A family's journey as they travel the USA to help others
My little sister turns 21 tomorrow. She is smart, sweet, funny, tenderhearted, gorgeous, and one-of-a-kind (oh, and single). I wrote her a birthday card tonight and tucked a small gift card inside. Tomorrow, I'll stick a stamp on it and send it on its way to Colorado. What do you do for birthdays? In our culture, it seems like the customary thing is to write "Happy Birthday" on the … [Read more...]
This morning, we hung out in downtown Austin with the homeless. A handful of families convened and brought breakfast foods to an empty parking lot across from a shelter. We served coffee, eggs, bacon, and cereal...out of the back of a pick-up truck. Our 4-year-old handed out homemade oatmeal raisin cookies and bananas. She took this task quite seriously. Both Stephanie and I were able … [Read more...]
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Stephanie and I sponsor an 11 year old boy named "Gift" who lives in Zimbabwe in a community severely affected by HIV and AIDS. Our $35/month support goes toward long-term projects … [Read more...]
Today was our first real trip into the heart of downtown Austin. [The rumors of bad traffic are true, by the way.] The four of us spent a couple of hours at Any Baby Can Child & Family Resource Center. The organization seeks to "bring help and hope to the youngest, sickest, and poorest children" in their community. We were impressed by the friendly staff and well-organized … [Read more...]
Last night, Tim & I stayed up too late (even for us). We've been playing "catch up" for awhile with our inboxes and we have a million projects on our plates. I think the red numbers on the clock flickered 2:35am the last time I checked. This morning, when the girls stirred - my body ached. My eyes fluttered open, but wanted to stay shut. Without saying a word, Tim got the girls up and let … [Read more...]
When Stephanie and I first decided we would "give" something every day we thought it might take some effort, but we didn't realize just how much. We thought we gave often already (maybe not every day, but often...) so it wouldn't be a big deal. As it turns out, giving each day takes way more intentionality then we ever expected. It has taken us a little by surprise. If you own a car, have … [Read more...]
We had the privilege of staying at Jellystone Park Hill Country in Canyon Lake, Texas for the past two weeks...and it was a fun + friendly place for families. Have you ever been to the Texas hill country? It's stunning and serene - lined with oak trees and shimmering water. As we were driving in to the area, our 4-year-old looked out the window and said, "It's SO beautiful here." Our … [Read more...]
One of the main tenets of our family's pledge for this year is to "de-emphasize the importance of 'stuff' in our lives." We did that in a very real way - by selling or giving away almost everything we owned. We sold our beautiful leather couches, our dining room table for 8, our jeep and car, Tim's motorcycle, the girls' sandbox and playhouse, toys, books, clothing, knick-knacks. Almost … [Read more...]
Our girls are fortunate enough to have 6 great grandparents alive. We called four of them this evening. Then, we called Stephanie's parents and Skyped my parents. The Skype call mostly consisted of our two girls fighting for the camera's attention as they held up their drawings/books and talked about what they had been doing lately. None of our calls took an enormous amount of time. We talked … [Read more...]
I've never given blood before. The last five years, I've either been pregnant or breastfeeding so I've deferred. Even so, I know that part of my hesitation has been fear of the unknown. Was it safe? Would it hurt? Would I get lightheaded? Would I feel strange afterward? Would I even "qualify"? This morning, I googled "blood drive Canyon Lake Texas" and immediately found one happening at an … [Read more...]
Yesterday, we were fortunate enough to provide lunch for another family on the road (yes, there are others!). The Boyinks [see right] stopped by our campground and had lunch with us. We served grilled chicken, cornbread, peas, and chips with homemade guacamole dip. We talked about how we decided to buy our fifth wheels and discussed some of our experiences on the road. After the Boyinks left, … [Read more...]
I left the girls with Stephanie at 3:00pm this afternoon and headed to the dentist. I had a crown on my front top tooth that had come loose. I expected my visit to be quick. The crown was not damaged. I had previously had a root canal. I thought I just needed the tooth to be adhered back and I would be out of there. Reality, however, was different. The reason my tooth had become loose was … [Read more...]
"Have you mapped your entire route and planned all of your projects for the whole year?" We always laugh on the inside and smile politely on the outside when we get that question. Logistically, it would be a nightmare to plan that far into the future...for us AND for partnering organizations. That said, we're not just driving aimlessly into the night either (actually, we try not to drive at … [Read more...]
Wouldn't it be wonderful if there were an amusement park for children with special needs? A park where kids with cognitive disabilities, orthopedic impairments, developmental delays, autism, cerebral palsy, down-syndrome, and seizure disorders could play and go on rides...just like any other child. There is such a place...a remarkable place...a magical place where dreams come true. Nestled just … [Read more...]
Quite a few people have asked us how we manage to volunteer with two small children in tow. The answer? We're still learning that ourselves. That said, our answer so far is that...we just DO. Today, we spent two and a half hours at the Family Life Center in New Braunfels, Texas. It's an organization that connects temporarily under-resourced and/or unemployed residents of the community to … [Read more...]
Up until now, we have only volunteered with, toured, and interviewed non-profit organizations. We have learned from people who are serving children, the elderly, the hungry, and even prisoners. We have asked questions about funding and management. … [Read More...]
Two years ago today, our youngest daughter was born. We celebrated her birth by eating cheesecake and singing "Happy Birthday." In honor of her birth, we made a small donation to the Birth Center where she was born. You can read more about our … [Read More...]
