New Mexico - Thanksgiving

The Way Here

By some miracle we managed to fit 24 bags, 12 air mattresses, and 12 people, into one van. With our tiger tail trailing behind us, we started our drive to Taos, New Mexico.

After stopping at Chick-Fil-A for dinner, a thick fog drifted onto the highway. Mitch, a super cool Mizzou alum met us on the highway and led us to his house where we stayed for the night. He, his wife Susan, and their two kids Brice and Bridget was more than happy to host all 12 of us. It was a test run for the 36 people they are expecting for Thanksgiving dinner.

Mitch showed us his Tiger themed room, chatted with us about his time at the University and asked the group what brought all of us to Mizzou. We enjoyed some delicious cheese, crackers and salami, played with Auggie the Doggie and Tessa the Tank, and sat around the fireplace. They were such generous and all around fantastic hosts.

We woke to coffee and donuts. Mitch was kind enough to lend us a stuffed tiger tale to replace the sad flat one already on the van. Knowing we had a nine hour drive ahead of us, we were once again on the road to reach our final destination: Taos.

Kansas was, well, Kansas. You know flat and full of cows. But the abundance of cows made for a fun and competitive game of My Cow! We also began a heated game of word assassin (we'll keep you posted on the winner).

At one point we realized we were at the top of the mountain. Anne Marie kept her cool even though some people (cough cough Rachel) were freaking out in the backseat. Although it was pitch black and snowy, it was still a fun drive up and through the mountain. We were warned to stay on guard for elk, deer, snow plows, fire, and wild humans. We laughed about the sign until we drove around a bend and there was a group of humans sitting in the middle of the road. They scattered as soon as they saw our But despite the fog, the windy roads, and the wild humans, we made safe to our destination.

First work day

We woke to find our van's windshield frosted over. Anne Marie took initiative and moved the van so the sun would melt the frost before we had to go to our site. Unfortunately, there was a casualty. Mitch's perfectly stuffed tiger tail froze to the ground. When Anne Marie moved the van, it ripped off. (We'll buy you a new one Mitch. Sorry you had to find out like this)

Tyler made Micky Mouse pancakes and Topher cooked French toast. There was also a lot of coffee brewing all morning.

Once we finished eating, Susan, the habitat for Humanity volunteer coordinator, gave us a brief history of Taos and explained the importance of Habitat. She inspired all of us by reminding us why we are here in the first place.

We piled back in the van to visit the house we will be working for the remainder of the week.

Melvin did not fall on the ice (yes he did), and it was hilarious.

April waited anxiously to meet the site's mascot, Boots. He is a dog that lives in the neighborhood and likes visit the site. The construction manager, Mark, met us at the site and gave us the grand tour.

He explained how you build an adobe home and explained the importance of plastering the walls. The adobe walls are made out of straw, mud, water and sand and can withstand different weather conditions. In the summer, they help cool down the inside of the home and in the winter, the emit heat into the home. This natural means of heat/air keep the utility bill down.

Susan showed us her picture book of all the groups that have also worked on the Mares' home and we saw the wood in the house that the Mizzou '14 Spring Alternative Break wrote on. Knowing how much time and effort has been put into the house so far has encouraged us to work even harder on site. As Clint said, knowing all this information makes our time here that much more meaningful.

Afterward, we drove to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, where we spent the day helping organize different parts of the store.

Rachel, Derek, Amber and Topher were on the book crew. They sorted books into genres, organized the shelves and recycled outdated books.

Caylee, Anne Marie and Anna were on paint crew with Mark. They tested paint to see if it was still good. They reorganized the shelves and they mixed new colors of paint. At one point, Caylee was painting her hands, which may or may not have been an effect of the paint fumes.

Taylor, Tyler, Melvin and Clint organized bathroom appliances and furniture and made a display to promote sales. April folded sheets and built a barnyard of blocks.

Everyone loved spending the day at the store and were sad to leave, but we were also hungry. Starving actually.

It was Topher and April's night to cook dinner. They planned for spaghetti and homemade garlic bread, but because we are vultures, we ate Mac & Cheese as an appetizer. Normal, we know.

Now, here we sit in the room where we pushed all our air mattresses together and we're simply enjoying each others company. Even though Topher keeps getting electrocuted from the static on his air mattress and Anne Marie is too scared to turn off the lights in the room because we discovered that the church we are staying in was built on top of a cemetery, we are loving every minute of our time here. As we reflect on our service today, we are grateful to be here to serve the Mares family and the Habitat for Humanity family.

P.S. April wants to note she is excited to give Boots the mozzarella cheese stick she bought for him. Apparently it's his favorite snack.

MAB love- the Mexihomies​