The reason why we do it...

One year and three months ago today, our precious little boy entered this world and proved to us that miracles do exist.  He was one.  Ten teeny tiny fingers, and ten perfect toes.  From his strong beating heart, to his cute button nose.  He answered our prayers.  To us, he was perfect.  To the world, born too early.  He was and will always be our littlest angel, Noah.

Reading back through the blog posts I made on his birthday and the 12 days after, I relive each moment, and while it brings up emotions so strong, I am reminded of just how mighty his life was.  In those 12 days, Jarrett and I, our children, including Noah we believe, felt all the love and the prayers that were being said for us, especially for him.

I remember looking through the covering in his isolette and seeing just how hard he fought.  Moving his tiny arms, and kicking his tiny, but long skinny feet.

 I remember feeling such joy in getting to change his diaper, so scary and yet a simple task any mother should get to do for her child.  I remember the first time I got to touch him, how having my finger next to him, truly put into perspective just how little he was.  

I remember giving him a kiss, my first one, on father's day, oh what a wonderful day that was.  

I remember the instant love I felt when I watched as he exited my body and cried a tiny but beautiful cry.  I believed, more than anything in that moment, as he was whisked away to the NICU, that he was going to defy the odds.  I believed in my heart he was going to live.  He had to.  He was the miracle that we were told we would never conceive.  The miracle that wasn't suppose to survive labor.  The miracle that definitely wouldn't cry when he was born.  My baby Noah James had arrived a fighter and would prove the naysayers wrong.  I felt it in my heart.

And that is what he did.  For 12 days we spent as many minutes as we could in the NICU, while believing we had a long journey ahead of us, I returned to work to save time for I knew I was going to be bringing my baby home.  I would need time later, when he was bigger, stronger, with lungs ready to run marathons.  I believed it.  

I also remember the final morning I went to the hospital before things turned.  I remember it was almost 5 a.m. and the sun was rising barely over the horizon.  The rays of the sunlight shinned directly up, into the clouds and I remember thinking it looked like the gates of Heaven opening.  If I had only known.  

The picture I took on the last morning before Noah' began his journey to Heaven. 

I remember how scary, overwhelming and sad those final hours in the NICU were.  How we were told he was leaving us and yet our hearts believed God would intervene and show us again that he was a miracle.  He couldn't be leaving us, it just couldn't go this way.  I remember going with Jarrett to a family room they reserved for us, while the grandparents kept watch praying at his bedside.  We only left for a short time and I believe it was because we felt he was going to stay, and he would want us to get a bit of rest, so we could be there for the long haul.  We returned to his side, I whispered continuously to him Mommy loves you Noah.  I prayed the The Lord's Prayer and sang How Great Thou Art over and over and over.  I felt that God was there with us and I begged him, pleaded with him, promised to do anything, if only he'd let my baby boy stay.  

But as only God will understand, there was a different plan.  And on the twelfth day it was time for our precious baby to return home to the Lord.  We were forced to have to say goodbye, when we felt like we had only just had the chance to say hello.  In those final moment's of Noah's life, I told him it was okay to go.  That he didn't have to fight anymore. I told him over and over just how much we loved him, how much we would miss him and to send us signs through the rainbow that he was okay. I held him close right up to my chest, no more wires, no more monitors beeping. I wrapped the blanket around him to keep him warm, as I prayed he had no pain.  Jarrett stroked his arm and we held our baby in his final moments.   And as we said goodbye, we felt peace.  I believe I felt my baby leave the comfort of my arms as he was lifted gently into the arms of an angel that carried him home. 

I never got to experience what life would have been like to bring my baby boy home from the hospital.  I never get to see him take his first steps, or pose for a picture on his first day of kindergarten.  Or watch him graduate from high school, get married and become a father.  All of those big moments in life, parents dream of experiencing through the eyes of their child.  And if I'm being honest, I'll probably grieve the loss of those experiences for the rest of my life.  

And as heart breaking as it is that I don't get to tuck my baby into bed each night, I remind myself to be grateful for what I did have and that his life, his legacy; his being brought so much good into this world.  While Noah's time here was brief, he was loved by many, prayed for by thousands and honored through kindness.

Yes Noah is the reason why we pour so much of ourselves into Noah's Kindness Project.  He is the reason why we strive so hard to give of ourselves, to be the rainbow in someone else's cloud.  Noah is the reason why our shirts say... "there is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on the world."  Yes, my precious baby is the reason why on October 1, we pray people all across this world feel the kindness we are adding to it.  Yes, Noah is the reason why we do it all.

I will never get to watch my precious son grow, but I do get to look around and see all the ways the world becomes a little bit kinder because he lived.  And I feel pride, overwhelming love, and happiness again, that it was because of a tiny little boy, born too early, but sent from above with a very important lesson.  Yes, the reason why we do it all is because of one little boy... my baby Noah.  

Until next time,

Angie

Noah's Kindness Project: The Grocery Cart Return.

Sometimes as adults we over think things.  When we started Noah's Kindness Project we said our project's goal was to add more kindness into the world.  That there was no act too small and that even the simplest gesture of kindness was just as important as the biggest.

