#53

I made slush for some friends who love it and for a friend in need of comfort.   Kalenn

#52

I purchased most of the materials and hosted my friends over the summer to make a fun craft together!   Kalenn

#51

As Dave and I traveled on the Marta train from the airport, there was a man who stood up and spoke to everyone in our car,.and cried,. yes, he was asking for money, and yes, this is illegal on Marta...but it was so absolutely heartbreaking and real about all the trials he had that I HAD to give him some money.   Kalenn

# 50

Even though I already added all of the MANY hours I put in at planning meetings, preparations, etc. for the elementary school/community "Red & Blue Fair"- I felt it appropriate to add the 8 additional hours I put in on the day of the event. It was a crazy day! I put out quite a few little fires - and it was definitely hard to make everyone happy - but, overall, the day was a huge success! I ran around like a crazy person and could barely move off the couch afterwards - but it was definitely a satisfying RELIEF it was over!

PS - Go Blue!

#49

#49 Our Kdg. Class decided to end the year with a charity talent show to raise money for St Jude's children's research center! It was sooo cute and thanks to all the generous parents and friends we raised over 2,000$ to help these kids! It was great to organize all this with the teacher I work with and to make a monetary contribution as well.  Kalenn

#48

A neighbor had surgery yesterday and so I made their family dinner. - Kami

#47

Luke and I made cookies for a girl's baptism in our ward. Side note : That little girl has a huge crush on Luke!

#46

A stranger messaged me on Etsy asking for advice. She said she wanted to open a shop like mine, and asked for any tips I had on how to be successful. I wrote her a good long helpful message back, even though she may end up being competition!

#45

Hi family!
My turn to contribute--
My best friend had just been dumped and was taking it badly. She needed to get out of the house to take her mind off things, so I picked her up for a spontaneous road trip to the beach! We spent the weekend in California, and had a lot of time to talk things out, and start to rebuild her confidence. It was a successful trip.

#44

Luke, Miles and I volunteered at the Special Olympics yesterday! (Jake and Grant were planning on coming, but we had an unexpectedly awesome turn out from my young women and couldn't fit everyone in our van! As it was there were 9 of us in a 7-seater! Shhhh....) It was a great day making bracelets with the athletes in their Olympic village and cheering them on in events. Luke's prayer tonight included: "please help us to find more ways to do service." He got it. :). -Kami

#43

Late Thursday night, Lindsey got a call from Emily. She had to move out of her house yesterday and all of her moving transportation fell through. Lindsey dropped everything and went over to fill our car with her things. Yesterday, I drove the carload of things to Salt Lake and helped her move in to her new apartment.

#42

Our whole family drove from Philly to Atlanta for the viewing and funeral of our dear friends' baby. Though we didn't perform any acts of service, we felt strongly about being there to show our love, support and to "mourn with those that mourn." -Kami

#41

I worked one evening with the Young Women at a child donation service called Cradles to Crayons. They make kid packs full of essential and fun items for needy children. It was awesome! -Kami

#40

This is probably the BIGGEST service I will perform all year: I am currently in the middle of planning and preparing for the largest fundraiser of the year for Luke's school - the Red & Blue Fair. I am the second in "command" for the entire event - in charge of all carnival games, blow up toys, charting for the table rentals, purchasing supplies, finding parent volunteers to man each event, etc, etc, etc....the big day is May 17 - Grant's first birthday. -Kami

#39

We purchased two different discount cards from neighborhood kids sports fundraisers. -Kami

#38

Miles picked up trash at Luke's school.

#37

The conductor of our stake Easter musical begged me to participate. I was resistant because I am so busy right now. I finally agreed feeling as though I was serving HER. In the end, though, as with most service, I was the one who benefitted the most. -Kami

#36

Made a cake for the cub scouts cake auction fund raiser. It made $32. -Kami

#35

Filled in for a friend in organizing and conducting a stake musical number. -Kami

#34

Jacob has been going out of his way at work to connect people on projects that have absolutely nothing to do with his job. This has made some friends very happy!

#33

I cooked 9 big meals (from scratch) for 14 people over a 5 day spring break. Often staying up till 1 am completing the next day's breakfast This may not seem like service, but it felt like it ....( even though I do love cooking! ;) -Kami

#32

For a month, I drove quite a distance 3 days a week to pick up and take home a little girl from preschool because her mom didn't have a car. - Kami

#31

At the last minute, I watched a friend's little girls all day while she took her mom to the ER. - Kami

# 30

Hi All!

