Remembering Mary Owen Stocking Stuffer Night!!!

Wow, I had to take an extra night off to just recover from this weekend's events!! :) Lots going on...and I'll be sure to share all those fun events with ya...but FIRST....I must share Saturday Night's Mary Owen Stocking Stuffer Night:If you've followed my blog for at least a year, then you'll remember that we do this annual stocking stuffer night in honor of this family:

To remember their precious daughter, Mary Owen that passed away at 19 months old. It was a life cut way too short...way too fast:

Mary Owen was the second daughter to this young couple...Life seemed wonderful and full...and even baby #3 was on his way...when Mary Owen at 19 months old returned to heaven!! The pain, the shock, the grief is every mother's worst nightmare. Our Sunday School class rallied around this family best we could...but nothing could fill a mother's empty arms. So, that year, as December rolled around..and Mary Owen was to turn two on December 14th...our friends decided to help those less fortunate IN MARY OWEN'S NAME!! We gathered a cake, and some presents and headed to the homeless shelter of Nashville....Now, 5 years later...as Mary Owen should be turning 7.....this outreach in Mary Owen's name has turned into 700 stockings and the BIGGEST contribution on the Salvation Army's behalf...
And, honestly ALL thanks goes to this gal for her organizational skills:My friend Holly heads this thing every year...and uses her God given talents to pull this off AND makes our goal BIGGER each year.....She just puts me in charge of the food:

All our friends come out to support this family:
Actually, over 200 people came out to support this wonderful cause in Mary Owens' name. What started as one little bunch of gals from our Sunday School class TRYING our best to let this family KNOW we'd never forget Mary Owen...Has turned into SEVERAL different churches and organizations getting involved.

My kids always have a blast. They stuff stockings and run around with their friends all night....I caught them ONE time sitting all together...a miracle:

This cute little blond girly on the end tried to come and sit IN BETWEEN George and Lucy Lane.....LL pushed her right out of the way...She wasn't about to let her sit next to HER George!! LOL
A huge thanks to the Mormon church for ALL their awesome baking...They provided the desserts..and they do so every year....Oh, and they are sooooo good:
Ordinary Hero partnered with this event this year...My big sister below runs Ordinary Hero and did a GREAT post on the night too...go check it out:
Old friends came:
New friends came:
Friends from our African Fellowship came:
It was just an amazing night...
Here's one of my agci friends coming out to support...she's getting ready to go meet her new 4 yr. old son for the first time...so excited for them:
Folks from the Baptist church came over to support too..thanks Bev:
Here is the stocking stuffing in ACTION:

And, the story after Mary Owen passed away is...My friend Angie, below, gave birth to a son...then another son...then they adopted Baby Macy...Her family looks a lot like mine....girl, girl, boy, boy, adopted baby girl....just one of their babes lives in heaven now!! To give you some perspective...Mary Owen and my Julia were just weeks apart in age. Out of all of our children..they were the closest in age...She and Julia played together for 19 months...and I know they'll play together again some day:
Thanks to Ordinary Hero, 147 Million Orphans for donating, BUMC Church, The Church of Latter Day Saints, neighbors, friends, friends of friends, etc....This wouldn't be possible with out ALL YOUR HELP!!!!
(Sister Kelly pictured above with her son from Ethiopia, Nathan)

**I told Holly...our goal for this year was 700 stockings...next year it should be 1000!!! If you'd like to join our efforts next year, just let Holly or Kelly know at Ordinary Hero..and together we'll forever KEEP MARY OWEN's NAME alive in our hearts as we give back to those less fortunate in our community!!!

** I found this video on a friend's blog...it is yet another story of someone turning LOSS and PAIN into something to glorify GOD..... Happy Monday to you all, kj