unbelievable!!!

Where has the time gone??? I didn't realize it has been so long since I had blogged. Well, let me first start off by saying, we have continued our journey, each and everyday; some days are planned out while others are a simple smile at a stranger or holding a door open for someone or calling a long lost friend.

The blogs stopped but the kindness acts didn't stop. I began to feel convicted that in posting on the blog was making the acts about us and not about God. It would be easy to post the "missing" days on the blog as I have been keeping a notebook/journal full of our journey.

Let me say, when the journey began last June it was to teach Cody & Ellie to look for opportunities to become involved to help out where needed. We set out as a family to make a difference in the lives of those around us. Some of the acts we have gone out of our way to do while others have merely been paying for the toll of the vehicle behind us while going on vacation. Those who have been changed by the journey has been us, the Gollihue family. We each are eager to jump in and not sit back when we see an opportunity to make life a little brighter for someone else.

Cody & Ellie amaze me daily with this journey. Ellie has purchased extra food at school to give to other children who don't have the money to buy extras, while Cody has really become concerned about the homeless population in our area. Our acts of kindness, in the beginning, we had to think of things to do, while now it is a natural part of the day. Please don't misunderstand, we have days that we wonder if we missed the opportunity that God placed in front of us or if we got it right that day. We pray daily asking God to direct us in the ways that are pleasing to Him and use us to brighten, uplift and encourage someone who needs it that day. Our God is an awesome God!!! This journey, a journey intended to teach them kindness, has without a doubt been the best journey I have been on with my children.

Who knows where you might see us next??? Paying for a dinner? holding a door for someone? writing a note to a complete stranger in the phone book? who knows? What I do know is that God is large and in charge of this journey.

Kindness is contagious!!! I am a different person because of this journey. Don't just hold on to kindness....give it away. Can you imagine our world if it had more kindness in it?? I think there needs to be a kindness revolution. I know that throughout our journey we have been recipients of many acts of kindness performed on us. There is nothing special about us....this is all God. This is something we felt we needed to do to teach our children life is filled with all kinds of people and many different chances to make a difference...to simply be kind to someone else. I always thought that Cody & Ellie were kind but now....man oh man they simply are making my heart smile more and more everyday about the choices they are making to make their life count for God....to make a difference by loving their neighbor just like God commands us to do.

Be kind one to another....it really is just that simple.

Where will we be next?? Stay tuned. Until next time.

Love you to the moon & back!!

Annie, Cody, & Miss Ellie

WOW!

Well, I must tell you I am shocked, in a good way! The Gollihue family has continued doing our kindness journey...each and everyday a new act of kindness. I have been overwhelmed with the e-mails and phone calls about the blog. I knew there were 20 something "followers" on this blog and few comments....so, I thought I would keep the journal just for us. I really thought nobody would miss this blog as I really thought it was only my family reading and rereading the posts.

I have been writing down the days and acts and the responses....just like I had been blogging. You know, I really thought that the blog was really just for my family... a way for us to look back at our favorites, to see how God was working, etc. So, I never really thought about not blogging on here. To be honest, I never realized how many people has been following this blog.

Be watching over the next couple of days as I begin the task of getting caught up on here. I can promise, I will continue blogging, good Lord's willing, about our acts of kindness.

There is nothing special about the Gollihue family...nothing at all. We are merely being kind. After all, isn't that what God wants us all to do?

Are you ready??? Well, I will be posting several each day until I am caught up.....rest your eyes.

Thanks so much for your love & support. I can't tell you how much that means to us.

I love you to the moon & back,
Annie

Armstrong All Star tumbling team (day 41)

Yesterday was day 41, I'm a day late in this post...SORRY!!!! Anyway, back to the posting... when we woke up yesterday morning we knew what we would do for our act of kindness. Actually, we had been working on it for a couple of days.

What were we up to you are wondering?? Well, just recently we learned that Armstrong Studio's All Star tumbling team was getting ready to leave for national tumbling competition. Wow, the national competition is being held in Virginia Beach, Va. Cody & Ellie both were a part of the Armstrong All Star tumbling team in the past. We decided we wanted to make good luck bags for each of the team members and for the 2 coaches.

We spent several days shopping for the right bags, the items to go inside and the perfect card to say how proud we are of them and to wish them luck. When we collected all of them items we wanted to go into the bags we turned our ping pong table into an assembly line. Cody & Ellie made sure careful attention was given to each bag to ensure that each one of them got the exact same thing...from 5 peppermint pieces of candy, 4 tootsie rolls, etc. I was so proud of them and the All that they put into this act. They amaze me daily. I know, I know I have been saying that a lot lately but it is so true.

We dropped the bags off to one of the parents to take for us to the last practice before the team headed out to nationals. We have already heard from one of the tumblers on the team thanking us for the goody bag and saying she missed the kids on the team with her.

