTIFUL! I absolutely adore them (as well I should...after all, I designed them!). The best part? They were FREE! (I know I shouldn't announce that...I sound so cheap!) I am so, so thankful to this company for providing items for free. It is so kind of them, and I greatly appreciate it. So, to show my gratitude, I am doing a bit of advertising for them here...USE VISTA PRINT FOR ALL OF YOUR BUSINESS, PARTY, ANNOUNCEMENT, ETC. NEEDS! They have SO many things and they are so worth your time! With their "free items", all you pay is shipping! If you DO order from them, make sure you order everything you need in ONE shipment so you only have to pay shipping once (here I am, being cheap again!!). Anyway, their website is vistaprint.com. Check them out! You can get some cool things made!

I am so thankful we could order these cards! They look so nice. We are going to have them set out at the garage sale, too, for people to take. Yay! Thank you, Vista Print! :D