There was a big earthquake on the Big Island of Hawaii today - my family felt it on O’ahu.  They’re staying at Bellows this weekend, which has cabins literally on the beach.  They were in their cabin when the earthquake hit - Mom said they all ran for the same doorway and had a collision.  =)  After the shake stopped, they ran out to the car…  their first thought was big earthquake = tsunami.

No tsunami actually came, but the quake shook some gas pipes loose on the base.  They can’t get back in to get their stuff - and they can’t get back in to have my Dad’s birthday party with their friends.  But hey - they’re all still alive, and no loss of life has been recorded as a result of this 6.6 quake!  Since they can’t get back onto the base, they’re going over to Debbie’s - Mom said she and her kids were a little shaken by the earthquake (who wouldn’t be, on an island after the 2004 tsunami in east Asia?).

No earthquakes here in Indy - just a long, long 24 hours.  =)  Our Saturday/Sunday schedule (this isn’t even much crazier than a typical day for us!):

SATURDAY
7:30am-8am - prayer meeting at church
8:15am-9:30am - breakfast with church folks
9:30am-11am - work day at church (we raked and raked and raked leaves and acorns)
11-12 - shower and dress
12-12:45 - drive to Anderson
12:45-2 - lunch with Dave’s family
2-5 - errands
5-5:45 - free time
5:45-6:45 - meeting with contractor who’s going to do some work on our house
6:45-7:00 - dinner
7:00-1:30am - chaperone youth lock-in at church (we left when they went to sleep)

SUNDAY
8am-8:15 - prayer meeting
8:15-8:45 - serve breakfast to the kids & clean kitchen
8:45-9:30 - shower & dress
9:30-12:30 - Sunday school and church
12:30-2 - prepare, serve and clean up after youth-hosted lunch for entire church
2-4 - crash HARD (2 hour nap)
4-5 - stumble around waking up
5-6:30 - choir practice
6:30-7 - wash dishes left over from church lunch

This kind of schedule is why we’ve been so exhausted.  =)  It was a good couple of days, though - I had a great time with the Mead kids at the lock-in, and I always enjoy the folks at church.  As hard a day as today was, it’s nice actually serving.  Sometimes I feel like I just exist - I go to church meetings, but that’s it.  Today, we were USEFUL.  =)