Ronald McDonald House:

From Chris: I'm heading to the Ronald McDonald House and need help with food, meal preparation and clean up. We will leave on Thursdays (see dates below) at 4:30 p.m. from St. Andrew's Gym parking lot. We will cook, clean up and head home around 7:30 p.m. We are usually home by 8 p.m.

Menu: to be determines but I need kids to provide the food, prepare at RMH or at home and re-heat when we get to RMH. Plan to serve 40 people, so we need lots of food.

Dates we will be going to RMH: Thursday, October 7 (Octoberfest); Thursday, November 4 (Thanksgiving); Thursday, December 2 (Light the Night at RMH)

In my inifinite mom wisdom, I decided this would be the prefect service opportunity for both Hannah and Brett. Brett tried to play the "headache" card (as a kid with hydrocephalus, he knows that a headache will get him out of just about anything), but mom was wise to the plan and told him to take two tylenol and drink a coke. I dropped them off at St. Andrews, devilled eggs and mashed potatoes in hand and they headed down with 4 other kids to help serve dinner. They were both actually GLOWING when they got home. They really enjoyed themselves. Hannah is even asking when she will be old enough to volunteer at RMH. They both want to go back and participate next month. See, sometimes mom is right!

From Chirs post visit: Laura, you can be so proud of your kids. They walked in and needed very little direction. Hannah did an awesome job talking to the residents and just listening. Tell them there is a SMILE youth group meeting on Sunday night in St. Andrew's basement for kids grades 7-12. They divide up junior high and high school for small groups. Let them know Meredith will be there (she's home-schooled and she's a peer minister). I'll mark them down for November. We're doing a Thanksgiving dinner and details are forthcoming.