snow!

today was fantastic.

first of all it snowed!

white, clean, powdery, big snowflakes

i think (other than in the mountains) that was the most snow i've ever seen! it was really cool. we got around 6inches of snowfall today and are scheduled for more over the weekend and some seriously cold temperatures through the week.

it did have a downside though.

other than the obvious implications for any of the homeless folks we'll be goin to see tomorrow, driving was more than a little interesting.

we were on a mini mission today, and it was too important to stay off the road, but the van skidded on more than one ocassion on the way.

our mission was a pretty cool one, although i didn't quite realise how much till we got to our location. we went to pick up some toys for the kids of families at our pantry from this guy who's donated toys for the last few years.

so we turn up at this office block type thing and go into a room full of guys wrapping toys, with tables up the side of the room covered in toys, split into age groups.

it looked like what i thought was stereotypical non-profit organisation headquaters. then the boss guy came looking like a very well-to-do lawyer. not stereotypical for the setting.
neither were the toys. taking a closer look when he told us to take whatever we needed i realised these were not small, stocking filler type toys, they were big things. quality baby dolls and remote control dinosaurs type toys.

i later found out that the boss guy is actually an attorney who runs this every year, getting donations (although from what i can gather he does most of it himself) of toys and giving them to people who need them. and from what i gathered he goes above and beyond for families in need in the area appart from toys once a year.

the guy seemed a bit stressed out (not surprising when i realised that he's organising all this ontop of all his normal work) but what struck me was how geniunely giving this guy was. just as we were leaving he handed us extra bags, that he'd personally saved for us, of clothes and gloves and stuff.

it was awesome, but more than a little surreal. i was totally overwhelmed knowing how much these toys will be appreciated, and that people like that exist.

you can't make this stuff up.

sometimes it feels like i live in a movie or something cos the people i meet and places i go and things i get to experience never fail to surprise me. (and you guys don't get the half of it!)

i love Christmas! and i can't wait to go see the guys tomorrow and pass on the gifts folks brought in for them!

and i love snow!