Fall Camp

One of the very first things I did when hired by Young Life, was attend Fall Camp. I went as work crew. This was a new concept for me. Usually the camps I had attended as student or leader were completely staffed. But a Young Life tradition is to bring along volunteers that help in the kitchen and dining hall. These people serve family style to the dining tables and help with set up and clean up. It is hard work, but good work.

Tonight I head up for my second Fall Camp, as work crew once again. It will be a good weekend, with lots of fun but lots of late nights and work. I fully anticipate being exhausted when I get home on Sunday.

Young Life

Today is officially my one year anniversary working for Young Life Soutwest Idaho. I have learned a lot about Young Life. When I started I didn't know much Young Life, its vision or ministry. The extent of my knowledege was the three sea kayaking trips I took with my youth group kids through Beyond Malibu in British Columbia. I was always impressed with the quality of the trips and the amazing guides. This year has given me a very high respect for YL as a whole. The vision of reaching the kids farthest away from God and doing it in a relational way is awesome. If you don't know much about Young Life, I challenge you to look it up in your area and look at how you might be involved. Young Life is all around the world and in every state so if you don't think it is in your area, you might be surprised.

It has been a good year. Thanks guys.

Anita, This One's for You

This blog is for my good friend, Anita. She called me today to catch up. I could only chat for a little while because of work. I have been thinking of her all day so I thought I would share one of my favorite pictures with her. This was in Switzerland on our adventure we took to Europe a few years ago.

Anita stepped out on on adventure of her own this year. She quit her job and moved from Alaska to South Carolina to pursue her dream of seminary. I can't wait to see where God takes you, friend!

Fast Food Cravings

Tonight I was driving home at 9pm and had a sudden craving for Sonic. I really wanted some hot tater tots. That craving brought back fond memories of college. I had never been to Sonic until college. My roomates took me to the tasty drive in with in the first few days of arriving my freshman year. Whenever school got too stressful we would hop in a car and drive to Sonic for tater tots and cherry Dr Peppers. Those were the days.

I know fast food isn't good for me, but I do have some fond memories associated with some fast food chains. Wendy's, for example, makes me think of Japan. There was a Wendy's in Japan that I could get a nice ice tea and french fries. I also think of Alaska with Wendy's because it was the closest fast food to the office and had a pretty speedy drive through most of the time. After a month in Russia eating some crazy foods, we were able to go to the first McDonalds in Moscow. The burger and fries I got there were heaven. Burger King always makes me think of military bases because nearly all bases in the world have a Burger King and dad is military, after all.

So this is my tribute to the fast food craving that I indulge in every once in awhile.

Tutoring

I started tutoring last winter. This is the first time I have actually used my college degree and teacher certification. Well, technically my teaching certification expired in 98 and was only for secondary education. But I was trained to teach.

I really enjoy tutoring because it is working with kids in one on one situations and dealing with their specific struggles. I have worked with little kindergartners on letter sounds, a second grader who wanted a bigger vocabulary so his head would be bigger, 5th graders learning fractions (defiantly a review for me) Middle schoolers struggling with grades, and high schoolers who preparing for their ACT and SAT scores.

Tonight, for example, I helped a 3rd grader practice subtraction and reading, a 4th grader with improper fractions, and a high school senior struggling to overcome years of remedial classes to improve her ACT scores.

I am defiantly working on skills that I may use in the future. There will always be kids that struggle with learning and you never know when you need a little supplemental income.

Christmas Already?!

The day after Halloween I began to see Christmas items in stores. Today I saw Christmas window paintings. There was a fully decorated Christmas tree in the local department store this week. A freind told me that she wrapped Christmas presents last week. Somehow the Christmas season keeps getting longer and longer. It isn't even Thanksgiving yet.

I think that I would rather just have the Christmas season for the month of December. November and December just seems a little on the excessive side. This also means that I need to start perparing for my own Christmas gifts. Not a bad thing, just a big project.

It seems like yesterday was summer. Where did the time go?

House Sitting

Over the last 8 years I have had lots of house sitting jobs. Some that were great and others that I couldn't wait until they were over. House sitting can be a funny thing. Living in someone else's house for an extended amount of time. Neighbors give you funny looks. You are never quite sure if you should eat the food in the house or not. What if it is their favorite and they are looking forward to it when they get home? Figuring out all the different washers and dryers. Hoping no plant or animals die on your watch.

