Giving Back to JH

As we anxiously, and not so patiently anymore, await the arrival of summer, we have found many opportunities to stay busy and connected to this wonderful community. Jackson Hole boasts not only a beautiful landscape to call home, but a thriving population of those who like to support it and give back in various ways. We have found some very enjoyable outlets for meeting new people and getting connected to our community.
Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole Community Dinner
Each Wednesday our church sponsors a Community Dinner. We serve between 160-200 meals a night. The dinner is open to the entire community, and is provided free of charge. We have a wonderful group of volunteers that coordinates the entire event each week including:  menu planning, food purchase,food preparation, setting of the dinning room, food service and clean-up. I have been blessed to be a part of this group since February and Ashley has jumped in and joined the crew since she arrived in JH. The kitchen staff has been amazed at her abilities and comfort level in the kitchen - last week Ashley and I were head chefs for a Mexican Fiesta themed evening. Rave reviews, "Best meal to come out of the community kitchen in 9-years," followed the evening. Ashley has been a great addition! She even made the Church Newsletter (picture below) and was highlighted in the Missions Sermon at church.

Our favorite place to be on Wednesday's - the Church Kitchen!

Climb the King

Barry, Ashley and I have enrolled in a local summer-long fundraising opportunity called Climb the King. Participants hike, bike or run (you can probably guess my mode of assent) to the top of Snow King, known as "Town Hill" and collect pledges for each summit. Snow King boasts the steepest elevation gain of any ski resort in North America - therefore earning the name of "The Jackson Hole StairMaster." The climb to the summit is 1,571 feet and 3.6 miles round trip. The event's purpose is twofold: Raise funds to help pay for a new counseling facility and raise awareness of the importance of mental health and wellness. If you are interested in sponsoring us (Team Nelson), or just following our number of summits, check out the website http://climbtheking.org/scoreboard/teams

First summit!

The benefits are great for this fundraising opportunity: raise funds for a great cause, get lots of exercise, enjoy beautiful views from the summit, repeat as often as you wish!

Jackson Hole Bike Week
This event was sponsored by Rocky Mountain Bank and other local organizations. It is absolutely amazing how many people in this town bike - for pleasure, to work, competitively. The ski/snowboard racks that were on top of the cars until last week have been replaced by bikes!
~Run & Ride for a Cure (proceeds to cancer research) - Barry and our neighbor/good friend, Paul Hanson, participated in this fundraising event tied to bike week. Barry ran the 5K leg of the race, and Paul biked the 15K leg. They came in 6th place in their category!
~Walking School Bus - Barry volunteered to walk the elementary children to school in town. Unfortunately the rain kept the kids in their parents' cars for their commute to school.
~Adult Bike Rodeo - We attended the week's conclusion Party hosted by the local Brewpub (naturally) to celebrate Bike Week. It was a beautiful, sunny evening and provided lots of entertainment watching the adult version of a bike rodeo - tricycle races, wheelie contests etc. No doubt, there are plenty of "adult children" in the JH community!

Town Shootout
Okay, this might not be Community Service oriented, but good pictures to include for the support of a fun community event that is held nightly on the Town Square - The Jackson Hole Shootout!

Present day cowboys...not bad!

As you can tell we are continuing to keep busy and are enjoying the many things Jackson Hole has to offer. Derek arrives home today - yippee! And Courtz is arriving on Friday for a long weekend visit. Sure that we will have lots to blog about on our upcoming planned adventures!

Oh yeah, about the summer light switch thing, it may be "on" for good now! Yesterday was 77 and sunny and today is looking to be amazing as well! We will keep or fingers crossed....we are sooooo ready for Summer :)

Signs that summer is here (hopefully):

Finally able to plant or flower pots. Bella likes this :)