Giving Thanks: Day 20 & 21

Yesterday I was thankful that we have so much and we are able to make a child's life happier by putting together a small shoe box. The joy that these children have always brings tears to my eyes. My mom and I went shopping to buy our items for our boxes this year--it's always fun to imagine the kids opening their boxes and seeing the things we picked out for them, and it's humbling to know how much we have compared to so many around us. My Aunt Faith packed and sent over 40 boxes this year, which inspires me to pack my very own next year. Here's a video about Operation Christmas Child: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG6GU5g76t4. Even though I am so happy for the kids who receive the gifts, I'm also saddened knowing that there are kiddos right in my neighborhood without the basic necessities that I take for granted--a winter coat, school supplies, boots, gloves...the list goes on. I hope some of the boxes that we pack come right back to Buffalo for the kids here, and I hope that if they don't, I can somehow brighten the lives of the neighborhood kids that I've come to love.

This is the most recent picture I have (2008) of my Grandma and her kids: My mom, Uncle Bill, and Uncle Mike

Today I am thankful for family, specifically (today) the Sard side of the family. Like I said yesterday, today was the party for my Grandma Sard's 75th birthday, and I got to see a lot of that side of the family today. 


If I do say so myself, we are a fun bunch, and it was wonderful to share time with them and celebrate my Grandma. We ate pizza and wings, watched the Bills win (!), and laughed a lot. I swapped stories with my aunt who is a teacher, looked at quilt patterns with my Grandma and mom, talked about wedding plans for my cousin's fiancée. It was a ton of fun and I can't wait to see them all again on New Year's (our annual Sard family Christmas get-together!).