I have stayed in houses that required me to stuff pills down the throat of a cat. But first I had to catch the cat that didn't like people. I wouldn't like people either if they grabbed me once a day and stuck something that tasted bad down my throat. That house also had a 'friendly' rottweiler dog. It never threatened me, but its size was sure intimidating.

I stayed in a house that that two dogs (one female that was in heat, one blind that followed all the walls around in the house) two rabbits, and fish. This house was at the top of a hill and in December my car didn't always want to get to the top of that hill. So I had to park at the bottom of the hill most days (for 2 weeks) and climb up to the house.

I stayed at a house with a hot tub for two weeks. The second day I was there I went out to check the tub and the temperature was way too low (also in the Alaskan wintertime). I ended up figuring out that a breaker had flipped. Whew! That would have been a mess if it had frozen.

I have stayed in some nice houses that didn't have crazy animals, too. But those stories aren't as much fun.

Since coming to Idaho I had a 6 month house sitting job with two house plants. That was a great job. And I am currently in a nice house with one outside dog and 30ish house plants. This job is about over, but has been on the good side. Between jobs I live in the camper in my sister's back yard. A nice place for my gypsy self until the next move.

A Photo for the Day

I remember thinking about something to blog about earlier today. But now that I sit in front of my computer, I can't remember what it was. I am sure it was great, whitty, and somthing you would totally enjoy. Must be my old age setting in.

So instead I will share a photo I took this fall. Enjoy.

Blogging

The winter of 2005 I was introduced to blogging by a couple of college friends that had been blogging for a while. I became addicted to checking their blogs. Then it occurred to me that I too could blog. Blogging would be a great way to stay connected with all of my friends around the world. So I jumped into the blogging world just after Christmas that year with the announcement that the twins were coming(check their ultrasound pict.) Here is a picture of them today.

The last two years of blogs chronicle the events of my life: work, ministry, arrival of 5 more nieces and nephews, Dad's cancer, favorite photos, a trip to Japan, Dad's heart bypass, quiting my job, moving to Boise, 5 months of employment hiatus, a 30 day road trip, a new job, and future plans.

Today I was catching up with my favorite blogs and notice 3 new blogs of friends from home. I started thinking about all my friends and family that now blog. I started writing because of two friends. Today I read about 20 blogs of friends and family that blog as a result of my blog. It is kind of fun to be a catalyst of change. Do you blog because of my blog? I would love to hear from you if you do.

I hope you will stay with me as I continue sharing these snapshots of my journey.

Happy Birthday!

Today is a good day for a birthday. My big brother, Shane, turned 35 today. I looked around on my computer, but couldn't find any photos that were too embarrassing. Here is one from this summer. Shane is the brother on the left with his little girl, Kelli (Wade is the brother on the right with his little girl Kyrstin). Happy Birthday, Shane, I am proud of you!

It is also my buddy from Japan, Keiko's Birthday today. Happy Birthday Keiko-chan! I miss you and can't wait to see again.

A Visit From Mom and Dad

Surprise! Mom called last Thursday to tell us that they were coming on Sunday. Dad had doctor appointments in Washington DC last week. He had developed a rash that the medical team was concerned about and they wanted to see him back in a week. Instead of going all the way home to Alaska they flew to Seattle for a few days with Shane's family. Sunday night they flew to Boise to see us for a few days. It has been a lot of fun to have them here. The kids and grandparents have been eating it up. Here are a few photos of the fun thanks to Misty.

Photography Plans

About a year and a half ago I decided to quit my job and move to Boise. Part of that choice was that I wanted to be a part of my sister's life as she was having twins. When I left Alaska I was asked many times if I was going to go back to school or look for a different type job. My response... "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up." Nearly two years later I think I know what I want to be when I grow up. Well, at least for this next stage of my life. I want to go into photography. I am not sure what type or what that will look like, but I am making plans.

In doing some research last winter I came across Rocky Mountain School of Photography. I was intrigued and discovered that they had weekend workshops throughout the spring. So I talked Misty into going to a weekend workshop in Oregon in January. Then RMSP came to Boise in April for a digital focused weekend workshop. The weekend in April provided an opportunity to talk to other photographers who attended RMSP's Summer Intensive career training program. I heard great things about the program. At that point I decided that unless something major came up, I would try to attend the Summer Intensive 2008 program. This program begins in June and will finish in October. When I am finished I should be a professional photographer with skills and knowledge enough to start my own business.

I fully expect that the summer will be very intense, with classes 6 days a week. But I am so excited about all the experiences and knowledge that the school will offer. I will keep you posted as my plans progress.

