donations received

I walked into the Arizona Museum for Youth on Wednesday to see this box.  Initially I laughed and dropped my no-chubby-Amy picture policy.  How could I pass this up?!  Donate to the future of Amy.  Very funny and sure, we could all use a little extra "future" money, but as I've let the words spin in my head for a few days, a world of thoughts have emerged. 

First, a Pause for Gratitude.  Honestly, there are dozens of people in my life who Love me and are slipping a steady stream of coins into my box, but I don't always take the time to notice.  I have a Jim who Listens when I jabber, who Acts when I ask, who Notices when I don't.  And just this week... I have a sister who dropped her morning plans for an emergency Aidan & Davyn watch on Tuesday.  I have a Vella who accompanied me on a much-needed Wednesday-morning "field trip". I have a mother-in-law who willingly hosted a 2-year-old birthday extravaganza on Thursday.  I have a Mom who invited us to remembering younger days in a coffee shop band listen last night.  I have a sister who talked me into a Disneyland trip at the end of the month (yay!).  I have another sister who has inspired me to Think.  I have two new blogging sisters who both sent me Good Mail (full report below).  I have Kel who lets me send her a private blog's worth of weekly e-mails.  All coins that fill my Future box.

and More coins come from a higher source...I sat in Sunday School today and felt so much.  I sat in Young Women's and felt so much.  I am Grateful for a Heavenly Father who truly knows Me and continually pulls me to be better.  I'm grateful that He knows I sometimes need Yanks rather than Nudges.  I'm grateful that He returns to redeposit when I have sometimes willfully thrown his offerings back out.  His generosity is incomparable...if our eyes will only See & our hearts Accept.

My "Donations" thoughts then circled back to myself.  What do I do to donate to my own future?  A thought worthy of hours.  Do I have a clear vision of what/who/how I want to be?  Megs got me thinking on this after I read her last blog entry actually.  What is my perfect (but realistic) version of Amy in 5 years?  10?   I need to draw that picture, then work toward it with a Purpose. I think my Pause word is a start.

Well, the AMY (Arizona Museum for Youth) turned out to be a true treat.  If you're ever in Mesa and have littles, this is definitely a place to visit.  Our kids loved it...and no, Davyn's hair was not combed that day.

The exhibit portion of the museum is small, and much of it is hands-on.  The current theme is Transportaton.  We raced cars, rode motorcycles, read books about wheels...and looked at art, of course.

But the fun part comes in a play area that is learning-geared and fully occupies the littles.  So Vel & I got to sit & chat.  Wonderfully designed for mothers & children alike.   

Now for the GOOD MAIL...I already wrote about Mandy's beyond cute package, but here's the pic to prove:
 
And I was surprised Saturday by this thoughtful "Happy February" from Emily.  Sorry that the pics are a little glow-y.  I really need to grapple with camera basics.  I just shared the chocolates with Jim at a 2:1 ratio (me 2: Jim 1, of course), and gave him a practice kiss with the Lip Balm.  His response: "Mmmm.  That's strawberry."
 
Thank you, thank you.  And thank you to all who have shown me Love this week & Always.   My box is truly full, and my Heart feels the need to Enlarge...making plenty of room for the Future.

Comments

[Megan]

I enjoyed reading your post this morning before my day officially starts (5 more minutes before I wake up my beauties). I think more of us need to take a minute to sit back and contemplate the many donations that fill our lives. I was feeling low on them until I finally got the courage to post my blog entry on Friday. Saturday morning my donation box was full with support and love, it was honestly more than I expected and it made my entire weekend wonderful. And one message that hit me loud and clear was a simple "I love you" from my big sister. Well I love you too, and maybe when we grow out of our awkward expressions of love in front of one another as a family, we will just be able to say it. I never realized how much you need those three little words in your life on a daily basis, not just from my babies and my Tom, but from my older sisters as well. So thanks for giving me a donation this week.

[sista #2]

Glad you got a picture in front of the AMY box! Does JANAE stand for anything?haha
I was just there in Dec. to make ginger bread houses with the kids- FUN! The next exibit there will be under the sea life with huge aquariums -I would love to see.

Thanx for writing about the donations to fill you up! I love it.-ciao

[lelly]

that's a great visual! and a good way to make it a personal message. thanks for sharing.

(i'm also on a no-photos-of-me spree right now!)

[jenny]

That's pretty funny about the box. I haven't ever taken my kids there and my dad worked downtown city of mesa for years! I love your word pause. I wish we were planning a trip to Disneyland--I am so ready for a vacation!

Fun good mail!

[Mandi]

I must say that although you focused on how many donations you have received, you are also one who is always making donations to others. My giving up a gym trip last week was nothing in comparison to all that you do for me! You are constantly doing little things for your visiting teachees or people in your ward or for me. I also loved the way you took a simple thing like a donation box and turned it into something for us all to contemplate. I love reading everyone's blogs and receiving "meat" to chew on for the day. There's always something inspiring to read about.

[Mandy]

How funny! I admire how you can find something amusing and then are able to apply it to your life!

Cute good mail from Emily!

[Mandy]

Also,
I really like your hair!

[Annalisa]

Very interesting food for thought. Sure it's good to step back and be grateful for the people in our lives, but if we think about how we can invest in our own future, that is proactive. We can set goals, change course, and make necessary changes to make ourselves more happy. I liked that thought.
You so have to get your address on Jill's Good Mail list! Then it would be easier for us to send you fun things instead of having to track down your address from Kelly...

[Kelly]

How I love that you found a museum named AMY! That box is so great, and I'm so glad you excepted your photo policy for it. I have to agree with Mandi. You always make so many donations to others (your private blog emails are a donation to me), I am glad that you feel your box is full! Wonderful food for thought!

[Laralee Anderson]

As always, I loved your post. I love how you wrote that you need to pause to think of the future. We can do anything we set our minds to, we just need to actually set our minds to it.

I am a firm believer that whenever you share your testimony with others, it grows. It also helps those that you share it with grow. Thank you for the comment about your coins from a higher source. You are so correct, all we need to do is accept it, let it in, and embrace it.

[Jordan]

wonderfully metaphorically inspired post.

[Aunt Judy]

William Wordsworth wrote that "A true poet is a friendly person. He takes into his arms even cold and inanimate things and rejoices in his heart." You have the gift and ability to find the sacred in everyday life.

Just this morning I read these words, "Louise Nevelson and other artists have shown us that a piece of metal can be as numinous as a cathedral window if only we have eyes to appreciate its divine qualities..."

The message you gave all of us from a metal box is more resplendant than all of the stained glass windows gracing the most magnificent cathedrals in the world.

This was a sweet journey today. Thanks for the "AMY" contribution. I love you.

[Price Cream Parlor]

You always give me great things to ponder! Thanks for doing that again today! I thought about you while in AZ and thought that perhaps next year, we need to do lunch!

[SeaBird]

Hello! I found your site from TopMommas.... love your post about the SpongeBob cake...hahaha! I'm linking to it from my site tomorrow.

SeaBird