And so that's why, when we asked the boys what act they would like to do for kindness, we were reminded that kindness doesn't have to cost a lot, or anything.  That although simple, it has an impact and it does make a difference.

How many of you have tried to pull into a parking space when you instead find this..

Here is Gabriel sharing with you, our next activity for Noah's Kindness Project this year...

The grocery cart return...

On Saturday, October 1, we will stop at a couple of stores and simply walk around the parking lot to return "lost" carts to their right place.  It should only take a few minutes and hopefully it will make someone's job/life easier as they can find a cart in the place they are suppose to be.  If you'd like to join us, please let us know.

Until next time,
Angie

Noah's Kindness Project: A Food Drive

As a part of Noah’s Kindness Project, we are again hosting a food drive for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.  We again selected this cause because of the great success this initiative had in fighting hunger in our community last year.  In talking with the contacts at St. Mary's food bank, we learned last year more than 1,476 pounds of food was collected through the food drive connected to our group.  We originally decided on this cause because our family and friends were incredibly generous to us during our stay at the hospital, both before and after Noah's birth, arranging and bringing supper to our home virtually every evening for fully seven weeks.  When we planned Noah's Kindness Project last year, we thought it fitting to include a food-related activity as a part of the overall Kindness Project.  Due to the great success of last year's food drive, we decided to do it again.

St. Mary's, the world's first food bank, is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization that alleviates hunger by efficiently gathering and distributing food to the hungry.  According to the food bank, nearly 17.8% of Arizonans are food insecure, and 28.2% of Arizona children face hunger. 

We will be collecting food at two different sites:

(1) Gethsemane Lutheran Church and School, 1035 E Guadalupe Rd, Tempe, Arizona 85283.  Food will be collected at our church on Saturday, October 1 anytime between 8 am and 2 pm as a part of the NKP events that day and on Sunday, October 2, before, between, or immediately after church services (8 am and 10 am).   

(2) Lubin & Enoch, P.C., 349 N. Fourth Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003.  Food is presently being collected and will be accepted during business hours on weekdays through Friday, September 30.



St. Mary's has identified a number of foods and other items as the most needed, including canned foods and diapers.  Please see the list at http://www.firstfoodbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Top-Ten-Most-Wanted.pdf.

We would like to especially thank the wonderful community at Gethsemane Lutheran Church, including Pastor Troy, Lyn, the communications team and the congregation.   The Gethsemane community has truly been remarkable in the support they have provided to our family and to Noah's Kindness Project.  Our gratitude is unending. 

Last year, the school and church congregation, along with so many of you, helped us to collect almost 1,500 pounds of food. 

Thank you in advance for helping to address the problem of hunger in our community!  

Until next time,
Angie and Jarrett

Noah's Kindness Project: Letters of Love

Some of the most cherished keepsakes from my Grandma Virginia are her handwritten letters she'd send me every few days when I was in college.  Her notes would often be on an index card or a steno notepad paper.  She'd include a few newspaper clippings of articles she knew I would enjoy and the Sunday paper's Family Circus cartoon.  I cherish her letters, I memorize her handwriting and each time I read them, I can see and feel the love that went into each one she shared with me.

Sadly it seems, the days of sitting down to hand write a letter to a family, a friend or a loved one are gone.  Instead we text, we comment, we tweet. Handwritten letters are a thing of the past... or are they?  On Saturday, October 1st, we invite you to join us as we spend time bringing back the art of handwriting a letter of love to someone special in our lives.

That afternoon, over lunch, we will sit down and spend time writing letters to an individual(s) of our choice.  My friend Cindy, did a great job creating our very own Noah's Kindness Project letterhead (thanks so much Cindy!) and we encourage you to use it.

Click here to print out some copies for your use.  Even if you are not here in the valley, you can still participate in this act with us. And if you are in the valley and would like to spend lunch with us writing letters and participating in other acts of kindness, please let us know by signing up through this link.

Take a few minutes to thank that very good friend for being there for you when you need support, or thank your mother, your father, a sister or your brother for supporting you through the ups and downs.  Write to a police officer, a firefighter, your teacher, your pastor, or even a stranger.  Then take that hand written note, drop it in an envelope with a stamp and send it on.  It's sure to brighten the day of your lucky recipient.  

Jot down those feelings you often feel but may not express... and then share it. Tell that special person in your life how you feel.  I promise, there's something magical about getting a handwritten note in the mail.  

Join us as we share kindness through written word... through our letters of love.

Until next time,

Angie

Weekend pictures...

Its seems the days are flying by and I have all sorts of things I want to write about but never get around to it.  I'm still waiting to find some time to finish my olympics post.  Maybe by the time the winter Olympics are on next I'll have it finished. :-)

Here are a few pictures from recent days...

These girls definitely love each other.

I see such a resemblance in this picture.  She looks like her daddy here.

I love watching them love each other. 

We've been working on on Noah's Kindness Project.  While mom helped the boys and Isabelle on the Crayon Initiative, Daddy helped watch Maddie.  Or maybe I should say Maddie watched daddy.

