What do you get when you cross three children who are growing faster than a speeding bullet and a tight budget?  Frustration.  When we were in full time youth ministry, I had friends who would pass little boy stuff on to me for Max.  I don’t think I ever had to buy him a jacket until he was 7.  But then I had a girl.  Saving Max’s hand me downs wasn’t helpful.  My youngest is a boy, but there’s a 4 year age difference and we’ve never lived in a place that has a ton of storage space.  Instead of saving things for Pete, I passed them along to other mothers or to Goodwill.  Then we moved to Denver.  Somehow I find myself with no friends who have kids in the right stages to pass me down their used goods.  I pass stuff on to my neighbors, take it to our Friday school group and to Goodwill.

We’ve been riding the growth spurt roller coaster all year and it always seemed to peak when it was the most inconvenient for us.  Like a week before payday we’d discover that Zoe’s pants were all too tight and ripped out in the knees.  Pete’s pants were too short and ripped out in the knees.  Max’s pants were…well, his fit fine and were ripped out in the knees.  See the pattern?  I don’t mind the ripped out knees for most occasions.  I was a child of the 80’s and there was a time we fought for the right to keep that style when it exasperated our parents.  (That was after stonewashed jeans and the tapered and rolled up or pinned at the bottom look.) 😉  And just a few years ago people were paying to buy jeans that were already ripped.  But there are some places we go where I’d rather my kids be a little less..uh…holey.

My daughter is 5 but is the size of most 8 year olds.  She’s only a few inches shorter than her 8 year old brother and he’s no shorty either.  After one of our “I can’t believe this doesn’t fit you anymore” discussions, I was frustrated and got online to post a note to our Friday homeschooling group on the message board asking if anyone had hand me downs for Zoe’s size.  For the last three weeks, a few different women have brought me bags of clothes for Zoe to try on and told me to pass the rest along to someone else who might want them.  There were some really nice things in those bags!  One lady even thanked me for motivating her to go through her daughters closet and clear out stuff that didn’t fit her or she never wore.

I’m so grateful for hand me downs which save me money so I can fill in the rest of the wardrobe needs.

Want to join us for Gratituesday?

Head on over to Laura’s blog – Heavenly Homemakers and link up.

That’s my plan for Monday morning.  This is one of the easiest ways I give back to my community. In less than 2 hours, I can change the world for someone else.  I copied this from the website of the hospital where I donate every 6-8 weeks:

When you become a volunteer blood donor you give:

…another birthday
…another anniversary
…another day at the beach
…another night under the stars
…another talk with a friend
…another laugh
…another hug
…another chance

What are you donating and how does it help patients?

Platelets are irregularly shaped colorless cells that are present in blood. Their sticky surface lets them, along with other substances, form clots to stop bleeding. Patients who need platelets are often critically ill from diseases such as leukemia and other types of cancer, or certain blood disorders that interfere with the body’s ability to produce platelets. Many of today’s modern treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy destroy platelets. Our need for donors is never-ending because platelets can only be stored for five days.

Plasma makes up about 55% of your blood.

It is the fluid portion of your blood, which carries all other blood components such as coagulation factors and plasma proteins that may be lacking or defective in recipients. Patients who receive plasma nclude those with: severe burns, organ transplant, clotting disorders, rare blood diseases, severe trauma, and patients undergoing surgical procedures. Those who receive plasma often have lost a significant amount of blood and fluid and may require multiple transfusions. Plasma may be frozen and stored for up to one year.

Red Blood Cells carry oxygen to all parts of the body.

These cells are most often needed after significant blood loss through trauma or for patients undergoing surgery or experiencing anemia. Red blood cells can be donated every two months (56 days).

Does it hurt?

Donating blood is not painful. You’ll only feel a slight pinch when the needle is placed in your arm. We have TVs and a selection of current DVD movies available at each station so that you can relax and feel at home while donating blood. We also have wireless internet access so you can bring your laptop while you donate.

How can you help?

Give a special gift of life! A volunteer blood donor is a very special person. When you become a donor you know you are helping someone who is in critical need of a blood product. There is no way to obtain a life giving donation except through the generosity of healthy donors like YOU!

What is holding you back from being a donor?  Fear?  Time?  Apathy?  All of those are conquerable! Go save a life people.  Your community needs you.

Thank you all for praying for my friends. Unfortunately the hearing has been rescheduled for next Wednesday morning. They are under a tremendous amount of stress and waiting makes it even worse. Please continue to pray for them. Lifting others up to the Father is a privilege whether we know them personally or not. I believe prayer moves the hand of God and I’m certain that God hears us praying for my friends. I believe He has my friends in the palm of His hand and He loves them even more than I do. I’ll do my best to encourage them from here. Will you please cover them from wherever you are? Thank You!

I have a friend who is going to court this afternoon.  He has had some legal trouble and has to appear in court to find out if he will be able to continue to live at home with his children and wife.  I am not at liberty to share details, but I can tell you that we love this family and that my friend is a good father and husband.  He is getting help regarding the troubles he has had and he is on a vary hard path in life right now.  He is a good man and I hate that he is suffering so much.  He is clinging to God and his faith.  Please keep him and his family in your prayers today.  If you want to be specific, please pray for:

1. Him to be able to live at home with his family.
2. Strength to walk through the healing process for both him and his wife.
3. Faith to be strong and trust in the Lord’s provision for them.
4. A fair decision from the judge.
5. The family to be surrounded with love and support.

Thank you for lifting my friends up today!  I’ll give you an update sometime tonight.