A Time to Give

With Thanksgiving coming so close, I've realized how really blessed we are. Even when hard things happen, life is really good. And with Christmas coming so quickly after Thanksgiving, my heart reaches out a little more to others in the spirit of giving.

Isn't it interesting that when we feel especially grateful, we naturally want to give?

As some of you probably know, a friend of mine from high school had a difficult summer. Her name is Ashley Sullenger, but I knew her as Ashley Siddoway. She and her husband Pat lost their little girl after she fell into a ditch outside Rigby. It was heartbreaking. Preslee and her family spent several days in Primary Children's Medical Center, trying to help her get better.

Last week, I saw an update on Facebook from another of my high school friends. Her little niece was also life-flighted to Primary Children's after an accident.

It made me think—What can I do to help these people? If you're asking the same thing, let me tell you: I'm glad you asked.

For Preslee's birthday, Ashley and her friend are putting together baskets for parents whose children are sent to Primary Children's. Ashley puts it much more eloquently in this post, but they're getting a few essentials together so that parents don't have to leave their children to go to Walmart to buy toothbrushes. As much as they might need them, going shopping is usually the last thing they want to do.

Details on the project, including updates of exactly what they need the most, are in other posts at the Sullenger's blog (link on the side) or on the Preslee Present blog.

They want to get these things together by December 10. We're going home to Rexburg for Thanksgiving and will be taking some things for the project, so if any of you Utahans want send some things with us and not have to mail it, we're happy to take it. Of course, mailing it to the address on the Preslee Present blog is also great.

Hopefully our little contributions can add up to bless hundreds of families. That's right, hundreds—they're aiming to get 200 baskets together. It's a lofty goal, but I know they can do it with our help. So let's help.