The Magic Kingdom!

Our children had a hard time understanding what exactly

"Disney World" was?

So the Magic Kingdom was top on our list of things to do!

It was overcast to day which made it a little dull for pics but comfortable weather wise!

The children were part of the Beauty and the Beast show!

They did a lovely job acting!

Sam was a huge hit as the beast!

and of course I video taped it...

But I forgot to push record...

figures!

He couldn't have been cuter!

He was thrilled to dance with Belle!

Hubby and this other gentleman were also part of the production!

They were the knights in shining armor!

After Belle was Ariel!

She was delightful!

The children chatted away with her!

And our make a wish girl got a solo pic with her!

It has been a long time since we have been here so part of our first day was spent trying to figure things out!

WE tried to do as much as possible!

A blend of older rides and younger shows and rides!

This clown was doing a show on the sidewalk and we all stopped to watch!

The next thing we knew... Sarah was part of the show!

He was very good and it was very funny!

She went along with it and did what he told her to do- even though balancing spinning plates is not one of her talents!

Minutes later... Hubby was part of the show!

He is such a good sport and was quite funny up there!

Although he had a bit of trouble understanding what exactly he was supposed to do!

Which made it even funnier!

Balancing spinning plates is not his thing either!

BUT... somehow he did it!

Many of the children rode on space mountain.

We told them it was dark, fast and scary.

They insisted on going, they were tall enough and they were old enough.

Some came out laughing and

some came out crying.

(Luke, Emma, Mommy and Daddy did not ride on it)

Our shirts were a hit!

Many people commented on them!

Thank you Kelly- you are doing a good thing and it's was well received.

If you are interested in a shirt like this click on the link!

Since we are doing a fruit of the day theme- 

today we were watermelons!

Hubby, Sam and Luke were the seeds!

(Yesterday we were grapes!)

Day one at the Magic Kingdom was wonderful!

Here She Is!!

This is our sweet little girl!

She is 5 yrs old, her birthday is in June (the date was estimated). She attends school and is in kindergarten. They said she plays well with other children (that's good news for this family)! She likes to sing and has good rhythm. Although we will never be a family singing group we do love to belt out those children's songs! 

She has a big heart and likes to help others! She often helps her teacher. They said as soon as people meet her, they love her. That's the way we felt when we saw her picture!

Don't ya just love the dimples!

We are very excited to add her to our family! Although we still do not have a name yet - more on that later!!

Girls of Grace!

We love KTIS- our local christian rock radio station!

Year after year I would hear about the 

"Girls of Grace" event.

And I wondered what exactly was this event all about?

This year we decided to go to it!

Sarah, Mia and I got up early on a Saturday morning, got a coffee treat and stood in line for this event!
We already had our tickets but the seating within the different areas is first come first serve.

We had no idea what to expect but we were looking forward to it!

We only knew it was for Mom's and their daughters!

They had some great performers and speakers we were excited to see and hear!

We purchased good seats and got there nice and early so we were all set!
We watched everyone else file in!

These two were as happy as can be to be here! 

Both of their favorite artists were preforming so they were beyond excited!
I videoed some of this on my phone and they are still watching it and loving it!

Jamie Grace was awesome- that's Mia's favorite!

We had good seats and could see the stage well but the girls still crowded up toward the front of the stage.

Once they figured it all out... the wiggled their way right up to the front row!

 It was delightful to see how excited Mia and Sarah were about the whole event!

There was sponsoring opportunities at the event and Sarah picked an 11 yr old girl from Brazil!
 She is very excited to write to her and share her faith with her and help support her!
We may have more of the children do this next time we go to this event IF they are ready!

This is an event to empower our daughters.

To encourage them to make good choices as they mature.

And to let them know God's unconditional and infinite love for them no matter what!

Amanda Noelle was one of the many singers!
Along with "Point of Grace".
They were the group that initially got this going!

We purchased some wonderful faith filled tees for the girls to wear!
In case you don't know we love wearing our faith!

But the highlight of the show was seeing ...

Brit Nicole perform!

(here she is, about 20 weeks pregnant!)
Love it- you go girl!

The girls LOVE her!

And teens from all over the auditorium flocked to the front!

Including my two gals!

And I may have even seen a slightly impulsive daughter begin to hop up on the stage but then decide not to and get right back down again... whew!
(Thank you Jesus!)

That would not have been good since they had just told us that was an absolute NO and anyone doing that would be escorted out...

BUT

I could have been wrong... it may have been someone else's slightly impulsive daughter

; - )

It was a fabulous time together!

Praising God, watching some awesome performers, listening to good speakers!

And spending time with my two "early teen" treasures!

Next year we will evaluate who else is ready to go!

As we were walking out we met a bloggy friend!

Hi Kari!

Not sure if I am spelling your name right?

She has a handful of adopted kiddos too!

I love the instant connection us adopting Momma's have!

If this is coming to your city

check it out!

I think MPLS may have been the last stop for the 2014 tour.

But their's always 2015!

