35 Acts Of Kindness

Our special family tradition for my birthday is to perform acts of kindness corresponding to my current age. It takes longer and longer each year with my increasing age and the kids' schedules, so we took several days to complete all 35 tasks!

35 Acts of Kindness

Mail a card to a friend
Leave money at the gas pump for the next customer
Take carts inside at Publix
Leave positive notes on the bathroom mirror at the store
Buy the cashiers and baggers a snack
Make treat bags to give to kids
Pick up litter in neighborhood
Leave a dollar at the dollar store for someone to find

Give a baby item to a new mom
Give a pizza to the lifeguards at the pool
Take a friend's child to camp
Give cookies to camp counselors
Pay for coffee for another person at Starbucks
Give away our extra cake pop (and allow Sarah to have multiple sweet treats in a single day!)

Take treats to the Fire Department
Open and hold the door for others
Drive Max's friends to lunch
Make and give cupcakes to Max's friends
Leave the waitress a big tip
Donate books
Take cookies to the librarians
Tell strangers (moms) that they are doing a good job
Donate food to the Food Pantry at church

Give a treat to the church workers
Donate clothes to Just Clothes and Love
Leave coins taped to the vending machine
Donate money to Heifer International for an animal
Give lemonade to our neighbors
Take flowers to the nursing home

Sing a song for the residents (or part of a song)
Give hugs
Tell my mother thank you for birthing me
Smile at everyone
Share MY birthday cake
Let my kids tell ME what to do for a whole day!

It is so fun to perform some of our acts incognito and to see the reactions from the people whom we tell what we are doing! After buying a snack for the elderly man bagging groceries, he told us about his former career as a police officer and the injuries he had sustained in both his occupations. He was incredibly gracious and told us that Sarah's sweet smile and our kindness would boost his spirits for a long time to come. Clearly, WE needed to be thanking HIM for his public service, but it was lovely to hear his story and to know that our small acts were appreciated!

Bucket List of Summer

A few things we have checked off our Summer Bucket List so far...

Bucket Item: Backyard Pool

Water War!

Bucket Item: Spending time with Family

Grandpa Beau was hospitalized at the beginning of the summer and our family was unsure if he would return home. There were many days of worry and prayer. My precious child came to me with a perfect gift when I feeling the most despondent: a flower and a hug. Thankfully, he did recover and is working towards going home!

Visits with Grandpa Beau at the rehab facility

Bucket Item: Weekly Doughnuts 

Krispy Kreme!

Watching the doughnuts come off the line

Give me more!

We didn't make it there every week, but there were numerous visits to KK!

Bucket Item: Date Night (with a View)

Party at the One Building

Bucket Item: Seeing Old Friends
Mommy's Childhood Besties
(This group keeps getting bigger!)

Bucket List: Go to the Movies

Bucket (and Summer Homework) Item: Learning to tie shoes

Bucket Item: Ice cream at the Car Wash

Hmmm….many of our bucket items seem to involve food!

Just The Two of Us

Palmetto Bluff is marketed as the "Home to Southern Comfort", which sounded ideal for an anniversary getaway!

The resort is located in the low country on the May River and is the site of several former antebellum plantations. It also contains the remnants of an extravagant mansion of a New York tycoon who entertained his guests with lavish parties in the Roaring 20s. The house burned in 1926 and was never rebuilt.

Chapel on the Village Square

Timeless views

Same Date.

Same Guy.

White Dress.

I Do.

Cheers to 11 Years!

Same Picture.

Different Poses.
Just like our wedding day.

(Anniversary humor)

Champagne Brunch Cruise on the Grace

If you end the night with champagne, then you should start the next morning the same way!

Even the resort's boat has an interesting history! The historic 101 year-old yacht has now been rechristened"Grace",  but at one time ferried guests of a floating theatre. The playwright Edna Ferber penned her hit "Show Boat" based upon her travels as a guest on this boat!

This was the only picture of the "adult" pool that was taken during our lounging. My antics for the camera backfired when I went to the room to nap and my husband posted the picture online in my absence!

Main Inn

Our Cottage

I think these chairs have our names on them!

Oaks dripping in Spanish moss

Dinner on the River at Sunset

Every cottage comes equipped with a golf cart and complementary bikes.

Lots of neat bike paths to explore throughout the property! 

One leads to this amazing treehouse!

And a hammock with a twisted view

Just right for two.

Mr. and Mrs. Richards, 2014