Thank you God for this kindness journey and for Cody and Miss Ellie. God I pray at this time for the tumblers and for them to stay calm and to do the best they can do, I pray for traveling mercies for the families and coaches. God thank you for Armstrong Studio and all the kindness you continue to show us on a daily basis.

Our God is an awesome God He reigns from Heaven above!!

Where will we be next? Stay tuned. Until then.....

On your mark, get set, be kind.

Love you to the moon & back,
Annie, Cody & Miss Ellie

River Cities Harvest day #40

I can't believe today is day 40 of our kindness journey. Wow! Where has the time gone?? Time really does fly when you are having fun!!

We knew going into the day what we wanted to do as our act of kindness. River Cities Harvest was collecting items from 11-5 for the flood victims of Pike county, KY. We knew without a shadow of a doubt this is what we wanted to do. We talked about how blessed we are that we haven't been directly touched by the flood. Ellie called this God's kindness to us. Doing this act of kindness spurred Cody into a deep conversation about Noah's Ark, God's promise to never destroy the world with the flood again. Cody really was in deep thought and conversation. He said, "is God mad at the way we are living and He wants our attention? Is that why there have been so many floods?" Wow! I can honestly say that it was this act of kindness that got us talking in a way about the floods that we hadn't before. It amazes me at just how smart they are.

Off to Kroger we go...to buy paper towels and bottled water. When we walked into Kroger we immediately saw a display for (3) 24 bottled waters for $10.00 and beside of it next end cap over was the paper towels. Cody said, "this is neat that it is here it is a God thing..we were meant to get these things."

Once we arrived at River Cities Harvest we noticed a large box truck with H.O.P.E. of Pikeville on the side of the truck. I pray that those people in that devastated are do in fact find hope. When we got there the kids jumped out and were quick to help place the items in the back of the truck.

While on today's journey, I ran into a high school friend. It had been 20 years since I had seen him last. He told me that lots of people were coming from all over to help out. Praise God!!!

thank you God for this kindness journey! Thank you for Cody & Ellie!! Thank you God for River Cities Harvest, H.O.P.E of Pikeville, the volunteers and all that came out in support of the people of Pike county. God please bless the people of Pikeville hold them in your arms and give them strength, peace and comfort that only you can provide. God thanks for allowing me to run into a high school friend.

You are an awesome God!! Thank you for your continued kindness that you show us on a daily basis!

Where will we be tomorrow? Stay tuned. Until then....

On your mark, get set, be kind.

Love you to the moon & back,
Annie, Cody & Miss Ellie

Giovanni's Pizza day 39

Today has been one of those slow going kind of days. I think the kids and I (Elliott is at Fort Knox doing Army stuff) are still recovering from all of the activities from the Christmas in July party yesterday. Well, Cody woke up not feeling well this morning, so there was no church for us today. Each time he got up he fell over saying he wasn't well. So, he slept the majority of the day...finally waking up at 3:30. When he woke up he felt like himself again. Thank goodness! I don't like it when my buddies are sick.

What was the first place on his mind to eat? Giovanni's Pizza!! YUMMY! Of course, like any good mother, I said, "yes." Alright, alright, maybe I said yes because I wanted it as well. Whatever the reason, Giovanni's was about to be dinner. I called Giovanni's, they just happened to be programmed into my phone, and placed our order. After I ordered it started raining. I felt badly that someone was going to have to bring our food to us in the rain. I actually felt guilty. So, we decided that we would hand the delivery driver a thank you card from all of us. Miss Ellie made her own thank you card and Cody & I signed one that we had here at home. He wanted to be the one that explained it to the delivery driver when they got to our door.

OKay, the time had come. The door bell sounded and the kids jumped to their feet. Cody flung open the door and asked like a little man, "how much was our order?" How cute! After Cody placed our dinner on the counter he grabbed the check and the cards to hand to the delivery person. He opened the door with such confidence, handing both the check and both cards to the driver. While he was handing them to the driver he said, "my family and I are on a kindness journey and we want you to have this as a thank you for what you do for us." It was precious! You can betcha, Miss Ellie and I were listening closely and watching out the dining room window to see the drivers reaction. The reaction of the driver was that of shock and I think he was stunned. We watched as he walked to his vehicle looking at the check and the cards.

This was simple act of kindness and it felt so good. I hope that the cards were a blessing to delivery person. Have you been tagged with kindness lately? If so, hold it in your heart and go tag someone else with kindness.

Thank you God for this kindness journey! Thank you God for my family! Thank you God for Giovanni's Pizza and for all of the workers who are a blessing to my life with the kindness they show us each and every visit.

Where will we be tomorrow? Stay tuned. Until then.....

On your mark, get set, be kind.

