Five on Friday: MLK Day of Community Service (pic heavy)

On Monday I'll be running my 12th Annual MLK Day of Community Service. The first one consisted of kids coloring pictures in my dining room. Now we're outgrowing the gym we've been using for the past nine years. I did not start planning in November like I swear I'm going to do (every damn year) but it's all coming together nicely anyway. For today's Five on Friday, here are some pictures and memories from past Days of Service.

1. I don't have pictures of that first year in my dining room, but this was the second year in a local coffee shop:

 and for comparison purposes, this was last year's event:

2. This is not a great quality picture but this is me directing someone at the 2009 event, baby strapped to me as they were for so many of these days. I hope when my children think back on their Mother as a younger woman, one of the images they conjure is something like this:

3. Did I mention a local Natural Medicine and Rehabilitation Center sends someone to give free five minute massages to adult volunteers? And this year for the second year we'll have free mini-acupuncture sessions too! I can't wait . . . .

4.  Looking through the letters written to soldiers last year, I found very sweet notes like this:

5. And in the pile of Valentines for Veterans, I found this from a boy who mistakenly thought the Valentines were for friends. And that Kristina was spelled like this:

Here's to another successful day filled with community building, serving others, massage and acupuncture, poignancy and hilarity!