I'm sitting in Seattle Airport as I write this, thinking about the amazing trip home I just came from. So many cool things happened, there are WAY too many to put in a blog. I got to see many of you that read this blog, and that was so amazing for me!!! I miss you all so much!
I've come to accept the fact that Juneau will never be home to me. I'm not sure that anywhere other than Riverside will ever be home. I live and survive in Juneau right now - that's about the best I can say...VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!!!
Travel story...We got to Ontario airport early because of the "extra security" measures that were supposed to happen since the Christmas Day airplane incident. This "extra security" took all of five minutes. When I say five minutes, that's the amount of time it took for me to take off my shoes, slide all the stuff through the x-ray thing, and get my shoes back on. Yeah, there's no extra security...So I had about an hour and a half before my flight even boarded. I sat in the handicap section, and soon there was a man who was wheeled right next to me. I didn't think much of it. I then heard him struggling a bit, looked over, and saw that he was trying to get something out of the bottom of his carry-on luggage (which was on the floor). I offered to help him, which he accepted. As I sat back down in my seat, he started talking to me. He asked me where I was going, and I told him Alaska. He then asked me what I did in Alaska. I told him that I worked with mentally ill adults. He said, "Oh, I kinda do that too. I work with disturbed kids, and try to help them from getting mentally ill." The conversation went on to him telling me that he was a retired minister, just celebrated his 92 birthday, and that his wife had been gone for about three years. He said he was lonely, but that he was glad he got pushed next to me so that we could talk. I asked what kind of minister he was, to which he replied, "Nazarene!" I smiled and said that I grew up Free Methodist. We laughed and he said, "I have people very close to me that are Free Methodist! We are very similar in doctrine - I'm very glad to meet you!" We continued talking, and he asked, "So what does your boyfriend do?" I was a bit taken aback...I told him, "I don't know! I haven't met him yet!" The man said, "What? How old are you?" I told him 24. "You are beautiful, and you're telling me that no man has snatched you up yet?" Again, we laughed. He told me stories about his life, going to Pasadena City College to become a minister after hitch-hiking from Ohio with $138 in his pocket. Seriously, this man has some amazing stories. But every story ended, "It just goes to show that God is good. He takes care of us - all you have to do is trust." He asked what my life plan was, to which I responded I have no idea. He told me, "Here is my prediction: You will be married in three years, maybe have a baby on the way. You will be in some profession helping people, but maybe not what you're currently doing. And I think you'd make a fantastic ministers wife." He wanted my address so that he could write to me, and said, "Please stay in touch! You blessed me today!" As he was wheeled to board the plane, he grabbed my hand and said, "You're wonderful. I love you!" What a way to start the morning!
Got to Seattle about 1/2 hour early. I walked around the airport for a bit, and was able to call a few people. As I was on the phone with Laura, three men came through my gate area, spread out, each of them with a head-shot of a woman. They kept the head shot rolled or folded up. One went to the counter and showed the picture to the woman there and pulled out some sort of ID. At this point I'm thinking FBI or undercover cop (at east in my fantasy world...). The three of them just hang out on the side of the isle, walk near stores, etc. Then one breaks off and meets a police officer walking down the isle. They talk, he joins his guys again, and the officer goes off in the distance, but is still visible down the isle. All of a sudden, the three guys look down the isle, and slowly start walking down, a bit spread out. I'm totally excited at this point, and want to know what's going on!!! I change my position, and turn around to walk. They watch a woman go into one of the restaurants and one follows her in. The other two walk, one on a cell phone. I then see the police officer walking down their way. The woman comes out, and the lead guy shows her his ID and starts talking to her. Shortly after they begin talking, she walks away, and the guys start grouping with the officer. Apparently they had the wrong lady. (Side note, that lady they stopped is now sitting next to me in the plane as I write this!)
So the officer resumes her position out of the way, and the three men walk through the terminal again. They again pull out the picture of the woman they're looking for and go about looking for her. Again they talk to the people at the counter. The counter then pages a lady. She immediately goes to the counter. One man goes to the counter, turns to the other two, and nods to them. (Another side note - I am right in the way at this point, so I figure it's a good idea to move out of the way...) The lead guy shows her his ID and asks if they can talk to her over out of the way (Oh, and the officer is really close also...) They take her away, but still in eye-shot. One of the three guys is still standing a bit away from the rest of them. They begin to look through her bags, and pull out a large zip-lock bag from her bag that have many pill bottles. The lead guy takes the pill bottles and pours the pills out into his hand. They then grab all her stuff and take her into a door to the side of the airport. I figure that's the last I'll see. Oh no...