Love you to the moon & back,
Annie, Cody & Miss Ellie

Christmas in July?

What is Christmas in July? Well, today For Jamie's Sake along with some other fine folks held an event for children in SNAP (special needs adoption program). All of the children in this program have had their parental rights terminated due to NO fault of their own. For Jamie's Sake has worked for months in preparation of this big day. We got items together for the crafts and the beach baskets packed with goodies that Santa would give away.

Oh, my gosh we left early this morning. We needed to be in Lexington at 10:00 to start decorating...you can do the math because it is a 2 hour trip so you can guess how early we left. When we got to the Ramada Inn (the location of the party) the kids and I along with other For Jamie's Sake volunteers immediately sprung into action. We started getting boxes and bags out of the vehicles and into the hotel. While we were doing this we were also on the look out for any child who possibly would register early that we could entertain.

Decorating...done...craft set up....done.....baskets ready for Santa to give away...done.....say a pray of blessing on the day...done....party game face.....ON!!! Cody, Ellie and I worked in whatever role that was needed. Ellie worked for a long time making flip flop crafts with some children. Cody did the limbo, I did the hula hoop, and the kids and I showed them all how to cha cha slide.

I didn't have to tell Cody or Ellie one time to go help this child, go move a box, go do this or go do that. They were in full action help mode. Honest to goodness, I stood today in complete amazement of my children. I watched as Ellie listened attentively to a child tell his story. She helped this child with the shoes and made sure he was not alone all day. He became her buddy. In making this child her buddy for the day did not mean she didn't help others...negative! She was all over the place helping. Cody tossed frisbee, jumped rope and really allowed the boys to have a pal that was there all for them today. They both had the one child that pulled at their heart the most.

I found myself overly emotional at this event. I saw the children looking at the prospective parents wondering if they could be their new parents...there forever family. I saw the same look in the faces of the adoptive couples faces wondering if these children could possibly be their child in the future. I have been the hopeful adoptive mom at these types of events....the faces of the children forever touch your soul.

I pray that from today's event that children will find their forever families. Thank you God for Adoption! Thank you for adopting us into your family. God, I pray for all of the children everywhere without a loving forever family. God, thank you for this kindness journey. Thank you for Cody & Ellie!!! Thank you for the For Jamie's Sake volunteers and those individuals who support For Jamie's Sake. I will forever feel like I'm not doing enough to help find these children their own forever families. Wow, I can't imagine life without my family. Thank you God for each of them. Thank you God for my parents, my sister, my husband, my children, my niece & nephew, my cousins, my aunts & uncles, for my entire family.....God, I give you thanks for them...you showed me sooo much kindness when you gave them to me. Praise be to God!

Where will we be tomorrow? Stay tuned. Until then....

On your mark, get set, be kind.

Love you to the moon & back,
Annie, Cody & Miss Ellie

telephone book and random???

Today's activity involved all 4 of us, the telephone book, 4 blank cards (and envelopes), ink pens, stamps and the post office. What did we decide to do you ask? Well, I called the entire family together into the dining room...I think they feared I was about to declare a "family meeting" That is where we discuss family rule changes, chore details, etc. I wasn't calling a meeting...I had the kindness activity for the day on my mind and it was time to get busy with it.

I placed the phone book on the table and slid it to Ellie first. The only rule, pick someone from the white pages that you do not know. I told her when she found someone to turn down that page (place a small mark by the name so you don't forget) I gave the same instructions to the boys as well. After we each selected 1 person a piece that we didn't know from the phone book I then handed them a blank card and told them to write this person. No need to worry, I wrote out what the cards would say on a piece of paper....all they had to do was write in the card. (just in case they needed help.)

We all enjoyed writing our cards to our randomly selected people and placing the smiley face just so so above our name. The hope is that the person who receives the card will be blessed and will pass on the act of kindness to someone else. I can tell you as we were writing the cards we found ourselves envisioning what our mystery friends looked like, if they would like the cards and if they would write us back. Nonetheless, whether they write us back or not we had a blast preparing the cards.

We all finished our cards, addressed the envelope and placed the stamp just where it belongs. The next step...the U.S. Post Office. We were headed out anyway so Elliott volunteered to take the cards and drop them off at the mail box at the post office. I really hope and pray that the people who receive the cards are as blessed as I am having worked on this project with my family. When we got to the post office Elliott made sure to separate the cards into city cards and out of town...2 cards are headed to Ashland people and 2 are headed to Flatwoods.

Thank you God for the phone book, for cards, for the 4 people we selected we don't know, thank you God for this kindness journey, thank you for my family. Thank you God for your kindness you continue to pour on us daily.

Where will we be tomorrow? Stay tuned. Until then.....

On your mark, get set, be kind.

Love you to the moon & back,
Annie, Elliott, Cody & Miss Ellie