busybusybusy

the past two weekends have been filled with all kinds of fun things to do:  football games, homecoming festivities, halloween festivities...tonight my son's girlfriend is coming over for dinner and a movie (can you believe she's never seen The Sixth Sense?  crazy!) and tomorrow our family is spending the day at a local farm to enjoy all kinds of fall/halloween fun.

but amidst all the fun i've also managed to do a little giving back, too, thanks to the Junior League.

last weekend i got to paint kids' faces and mingle with Star Wars characters at an adoption fair put on by Kids Connect, a committee created by the Junior League of Tampa and Hillsborough Kids, Inc.  while it was tough to see some of the same kids returning to the fair (i've worked this event once before), it's really great to see kids making connections with prospective parents.

today i worked at an event through the league with an organization called Connected by 25 - they help kids and young adults who are aging out of (or who've already aged out of) the foster care system with various things like getting set up with housing, education, jobs, banking, etc.  there was a definite need for this organization and i'm so glad they're here. 

the event today was a sibling connection event.  kids who are in the system are oftentimes separated from their siblings and, given how erratic their living situations can be, it can be months and even years before they'll see each other again.  early in the day i was stationed at the entrance, directing people to the sign in table.  it was a great spot to be in because i was able to witness a few really emotional reunions - happy emotional, not sad emotional.  it was heart warming, to say the least. 

it's all too easy to find myself wrapped up in my own stuff - writing, quilting, socializing, etc.  getting to do these sorts of things every now and again helps to remind me to not take my family for granted. 

and that's a reminder we could all use now and again.