Giving Back!

Wow what a month! It went by so quickly we are reeling a bit; however it was a good one.
Although Geoff and I practice this as often as we can, we find that December holds a special meaning and there are feelings of peace and kindness floating through the air. Last year we created a "Good Deed or Acts of Kindness calendar" that I have mentioned here before.
We hope to teach our children about the importance of giving selflessly. This year we dove into the acts with confidence and enthusiasm.

Kaiden couldn't wait to see what our act would be each day.

To say we were proud of his giving would be such an understatement. He took part in each act of kindness with excitement and always wanted to do more and more. For example we would put extra change in a donation cup and he would want to put some in every cup he could find. While shopping at superstore he witnessed an older employee picking up items in the clothing area. She had obvious back problems but nevertheless continued about her job. We rounded a corner and someone had knocked over a display of shoes and left them all over the floor. Kaiden quickly ran over and picked all of the boxes and shoes up before the lady had to bend down. He often teaches us just as much as we hope we are teaching him. We visited a local nursing home and Kaiden delivered drinks and treats to the elderly residents with kindness and grace.

The reception we received from each place we visited was wonderful. Often we were told we were teaching our children such wonderful things which were awesome to hear but again we feel that they continue to teach us. Both of us were taught by our families and we are just trying to continue the legacy that our Grandparents began.
So as the month and year come to an end; we feel that a resolution for 2013 will be to continue to "pay it forward" and educate our children about giving back.

 

We had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed moments with family and friends. We are still soaking in the remaining moments before we ring in the New Year. I hope that each and every one of you enjoyed your time off from work and time with loved ones. To a happy and healthy 2013!

 

 

Oh Christmas tree!

Today we headed out into the wilderness in search of the perfect Christmas tree. We quickly selected "the one" and cut it down. Kaiden chose one for his room as well. We can't wait to pop on some Christmas music and start decorating! Dad insists we let it stand for at least a day first so we patiently  wait. Here is a shot of the Downey family tree 2012:

The season of giving

December 1st...The day we begin our annual "Acts of kindness" advent calendar. We started it off with a great one: "donate food to Romaro house". We put together a bag of groceries and dropped them off. Kaiden delivered them himself:

I am so excited to watch my children take part in this tradition once again. My heart expands in so many ways watching them give back. There is nothing more important than teaching our children to give selflessly to others. Too often we are caught up in the commercial hype that surrounds this holiday so we try to take a moment to step back and appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. I hope to plant these values in my children as my parents and my husband's parents did for us. Take a moment to slow down and help out others even in a small way. I promise your heart will smile :)