A GREAT LESSON WAS LEARNED

Trinity, Jesse and Nikki went to the Boys and Girls Club in Anaheim to serve dinner and hand out stuffed animals that they all donated.

Haili was unable to come and we missed having her with us.

Before we got there, all the girls had questions about the kids that were going to be there. They knew they were called "Motel Kids" but weren't really sure what that meant.

It was explained that these kids are really just like them and enjoy the same things they do. However, their parents had little or no money and they lived in Motels.

Often, they lived on the streets when their parents couldn't come up with money to even stay at the motels.

So, since they didn't have much money, the kids didn't have all the stuff they were used to having. Sometimes the only thing they eat during the day is the pasta dinner they get at the Boys and Girls Club.



When we got there we were shown around. All the kids were inside since it was raining.

The girls weren't really sure what to do or how to act around these kids. Yet, it wasn't long before some of the kids came up to the girls and asked them about their sashes and how they got all their patches. That broke the ice.

The girls quickly noticed these kids were just like them. Only they didn't have the "things" the girls often took for granted.

They learned most of the kids had never heard of Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, let alone had ever been in a Troop.

The girls joined in playing and made new friends.

They also saw how while these kids don't have a lot of "things" they do have friends and they do take care of each other.

After they played for about 1/2 hour it was time to go into the kitchen to serve up the pasta.

They took turns putting the pasta into cups, adding a fork and a bread roll.

When it was time to eat, the kids all came up to the counter. They were all hungry and for many, this would be the first time they got to eat that day. Yet, they were all calm and patient. They did not push or try to get to be first in line. They were just happy they were going to get to eat.

The girls really enjoyed serving the kids. With each cup of pasta they handed out they also handed out a candy cane reindeer we made. If you remember, we were going to go to the senior center and hand them out but, we just didn't have enough time to do it before Christmas.

It turned out that the kids were so excited to get the candy canes. I think it was meant for us to run out of time so these kids could have them.

The pasta is donated to the Motel Kids from The White House Restaurant in Anaheim. Every day they deliver enough pasta and bread to feed all the kids.

The owner of the restaurant has done this for years and years. However, with times being as they are, he started to run out of money as people were not going out to eat as often as before. He was not going to let that stop him from helping these kids out.

He took out a 2nd on his House and took out loans on his restaurant and so far, he has been able to keep up feeding all these kids.

What a wonderful heart this man has.

One thing we are also doing as a Troop is collecting pasta so we can deliver it to the restaurant hopefully by next month.

So, if you would like to help out, every time you go shopping, add an extra package or two to your shopping cart. Before long we will have a lot of pasta to donate.

Tell your friends and family about this too. I told mine and I already have bags of pasta that my friends have given me to bring.

We can't collect to much. They go through pounds and pounds of pasta every week.

When we think we can' t afford to help out, think about the little faces like this one.

Pasta doesn't cost much. If we buy a little at a time we won't even notice it. Yet, it can mean the difference between a kid eating that day or not.

We are all so blessed that our own kids are able to eat when they want and what they want. Think about how it would break your heart if you fell on hard times and couldn't afford to feed your child.

These kids are some of the most giving and generous kids. They even wanted to share their pasta with the girls.

While, I didn't have any, I hear it was very good tasting.

Trinity has already said she wants to have her birthday at this restaurant this year.

After the kids all ate, the girls started to hand out the stuffed animals and books they had given up from their own collection of stuffed animals.

The girls got so much joy out of seeing how excited the kids were to get these stuffed animals.

It really hit home with the girls about how much they really do have. They have so much that the three of them were able to give away 158 stuffed animals and several books without so much as batting an eye.

Yet, these kids treated their cast offs as gold.

Even the older kids all wanted a stuffed animal. They all had plans on what they were going to do with the one they got. Some were going to wrap it up and give to someone as a Christmas gift, some were giving them to their younger brothers and sisters and some were keeping them because they had never owned a stuffed animal before.

After all the stuffed animals were handed out, we all just looked around and we saw nothing but big smiles on all the kids faces.

It taught the girls first hand that it really is "Better to give then Receive".

By giving to these kids, the girls got so much more in return. They got first hand knowledge about how good it feels to make others happy.

They saw how by sharing what they have with others who have nothing, they can make a persons day, week or even year.

They learned it really is the little things in life that matter.

The girls didn't want to go home. They said they really had fun and felt like they made some new friends.

They all wanted to go back and agreed they all had so many more things at home that they could give to make these kids happy.

I was so touched by this night. Not only by the joy of the Motel Kids, but, also because I saw with my own eyes, a moment in our girls life that, they actually opened up their hearts and by doing so their hearts grew even bigger.

Each one of the parents and grandparents should be very proud, not only of the girls, but, of yourselves. Because, you all have been raising your girls to be wonderful kind hearted and loving people.

THE NUTCRACER BALLET

Today our Troop and families met up and went to see the Nutcracker Ballet. I think for most, it was their first time seeing The Nutcracker and in fact, was the first ballet they had seen.

I thought it would be fun if each girl had their own little Nutcracker to remember the day by. So, I gave them each a small Nutcracker ornament and wrote the year on the bottom.

I wasn't sure if they would enjoy the ballet or get tired of it really quickly. I was happy to hear they all enjoyed it.

I didn't get a chance to talk to all of the girls after the show but, I do know Trinity has now decided to start up a collection of Nutcrackers. She even bought one from the show with her own money.