About three minutes later, the three guys are carrying all her baggage and the officer has her gloves on and is escorting the woman down the isle in handcuffs!!!! Talk about exciting! Now I want to know what it was officially for...Maybe it will be in the paper or something.
Never a dull moment while traveling Alaska Airlines!
I already miss home terribly! Can't wait till I see you all again!
Blessings!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Monday, December 14, 2009
Prayers
It's been an interesting, rough week. Lots going on, and a lot of friends that are going through really rough times.
It started with this article: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/story/1048813.html
While I can't say why this is such a big deal, it was a pretty horrible piece of news to get last Tuesday. It pretty much consumed my thoughts for a good two days - it was very hard to focus on anything at work, and I constantly was checking the news for any updates. But God is good...
I then get the email from a good friend who is having a rough time with a relationship she is in, and have spent a good part of the week just listening to her. I'm not sure what to say half the time, but sometimes it's good to just be there.
I had a really long conversation with another friend who has opened a can of worms that is going to be pretty rough to face, but needs to face. Stinks for that friend, and again, I don't know what to say. I know what I want to say, but that's not always the best. I'm learning to just listen...God is good...
I got to work today and was catching up on weekend news on CNN.com.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/14/oregon.missing.hikers/index.html
As I was looking at the Mt. Hood hiker search, I saw the pictures of the folks missing. I thought to myself, "Wow - that looks a lot like Steve!" Then I saw the name: Anthony Vietti. Hmm...that's the same last name as Steve...So I looked at Steve's facebook page. Sure enough, one of the guys they are still looking for is my friend Steve's brother. Things don't look good, and they are running out of time to find the other two. The family still has hope, and is asking for anyone and everyone to pray for a break in the weather, and to keep Anthony and Katie safe. God is good...
So I've had a lot on my mind. While none of these things directly affect me, it's happening to people that I love. So, if you wouldn't mind praying for these friends, that would be amazing.
As the Newsboys have said, "When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour; When pain surrounds, I'll call You Healer; When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart."
Blessings
It started with this article: http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/crime/story/1048813.html
While I can't say why this is such a big deal, it was a pretty horrible piece of news to get last Tuesday. It pretty much consumed my thoughts for a good two days - it was very hard to focus on anything at work, and I constantly was checking the news for any updates. But God is good...
I then get the email from a good friend who is having a rough time with a relationship she is in, and have spent a good part of the week just listening to her. I'm not sure what to say half the time, but sometimes it's good to just be there.
I had a really long conversation with another friend who has opened a can of worms that is going to be pretty rough to face, but needs to face. Stinks for that friend, and again, I don't know what to say. I know what I want to say, but that's not always the best. I'm learning to just listen...God is good...
I got to work today and was catching up on weekend news on CNN.com.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/14/oregon.missing.hikers/index.html
As I was looking at the Mt. Hood hiker search, I saw the pictures of the folks missing. I thought to myself, "Wow - that looks a lot like Steve!" Then I saw the name: Anthony Vietti. Hmm...that's the same last name as Steve...So I looked at Steve's facebook page. Sure enough, one of the guys they are still looking for is my friend Steve's brother. Things don't look good, and they are running out of time to find the other two. The family still has hope, and is asking for anyone and everyone to pray for a break in the weather, and to keep Anthony and Katie safe. God is good...
So I've had a lot on my mind. While none of these things directly affect me, it's happening to people that I love. So, if you wouldn't mind praying for these friends, that would be amazing.
As the Newsboys have said, "When hope is lost, I'll call You Saviour; When pain surrounds, I'll call You Healer; When silence falls, You'll be the song within my heart."
Blessings
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Water to Wine + Preschool = Hilarious
It's been quite some time...not a whole lot has changed, and not much new is going on. But I do have a couple updates...
My replacement at JAMHI came! She has taken over my caseload, leaving me to be the first Clinic Case Manager JAMHI has ever had! It's pretty sweet being able to help form this position and giving my input. I am so incredibly blessed with this job - it's entertaining, fun, new, and I get to help people! Honestly, what else could I ask for? Ys, it is incredibly difficult being away from home, and I would LOVE to come home, but I am here for such a time as this, and that needs to be OK.
Winter came. There is snow and ice and everything. It's not nearly as bad as last year, but man alive, I still don't like it. It's crazy. Our house has the beginning of icicles. Welcome to winter.
In other news - the reason for my title - I have the best preschool story to tell!
This week's lesson was Jesus' first miricle - turning water to wine. How do you explain this to 3-4 year olds? What is a good visual aid? How do I show them that God is great? That God is a God of miracles? What a miracle is? Oh man, I was up for a challenge...
