WOW! That's some weather! (and save our world through the eyes of a child)

The mild and dreary climate of the pacific northwest has been rebelling. Heavy rains followed by massive flooding. Unusual lowland snow and widespread power outages. Then yesterday, sixty five mile an hour winds (or more) that have brought the entire Northwest to it's knees. Ok, I think we need a break, otherwise my children will be going to school until July!

We lost one tree in our backyard with the snow and now numerous branches from the wind. The kids and I hid downstairs by the gas fireplace staying warm while the trees on the south side of our house hammered against the bedrooms. Too scary to stay upstairs last night!

All is well for us now. We are fortunate compared to many family's though that lost their homes, cars or worse yet, loved ones and will spend days waiting for the power to be restored. When the cable came back on this afternoon I had to send the kids to their room to play because my eldest son was in near tears watching the newscast, bless his tender little heart. He immediately asked if they were going to take donations to help the families that had damaged homes.

On that note:
My little philanthropist. ((Big soft Mommy smile)) We could all take a lesson from the generosity of children. In the last two weeks Boo has raided my wallet twice for all the spare dollars and coins he could find. Once to help the flood victims of the last storm that are still in desperate need. The second for food donations at the library and Wednesday he happily waddled off to school with a twenty pound backpack of canned goods pilfered from the pantry for his school food drive. Between wanting to write conservation initiatives ("I am going to make a law...") saving the seals or helping the needy and wanting to take in a foster child we have finally found a middle ground. We donate to the aquarium, make generous donations to the local food drive and give our coins to buy school supplies for foster children. Next on the list is compact fluorescent bulbs to replace all of our regular incandescent bulbs in an effort to begin doing our part for global warming. I have to be honest here. I have a generous heart but I do not know if I would do ALL of those things without my little ecologist and humanitarian prattling on in my ear. LISTEN TO YOUR CHILDREN. There are times when they are smarter and more generous than you find the time to be!

Blissfully not blown away at the foot of the cascade mountains.