Gratittude is more than saying thank you....

Have you been blessed this year?

Have you had enough to eat?  A home?  School for your children?

Have you enjoyed the freedom to worship God?

Have you expressed your gratitude for the blessings in your life this Thanksgiving?


I honestly feel that expressing our gratitude to the Lord is wonderful, but DOING something is even better.   I'm big on self sufficiency and with that in mind, last year I decided to start giving out microloans through Kiva.

Kiva (www.kiva.org) is a non-profit that allows you to lend as little as $25 to a specific low-income entrepreneur across the globe. 

You choose who to lend to - whether a baker in Afghanistan, a goat herder in Uganda, a farmer in Peru, a restaurateur in Cambodia, or a tailor in Iraq - and as they repay their loan, you get your money back.  It's a powerful and sustainable way to empower someone right now to lift themselves out of poverty.



If we want to help people, then I think that giving them an opportunity to strive for something more is a good way to do something without resorting to simply handing out money.  The people who recieve the micro-loans are working to improve their lives.  They aren't asking for a handout.  They are asking for a loan, money that they will pay back as they become more successful.

I have been doing this for a year and I have no debts that are not being repaid.  The people simply want to be treated with respect and they take these loans seriously.

So it doesn't matter what you choose to do (although I would love to see you join me on Kiva), but I encourage you to demonstrate your gratitude by helping at least one other person this holiday season...

Always Sometimes and Never....

I'd love to see links to your always, sometime and nevers....


I ALWAYS...

• Accept chocolate if it is offered to me
• Have a book I am currently reading
• Say "I love you" to my kids and husband before going to bed
• Wish I weighed just a little bit less
  
• Turn up the volume when "Hallelujah Chorus" plays on my iPod
• Eat my leftover turkey sandwiches with mayo and cranberry sauce
  
• Think I don't like stuffing, but end up eating it and liking it anyway.
  
• Find at least 20 useless but totally cute things whenever I venture into Target

I SOMETIMES...

• Exercise up to six days a week (with long stretches of inactivity in between)
• Miss being inschool
  
• Regret giving my piano away and never taking lessons
  
• Eat three servings of fruits and five of vegetables in one day
• Check my email without getting distracted by Facebook
  
• Make obscure references to Monty Python
  
• Listen to my husband when he talks to me and don't get distracted
  
• Think the mechanics at the car place are ripping me off because I'm clueless
• Resist the urge to buy fabric and crafty stuff when I have no time to do them
  

I NEVER...

• Go a full day without thinking about Chocolate
  
• Have perfect hair without trying unless I'm not going anywhere
  
• Wake up and think "Today I feel like eating brussel sprouts"
• Ran a marathon triathalon race
• Killed a hobo with a hammer
• Promised you a rose garden
• Ate a chocolate-covered insect
• Finish any cross-stitch project I've ever started
• Fantasize about Gilbert Gottfried...

I am thankful for those who serve....

Every year, we place an American Flag on our Christmas tree for every member of our family who has served in our country's armed forces.

We are so grateful for the men and women who selflessly serve their nation.  We are proud to have a family tradition of service!

On our tree, we have these honored family members:

SGT Thomas R Fuge-Army Air Corps, 43-45, India WWII
CPO Rodney G Stone-Navy 44-64, WWII Pacific, Korea
CPO George Fuge-Navy WWII
MAJ Lloyd Fuge, Army WWII
My Grandmpa Jaques, I have no records, but I know he served....

1SG James Stone, Army 64-93, Vietnam, Gulf War
Msgt Mark Skidmore-Air Force- 73-93, Gulf War
A1C Denise Jacques-Air Force-74-76
SrA Sandra Skidmore-Air Force
TSGT Eugene (Mike) Skidmore-Air Force-94-Currently Serving,
SGT Dana Stone-Army, 95-0, Bosnia
SFC Matthew Stone-Army 1996-Currently Serving, Iraq
Julia Skidmore-Army Reserves, Currently Serving
Aaron Fuge-Army-2005-Currently Serving, Iraq
Daniel Fuge-Army,2008-Currently Serving,
Adam Skidmore, Army, Currently Serving, Iraq


My sister Julia, posted this pictures of some of our family in uniform.
L-R Top Row:
My brother, Mike; My husband Matt and Julia at her basic training Graduation, My brother Adam(twice)
L-R Middle Row:
My brother Adam, My Grandpa Jacques, My dad, Me and my sister (she has none of me in uniform)
Bottom Row:
My sister, My sister in Basic, My parents, Mark and Denise, My sister and my dad

If any of my family would like to send me a photo, I would love to add a picture to each flag....

Connor's Notebook

I found Connor's notebook and he has fan letters to Calvin of "Calvin and Hobbes". He cracks me up!






Calvin, Hi, It's your comic book fan! The name's Connor E.J.Stone.

Listen, I know you lived. I have Hobbes and he misses you bad. He still lives.

Have you heard about tomboys? They'r girls who like boy stuff. Hmmmm. Let's count, I know Natalie, Lulu, Tympany (Tim-fan-ee), wait a second, Tymphony, I just know is a tomboy.

Those girl's are all tom boy's. It was awesome when you pretended to flush Rosalyn's notes down the toilet and....

Disney

I had intended to blog about our R&R durring the trip....but that was downgraded to a bunch of tweets. Over the next few weeks, I'll be updating the blog with some pictures and such. Here are a few....