Hurricane Ike-aftermath & clean up

Sam & Steve went to Lake Jackson, TX which is just west of Galvasten Island and north of Freeport (where Ike hit land) to help clear debris (trees...lots of trees) from homes in the area. We received and email from our Stake President requesting volunteers. It was a group effort with men from 5 different Stakes. There were 11 men (including Sam and another YM) from our ward. They left the house at 3:45 am this morning and returned home around 9:00pm. Steve was running a chain saw and Sam was stacking the cut up wood. They ran into some spiders (some they had never seen anything like it before) and only one cotton mouth snake. Put some "boys" in close proximity to a snake...and what do they do...they play with it! Steve, yes my husband, got a stick...yes, a stick, to try and catch it....yes, I said catch it--so they could kill it. He said his stick was at least 3 times as long as the snake so there was no worries. He didn't have any luck so Bro. Jackson (Dave) picked up another piece of wood probably about 1/2 as long as the snake (not a good idea) and tried to beat it to death. Luckily, the snake didn't want to play or kill anyone and kept trying to get away and finally did. The men decided that they had cut up enough wood from that tree and moved on to the next tree. There were no injuries to report except for Sam's unfortuanate mishap with Poison Ivy...or Sumac or something with leaflets 3 that he should have let be!

These trees are huge and probably pretty old. The problem is that the root system is not very strong because the roots don't have to go far to find water (Lake Jackson is probably sea level or pretty close) and so they don't develop deep roots. Along comes Hurricane Ike and pushed them over.

Bro. Mark Kuene from our ward. (12 ft off the ground, standing on 2 trunks of the same tree he was attempting to cut down, that had fallen on top of the garage---note the corner of the roof) This is what Steve was doing all day but he was the one with the camera so no pictures of him. He actually climbed up on a roof. Those of you who don't know Steve is afraid of heights. I can't even get him to climb on the roof to put Christmas lights up. But in front of other men....I guess it is a man thing...men with power tools!

I don't know...what do you think we should do? The men are trying to figure out how to get the chain saw (small green object to left of log) "unstuck" from the log. This happens to be the chain saw that Steve was operating. First, they hooked a chain to the log and pulled with the tractor...they broke part of the tractor so then they decided to just ram it (the log) with the tractor enough times until they broke the log and it released the chain saw...Victory! Can you say "male bonding."

Lindsey's 1st day of Preschool

Lindsey was so excited to go to preschool. She was dressed and ready by 7:30am...preschool didn't start of course until 10:00am. We (me and some other ladies from my ward) are doing a preschool co-op. Don't feel bad if you don't know what it is. I didn't either. A group of mom's get together...in this case kids and mom's from Lindsey's Sunbeam class, and the preschool rotates each week to one of our houses and we are the teacher. My turn is coming up in another week or so. But so far it's going pretty well. I'll let you know if I still think so after I have my turn. We team up so when I teach I will have another mom there to help and when it is her turn to teach I will be there to help. There are 8 kids total. Lindsey loves it. She is so ready to go to school.

I had to get a picture of the back pack!

Braeden earns Bobcat in Cub Scouts

Braeden has had a busy month. The day he turned 8 he brought me his cub scout book. I think it was about 7:30 am...I was still in bed. Within a couple of hours he had completed all the requirements for his Bobcat Badge and received the badge a week later at his first pack meeting. Here we are with the Cub Master, Jason Weaver.

Braeden trying to pin the mother's pin on my mother's neckband. Those are the coolest! It makes it a lot easier for little fingers to put those pins on.

Braeden's Baptism

What a great day for our family. Braeden & Steve before the baptism. Braeden is "stylin'" in his new suit!



These are all the kids that were at Braeden's baptism. I thought it would be fun to take a picture. Once you get older you never remember who was there. All of them are from the Mildenstein family except for the really tall one in the back. That is Seve King. He is Sam's age. He and his dad are our home teachers. His dad is also in the Bishopric. Starting in the front: Hanna Mildenstein, Sam Mildenstein, Patience M. Gabe M., Braeden, Kylie, Emma M., Charity, Lindsey, Sam, and Seve. Diana Mildenstein is the primary president that I currently serve with. They moved from Utah about a year ago.

Braeden's Birthday-It's Great to Be 8

This was a Batman Cake, white cake with lemon filling..YUM! The blue frosting tinted everyone's lips blue...notice in the pictures below.

Braeden invited a few friends over. Kylie, Sam M. (church), Heath (neighbor), Chris (church), Ian (friend from Pflugerville) and Lindsey.

After cake, ice cream and presents they all went outside and played on the water slide. I finally got a picture of Braeden in the air! Actually, it was Steve that took this picture. After the water slide they came back in the house for pizza. It was a fun day!