So for the visual aid, I got juice powder and put it in an empty cup. I then took a pitcher of water and poured the water into the powder cup and told them, "Jesus told the servants to pour water into the 6 stone jars, and then serve it to the party guests. You know what happened? The water turned to wine! And some of the guests said that it was the best wine they had ever had!" As I was telling them this, the powder water turned to juice - a miracle! The kids LOVED it! "Woah! It's like magic! That is so cool! Let me see!"
That wasn't enough. After that, each kid got to make their own "wine". They poured the water into their cups with the powder in it, and were simply amazed (Ah, to be a kid again...). They had juice with their snack and all was well...until the parents came.
The typical question for any parent to ask their kids when they get out of Sunday school is "What did you learn in Sunday school? How was it?" That Sunday was no exception:
-Dad: "Joey, what did you do in Sunday school today?"
-Joey: "We drank wine!"
-Dad: "You drank wine?"
-Joey: "Yeah! It was the best wine ever!"
-Dad: Looks at me with a questioning look. "Wow! Who else made wine?"
-Joey: "Um, the teacher!"
-Dad: "Oh yeah? Who else?"
-Joey: "Lola!" (She's another girl in the class)
By now, I am PRAYING that he gives the right answer - to show that I actually taught them something...
-Dad: "A long time ago - who made wine a long time ago?"
-Joey: "Um...." Blank stare...silence...more silence..."God!"
Close enough..
KIds are great. They love the simple things in life. Their understanding of things is so concrete and basic, and just when you think you're not getting though to them, they surprise you. At this age, it's not about the complex concepts. My job is to teach them that God is great. That God loves them. When was the last time I actually stopped and got that basic in my own walk? God - MY God - is great. My God is the God of love! Woah...
Blessings!
My replacement at JAMHI came! She has taken over my caseload, leaving me to be the first Clinic Case Manager JAMHI has ever had! It's pretty sweet being able to help form this position and giving my input. I am so incredibly blessed with this job - it's entertaining, fun, new, and I get to help people! Honestly, what else could I ask for? Ys, it is incredibly difficult being away from home, and I would LOVE to come home, but I am here for such a time as this, and that needs to be OK.
Winter came. There is snow and ice and everything. It's not nearly as bad as last year, but man alive, I still don't like it. It's crazy. Our house has the beginning of icicles. Welcome to winter.
In other news - the reason for my title - I have the best preschool story to tell!
This week's lesson was Jesus' first miricle - turning water to wine. How do you explain this to 3-4 year olds? What is a good visual aid? How do I show them that God is great? That God is a God of miracles? What a miracle is? Oh man, I was up for a challenge...
So for the visual aid, I got juice powder and put it in an empty cup. I then took a pitcher of water and poured the water into the powder cup and told them, "Jesus told the servants to pour water into the 6 stone jars, and then serve it to the party guests. You know what happened? The water turned to wine! And some of the guests said that it was the best wine they had ever had!" As I was telling them this, the powder water turned to juice - a miracle! The kids LOVED it! "Woah! It's like magic! That is so cool! Let me see!"
That wasn't enough. After that, each kid got to make their own "wine". They poured the water into their cups with the powder in it, and were simply amazed (Ah, to be a kid again...). They had juice with their snack and all was well...until the parents came.
The typical question for any parent to ask their kids when they get out of Sunday school is "What did you learn in Sunday school? How was it?" That Sunday was no exception:
-Dad: "Joey, what did you do in Sunday school today?"
-Joey: "We drank wine!"
-Dad: "You drank wine?"
-Joey: "Yeah! It was the best wine ever!"
-Dad: Looks at me with a questioning look. "Wow! Who else made wine?"
-Joey: "Um, the teacher!"
-Dad: "Oh yeah? Who else?"
-Joey: "Lola!" (She's another girl in the class)
By now, I am PRAYING that he gives the right answer - to show that I actually taught them something...
-Dad: "A long time ago - who made wine a long time ago?"
-Joey: "Um...." Blank stare...silence...more silence..."God!"
Close enough..
KIds are great. They love the simple things in life. Their understanding of things is so concrete and basic, and just when you think you're not getting though to them, they surprise you. At this age, it's not about the complex concepts. My job is to teach them that God is great. That God loves them. When was the last time I actually stopped and got that basic in my own walk? God - MY God - is great. My God is the God of love! Woah...
Blessings!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
DAT Team
Many of you saw my Facebook status about the DAT (Disaster Action Team) call we got last Tuesday and have asked questions about it. It's really not all that exciting...but it was my first call out - that WAS exciting!
