Yay! It's Leap Day

Happy Leap Day!

In our busy world we all feel the restrictions of time. There is so much we would like to do, but finding the time to do it is a challenge.

This year we're all given the gift of an extra day. What are you doing with yours?

Wouldn't it be great if we all used this time to do something for someone else? Sure, we all have responsibilities with our families, our homes, our jobs, but what would happen if everyone looked at today as an extra 24 hours this year that we could use to give something back? What could we accomplish if we dedicated 24 hours this year to doing something for someone else?

I'm asking you to dedicate that time towards doing something for our Military families, and I think a great way to use it would be to make something to send to the child of a deployed Marine.

Let's use this gift of time to give a gift back. Won't you consider donating?




The happy bib pictured above is going to Lyndsay in Iowa for her new baby! Lyndsay's husband is deployed now, but hopefully he'll get to come home to his family soon.

Thank you, Marlene!

This adorable alphabet blanket was donated to Marine Corps Kids by Marlene from GA. I know that a Marine Mom and her baby will be delighted to receive this snuggly soft blanket!!!

Marlene and her husband invented and sell Edgerydoo. Edgerydoo is the edging kit that Marlene used to create this gorgeous blanket. I use my Edgerydoo all the time to make fleece blankets for Marine Corps Kids. This is a great tool that helps me to quickly and easily make really cute blankets to donate. If you would like to make blankets for Marine Corps Kids, but are intimidated by the time involved, check out the Edgerydoo site! The kit makes it very easy for crocheters of all levels to make beautiful edged blankets.

A tale of two Matthews.

This set is going out to to Matthew in Missouri!

Matthew III was born last week! He and his mommy, Sarah, are hoping that Pvt. Daddy Matthew Jr. will get to go home when he finishes infantry school.

Congratulations to Sarah, Big Matt and Little Matt. Wishing you all safety, health and happiness!

Congratulations, Henry Family!

Congratulations to Sgt. Kevin Henry and his wife Melody on the birth of their new baby boy!

Sgt. Henry is deployed in Iraq and hasn't yet met his new baby boy, but should be home soon to share his joy with his wife and young daughter.

On behalf of everyone at Marine Corps Kids, please accept our congratulations and our thanks for your service.

Operation: Love ReUnited

Many thanks to my friend Maryanne who posted about Operation: Love ReUnited!

Like Operation Marine Corps Kids donors, the photographers involved in Operation: Love ReUnited are offering their time and talent to say thank you to our service men and women and their families. I think that they're doing some amazing work, and wanted to help spread the word about their efforts.

The founder of Operation: Love ReUnited, a photographer and Air Force wife, posted this about the organization's efforts:

I started a foundation called Operation: Love ReUnited. OpLove supports U.S. Military Enlisted Families with patriotic images of their enlistment, importantly before a deployment, and more importantly at their reunion when the deployment has terminated and the soldier is safely home- most people are so overwhelmed by emotions they forget to simply point and shoot their child's first hug after MONTHS of being apart from their daddy or mommy.

OpLove helps families find supporting photographers in their area to take patriotic images of their family before a deployment and then again at their homecoming usually in an airport. The photographers waive all sitting fees, and send a 4x6 printed album of the pre-deployment images to the deployed soldier at no cost to the family once he or she are stationed. The photographer can then offer the family any amount of courtesy products or prints, percentages off- they see fit. The website is only to help families locate a photographer. The families are not obligated to purchase anything.

Many photographers all over the nation are involved with this project. Here is a link to some photos that one photographer in Oregon took in 2007. The photos are beautiful and I can only imagine how they would be cherished by our military families.