a favorite quote...

Tess's first soccer game...

Bennett's prayer...

Bennett (#15) and some friends say a prayer in the end zone during their Friday night game...prayers were answered...Tritons won!!!

"Small is the new BIG"

I read this article in OPRAH magazine and it really struck a chord with me.."small is the new big".  The article was about how small things can make a big difference...I couldn't agree more!  How funny that the article would come out right after Jeff and I decided to do our well project through WATERCHARITY. Such a small thing yet it can have such a BIG impact on the families who will have access to clean water!  

This is a photo of our sweet friend DOROTHY...whose small works have had BIG results!! At 70 plus years old, she makes trips to South Africa-alone- to help orphaned street kids.  She has taken guns and glue out of these kids hands and put a bible in their hands instead.  She has a home for 40 street boys in South Africa that she has set up and funds through her own efforts. She hired 3 adults to run it so she can come back to the US to fundraise and then goes back to her "boys".  Her stories are AMAZING!!  She says she can go into unstable areas alone and help these boys and men because she is unthreatening!!  They have never seen a white woman with long white hair!! She said "they think I am some kind of angel-HAHA"  Little does she know she is!!  She is a one woman powerhouse in a sweet little old lady body.  One person can make such a big differnce.  Jeff and Marco have agreed to support her program by matching all her fundraising efforts.  She said in 20 years of fundraising no one has ever offered her that!  I feel so blessed that our company is in a position to do that!!!So now our small jesture can have a big impact too...

SMALL NEVER FELT SO BIG!!!

SUZIE HOMEMAKER...

Tess is the official "EGG BREAKER" in the Jonas household...she loves to cook and asks everyday to cook or bake...I have to say no most of the time because our waistlines will not survive the cookie overload!!

Christine had asked me to teach her to knit before heading back to college...once Tess saw that she had to know all there was to know about knitting...she is working on her first scarf...

This is Cameron's scarf , who also was intrigued and has been knitting with us but refused to be photographed while knitting...such a boy!!

Tess loves all things domestic!  She always wants to cook and bake with me. She says when she 

has kids they are going to bake cookies EVERYDAY!!  Yikes...I hope her home comes with a treadmill ...

charity water...

Jeff and I are giving up our birthdays this year...we are asking for you to join us...please go to

this link to join us in our effort to build a well in Ethiopia...we need to raise $5000!! Here we go!!

Thanks

OXO Liz

http://www.mycharitywater.org/p/profile?

member_id=4764

Good Morning MOM!!

This morning I got up to 2 of my sweet kids( Bennett and Tess) each greeting me with a BIG "good morning mom, I'm so happy to see you"  Just beaming...but for such different reasons...It made me really stop to think about the different life experience they each are having...Bennett is so excited because he got his drivers license Wed. and his truck yesterday (A VERY big deal to a little boy whose first word was truck and didn't want anything as a gift if it didn't come with wheels)First thing he said was "I'm so happy, thanks mom, I love you!!  I'll be outside washing my truck!!" The BEST gift he could ever get!!

 And then Tess came in and gave me a kiss and said " Good Morning mom, I'm so happy, I love you, you are the best mom!"  Her BEST gift ever is having a mother!! Can you even imagine that!  Even I take that for granted now since it's been so long...but she doesn't.  She beams everytime she sees me and runs over for a hug and kiss EVERYTIME!

2 very different gifts...2 very happy kids...GOD is amazing in his blessings!!