I enjoy using the skills I have developed in my career to help others. I thought it would be nice to share a restoration I completed for our good friend Ana. She gave us a place to stay in February when we traveled back to Maine to photograph a wedding. She has always been very kind and generous to us and that kindness and generosity came to light again during our visit. We stayed up late to chat and catch up on our last evening there and the conversation led to family and old family photos. Ana showed us this image of her Grandfather and told us how much it meant to her. It was in rough shape and she commented on its condition and how she doesn't have a good copy of the image. I offered to fix it up and she entrusted the original copy to me. Click on the thumbnail for the results!     - Reid

#29

Attended the birthday celebration of a member of the Cherokee County Republican Black Council....to show support for this cause and to meet the US congressional candidate.
Dave and Kalenn

#28

We went to a fundraising dinner to help young Hispanic girls go to camp, and paid double the amount asked for, for the meal. PS...yummy!
Dave and Kalenn

#27

I sponsored a young man in his fundraiser for wrestling.
Dave

#25

I sent a sympathy card to a business associate whose mother passed away this week.
Dave

#24

I made cookies and gave some to our renter, Andres.

Kalenn

#23

I contributed to Relay for Life
Kalenn

#22

I took a class that was being offered at my school, after work to certify in CPR.  This was not a requirement, and I had taken it 4 years earlier. However, I  REALLY feel it is my duty to stay fresh in this procedure considering I work with so many children, as well as adults, and anyone else in life that may need help in this way. It was a long class after a long day of work, but I feel this is such an important skill to have...that I hope I never have to use!

Kalenn

#21

I invited our renter, Andres, to eat dinner with us.  He was very grateful for this, as he does not get any home cooked meals.

Kalenn

#20

I tried to purchase a gold memorial silk flower pin to wear to little Duncan Campbells funeral.  These were being sold to raise money for the family.  Gold is the color of childhood cancer awareness.  There was such a backlog, I couldn't get one.  After the funeral, I was mentioning this to a friend, and she pulled one out of her purse and gave it to me.(Thank you, Polly Perry!)  I had two more occasions to wear it in honor of Duncan. When I went to pay Polly a week later, she would not take the money.  This was a well intentioned kindness from ME, that ended up being a kindness from Polly...so I definitely think it worthy to go in this space.

Kalenn

#19

I purchased a grocery gift card for a family who lost their two year old son to cancer, to help a little bit with their overwhelming expenses.  They had been battling his illness for a year.

Dave

#18

I was buying my lunch at school one day and was one dime too short.  The lunch lady gave me a dime of her own, which was kind.  The next day I paid her back with MORE than a dime, for her kindness! :)

Kalenn

#17

I texted Toni, the teacher I work with, expressing my concern and offering her prayers on the day she was going through the funeral of a loved one.

Kalenn

#16

I made a treat and gave it to our school custodians and told them it was in honor of my mom who had worked as a custodian at our church for awhile. I expressed my appreciation for them in a note.

Kalenn

#15

At church one Sunday it was sooo cold in the building we were in for one of the ward conferences we were at.  I was fortunate to have a wool blazer on, but was still so cold.  Alice, the Stake RS Pres. I was with all day, had on a thin sweater.  I gave her my jacket.

Kalenn

#14

I left a box of instant hot chocolate and a note for our renter, Andres, on a cold February night.
Kalenn

#13

I gave myself a little random act of kindness one afternoon...It had been a month since mom had passed. On that day I realized that the day before was the first day I had NOT cried.  I counted up how many days it had been..30.  A little while later I was making banana bread and listening to music.  The Christina Aguilera song that I ALWAYS stop everything and dance to, came on.  I looked at the photo on my kitchen bar of my mom...framed in a pretty silver heart frame (given to me by a friend at work), I thought about how I had finally gone a day without crying,...and I grabbed it and danced the whole song WITH my mom!!! After all she taught me the love of music! Also, one of my earliest dance memories was with her...as she led us kids( elementary age) across the living room furniture, as we danced through the house with her in the lead, to Oom-pa-pa! (the drinking song from the soundtrack to the musical Oliver) Although this gift to myself made me very happy...when Dave came home from work and walked in on this scene...I had tears streaming down my face...and I was also laughing! So bittersweet!