I was at youth group watching my kids play the tapioca game on Tuesday night (side note: the tapioca game is disgusting! Way fun to watch, but way gross...) Amy said, "You know, Jessica (youth leader) would really be upset if we got a call tonight..." (Another side note...Amy used to get all sorts of fun calls when it was just her responding. When I started to be on call with her, there have been no calls.) I laughed, because I was on with her, so what are the chances of us going out on a call?
HA! So, back to the tapioca game. I was outside, Amy was inside. Outside = 38 degrees; inside = 77 degrees. Who do you think is the better servant? Just kidding. So I'm freezing outside when Amy comes out all decked out in her gloves, scarf, jacket, etc and smiles at me. I knew right then. "No way! No way!!!" Amy smiles and says, "Yup! We've gotta go." So we get in her car and drive.
Along the way, she says, "K, so we have three trees that fell on a house in Switzer." (For those of you who don't know, Switzer is a mobile home park in Juneau." The winds were howling, so it wasn't a big surprise. Apparently the family was fine, but since the winds were still blowing, they were afraid to stay in their house overnight. I asked if we had an address, and Amy said, "Well, I imagine it's the one with three trees on it! But yes, we have an address." Ha Ha, Amy...
So we pull up, and sure enough, you can't miss the house! Three massive trees just toppled over onto the mobile home. Funny thing was that you couldn't even tell if there was damage! We went inside, and the family is sitting around the table, someone is cooking dinner, three boys are watching TV, and they're all doing just fine! The father of the house was taking a nap earlier in the day when he felt the house shake. He checked if everyone else was alright, and everyone else seemed good, so he went back to sleep. It wasn't until their neighbors called a few hours later that they realized three trees were sitting on top of their house!
Our job was easy. We called the local motel and got them a place to sleep for the night. They were grateful and that was it! Here's the article about the event:
http://juneauempire.com/stories/101409/loc_504603915.shtml
So that's my story! Fun times in Juneau!
Blessings!
I was at youth group watching my kids play the tapioca game on Tuesday night (side note: the tapioca game is disgusting! Way fun to watch, but way gross...) Amy said, "You know, Jessica (youth leader) would really be upset if we got a call tonight..." (Another side note...Amy used to get all sorts of fun calls when it was just her responding. When I started to be on call with her, there have been no calls.) I laughed, because I was on with her, so what are the chances of us going out on a call?
HA! So, back to the tapioca game. I was outside, Amy was inside. Outside = 38 degrees; inside = 77 degrees. Who do you think is the better servant? Just kidding. So I'm freezing outside when Amy comes out all decked out in her gloves, scarf, jacket, etc and smiles at me. I knew right then. "No way! No way!!!" Amy smiles and says, "Yup! We've gotta go." So we get in her car and drive.
Along the way, she says, "K, so we have three trees that fell on a house in Switzer." (For those of you who don't know, Switzer is a mobile home park in Juneau." The winds were howling, so it wasn't a big surprise. Apparently the family was fine, but since the winds were still blowing, they were afraid to stay in their house overnight. I asked if we had an address, and Amy said, "Well, I imagine it's the one with three trees on it! But yes, we have an address." Ha Ha, Amy...
So we pull up, and sure enough, you can't miss the house! Three massive trees just toppled over onto the mobile home. Funny thing was that you couldn't even tell if there was damage! We went inside, and the family is sitting around the table, someone is cooking dinner, three boys are watching TV, and they're all doing just fine! The father of the house was taking a nap earlier in the day when he felt the house shake. He checked if everyone else was alright, and everyone else seemed good, so he went back to sleep. It wasn't until their neighbors called a few hours later that they realized three trees were sitting on top of their house!
Our job was easy. We called the local motel and got them a place to sleep for the night. They were grateful and that was it! Here's the article about the event:
http://juneauempire.com/stories/101409/loc_504603915.shtml
So that's my story! Fun times in Juneau!
Blessings!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Long Overdue+Downtime=New Post
It's been a while. So much has happened, and I don't even know where to start. I guess that's why I've been putting off writing for so long. It's as if I am at a loss for words...hmmm...
I started teaching preschool sunday school at my church. What an adventure. So the first Sunday was a "meet-and-greet" with the kids and the teachers. I was there, ready to meet some of the little ones. Scared to death...That Sunday, I met five little dudes. Some were shy, but two of them were chatty-chatty! It was pretty funny...I got to thinking that I would have my hands WAY full - and I only met five kids! I thought, "I can handle five preschoolers...that shouldn't be too hard. Heck, I was a nanny for seven kids under the age of five! I can SO do this!"
