Last Saturday Jill and I headed to KIPP Central City Academy to help build a Kaboom playground. Up until then, there had been only a patch of grass and some basketball hoops, which is hardly conducive to good recess time. The previous school had even less, just an asphalt slab and some broken down basketball hoops.

The school was damaged during Hurricane Katrina and was not reopened again until KIPP moved in this school year. This school holds special meaning for me as it was a big part of my first trip to New Orleans. When I came down in 2002 with a group from Iowa State we painted a mural just outside the library and spent several days in the building. The mural was painted over, as was everything else, when KIPP moved in, but I know that it's still there.


Jill and I helped construct the spiral slide, but some volunteers spent their day using blue tarps to haul a massive amount of mulch from where it was dumped outside, in to the playground. Jill and I got in on this action in the afternoon and I never knew mulch could be so heavy!

Several of the kids that Jill has worked with in her time here were on hand to help in the afternoon. Even the smallest got in on the action by helping to create this "ribbon" used for the ribbon cutting. Some of the older kids helped shovel and carry mulch. How exciting it must have been for those kids to see some 300 volunteers from all over New Orleans descend on their school and help build this beautiful playground. And what is better, this playground was designed specifically for these students based on pictures they drew and things they told the designers.

While it was a chilly and windy day, Jill and I both got plenty of sun and had a great time interacting with people, hearing stories, hanging with kids and sharing God's love in real and tangible ways.

And this was random. This guy walked by with his dog, who was walking on two feet like it was normal. I had to get a photo.

This next week will be all sorts of crazy as I am working to get some 12,000 end of year newsletters out the door. So far we have had machine malfunctions and database dilemas that appear to have set up back in the process. Laura and I will be working this evening and all of tomorrow to prepare for Wendesday when we plan to start stuffing the envelopes. The whole process will take place in Pastor John and Wendy's basement where we will have room to spread out and leave things as many days as it takes. Space is at a premium in our new office arrangement so it is a blessing to have a place to spread out.

So all that to say that prayer for peace, alertness and endurance would be greatly appreciated this week as I know it will be stressful. I wanted to be sure to include a few recent photos that have gotten a lot of comments on Facebook with everyone else. Enjoy!

It was a beautiful, sunny morning in New Orleans today as I headed to the polls. As you may remember, I registered to vote just under the wire and was much relieved to have realized in time. I was raised to know the importance of such a right as voting and while as a young girl I remember who my parents and grandparents voted for being much more secretive than now, it was important.

I have been reading the book 1776 and what a great reminder it is of how many fought and died so that we would have the right to be governed as we are. Knowing our country's history is my ultimate soapbox. So many today enjoy and even abuse the rights we have without understanding or caring why we have them.

I have taken a sample citizenship test online to see just how much I do know, and I'm proud to say that I passed. But the sad thing is that so many Americans could not. I mean, do you know how many amendments there are to the Constitution, or even when the Constitution was adopted? (Hint: it's not 1776) If you'd like to test your knowledge, visit http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13442226/

So on the day of what just may be a historical election, I'll say that I have voted and I am proud to be an American. And remember this, you may not like the man elected to office today, but he is the President and that position deserves your respect. So when you exercise your freedom of speech, whether for him or against, remember that many men died for you to have that right and it should never be taken lightly.