On Sunday night we took a family trip to the park for the first time since Maddie was born.  She was very excited to go.

It only took us 30 minutes to get out of the house...

for a total of 15 minutes spent at the park.  Sounds about right doesn't it. :-)

Here's my little dolly after her bath...

And here's Madelyn thinking she's so funny with this crazy big bow on her head.

Here's one of my favorite moments of the day.  I try to cherish these moments as I know soon enough she will be too big to curl up in my arms.  

And finally,  with college football finally beginning again, we of course had to cheer on our Hawkeyes. 

It was a fun weekend.  Bring on fall, cooler temperatures and college football.

Until next time,
Angie

Noah's Kindness Project: The Crayon Initiative

Last year, the boys' school community was VERY supportive of them and our family.  They helped to organize a diaper drive and it was wildly successful, collecting almost 1,000 diapers for Maggie's Place.

This year, we hoped to continue the tradition of collaborating with their school and we have selected the cause of The Crayon Initiative as our cause of choice.  The boys have been working hard to put together a PowerPoint, a donation box and a posterboard to share with their school this week.

 

And while they work to organize the collection at school, we invite you to participate too!

How many of you have old, broken colors sitting in a box, a bag or maybe just laying at the bottom of some closet?

 Please tell me our house isn't the only one.  If you are like us, usually once a year, we'll sort through the old colors, pull out the ones we can save, and then we toss the rest.

They estimate each year more than 75,000 pounds of crayons end up in the trash.

I know, isn't 75,000 pounds of crayons a lot?  That's what I though too.  Turns out one family in California thought the same thing and has decided to do something about it.  They created The Crayon Initiative, an organization that collects old, broken crayons from individuals, families, schools, restaurants, who ever, and then sorts the crayons by color, melts them to and pours them into new molds to make new crayons.

They then take the new crayons and donates them to sick children in hospitals as well as to children without.

What a great cause, no?

Here's a video we saw as a family last fall when we were eating dinner and had the news on in the background.  Back then we all said, we should do this project next year for Noah's Kindness Project.  The time has now come...
We invite you to join us.  While the kids will be collecting colors at their school, we invite you to participate, too!  If you'd like to donate crayons for this cause, we will be collecting them at our home and then on Saturday, October 1st, we will take time to sort them by color and mail them off to California to be used again.  I think of it as a win-win... not only are we saving thousands of pounds of waste from ending up in a landfill, but we are helping to provide gifts of happiness for sick and deserving children across the country, and in a third win, is we can clean out our closets full of old, broken crayons.  Everyone wins!!!

We will be collecting crayons for the entire month of September so please let us know if you'd like to donate.  And if you are back in Iowa and would like to participate, my sister Megan and her husband Adam have agreed to be a collection site for individuals back there.

We will be sure to weigh the colors and share later how many pounds we've collected.

Thank you for joining us!

Until next time,
Angie


* Photos from of The Crayon Initiative and The Mighty websites

Noah's Kindness Project t-shirts are back!

Last year we were able to help TumbleTees and their mission of providing meaningful employment to area homeless youth.  Not only did we feel joy in knowing we were helping them out, but we also loved the finished product- our Noah's Kindness Project t-shirts!

This year we've changed up the color and moved to dry-fit material and are again partnering with TumbleTee's to offer Noah's Kindness Project t-shirts.

We invite you to purchase a t-shirt to wear as you participate in Noah’s Kindness Project.  Wear it on October 1 or any day of the year for that matter.  Remember the legacy of kindness Noah helped to create, and share a piece of yourself through kindness with the rest of the world.  

As a reminder, here's a bit more about TumbleTee’s.  They are a local, youth-in-business social enterprise with a vision to provide quality screen printing services to the community while giving homeless youth leadership skills and gainful employment.  The statistics of homeless youth here in out city are staggering...

Tonight in Phoenix alone, more than 650 youth will seek shelter on the streets.  
Tomorrow night will look exactly the same unless something changes.

Purchase a t-shirt to celebrate Noah’s Kindness Project, while also helping homeless youth find  meaningful employment.  

Our t-shirts for Noah's Kindness Project for this year will look like...

MEN'S SHIRT

WOMEN'S SHIRT

The high quality dry-fit t-shirts will be ordered in men's, women's and even children's sizes and will cost approximately $13-15.  The last day to order your NKP t-shirt is Thursday, September 15th but we encourage you to order early to ensure you get them before October 1st!  Order your t-shirt now!  T-shirts will be distributed the week of September 26th.  

If you'd like to learn more about how getting your Noah's Kindness Project t-shirt can help others, and more information on TumbleTees please visit: http://tumbletees.com/  

To place an order for one of our Noah's Kindness t-shirts please CLICKHERE.  

Please remember to submit your order before September 11th!!!!  And you don't have to be in Arizona to get a t-shirt.  We'd gladly mail a t-shirt to you, wherever you live!

Thank you for your support and please let me know if you have any questions.

Until next time,

Angie

PS:  And thanks to Anita for all her work to get the shirts ready for us this year!!!