The next Sunday came. I had spent about three hours in the classroom Saturday to prepare, to get my wits about me, and to try and figure out what I was going to do. Sunday rolls around and kid after kid after kid came in the room. 11 kids later (thankfully I had Seanna there to help me!) we were starting Sunday School. Let me tell you, that was the most exhausting 50 minutes of my life! Maybe not of my life, but surely of my week. Preschoolers have the attention-span of a gold fish. That's not helpful when you have a room full of toys, a Bible story to read, a craft to do, and 11 kids to keep track of. What a morning! It was wild. I'm glad I'm doing it. I will learn a ton!
The following Friday was spend with my friend Crystal and her new puppy Copper. We went on a walk (in the rain!!!!!) and got soaked. When we got back to her house, we made tacos and played games with her sister-in-law. Towards the end of the night, I started getting an itchy throat. I went home and took some meds and tried to sleep. Not so good...
All through the night, I tossed and turned because my throat was hurting, I was achy everywhere, and I could hardly breathe out of my nose. The next morning (Sat) I felt like a train had hit me. I literally did not leave my bed all day. It was horrible. I think I drank a mug of chicken noodle soup - that was it. I debated whether or not to go to the ER, but I figured I had the flu and they couldn't do anything anyways. So I called Seanna and told her I was sick and would not be able to teach preschool (Again, I am SOOO thankful for her! She took it all!) Sunday wasn't much better. I called in Monday to work and only worked a half day on Tuesday. As I am laying in bed writing this, I am still sick and will be going to the doctor on Monday (hopefully...).
People are wondering if it is H1N1. To be honest, I have no idea. I do know that H1N1 is not being tested anymore up here because so many people have it. They are saying if you have at least two of the symptoms, you probably have it. If that is the case, then I have H1N1. But who knows for sure. I'm hoping it's going to be gone soon...
In other news, fall is here - kinda. We've gotten fresh snow on McGuiness and the three towers, and a bit on the other mountain near the glacier - not sure what that one is called...No fresh snow on Thunder yet. So we still have at least a month before the snow hits us. However, we did have our first frost! I woke up Tuesday morning and had to warm up my car and blast the defrost so my windshield would thaw and de-ice. It was pretty crazy. That's another sign that winter is coming...
I hope you are all doing well! I love you and miss you!
Blessings!
I started teaching preschool sunday school at my church. What an adventure. So the first Sunday was a "meet-and-greet" with the kids and the teachers. I was there, ready to meet some of the little ones. Scared to death...That Sunday, I met five little dudes. Some were shy, but two of them were chatty-chatty! It was pretty funny...I got to thinking that I would have my hands WAY full - and I only met five kids! I thought, "I can handle five preschoolers...that shouldn't be too hard. Heck, I was a nanny for seven kids under the age of five! I can SO do this!"
The next Sunday came. I had spent about three hours in the classroom Saturday to prepare, to get my wits about me, and to try and figure out what I was going to do. Sunday rolls around and kid after kid after kid came in the room. 11 kids later (thankfully I had Seanna there to help me!) we were starting Sunday School. Let me tell you, that was the most exhausting 50 minutes of my life! Maybe not of my life, but surely of my week. Preschoolers have the attention-span of a gold fish. That's not helpful when you have a room full of toys, a Bible story to read, a craft to do, and 11 kids to keep track of. What a morning! It was wild. I'm glad I'm doing it. I will learn a ton!
The following Friday was spend with my friend Crystal and her new puppy Copper. We went on a walk (in the rain!!!!!) and got soaked. When we got back to her house, we made tacos and played games with her sister-in-law. Towards the end of the night, I started getting an itchy throat. I went home and took some meds and tried to sleep. Not so good...
All through the night, I tossed and turned because my throat was hurting, I was achy everywhere, and I could hardly breathe out of my nose. The next morning (Sat) I felt like a train had hit me. I literally did not leave my bed all day. It was horrible. I think I drank a mug of chicken noodle soup - that was it. I debated whether or not to go to the ER, but I figured I had the flu and they couldn't do anything anyways. So I called Seanna and told her I was sick and would not be able to teach preschool (Again, I am SOOO thankful for her! She took it all!) Sunday wasn't much better. I called in Monday to work and only worked a half day on Tuesday. As I am laying in bed writing this, I am still sick and will be going to the doctor on Monday (hopefully...).
