Service Project

Our stake service project this year was cleaning up a park in the (aptly named) town of Parkville.  I figured we'd be planting trees or weeding garden beds.  Nope--we were commissioned to clean out the creek bed.

Actually, for the most part it was great fun.  The park was beautiful and the kids were happy to just hang out.

Seth and his giant piece of glass.

We found a lot of this.

Apparently many patrons' idea of a good time is drinking alcohol by the creek and then smashing the bottles.

Sounds thrilling.

Catherine, unhappy to be so far from the water (she was not allowed any closer as she has no fear).

Jon being manly.

It was all fun & games until Catherine got hungry.  Jon wasn't quite done cleaning out the entire creek by himself, so I took her and left Seth with him.  Allegedly we were on a trail that looped around and would take us back to where we started.  Lies.

I will just end by saying that there is nothing quite as fun as hiking through the woods with a screaming child in your arms, not knowing if you're walking toward the stroller (and thus, the food) or just going deeper into the trees.  

I'm pleased to say that I did, eventually, find my way out.  Catherine & I made it back in time to meet up with Jon & Seth (who had also been fooled by the not-loop trail, but happened to run into someone who told them where to go).  We'll call it a success--the creek is clean(er), and no Bloods were left wandering in the woods, despite our best attempts.