#12

Dave and I took a treat and visited a good friend in our ward who had recently lost her husband.  We visited for quite awhile and shed many tears.  This was in January, shortly after moms passing, and things were still very fresh.  It was nice to validate with each other the faith we have and the things that get us through hard times. I love and admire Carolyn Mildenhall!

Kalenn and Dave

#11

I made a treat for the lunch ladies at my school and told them it was in honor of my mom because she had been a lunch lady at my elementary school when I was a little girl.

#10

We went to the elementary school's Family Dance Night this weekend. At the end, a bunch of kids were huddled around a woman who was getting the balloons down from the ceiling. It was FINALLY LUKE's turn to get one. However, after he received it, he saw a younger girl next to him still waiting. Without hesitating, he turned to her and said, "Here. You can have it."

#9

Our friend, her husband and 3 daughters spent the weekend puking. FUN! So, Monday, KAMI took dinner to them (including Mom's Potato Cheese Soup. Yum.)

#8

Our Bishop spent 9 hours last week trying to install a storm door on his house. Unable to complete the job, JACOB went over Saturday and finished it in two hours - in the FREEZING COLD (I mean, seriously, seriously COLD)!!! The Bishop posted this on facebook that night:

 I spent the whole day last Saturday trying to put on a storm door. I couldn't do it. Jacob Matthews came over today and in a couple of hours, it works better than any storm door I've seen!

#7

Yesterday, we got 13.5 inches of snow in Philly! Yeah! Without being prompted, LUKE went outside and started shoveling the neighbors walk.

#6

Both LUKE and MILES have been making a huge effort to open doors for people wherever we go! A lady at church noticed Luke holding the door for a woman in a wheelchair and was so impressed at his kindness at such a young age.

#5

As was mentioned in the last post, KAMI drove down to D.C. with the boys Friday after school got out. She watched the 6 Spigarelli kids - as well as her own 3 - all day Saturday and Monday while Jake, Rachel and David worked at the new house. Needless to say, she doesn't plan on having 9 children of her own! ;)

(especially since two of these kids were both around 8 months!)

All the cousins had a blast together!

#4

Jacob's sister, Rachel, and hubby, David - bought an old house and have been remodeling it almost entirely by themselves. While they have been working, they have been living in a small townhome with their 6 kids . . . and they are desperate to get out! They have been feeling overwhelmed and exhausted from months and months of work, so JACOB offered to go down to Washington D.C. to help them out for a second time (the first was in early December). He took the bus down to D.C. this past Thursday night, took off work on Friday and worked ALL DAY Fri, Sat and Mon with David and Rachel. He installed many, many doors (around 17, I think . . .), helped with electrical work, trim, painting, yard work, etc. About this effort, Rachel wrote this email to the extended Matthews family:

You know that feeling when you didn't even realize how thirsty you were until you enjoyed a big drink of water?  That is how I feel today.  Jacob is here at my house this weekend, helping, again.  He is full of praise and kind words.  It helps me realize just how discouraged we have been to see how we pluck up at his compliments.  I am so grateful for his hard work on our behalf and his cheerful attitude.  Kami is coming tonight with all the boys, planning to babysit my children while I go over and help with the last details.  I can see the finish line!

 Jake and his apprentice, Luke!

(Who was NOT with him most of the time he was working . . .)

#3

Upon seeing the trash men working their way up our block, MILES asked me if he could take them water bottles! I said, "Sure!" He and his friend ran out with two - one for each of them - they smiled and waved and even honked as they drove away.

#2

When I was getting my lunch in the school cafeteria I was 30cents short in my account. The cashier offered to take it out of her own personal lunch account . When I paid her back, I included extra.
Kalenn

#1

I sent a message to a friend to let her know I was thinking of her on the day of a loved ones funeral.  Kalenn

How this blog came about...

When I (Kalenn), arrived home from Ohio after my wonderful mother's passing, and reality began to sink in a bit...it was the second week of January.  I began to think I should set a few goals for the new year as I always do.  As I contemplated this, all I could think about was my mom.  I then decided...why not make some goals to honor mom in some way?  That is when I thought of doing 86, since she died at age 86, kind acts for others.  I started to wonder if I could be creative enough to do that many on my own, and would I lose steam if I did them over a period of a whole year?  So I decided to invite my husband, my great kids and their awesome spouses, as well as my grandkids, to join me.  I also decided to make it happen by her 87th birthday! I am so excited to make some small differences in peoples lives over the next 5 months!  This would make Mom happy, I believe.  I love her so much and love my family for their desire to join me on this quest!