This week my family got our shoeboxes filled with goodies and ready to be shipped as part of Operation Christams Child. If you have no idea what I am talking about, check here for info!
First, we went to the dollar store and I gave Ethan and Leah each $10 to buy for their future friends. Leah bought a teddy bear, a coloring book, princess jewelry, crayons, toothbrush & toothpaste and some other random girly items. Ethan bought some plastic bugs, a coloring book and crayons, a jump rope & paddle game set, a toothbrush & toothpaste and some other boyish items.
Also, Rob and I decided these packages were a great way to get rid of the non-melting candy leftover from Halloween!!! Sweet!
Here are the items for our shoe boxes:
For FHE on Monday, we wrote and colored letters to our future friends using the handouts that came with our info packet.
Ryan got in on the action too! (Side note- look at the hands on this tank I call my son! He'll be 2 in February!!! HUGE!)
Then we packed up our boxes:
(Ethan is going to kill me for this "constipation picture" someday!)
And we wrapped them up!
Then yesterday, our family went together to the closest drop off location (which was only 15 minutes away) and we met the nicest lady who explained a little more to the kids just how helpful and thoughtful these boxes are and how happy they are going to make 2 children in the world. We got a tracking number to show us the journey our box will go on- from Arizona to California to some distant country into the hands of a very deserving child!
I loved this service idea- it was a great way to get my entire family involved in a great cause. It felt good knowing we were making a difference and it was awesome to see the hearts of my young children touched as well. They felt good while doing good. It was a fun way to spend time as a family and I think this is going to be our new tradition!
My family has been doing Operation Christmas Child boxes for years. This year and last year all my kids are grown up so I made them myself. I still had fun picking out things at the dollar store and remembering how my daughter used to love picking out things for her child.
ReplyDeleteI just love that you did this. How easy, and inexpensive, and fabulous. I cannot believe how much older leah is looking too. You are such a good Mom. I need to look into this. I think this is something my boys could do too.
ReplyDeleteI did our boxes this weekend also. We usually do them on a regular basis but this year I put a Bible in each box along with lots of goodies and wrote each girl a special note. I paid for my postage online so now I can track my package. I think it will be really cool to see where they wind up. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a worthy and fun project! I love those sweet kids of yours Steph! Give them a hug from Aunt Becca and tell them how proud I am of them!
ReplyDeleteHow SWEET! The children looked as if they had a fun time with this and such a great project. I have a daughter named Leah too (who is almost 18!).
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