Thoughts for Today

It was fun to read everyone's comments about my haircut. But I was looking through some old photos last night and had the realization that I think I have had this haircut before. I wore it curly today and sure enough I could go back 5 years or so and that was the same hair. Not really what I had hoped for, but I suppose that the older you get the more times that you tend to repeat.

Mom and Dad are coming to visit. They arrive tonight and Misty and I were laughing about how much concentrated cleaning can get done when your parents are coming to visit. I am happy to report that their bed has clean sheets and the camper is ready and waiting.

The big news is that I have ordered a new lens for my camera. I am quite excited about the Canon 50mm prime lens. All the research I have done has pointed to prime lenses. This will be my first. I will let you how it goes.

A Haircut

I had a great friend that used to cut my hair in Alaska. When I went to have my hair cut it was partly for the great cut and partly for catching up with a friend. Then I moved away. It is hard to work up the nerve to trust someone new with your hair and the awkward silences that come with someone new in your personal space. So when I moved here I avoided getting my hair cut at all for about 9 months-- with the exception of chopping my own bangs. The first thing I did when I went back to Alaska for a visit was to go see my friend for a haircut. It has now been another 6 months and my hair has been driving me crazy. So this afternoon I went into a salon nearby and hoped for the best. I wanted a new style and much shorter. Here were the results. Not too bad, I think. It will take a little getting used to because I have had much longer hair for the last few years. And I typically wear it curly, but they wanted to straighten it for the cut. It looks pretty good straight. I just don't think I will take the time on most days.

Family Photo

Two weeks ago Misty and I got the opportunity to take Casey and Rhonda's family photos. This is one of my favorite snapshots. Probably not the one that will be on everyone's Christmas cards, but one of my favorites.

The Challenge

Two weeks ago my good friend, Kim, issued me a challenge: to blog with her every day for the month of November. I thought it quite a stiff challenge, but one that I couldn't pass up. So you should have something new on my blog every day this month. And don't forget to check out Kim's blog for something new every day.

Kim lives in Japan and thus had to start this challenge a few hours (15) head of me. So in reading her first blog I discovered that this isn't just us. There is a NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) and there are thousands of people out there stepping up to this same challenge. They even have a web site that I am now an official member. Who knew these people were out there?!

Enjoy the posts and snapshots of my journey for November 2007.

This picture was taken a year and a half ago when my friend Lorrie and I visited Kim in Japan. Some very sweet Japanese ladies fed us some delicious traditional food. Kim is at the head of the table.

October

The kids are a lot of fun these days. Katie and Joe are trying to talk. In the last week Katie has learned to say, "No! No! No! Mine!," and run away. We are pretty sure she learned this from Lizzy. Joe feels that my breakfast is his second breakfast. I usually eat about 30 minutes after the kids and Joe hurries right over to climb on my lap for some bites of mine. We like to call Lizzy the cruise director because she is always trying to tell us what we are to do next. All in all they make us laugh quite a lot.

This weekend Peter, Misty and the kids went to Oregon to visit friends. I had the weekend entirely to myself. It has been awhile since I had that much time alone. But it was very good to be quiet, read, hike, drive, take pictures and enjoy a beautiful fall weekend.

Here are a few of my favorites

Some Favorites

This fall has been on the cold side. There have been a few nice days. A couple of weeks ago I wondered through Kathryn Albertson park that is a couple of blocks from the house. Here are a few of my favorites.

My Automotive Saga

I promised in my last blog that I would fill you in on the fun that is my car. I purchased my little ghetto car, as I like to call it, last August. When I bought it the salesman told me that it would need a new clutch eventually. I bought it anyway (and have regretted it more than once in the last year). Now my little car has taken me a lot of miles. Last October it took me nearly 7,000 miles across the US from Idaho to Tennessee, Kansas to Minnesota and all the states in between. It did fine and never failed me along the way.

What do I regret about my car? That I hastily bought a stick shift. It was a bit of a nostalgic buy. I have had two stick shifts in my past. One I shared with my brother in high school. The second was a little silver VW Rabbit that I took to my freshman year of college. As some of you might remember, it had an untimely demise when it went bumper to bumper with a 1972 Cadillac. I really liked that little car. But it couldn't be revived after that collision. Now, having driven an automatic for nearly 15 years, I have become lazy and get irritated with having to shift and think about driving. This was especially true as my clutch got worse and worse.

