Winning more than a gift…

There a lot of giveaways going on in blog land right now! {Including my own!} How do you win?? By entering of course! ;o)  And oh the joy and excitement when a little gifty arrives in the mail!!



From a girl who NEVER wins anything – let me tell you, these giveaways are FOR REAL! I recently won TWO giveaways in 1 DAY!! Woo hoo!! One by My Adventures Through Mommyhood and the other through Mommas Like Me! I guess I can’t say I NEVER win anymore. ;o)
But, more than just the fun of winning, these gifts provided me with something oh so special… memories:

First, I won a $25 gift card to Amazon.com from My Adventures Through Mommyhood! I KNOW – wow!!! This gift came at the perfect time, because I still needed to get the book for our next book club meeting and I had noooo money. I considered sharing it, but I heard it was a really good book and one I’d want to keep. So, when I won this gift card – I knew exactly what I was going to spend it on! And I bought this book: How We Love Our Kids. {Life changing!}

But guess what? I still had some money left over and, being the smart & savvy shopper I am, was able to get these shoes too! They are Sketchers’ version of TOMS (since Amazon doesn’t sell TOMS shoes) and yes, they are corduroy! They are SO comfortable, I don’t even care that they are kinda-sorta knock offs. :)






I also won a super special necklace from The Crafted Sparrow through a giveaway on Mommas Like Me. It came in this cute little box:



And yes, this picture is taken on the seat of my car, because I knew what it was as soon as I got it in the mail and have absolutely no patience when it comes to presents!



Isn’t the little box adorable? They don’t know this, but I would have tried to buy this necklace if I didn’t win! I love the saying on this necklace: “Enjoy the Journey” and I love that it has 2 beads, one for each of my boys, and an airplane. And when my son saw the airplane, he said “Oh, because of your trips!” The little guy knows I like to travel, but he also knows I travel with purpose. So, for those of you who don’t know me so well yet, I thought I’d share a little snippet of my past experiences.

Over the past few years, God has blessed me with the opportunity to go on a few mission trips, and this necklace I’ll wear as a reminder of those special countries. I thought I would share a couple of memorable pictures of those times with you…


MALAWI, AFRICA 2007
Our team went to Malawi to bring teaching strategies to the teachers there, although I think I learned a lot more from them… This picture shows me teaching a lesson in one of their schools. The average class has 80-90 students, no desks, and hardly any books. It was the most well-mannered and behaved class I’ve ever taught… 



We also helped local village preschools by providing blankets and sharing a Sunday school program with them. For some kids, this preschool provided the only meal they got all day. Another humbling experience. It makes me appreciate where I get to drop my kids off for school every day…




MEXICO 2011
This summer I went on a house building trip to Mexico. It was the second time I’ve done a trip like this. It is hard to remember sometimes, living how we do, that a third world country is so close to home, but I am thankful that programs like Amor Ministries exist and are allowed to help:







{Singing} Up on the roooof:





We prayed over the family and gave them the keys to their new home. Mind you it has: no insulation, no electricity and no indoor plumbing. Again, humbled and thankful. 

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

There is just something inexpressible about that feeling when you CONNECT with other PEOPLE… And THAT is what makes these journeys so special. We are all on journeys in our lives: PARENTING is a journey {a big one!}, BLOGGING is a journey, traveling, work, FAMILY, love, LIFE in and of itself is a journey. And who knows what kind of journey God has in store for you in the future?

So, winning this gift was oh so special…and if God blesses me to be able to go on another trip at home or away, I know the beads on this necklace will be a reminder of my two little boys and the quote will remind me to enjoy the journey! Whatever that may be.

“The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.” {Amelia E. Barr}

{Photo taken by Jim Eklund}