Water for Christmas Etsy Shop

Looking for a place to shop for handmade Christmas gifts?
Well then you are in luck!
The Water for Christmas Etsy shop is officially up and running!
SO MANY fun items for sale.
For example...this t-shirt (child not included!)
and many more shirts like this.

These super cute bags for $20.

The christmas ornaments make GREAT teacher gifts!

And I personally love the water droplet bracelets.

We'll also be adding $5 bracelets soon that look like the bracelet above, but without the droplet.
So go check it out.
Go crazy!
And then have patience with me as I get things shipped out as quickly as possible! :)
And if you have your own etsy shop and would like to donate some of your items, just tag it with water4christmas (no spaces and the number 4).
Have fun!

A day in the life of Cassie's brain...

The other day it was beautiful outside. I totally got into power cleaning mode. Moved furniture, dusted, scrubbed, cleaned out cupboards, etc.
When Paul got home he asked what happened.
I told him the weather put me in cleaning mode.
He simply asked "So where can we move that's it's 70 and sunny year round?"
Yes, I'm such a good homemaker....I know. You don't need to boost my ego anymore.

Question.
When the microwave goes off and beeps a few times, why does Ayla run in the kitchen yelling, "Supper ready?? Supper ready??"
I don't usually cook supper in the microwave.
I'm stumped. :)

We live in a 100 year-old home.
There are good things and bad things about living in a home that old.
As of today the bad are outweighing the good.
It was "remove screens and put in storm windows" day at our house.
Which tured into "Mommy and daddy, why do you keep fighting?" day.
And also, "Children, promise us you will NEVER buy and old house!" day.
Honestly.
It's so frustrating.

I have more, but I need to get to the store with the screaming, insane 2 year-old in my life.
I'm struggling with balance today.
Really really struggling...

Flickr site

If you want to see ALL the race photos.
Yes, all 358 race photos, CLICK HERE.
Anyone who wants to download some to their own computers can do it there.
Happy Sunday!

And now words

It was an awesome morning.
So neat.
It was COLD.
And pitch black when I woke up.
I was so excited to get down to the riverfront.
By the time I got there, most of the volunteers were already there, setting up.
There was a DJ and one of our local Sports stores setting up.
There were trays of snacks donated by bakers and boxes of bananas donated by Fareway.
It was so obvious how much work had gone into planning this event.
Brenda Mohr and Jodi Heth should get some serious pats on the back.
Allison and I were just past mile one and I was taking pics.
I cannot tell you the feeling I had as I saw the participants rounding the corner and coming towards us.
There was just an excitement in the air.
So many of them running with family members, co-workers, friends, dogs, neighbors.
So so awesome.
Some even made their own t-shirts.
And all of them got up on this chilly morning to show their support.
Nearly 200 people freezing, and smiling and caring.
It was a pretty incredible morning.
You can see more pics at Jody's site.
Big thanks to all who participated.
Big big thanks.
This is the kick-off to many more upcoming water events.
Water is flooding Muscatine in the best way.
And I love it...

The last of the fun...

Just fun

The photo below is of the winner...

Co-workers and friends

More families

families....

Lots

Lots of people.
Lots of fun.
Lots of photos!!

On Your Mark...Get Set...GO!!!!!!

Heading to the race...

In a few minutes I'm heading out to pick up our babysitter and then I'm going down to the riverfront to help with the race.
It's perfectly quiet in the house, yet I'm so very excited.
Excited to see all these people (about 175 registrants to be exact) coming together to show that they care. Care about mothers and childrens and fathers and families that they have never met and my never meet this side of heaven.
They care enough to get up on a cold cold Saturday morning in October in small town Iowa and run or walk 4 miles.
Care enough to plan and prepare for months to get this pulled off.
Care enough to put their time and money and effort where their mouths are and DO something.
It's great.
And I'm praying so hard this morning. For those who have planned and those who are showing up and most of all for those families we may never meet to feel it. To see it.
To know that we care.
That God cares.
That their lives matter to us.
And most of all that their lives matter to Him.
It's a big deal.
So honored to be a small part of this movement.
If you feel so inclined, I hope you'll be praying, too.
Race starts at 8:00am!
And I'm off!

I feel the momentum building....

Super exciting stuff going on with water today.
First launching the new products at water4christmas.com,
Then Jody and Pete were on the radio this morning.
And finally, the QC Times had an article on w4c.
Go HERE to read it.
Good stuff.

Here we go...

We have products!
Lots of fun stuff at water4christmas.com
Another way to support water.
T-shirts (with H2Africa logo on back)

BPA free aluminum Water bottles.
Lunch sacks.
Fun stuff!
Go check it out HERE!

Also, a final reminder of the Run/Walk 4 water.
You can still register tonight at the Riverside park shelter from 4-7pm
You will still get a t-shirt!
Hope to see you there!!

Why?

Why do printers and such have DISKS that need to go into your computer to make them compatible?
That makes no sense to me.
I should be able to plug my printer into my laptop and click "Scan" or "Print" and the printer says to me, "Yes m'am! As you wish."
Someone please tell me that my printer is from the dark ages and this is how it works now.
Otherwise I'm going into so sort of business here.

Does it say anything about me when...

My favorite TV shows are:

Grey's Anatomy
GLEE! (My new FAVE!)
and
Modern Family?

LOVE them!

oh winter...

PLEASE STAY AWAY!

More from yesterday

These pics were taken before Ayla hit her wall.
She is feeling awful.
Her temp spiked last night and now we are just trying to keep her hydrated and cool.
I hate it when my kids are sick...of course.
And now the nice weather is gone and the rain is falling.

These pics are straight out of the camera, no editing.
The tree really is pretty and bright...

Kind words...

I read a blog that did a "kind words" challenge.
She posted these quotes today and I found them inspiring.
Love one another.
Be kind.
Never harsh.
Sometimes easier said than done.
Thought I'd share.
It's a good reminder for all...ME especially.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. ~Leo Buscaglia

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these. ~George Washington Carver

When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people. ~Abraham Joshua Heschel

By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach. ~Winston Churchill

Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again. ~Og Mandino

Our tree

We have a beautiful sugar maple in our front yard.
In the fall it's amazing...SOME years.
But not every year.
This year it catches my eye everytime I walk by the window.

Every. Single. Time.
And I think to myself "I need to get the kids out on the porch and take a photo in front of it."
But I always get sidetracked.
Or it's too freezing cold out.
Our one of the kids are still in their jammies.

Today Brigg and Ayla stayed home.
Brigg seems to be feeling fine, but then he gets tired or dizzy.
And he needs to be fever-free for 24 hours before sending him back to school.
And they are very very serious about that rule this year.
So he was home today.
AND...

It's like 78 degrees out.
The PER-FECT day.
I mean perfect.

So today was the day.
And these are the OUT TAKES.
I got a good one.
And I'm so happy.
You'll see it later.
Off to enjoy the last of this weather...