What a weekend, what an honor!

This past weekend I had the opportunity to go to Arizona with just Brett. I am so thankful for two great friends that were willing to watch Drew and Reed for me. Of course this was the worst weekend for Jay, because he was on call all weekend and starting a new rotation on Monday. I wouldn't have been able to make it if it wasn't for great friends.  I owe you both big time!!!!

The reason for going down to Arizona was to honor my mom.  She is an incredible woman! She has taught both my sister and I what it means to be part of your community.  She has started programs to help the less fortunate everywhere she has been.  From working in soup kitchens, being the Director of St. Vincent de Paul,  organizing tons of programs at the United Way and fighting hunger and poverty any chance that she can get!  

Over the weekend was one of her fund raisers for Hunger, it is a program called Empty Bowls.

"The basic idea for Empty Bowls is simple. Participants create ceramic bowls, then serve a simple meal of soup and bread.  Guests choose a bowl to use that day and to keep as a reminder that there are always Empty Bowls in the world.  In exchange for a meal and the bowl, the guest gives a suggested minimum donation of ten dollars.  The meal sponsors and /or guests choose a hunger-fighting organization to receive the money collected. Any organization fighting hunger qualifies. Many groups choose to donate to organizations within their own community and others choose to give their donations to national or international hunger relief."

This was the second year that my mom has done empty bowls in Green Valley and she has already doubled what she did the first year. She raised over $7800.  People stood in line for 45 mins to make sure that they could make a difference as well.  I was so pleased that I could make it down there and help out with it. While she was in Stevens Point she had started the program as well and I was always there to help here.  It is a great program and I can't wait to be able to start my own Empty Bowls once we have moved to our new community.

Besides my mother doing Empty Bowls she was awarded Citizen of the Year by the Sahuarita Elks Lodge,  She had no idea that she had been chosen for this award.  We had kept it a secret from her until about 2 hrs before the program.  But even then we did not tell her what we were doing, just that we were were all going to dinner and she was nominated for something.  We wanted to make sure that she was somewhat prepared to talk in front of a group, because we all know what could happen if not. Mom, you definitely deserved the award. I know you may think you don't, but we would all not be able to do what we do if you weren't there to get the programs started.

I am so proud of you and I hope will be a great role model to my children like you have been to us.

It was a very quick weekend, but definitely worth it!