Live, Love, Give

What a full, tiring, rewarding, exciting weekend we just had! I had the priviledge of being on our church's Christmas store auction committee this year. The Christmas store is an outreach our church does each December where we host many south Dallas and local families that are in need to come to our church that has been turned into a giant toystore. They are able to "shop" for toys and gifts for their kids and we also get a chance to share the gospel and pray with them. Rocky and I both volunteered in it this past year and it was a wonderful experience. As you can probably tell, it takes quite a bit of money to pull it off, so that is where the auction comes in.

I knew that I would be very busy all weekend, so I called in the reinforcements of Daddy Roy and Nonna. And when Mommy is away, and Daddy Roy and Nonna come to help out with Brinley, there will be...

Morning trips to McDonalds for a pancake breakfast

and playing in the playplace.

A trip to the park complete with a picnic lunch,

playing on the playground,

and flying a new bird kite.

Dinner at Cici's complete with lots of dessert pizza and playing the games in the gameroom.

And lots of other love filled, attention pouring, somewhat spoiling activities! I was so grateful to have them here so I didn't have to worry one ounce about Brinley. And I know she had a great time too. Thanks Ree and Nonna!

While everyone else was having fun, I was having fun but working hard too. Our Auction evening consists of dinner, a live auction, a not quite live auction, a silent auction, a raffle, and the marketplace...and I dabbled in all of these areas. My actual job on the auction committee was being in charge of the silent auction set up. I had to make signs and decor for the doors (yay for the cricut!),

set up the tables in 6 rooms with table skirts and table cloths, and set out all the bid sheets and items. It was a big job but I had lots of help, and again, I had fun with it.

I put a growth chart and a birthday banner in the silent auction, and they sold for a little under their value, but I learned that that happens alot in a silent auction. Luckily, they went to 2 of my friends so I am excited to make them for their kiddos.

Somehow, my fellow committee members convinced me to put an "Amazing Amy's Craft Party" into the "not quite live" auction (which means that it is set up like a silent auction item but it is up for bidding all night long and the auctioneer talks about it from the podium but they don't bid on it in front of everyone.) It would be a party for 10 people where I would provide snacks and supplies and teach you how to make some crafty stuff. This made me very nervous because we are still fairly new to the church and I don't know that many people. I also know that only a select few people really want to have a craft party anyway. But it ended up going twice for $160, so I felt good that it would help 3 kids have a Christmas.

I put many of my crafty wares in the marketplace (which was like a craft fair) such as flower clips and headbands, appliqued onesies, and these Anthropologie knock off flower necklaces that my bible study girls helped me make.

Everything sold fairly well and of course I enjoyed all the projects.

I am not sure how much we made on my things, but overall the marketplace made around $4000.

At the end of the night we made over $55,000 for the Christmas Store, which was a huge success! I definitely didn't see that one coming, but God did, and I am so glad I was able to be a part of His work...living, loving, and giving!