One year after I bought my car I decided that it was time to fix that clutch that was looming over my head. I had nightmares that it was going to strand me somewhere. So I took it in to a reputable shop that supports Young Life. A week later and a very large bill... larger than I anticipated, I have to admit... I had my car back in working order. One always tends to just take the hit on a repair like that and then shrug it off knowing that you won't have to spend that kind of money on your car again for sometime. A hasty assumption.

About two weeks later I was excited that my good buddy, Lorrie, was coming to town. I stopped to have the air checked in my tires because they seemed low. They were and the tire shop quickly aired them up. But then my car refused to start. That had never happened before. My car always started. The tire guys were helpful and tried to hook up a battery pack, but it didn't work. I was in a hurry, so remember my stick shift in high school and all my experience with a nearly dead battery for over a month. I asked the guys to push me so I could pop the clutch. The one very nice thing about a clutch. So it started up and I didn't think twice about it. I should have known that it foretold more car fun.

Lorrie and I hung out in Boise for a day. That day I took the time to get the oil changed in my car. Then we loaded up and headed for the mountains. We were excited about exploring. The first morning there we jumped in my car and headed to town to find a tasty breakfast. About 5 miles from our cabin there was an unnerving sound and then the sinking realization that I have a flat tire. This feeling tends to herald a bad day and I have to admit I struggled to have a good attitude for the next few days. So what do two out of town girls do when you are on the side of the road with a flat tire? Call your sister, of course. Misty got me a phone number for the roadside assistance in the area, but also told me to just do it myself. Right... I have seen tires changed before, but have no desire to change one myself. If I was forced to, I am sure I could. But all other avenues had not been explored.

When our handsome rescuer came to change our tire (thanks Lorrie for documenting) it took him almost 20 minutes just to get the donut out of the trunk. It seems water had leaked in and rusted the bolt that held the donut on. He finally got the bolt to move by clamping onto it with his bolt cutters. --side note... see there was no way I would have been able to do that, so it was good that I called in the cavalry first, instead of last-- So the tire finally came off and this is what we found. One tire ruined... fantastic (note the large nail and three holes in the sidewall).

So we drove the 20 minutes to the nearest town with a tire shop. They informed me that because I have all wheel drive and had worn down the tread a certain amount, I had to buy 4 new tires. Talk about pouring salt into the wound. There was no way around it... we even called parents to confirm this suspicious information. Sigh. At this point we had totally missed breakfast and there was nothing to do but have new tires put on my car and go have french fries. Regret number two on hastily buying my car. Never again will I buy an all wheel drive. And you can all hold me to that.

After picking up the car we finally got around to that exploring part of our weekend. It was good for my spirits to get out in the woods and focus on some fall foliage rather than the fact that I had just spent more than half the entire cost of my original purchase in two weeks worth of car related expenses.

But wait, it doesn't end here. On the way home my car started randomly not starting again. I knew I couldn't ignore that. I can ignore funny sounds, but not silence. So back to the shop again. I explained to my mechanic all that had happened, all the funny sounds, and that my car really needed to start. A week later and more money, I had my car back. The crank shaft sensor was going out. Then they explored the other noises and claimed that it was a heat shield that was loose. I smiled and paid the money. But the wierd noise is still there and I can't spend any more money on this saga. So I can live with the noises.

How many ways can you spend money on a car in three weeks time? Clutch $$$$, Oil Change $$, New Tires $$$, Roadside Assistance $$$, Crankshaft sensor and other noises $$$. I just hope I only have to pay for gas for another year.

Lorrie and the Mountains

Last October I had the awesome opportunity to go on a month long road trip. I was able to visit many family and friends across the US. One of those stops was to see my college roommate Lorrie in Jefferson City, MO. This year Lorrie came to visit me. It was great to have someone make to trip out here. I had to work a little. (Follow up from the golf tournament... which went very well, by the way) But I was also able to borrow a cabin in the mountains for the weekend. So Lorrie and I drove north to Donnelly. We hung out in front of the fireplace eating chocolate, watching girl movies, and catching up on life. We drove around soaking in the scenery (when the car cooperated) It started raining on Friday afternoon and by Saturday morning we woke up to the mountain peaks around us dusted with snow. Winter is well on its way in the mountains of Idaho. I brought my camera along and here are a few of the fun photos from our adventure.

Poor Lorrie. Be warned that if you ever go with me when I am hunting a good shot, you may end up as Lorrie did. Sitting and contemplating trees while I crawl around in the forest or spend quality time with a flower, leaf or pond. Thanks, Lorrie!

PS Stay tuned for another post on the saga that is my car and the fun Lorrie and I had with it while adventuring.