Ty Pennington changes it up

No joke: Goodhope Street home revealed as Extreme Makeover's Houston rebuildchoice in a comedy show

Everyone expectedExtreme Makeover: Home Edition to reveal Houston's chosen family Sunday with a "door knock." Instead, it happened Saturday during a matinee at Houston's Improv Comedy Club.

Breaking from tradition on the reality series, Ty Pennington and his crew stormed the stage to tell Eric and Elaine Johnson and their five daughters — who were in the crowd — that their house was about to be rebuilt.

The Johnsons have been married 15 years and have a background in youth mentoring. Acting on what they saw as the disintegration of the family within the African-American community, the couple pursued their counseling license and started a marriage and family counseling nonprofit — Optimum Lifestyle.

The organization tries to build trust and strengthen the family unit through activities and seminars. Eric is especially passionate about African-American fathers playing a larger role in their kids' lives.

The Johnsons inherited a run-down inner city home they intended to renovate. After Hurricane Ike and the economic downturn, the house has remained dilapidated — which is where Extreme Makeover comes into the picture.

Now the family is on a dream vacation while their home gets a makeover during a week-long rebuild. Local builders HHN Homes have organized volunteer and donation opportunities on their website.

The home is at 3613 Goodhope Street (perfect name for the family's street). Volunteer parking is at 1901 Airport Drive.

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weathering the storm

Houston Zoo animals frolic during historic snowstorm

Photo by Houston Zoo

Lisa the Amur leopard.

The animals at the Houston Zoo got a rare chance to frolic in the snow this week, leading to scenes of exotic adorableness.

A winter storm blanketed the Greater Houston area with as many as six inches of snowfall starting early Tuesday morning, including the highest single day snowfall recorded at George Bush Intercontinental Airport since 1973. Overall, it was the third-greatest snowstorm in Houston history, minus the 1895 storm that predates modern recording. Worries about dangerous road conditions shut most of the city down.

But at the Houston Zoo, 66 keepers stayed on site to make sure that the menagerie was well taken care of. Not only did the animals weather the, well, weather in safety, zoo keepers caught several of them frolicking in the snow.

One particularly happy resident was Teddy, the zoo's three-year-old Asian elephant. It was his first time seeing snow, and on a video shared by the Houston Zoo, he can be seen running at top speed through the powder as a keeper laughs and chases behind him. Despite being the closest living relative to the legendary wooly mammoths of the last ice age, Asian elephants rarely encounter snow even in the wild except at the extreme north of their remaining territories. Teddy's wonder is understandable.

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The zoo's California sea lions seemed to enjoy the frosty temperatures. Their usual habitat in the Galapagos exhibit has 60 degree water year round, making it a veritable oasis of relative warm compared to the snow-drenched land parts of the enclosure. Sea lions, like all sea mammals, have a thick layer of blubber that insulates them from the cold while swimming. It also kept the zoo's population lively even as the snow fell.

However, the zoo continued to take serious consideration for each animal's comfort.

"Each animal at the Houston Zoo receives specialized care tailored to their species' needs, ensuring they remain comfortable during colder months," a press release from the Houston Zoo reads. "All animal buildings, barns, and nighthouses are equipped with heaters and designed to withstand extreme weather conditions."

About the only animals who did not seem happy with the snow day was the pride of African lions. One female, Mattie, can be seen in footage gingerly walking through the snow with an expression that can only be described as "over this." Lions, like the Asian elephants, do not see much snow on the African savannah and even less in the swampy heat of Houston, and would evidently prefer to keep it that way.