Costume Swap Day

Much of Zero Waste relies on planning ahead and being proactive: Taking your name off mailing lists before getting junk mail, saying "no" to the straw before it shows up in your drink at the cafe, or refusing the party favor, days before it gets handed out to your child. With the kids now back in school, we'll soon need to start thinking about Halloween.

Last year, we used items from home and the thrift shop to dress up the kids. Max (pictured) was a grandma. We bought a secondhand dress, wig, glasses and purse for a few dollars during a thrift shop sale. I shortened the dress's hem to fit his height, and used the fabric extras to make a matching coat for Zizou ("le chien-chien à sa mémère") and gift bags (for Christmas). The day after, we donated the whole outfit back to the thrift store (knowing that the kids want a different look every year), as if we had rented it while funding a cause.

We have also borrowed and created DYI costumes before, but for households holding on to them beyond Halloween, a good sustainable option is to swap. According to GreenHalloween.org, swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons—about the weight of 2,500 midsize cars...

On October 8, National Costume Swap Day, people across the country will get together for costume swaps in their own cities and towns. Swaps not only help the environment but also save money and build community. You can find one near you or better yet, host one yourself with friends, neighbors, school or community group by following these simple steps and registering your swap (private or public) so others can know about it.

Happy Swapping!

Volunteer Spotlight: Violet Banta

The Family House staff knows a friendly voice when they pick up the phone and a cheerful voice says, "Hello, Darling!" This is none other than the self-titled "Queen of Irving Street," Violet Banta. Violet is 86 years old and has lived in the Inner Sunset District for 52 years. She is a true volunteer all-star as far as Family House is concerned!

Violet has committed to soliciting donations from neighbors and businesses near and far on behalf of Family House. She has collected donations of food, clothing, and toys for families; auction items for fundraising events; and monetary donations, too. Local businesses that Violet has brought on to "team Family House" include Park Chow, Social Brewery, Andronico's, Nopalito, Walgreens, Chloe's Closet, and many more! Chloe's Closet are her downstairs neighbor's, so she often brings bags of clothes for babies and children that Chloe's cannot use. Violet first found out about Family House through Bobby "The Bunny" Thomas, who hosts an annual Easter party at Family House.

When Violet is not fundraising on behalf of Family House, she loves to tap dance, eat Filipino food, and volunteers with a veterans charity. Thank you, Violet, for all of your hard work! We love you, and Family House wouldn't be the same without you!

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html 

Update! How I Got Involved with Family House by Erika Shue

What sorts of Family House activities have you been involved with since you started volunteering here?
When I first started volunteering at Family House in November 2011, I had a weekly volunteer shift on Friday mornings.  I did a lot of checklists - making sure the families on every floor had what they need (toilet paper, laundry detergent, food label stickers, etc.)  I joined the Family House Young Professionals Advisory Council when my schedule no longer allowed for a weekly volunteer shift.  As a YPAC member, I helped put together family activity nights.  The YPAC Family Activity Nights included snacks and a seasonal craft.

Are there any events/experiences that stand out for you?
One of my favorite experiences at Family House was making valentines at the February YPAC Family Activity Night.  This is a special memory for me because my friend, Steven, and his family joined us.  Steven is the reason why I started volunteering with Family House - while he was receiving treatment at UCSF, his family stayed at Family House.  It was wonderful to not only see my friend healthy, but also see him and his family providing peer support to the families.

What do you like best about being involved with YPAC?
The people - YPAC members, Family House staff, volunteers, and the families. I feel very lucky to be around such wonderful people.

What's coming up next for YPAC, and what is the long-term future of YPAC as you see it?
YPAC's 2nd Annual Shipwrecked on the Barbary Coast was a few weeks ago, on September 21st - what a great night!

I am so excited to see what the future holds for YPAC, especially once Family House moves to Mission Bay.  Shipwrecked is sure to continue to be one of YPAC's main events.  In addition, I hope to see YPAC have move direct involvement in the House.

Camp Okizu offers summer-camp experiences for kids with cancer and their families. Some Family House families have had life-changing experiences at Okizu.  How did you get involved with them?
There was a summer camp job fair in the Student Union at Sacramento State University.  Since I got out of class early and had a few extra minutes before meeting my friends, I thought, "Why not check it out?"  I was just about to leave when I met Grams and Mold (we have camp names at Okizu - mine is Pumpkin).  I can't remember exactly what they told me about camp, but I remember walking away thinking "I want to be a part of that!"  Okizu wasn't something I actively sought out.  I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and I am so thankful for that.

What was a favorite experience/memory at Camp Okizu?
Baseball lunch is my favorite camp event.  We eat hot dogs, dress up in our favorite baseball gear, and dance to music.  I usually like to dance, but one summer I skipped out on the dancing to sit with a couple of kids who didn't feel like dancing.  It was wonderful watching everyone dance.  They were all having so much fun; you would never know that they were affected by childhood cancer.

Have you ever met any Family House kids/families there?
This summer I met a camper who stayed at Family House.  Hearing how highly he spoke of Family House made me feel proud to be a Family House volunteer.

To learn more about volunteering with Family House, or about our Young Professionals Advisory Council, click here: http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

To learn more about Camp Okizu, click here: http://www.okizu.org/