People are wondering if it is H1N1. To be honest, I have no idea. I do know that H1N1 is not being tested anymore up here because so many people have it. They are saying if you have at least two of the symptoms, you probably have it. If that is the case, then I have H1N1. But who knows for sure. I'm hoping it's going to be gone soon...
In other news, fall is here - kinda. We've gotten fresh snow on McGuiness and the three towers, and a bit on the other mountain near the glacier - not sure what that one is called...No fresh snow on Thunder yet. So we still have at least a month before the snow hits us. However, we did have our first frost! I woke up Tuesday morning and had to warm up my car and blast the defrost so my windshield would thaw and de-ice. It was pretty crazy. That's another sign that winter is coming...
I hope you are all doing well! I love you and miss you!
Blessings!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Can't Decide on a Title...
...So you can decide for me! The choices are:
-"Back to Real Life"
-"The Longest Post of All Time"
A lot has happened recently. Well, not a lot, but...well...yeah, it's been a lot. But it's been good! I'll start with last weekend.
I got off work around 2 pm on Friday to leave on a "vacation" with three of my girlfriends here. I came back to the house to grab my stuff and wait for my roommate to pack so we could drive to the ferry terminal to leave. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 3 pm. Did I mention that my roommate had not packed? Did I mention that she did not get to our house until about 2:20? Did I mention that we were supposed to leave at 3? Did I mention that it takes about 15 minutes to get to the ferry terminal? Did I mention that she had not packed yet? Did I mention that she didn't get home until 2:20? Did I mention that the ferry was supposed to leave at 3? Did I mention that this was a bit stressful for me?
Good news! We made it to the terminal with time to spare! Not much, but some. We went on board to stake our spot for the next sixish hours. Then we explored the ship. It was pretty fun! We went and watched "Kung Foo Panda" in the movie theatre on board, ate dinner, played Nertz, Hand and Foot, and Reversal. It got darker and darker as the night wore on, which made us really tired (besides the fact that it was Friday and we all had long weeks.) We pulled into Skagway at about 10:30pm, drove off the ferry into a town we didn't have a map for, that does not have street lights, and set out to find our hostel. Let the adventures begin...
The great thing about Skagway is that it is a small town. By small, I mean there are about 700 people who live there, it's about four blocks wide and about 22 blocks long. And, it is a grid layout, so no turns anywhere. We found our hostel fairly quickly. We go in, check in, and are told to go to room 2. (Side note - up to this point, I have no idea what it means to stay in a hostel.) I go up to room 2, open the door, and see a guy sleeping in one of the beds. I jump out of the room, shut the door, and say, "They made a mistake - there's a guy already sleeping in there!" The other ladies laughed at me and explained that is the way a hostel works. So I quietly open the door again and sneak into the room. We begin to unpack when the owner comes in and says that his wife made a mistake ("See! I told you this wasn't right...") and that we needed to move to a different room. So we move to the bunk house in the backyard. It's not much better...there are two people already sleeping in there, with two other people's stuff already in some of the beds. One of the guys came in, introduced himself as an Israeli who was making his way through Alaska. I'm thinking, I am not going to sleep with all these strangers in the room....
I was right. Didn't sleep well at all. I was up when Mr.-Sleeping-Next-To-Me came in at about 1am and again when Mr.-Sleeping-Next-To-Me woke up and left at about 5am. Every time Mr. Israel moved, I woke up. Finally, at about 7am I gave up trying to sleep, got dressed, and went to explore Skagway while talking to mom. What a fun town! It's an old western mining town, with old buildings with so much history, boardwalks, and semi-paved roads. Even the churches were tiny! When I went back to the hostel, the girls were just getting up. We packed our stuff, did our chores, and then went to explore Skagway. We got to the Presbyterian church (if you want the full story, call me - there is too much to write) and looked around at some of the other fun shops. We then decided to get a move-on to go to Whitehorse!
What a beautiful drive! The terrain and climate was so incredibly different than that of Juneau. It was so dry, there was dry dirt (not mud!) and some amazingly gorgeous trees! There were mountains everywhere, and lakes, and glaciers. Truly beautiful.
We got to the border and passed through with no problems. The border patrol laughed because we told them we were going for a "relaxing, quiet trip to Whitehorse". Apparently, Whitehorse is not known for being quiet...
