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Registration for the June SnapShop began at 9:00am this morning and closed by 9:20am – thank you to all of you that registered! Thank you also to past students who have continued to recommend the course. I am humbled and grateful. I will be doing a couple more SnapShops in 2013. Thank you! Again, I wanted to thank all of you for your out pouring of love and concern for Oklahomans right now. Many have asked how to help. I am going to share just a few ways here today. The ones I am sharing are either national organizations or ones that I have a connection to personally or through a trusted friend. There are SO MANY MORE ways to help – I could never list out all the individuals and organizations using their means and energy to find creative ways to help. Thank you to all of you.
Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Relief / click here for more info
American Red Cross Disaster Relief / click here for more info
My sister is selling this print in her shop, 100% of proceeds go to the Oklahoma Red Cross / Click here for more info She also has a bunch of other organizations helping listed on her blog / click here for that post
Teddy Bears for Oklahoma / click here for more info
If you are interested in helping a specific family, here are two. I know there are countless more, but these are two I can verify and ‘know’ through friends.
For information on how to directly help these two families, you can visit my friend Mariah’s blog by clicking here
**This is not an extensive list, feel free to share ways to help below. Also, please be courteous in your comments regarding organizations that are mentioned. Everyone has a different stance regarding non-profits and government organizations. The ones above are listed because I have seen first hand the work they have done in Oklahoma disasters before and I know they are on the ground working tirelessly right now. Sadly, there are so many scams that pop up in times like these, so however you choose to help, please be wise and cautious. Thanks for this list! Just purchased a print from Joy’s Hope. Will check into what Samaritan’s Purse is doing too. {hugs} http://northpointministries.org/tornado My church in Atlanta is taking donations and sending 100% to churches in the hardest hit areas of OK so they can take care of the immediate and long term needs. I love organizations like Red Cross, but your money doesn’t necessarily go to the immediate need. I really like giving to UMCOR – it is from the United Methodist church but it is one of the few org that give 100% of your donation. Thank you for the list. Very helpful If anyone is in the Pottawatomie County area and would like to help, or needs help, cleaning up after the storms ‘Right Side Up’ Disaster Relief is set up at Evangelistic Center Church. The address is 18502 Hwy 177 (1/2 mile south of Hardesty Rd. on Hwy 177)Shawnee, OK 74801. Contact Info. Another great one to donate to is the BGCO Oklahoma Disaster Relief. Here is some info on how to donate and how this organization operates… http://www.okdisasterhelp.com/faq/ . This company is selling a shirt, with all proceeds going directly to American Red Cross Oklahoma Disaster Relief: http://www.rokfit.com/Oklahoma_Strong_Moore_OK_Benefit_Shirt_p/okstrong-women.htm Our prayers go out to all. Thank you for this information. I just purchased your sisters print. It is beautiful. Can I ask where your Bittersweet print is from. Thank you, Thanks for sharing this. The faces & stories at the bottom make this very real… [...] out this great post by Ashley Ann from Under the Sycamore (lives in Oklahoma) about ways to help— including some links to prints and digital downloads [...] Thank you for all the kind comments yesterday. Many of you asked ways to help. And many have emailed with your idea on how to help. Honestly, I am a little numb right now and not truly processing much of anything. I will try to compile a post with some of what I know. I’ll try. Soccer season ended over the weekend. I’m a big fan of soccer. We play in a low key fun league that suits our family so perfectly. I’m going to miss soccer. Only 2 of our kids are old enough to play, but the other three have plenty of friends and fun during games. The hat is on different kids. Above my 5 year old. Below my 7 year old….trying to catch tadpoles.
All the little girls play lots of games…many of which are directed by Firecracker (in the stripes).
Little One has a thing with pointing lately. It is very ET-ish. She and my dad…
She also thinks she needs one smoothie per game. I would jump up to cheer while trying to hold her as she ate…which usually had a messy result. Then I got smart. She could eat mess free, I could cheer.
On championship day we had two games back to back. This guy reached his limit. He told me we all needed to stop talking and be quiet so he could take a nap. He never takes naps. He got very mad at me when I told him that I wasn’t going to ask the crowd of parents at the championship game to be quiet so he could sleep. Goodness, I love that boy!
