Ring My Bell!

Tonight, our family rang bells in front of the mall for the Salvation Army. It's "officially" a community service activity for our homeschool 4-H club, but we don't do it as a club; rather each family chooses a time during the afternoon or evening. Our family always rings at night so John can come and participate too. This is right up his alley, since my husband is the kind of guy who never met a stranger. While we ring, the little ones dance around from the cold and excitement, and the big ones try to maintain their "cool" and hope that no one they know comes by. Personally, I love these opportunities to witness the generosity of our community. I still get a little thrill when someone stuffs coins or a few bills inside the bucket. Although it would have been nicer to stand outside during the spring-like weather we had last week, I suppose it wouldn't have been very "Christmasy". Besides, how often do you get to stand in front of the mall and make as much noise as you please? Next year I'm bringing the reindeer antlers.