Along the way, we all got to talking about our "expectations" for this trip. We learned that we're all broken ladies, with a lot going on, and were just looking for some peace and the sense and understanding that Jesus loves us - just as we are - and that we don't have to fight and work for that love. We can be kids - not adults that have everything figured out. Just a time to rest, to heal, to love, and to live. It was a struggle throughout the whole trip, and something I think we are all still living through. But we are going there, and we'll make it. This song became the "theme song" for the trip:
We arrived in Whitehorse, so excited to be in Canada! Anna, who went to college in Canada, was especially excited. We went and got our money exchanged, and then set off to find a map, and plan out our next two days. Our main focus was to find the Dairy Queen. So, you have to understand that in Juneau, there are really no fun options for food. So, when anyone who lives in Juneau goes out of Juneau, you look forward to two things: real shopping and real food. So, Dairy Queen is "real food". We got to the visitors center and asked where the Dairy Queen was and got devastating news: IT CLOSED!!!! Apparently, the owner got cancer and had to close it. I know - so not a good reason to close DQ, but such was life. So we went to Quizno's instead. Not as good, but still, different, real food! We putzed around Whitehorse, went hiking next to an amazing river, and then went to Pizza Hut for dinner (again, real food. I know, my standards have dropped...)
We stayed at the Hot Springs that night. We got to our campsite and began setting up our tents. We had two two-person tents to set up. As Anna and Kendra were setting up one of the tents, Anna says, "I think we can all fit in this one!" So, we put our sleeping bags in the one tent, and the sleeping bags fit, but I wasn't sure it was going to be the best night sleep...The other thing we didn't take into consideration was that we could fit four people in the tent if you put them in the short way rather than the long way. So, all night, my legs were bent because if I straightened my legs, they would have been outside the tent! We were cozy, and I don't think any of us were cold! We practically slept on top of each other. But, I did not sleep because we were in bear country...in a tent...and I was on the side. So, if a bear were to go after the tent, I would have been the first to go. Oh, and we had a campfire, but in Alaska, you don't wait for the fire to die down before going to bed because it's so wet, nothing will catch fire. But we weren't in Alaska - we were in Canada. So I was freaking out that the forest would catch fire. Not good.
We woke the next morning, shopped around Whitehorse some more, and then left for Skagway. We got cinnamon rolls at a bakery along the side of the road that had AMAZING cinnamon rolls! We got back to Skagway and decided that we wanted to sleep that night (seeing as we had to be at the ferry terminal at 6am the next morning) and splurged and got a real hotel! The hotel was typical old west with spiral staircases, leather chairs, old candelabras, etc. We went hiking around and saw some incredible scenery. Went to an old bar for dinner, and had a great night. And we slept SOOOO well!
Early the next morning, we got on the ferry (after not being able to find our tickets...) and were off to Juneau. We slept for half of the trip because we were so tried. We played games and continued to talk through the remainder of the trip. The captain cam on and said, "If you look out on your left, you'll see a baby orca swimming around." Sure enough, on the left, this little orca was just coming out of the water and in the water. It almost looked like a salmon spazing out, but it wasn't. Then, a little later, the captain came on again and said, "If you look on your left, you'll see a pod of humpbacks." Now, humpbacks are pretty cool, but when you see them all summer, it's not really all that exciting. But we looked anyways. Just as we turned to look, a full-grown humpback completely breeched out of the water - 100% out of the water - and plunged back into the water. It made such a huge splash!!! Way cool - loved that! Surprisingly, those two whales were the only wildlife we saw on the trip (other than eagles and squirrels).
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. We had a great time getting to know each other and loved spending time together. Loved seeing God's creation and learning to appreciate the simple things in life.
This week I start two new things. Well, one was last night. I am helping in the youth group at my church. I have a group of freshman girls that I care for. It was pretty fun being around kids again. They're so funny and love having fun with each other.
The other thing I start is teaching preschool Sunday School! I'm not sure about that one, but it should be fun, right? I'm excited, nervous, and thinking "What am I doing? I'm crazy!" So pray for me! I'll need it!
Hope all is well with you! Love you and miss you!
Blessings!
-"Back to Real Life"
-"The Longest Post of All Time"
A lot has happened recently. Well, not a lot, but...well...yeah, it's been a lot. But it's been good! I'll start with last weekend.
I got off work around 2 pm on Friday to leave on a "vacation" with three of my girlfriends here. I came back to the house to grab my stuff and wait for my roommate to pack so we could drive to the ferry terminal to leave. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 3 pm. Did I mention that my roommate had not packed? Did I mention that she did not get to our house until about 2:20? Did I mention that we were supposed to leave at 3? Did I mention that it takes about 15 minutes to get to the ferry terminal? Did I mention that she had not packed yet? Did I mention that she didn't get home until 2:20? Did I mention that the ferry was supposed to leave at 3? Did I mention that this was a bit stressful for me?