I’ll miss soccer. I’ll miss it because it is just fun to watch the boys play. But I’ll also miss it because the boys play on teams with several of our close friends. I love getting to see my friends a couple times a week for practice and games. Such a gift. There were times during the season I’d look over to see good friends cheering for my boys as I cheered for theirs – what a gift. Friends make life so rich and full. And soccer makes Saturdays fun! Yay for soccer moms! Our littlest dude does the “finger point” thing too. It’s almost like his way to say “Hey!” But to acknowledge him (get him to stop pointing at you) you have to point and tough the tip of his finger too. It’s like a weird ET handshake?? I’m a flag football mom & feel the same way, Ashley. So blessed to meet up each week with great friends and a fun group of parents. Oh my! The pointing is VERY normal for language acquisition and development, let her point and you tell her what it is that she’s pointing. It may be her way of saying “I’m pointing at something, tell me more about it” In American Sign Language, pointing is the VERY first thing children (both Deaf and Children of Deaf Adults – CODAs) do, from there they build on vocabulary from what they’ve learned. I am aware that in the hearing world pointing may be considered rude but if you’ve been signing with her then she’s starting to “get it”. Both my children are hearing (my husband and I are Deaf) and did the pointing thing, and oh, they’re still doing it even at ages 6 and 7 I love how you love the soccer – I’m a future soccer mom in training! My husband is a professional soccer coach here in South Africa (where soccer is the number 1 sport played and watched in the country) so there is and will be a LOT more soccer in our lives. I’m very much looking forward to the moments we get to spend together on the side of a soccer field, both for my (future) children and my husband Since you are looking for information on how to help, I thought I’d let you know about a great organization that is helping there already. It’s Samaratin’s Purse – http://www.samaritanspurse.org/article/oklahoma-tornado-response/ Love the pictures! What lens did you use? My 4 year old said that this is really fun! He wants to play with everyone. My 6 year old usually reads your blog but he’s doing school work (I homeschool). Ok, there’s just so much going on in that picture of Little One in the chair. The one shoe? The Pebbles-style ponytail sticking straight up on the top of her head (which I suspect has a twin on the other side)? Her totally cool and relaxed pose? I love it. I think I’d frame that one. It just seems to capture her so perfectly. Honestly, I feel like I know you and your kids because of the sensitivity and openness of your photography. Thank you LOVE Little One’s pony tail! Reminds me of Pebbles. So great. We had four kids on four different teams this year. It felt nuts last year, but somehow this year we were used to it… and we found a groove. My son’s last game is tomorrow night & then we’re done. You described our experience, too. Our Pastor’s son is on the team… three other close buddies… and one of my husband’s best friends is the coach. It is a big blessing I’m with ya on this one! I love soccer season (ours is in the fall here). So fun! And my little Birdy is doing the point thing right now too! Too funny! Hi Ashley, I saw a really good article on RELEVANT today on practical ways to help- worth a look. Here every boy play soccer, I can’t believe it ha ha ha An American family has come to my church, missionaries. Your pictures amazing. Love little one there lay Just found your blog and so happy I did! Lovely to meet you! xx Will be following from across the seas! Rach 1st. My son points just like that (we brought him home July 4th. I have one in gymnastics, and one in basketball. I love watching them practice and play. It looks like a lot of fun — what a nice treat to have that time to remember with friends and kids! My son use to do the pointing thing. We would point at him as we were saying I love you, and since he couldn’t speak at the time, he’d point back to silently say the same. He just turned 6 this month and we do it at bedtime before we shut his door, silently pointing at each other. It is my favorite. |
Way to go, Lil One! XOXO Joy
Tiffany - Argh! That was today. All week I kept saying to myself, “Make sure you put the snap shop registration date on your calendar so you don’t miss it….AGAIN!” At any rate, I am so thrilled for you that spaces filled up that fast. I believe you are truly walking in your calling – you are inspiring and the success of your life shows in the fruit you are producing. And just know I’m thrilled there will more snap shops this year. Consider me in line for the next
Thanks again for all you do, and I hope you are having a great day! -Tiff
the inadvertent farmer - I hope someday my schedule clears enough to take this. I’m so glad you are finding success in something that is obviously a great gift of yours! Kim
Melanee - Congrats on the success of these workshops, but wish they weren’t so successful since I can’t get in to register in time (selfish of me?) It will remain on my list because you inspire me in so many ways.