Helping With Hurricane Harvey

Shortly after moving to Texas, this area was hit by a hurricane.  San Antonio and surrounding were supposed to be hammered.  But the storm stalled on the coast sparing us, but pummeling them.  Some of the worst flooding in American history took place.  And that left us with many opportunities to serve and to help.

Luckily we belong to a National(International really) Church.  Almost immediately people started to plan, organize, and strategize clean up and relief efforts.  Our family was lucky enough, and gritty enough to help for more than the next month, spending our weekends traveling 1-2 hours away to clean flooded, molding, dilapidated, mostly unsalvageable homes.  At least by my standards.  But alas the human spirit is resilient and people bound together with a common purpose can achieve great things.  Many miracles happened and my kids were a part of that.  Travis and I were too. 

Welcome to Texas...

What Came First? The Chicken or the Egg

I don't know if I Mormon is a great fit for me spiritually because I love to serve because I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or if I am a member because I love to serve.  Either way it's a good fit, it makes me happy, it brings me joy whether formal or informally, I like to be in the trenches helping when I can.

This past weekend our congregation of church goers when to Wheatland Estate - James Buchanan's home to help, clean, restore and beautify for the tourist season. 



See what the LDS Humanitarian Services are doing around you locally and internationally.  It is amazing.

Mormon Helping Hands

Each year our local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does a service project in our area for Earth Day.  Our project has been to help clean Landis Valley Museum, a local museum.  We weed, rake, mulch, trim, paint and a hundred other tasks.  Our family has helped with a certain part of the park for three years now.  They are mulching experts and now days we don't even have to fight them to help.  Although rain soaked mulch this year made for some backbreaking work, they happily did it.  Yes!!!

Bits and Pieces

The previously unpublished month of April:

Issac is really starting to love school. 
I can't wait to see him in Kindergarten next year!

Kody has been putting a small chair in bed to sleep with after I leave the room.
What is up with that?  I have no idea.

Growing a crystal. 
Part of a gift from Christmas - A Science Kit.

Kody chilling at the gym watching TV.
Since birth this boy has had old man idiosyncrasies.

Mormon Helping Hands - Our Stake Service Project Day
Cleaning up Landis Valley Museum grounds.

A visit to the Toy Train Museum.

The awe and fascination of youth.

 

A trip to DC including the Smithsonian.



The Air and Space Museum - Planets Exhibit.

Nothing says Happy Easter like a good painting project.
Why higher a painter when you can build your own scaffolding?

 

A brief foray into the world of the stomach flu.
Doesn't he look so bitty and helpless in this picture :(

My morning moment - watching the sun come up over my house.
Oh all the possibilities!