I promised to give her the Nutcrackers I've had for years. It's so nice to be able to hand down my collections to someone who will treasure them as much as I have.

The theater was great. It really didn't matter where you sat, you were going to have a good seat. However, we were right in the middle and really couldn't have asked for better seats.

All the dancers were really good but, I have to admit, it was the little mice that stole my heart! They were so tiny and cute.

I've seen the Nutcracker several time over the years. My all time top favorite was when I saw Baryshnikov. He was one of the worlds top ballet dancers.

I've also seen some pretty bad shows. But, this show was very enjoyable. The costumes were pretty, the dancers were good and the music was nice.

I wonder how many of our girls will go to sleep tonight and dream about dancing sugar plums and toys coming to life just like little Claire did.

I CAN'T TELL YOU EVERYTHING...

Yesterday, I had the girls come over to my house and while I can't tell everything we did, other then we made presents for their parents, I can tell you some of what we did.

We had a lot of fun! After we made the presents, we watched a Christmas movie, A Golden Christmas.



While watching the movie we enjoyed snacking on a variety of cookies. Sugar high!

Then the girls decided they wanted to spend time with my dogs. They asked if they could take them for a walk.

Being the BIG animal lover that I am, I am thrilled that all of the girls love animals too.

So, off we went! The girls decided who would get to walk which dog and if they would walk him up to the park or back from the park.

Once we were at the park, the girls wanted to spend some time running around and playing. I was sure I was going to be left watching the dogs but Nikki quickly said she would rather play with the dogs then anything else.

She was so funny! She told me she loved to pick up after the dogs went to the bathroom. When I questioned her about it she said "I love everything to do with dogs! Can you tell my mom how responsible I was and I picked up after the dogs when they went to the bathroom?"

I have a feeling Nikki has been asking for a dog of her own.

The girls played on the equipment and ran around for about an hour. It was nice to hear them all laughing and having a good time.

This picture is out of order and was actually taken shortly before we left. I was able to convince Nikki to let me hold on to the dogs so she could go play a little while.

It's not often that the girls all get together just to play and have fun. So it was a good chance for them to just do what they wanted for awhile. I think it's times like these that they really bond together more.

Nikki quickly came back and said she really wanted to play with the dogs. She had a great time with them. Plus, they had a great time with her!

While it was never in my plans to take the girls to the park, I think it was a great way for them to use up all the extra energy they had from all the cookies they ate.

Sometimes it's the unplanned things that turn out the best.

All to quickly, we had to head back to my house as it was time for me to take them home. We all agreed we wished we could have spent much more time there. We also agreed it was something we would have to do again, soon.

Before we left, the girls all wanted to get their picture taken with the dogs.

I know, you probably think I made them take these photos but, I promise, it was them who actually asked me to take the photos!

I think they all came out really cute.

Each girl picked her favorite dog to take her picture with. It was nice that two picked one dog and two picked the other dog.

I'm so happy all the girls love my dogs and enjoy spending time with them.

I do wish I lived closer to the girls. I would love to have them all take turns coming over to run with my dogs.

Oh and since I promised her... Sara, Nikki really LOVES spending time with dogs and wants you to know she would be very responsible if she had her own dog :)

HUNTINGTON BEACH CHRISTMAS PARADE

Well, after all the planning, running around to get everything together and praying that we would not get caught in a down pour, it was finally time for the big night. The 2010 Huntington Beach Christmas Parade was about to take place.

While we were waiting in the parking lot the girls took a few pictures. Even Chase got in on the action.

Haili was not there yet but would soon show up.

Many of the Troops were going to wear hats to show they were in the same Troop. I found these cute snowflake headbands for the girls to wear. The theme of the parade this year was snowflakes so I thought it would be perfect.

I got no less then a dozen people telling me the girls looked so cute and wanting to know where I got the headbands. The girls were also asked where they got them while they were in the store.

I was surprised we were the only Troop with them since they were not hard to find. They came from Target.

The girls are lined up and waiting for the parade to start. I had forgotten the banner but, thanks to my sick sister, Patty, who brought it to us, we were put in the front to lead the section of Juniors because we had the best banner.

Thankfully the rain had let up when it was time to walk the parade route.

It was at this point, I turned the camera over to Jesse's dad, Don. He was kind enough to take the rest of the photos so I could spend my time watching the girls and enjoying the fun time we had. Thanks Don!

While we didn't get to see them, there were old cars decked out in Holiday cheer, bands playing, groups of dancers and of course hundreds of Scouts who were also in the parade with us.

Jesse had just gotten her braces and was happy to show them off to anyone who asked to see them.

While the German Shepard dog seems to be looking like she lost her dignity in that outfit, these dogs were the hit with the girls.

The girls took turns holding the banner and handing out candy canes to the crowd. There were more people there then I thought there would be.

The girls seemed to really have fun handing out the candy canes to the kids...and some adults.

Even though there are only four girls in our Troop, everyone thought we had a really big Troop because all the other Troops were in back of us and looked like they were part of our Troop too.

We had people clapping for us, yelling good cheers to us and everyone made us feel as if we were celebrities.

The girls did an excellent job! They kept up with the group and didn't run ahead. They smiled and waved just like pros! Most of all, they had a blast.

We all agreed the parade route was to short as we wanted to continue on. However, we reached the pier and part of the Christmas entertainment was over.

Some of the girls stayed with their family to enjoy the rest of the planned fun, some went home and some went out to eat.

It was a great night and I am very happy we participated in this activity. I hope everyone else was too.