Last Tuesday, we took some youth on a hike. We were expecting a pretty easy hike to some ice caves (natural formations left from snow melt). What we got was an expedition. It was a hot day till we got closer to where the ice caves were supposed to be. There had so much snow this winter there were at least 4 football fields filled with snow stacked up at the base of a mountain. It’s 85 degrees and we were playing in snow! It was a sight to see. I’ve never been sledding (sliding down on your butt) in July. If it’s hot where you are, enjoy these refreshing pictures.

Thank you for all of your prayers - we needed ‘em. Three feet of snow over the past few days. Bad driving conditions. Avalanches. Oh how fun.

It actually turned into a mini-adventure of faith. I was gaming to return home this afternoon from a 3 day staff conference. With a youth retreat last weekend and now this conference, I haven’t been around my family for a week. I wanted to get home. So the conference ends at noon, I grab Jessica (my trusty office staff), we toss our stuff in the van and head out of there.

On our way, we get word that the mountain pass has closed. A trucker ran off the road and the pass will be closed till 1:30 pm. We drive the van to a near by diner and chill drinking coffee for a while. Then word comes that an avalanche happened and the pass is now set to open 6pm. So we wait.

In a few hours, word comes that the pass has been plowed and it should open around 5. We get our van in line and wait some more. Then a police officer tells us that chains are required. So I get out and start to look at the directions for how to put the chains on (hey, I’m a southern boy and have never had a reason to use ‘em). Evidently, the 30 seconds I was taking was far to long and a Texan, from the car behind us, comes over and decides to help us put on our snow chains. Note: never let a Texan put snow chains on your vehicle. If a Georgian can’t do it, a Texan is just as far off. People who come from warm climates are ill equipped to deal with anything involving snow.

The pass then opens half an hour later and we start to drive. Driving with chains is not a quiet endeavor. I’ve never driven with a jack hammer, but it sounds about the same. Within a moment or two, it gets quiet on one side of the car. We had lost a chain. But, there’s so much traffic and the snow banks are so loaded that there’s no where to stop or turn around. Ahh, God bless Texas.

So we decide to brave it with one good tire. The roads had been plowed, but the snow was falling so fast, the roads were piling up again. It’s quite fun to drive with one snow tire, let me tell ya. But in the end all we needed was one good tire.

I’m just so glad to be done with the snow for a while. I’m home now and thanks again for your prayers.

I’d appreciate your prayers for myself and most of the YD staff driving to our staff conference at Stonewater Ranch today. Yes, I was just there 2 days ago, but the snow has been dumping ever since. Being a southern boy, I don’t take kindly to driving in compacted snow and ice.  Above is the picture of Stevens pass - I’ll be going through there in a couple of hours, so keep me in your prayers! Be back in town Thursday.

This morning I woke up to Aida yelling, “It’s a blistered!” Then James came in our room and was telling me it snowed. I shook it off thinking that they must have been mistaken. Last night, I arrived home after a weekend youth retreat in the snow. There was no snow in sight. I brought with me a cooler full of snow for the kids to play with. They played on the porch and tossed the snow around. So when I heard that it was snowing, I shrugged it off.

Then I got up, opened the blinds and saw our backyard with 4 inches of snow covering the ground. Evidently, I can’t escape the snow…

Here are some pictures from this morning.

In honor of my snow retreat weekend, I give you many amazing crashes - some of which I expect to see from my kids (and myself). Pray we stay out of the hospital.

[youtube= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKtnY11fSTI]