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