Hippos, Hippos, & more Hippos

Hutto, TX is the home of the hippo! The Hutto High School mascot is the Hippo. The town has these cemete Hippos everywhere, in front of businesses, schools, homes, parks...you name it, it has a Hippo. You can buy one at the Hutto Home Depot for about $200. They come in a smaller size too. There is a cute store in downtown Hutto called "Everything Hippo." I think every school in Hutto has the Hippo for a mascot including all the elementary, middle schools and the only High School. There are plans for a new High School to be built in a few years. It's going to be a big debate on what the mascot will be. Obviously it can't be a Hippo. For those of you who don't live in the Austin area, there is a story behind the Hippo Mania. I don't know what year, early 1900's, I think, a circus train was going through the small farming community of Hutto. It stopped and the Hippo it was carrying (among other animals) got loose. The entire community looked and looked for this Hippo. She was found stuck in the mud. They worked for many hours to get her out and finally did...since then the town of Hutto has had a love of Hippos. Our family has embraced the love of Hippos; however, we don't have a cement one in our yard....yet. But we do have a small one on our fireplace mantel!

Ouch!

We bought a new car for Steve back in January. It is a Chev Impala. It's a really nice car. He was driving home from work and was rear-ended by a big Ford 4x4 with a grill on the front and was pushed into the big Ford 4x4 in front of him that had a really big bumper. Steve saw in the rearview mirror that he was going to get hit and managed to move to the side before he was hit. Otherwise, the big receiver hitch on the truck in front would have t-boned the front end and done extensive damage. Sam was with him and got a little whiplash. I think it caused more injury to Steve's back than he thinks. He was beginning to have trouble again with his back but still able to go to work. After the accident he couldn't work and in a lot more pain. He stayed home from work for a week or more but never attributed it to the car accident. It happened back in June. It took about 6 weeks in the shop to fix it.

In Loving Memory of my Grandma, LeNea Brown (1914-2008)

My sweet grandma LeNea (Suzanne's maternal grandmother) passed away last week. I am so sad to see her go but I know that she is happier now. She has been without her beloved Rue for almost 30 years. We traveled to Utah for her funeral over labor day weekend. She was so accomodating to everyone...having her funeral on a long weekend...just like her! We drove 25 hours straight through both ways. It was a long exhausting trip but well worth it. The funeral was beautiful. So many people, friends, and relatives. My brother, Clay, sang "How Great Thou Art." It was a special request from Grandma many years ago. How she loved to hear him sing. He was worried that he wouldn't be able to get through the song and she told him, "Don't worry, I'll be right beside you, holding your hand!" I believe she was because he did such a wonderful job. Someone from each family participated in some way. It was truely a wonderful day and an awesome tribute to a great lady. I have posted her obituary below. I love you grandma. I will miss you.

Koosharem, Utah - Our kind and beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister and aunt, Elna Lenea DeLange Brown, age 94, of Koosharem, died August 25, 2008 at her home in Koosharem.

She was born April 10, 1914 in Koosharem, Utah, a daughter of Joseph Franklin and Rhoda Ann Bagley DeLange. She married Dennis LeRue Brown, April 21, 1933 in the Manti LDS Temple. He died December 27, 1979.

Lenea graduated from Richfield High School, Class of 1932. She was an active member of the LDS Church, serving in all the auxiliaries. She served as Relief Society President twice and taught Relief Society for many years. She was a Visiting Teacher well into her eighties. She taught Primary for many years and particularly enjoyed teaching the boys. She served a Manti Temple Mission with her husband, LeRue.

Lenea was a very loyal supporter of the Community all of her life. She and LeRue were on the Old Folks Committee for 25 years. She attended every community and church function she possibly could attend. She loved writing and keeping journals. Reading was one of her greatest passions. She really enjoyed raising a big vegetable garden and working in her flower beds. She considered serving her family as her number one hobby.

She is survived by her ten children and their spouses: Carolyn and Weldon Bagley of Tempe, Arizona; Melvin J. and Bonnie Brown of Ojai, California; Marva Ann and John Lewis of Pleasant Grove; Gwen and Jerald Taylor of West Jordan; Dahl and Elaine Brown of Aurora; Ross and Kaye Brown of Richfield; LaJuana and Randy Robinson of Paragona; LaJune and Chad Sorenson,Vivian and Corky Youngkin, Connie and Merlin Jolley, all of Koosharem; 51 grandchildren; 114 great-grandchildren; 13 great-great-grandchildren; sister, Shirley and Preston Jackson of Huntsville; sisters and brothers-in-law: LaBeth DeLange of Koosharem; Ardell and Lisa Hunt of North Ogden; Blaine Brown and Ruth Brown, both of Salt Lake City; Virginia Stoker of Richfield; Merrill and Elaine Brown of Aims, Iowa; Bonnie Bell of Greenwich; Max Woolley of Hagerman, Idaho.

She was preceded in death by a son-in-law, Brent Smith; 3 grandchildren; brothers and sisters: Alma DeLange, Talmage DeLange, Lavon Thompson, Gurena Robinson, Winona Sorenson, Wanda DeLange; Leland DeLange, Darthell Torgersen, Phyllis Hunt and Norma Lou Brown.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 30, 2008 at 1:00 P.M. in the Koosharem LDS Ward Chapel. Friends may call for viewing at the Springer Turner Funeral Home in Richfield, Friday evening from 6 to 8 P.M. or at the ward chapel in Koosharem Saturday morning from 11:00 to 12:30 prior to the services.

Burial will be in the Koosharem Cemetery under the care of the Springer Turner Funeral Home of Richfield and Salina, Utah.