Good news! We made it to the terminal with time to spare! Not much, but some. We went on board to stake our spot for the next sixish hours. Then we explored the ship. It was pretty fun! We went and watched "Kung Foo Panda" in the movie theatre on board, ate dinner, played Nertz, Hand and Foot, and Reversal. It got darker and darker as the night wore on, which made us really tired (besides the fact that it was Friday and we all had long weeks.) We pulled into Skagway at about 10:30pm, drove off the ferry into a town we didn't have a map for, that does not have street lights, and set out to find our hostel. Let the adventures begin...
The great thing about Skagway is that it is a small town. By small, I mean there are about 700 people who live there, it's about four blocks wide and about 22 blocks long. And, it is a grid layout, so no turns anywhere. We found our hostel fairly quickly. We go in, check in, and are told to go to room 2. (Side note - up to this point, I have no idea what it means to stay in a hostel.) I go up to room 2, open the door, and see a guy sleeping in one of the beds. I jump out of the room, shut the door, and say, "They made a mistake - there's a guy already sleeping in there!" The other ladies laughed at me and explained that is the way a hostel works. So I quietly open the door again and sneak into the room. We begin to unpack when the owner comes in and says that his wife made a mistake ("See! I told you this wasn't right...") and that we needed to move to a different room. So we move to the bunk house in the backyard. It's not much better...there are two people already sleeping in there, with two other people's stuff already in some of the beds. One of the guys came in, introduced himself as an Israeli who was making his way through Alaska. I'm thinking, I am not going to sleep with all these strangers in the room....
I was right. Didn't sleep well at all. I was up when Mr.-Sleeping-Next-To-Me came in at about 1am and again when Mr.-Sleeping-Next-To-Me woke up and left at about 5am. Every time Mr. Israel moved, I woke up. Finally, at about 7am I gave up trying to sleep, got dressed, and went to explore Skagway while talking to mom. What a fun town! It's an old western mining town, with old buildings with so much history, boardwalks, and semi-paved roads. Even the churches were tiny! When I went back to the hostel, the girls were just getting up. We packed our stuff, did our chores, and then went to explore Skagway. We got to the Presbyterian church (if you want the full story, call me - there is too much to write) and looked around at some of the other fun shops. We then decided to get a move-on to go to Whitehorse!
What a beautiful drive! The terrain and climate was so incredibly different than that of Juneau. It was so dry, there was dry dirt (not mud!) and some amazingly gorgeous trees! There were mountains everywhere, and lakes, and glaciers. Truly beautiful.
We got to the border and passed through with no problems. The border patrol laughed because we told them we were going for a "relaxing, quiet trip to Whitehorse". Apparently, Whitehorse is not known for being quiet...
Along the way, we all got to talking about our "expectations" for this trip. We learned that we're all broken ladies, with a lot going on, and were just looking for some peace and the sense and understanding that Jesus loves us - just as we are - and that we don't have to fight and work for that love. We can be kids - not adults that have everything figured out. Just a time to rest, to heal, to love, and to live. It was a struggle throughout the whole trip, and something I think we are all still living through. But we are going there, and we'll make it. This song became the "theme song" for the trip:
We arrived in Whitehorse, so excited to be in Canada! Anna, who went to college in Canada, was especially excited. We went and got our money exchanged, and then set off to find a map, and plan out our next two days. Our main focus was to find the Dairy Queen. So, you have to understand that in Juneau, there are really no fun options for food. So, when anyone who lives in Juneau goes out of Juneau, you look forward to two things: real shopping and real food. So, Dairy Queen is "real food". We got to the visitors center and asked where the Dairy Queen was and got devastating news: IT CLOSED!!!! Apparently, the owner got cancer and had to close it. I know - so not a good reason to close DQ, but such was life. So we went to Quizno's instead. Not as good, but still, different, real food! We putzed around Whitehorse, went hiking next to an amazing river, and then went to Pizza Hut for dinner (again, real food. I know, my standards have dropped...)
We stayed at the Hot Springs that night. We got to our campsite and began setting up our tents. We had two two-person tents to set up. As Anna and Kendra were setting up one of the tents, Anna says, "I think we can all fit in this one!" So, we put our sleeping bags in the one tent, and the sleeping bags fit, but I wasn't sure it was going to be the best night sleep...The other thing we didn't take into consideration was that we could fit four people in the tent if you put them in the short way rather than the long way. So, all night, my legs were bent because if I straightened my legs, they would have been outside the tent! We were cozy, and I don't think any of us were cold! We practically slept on top of each other. But, I did not sleep because we were in bear country...in a tent...and I was on the side. So, if a bear were to go after the tent, I would have been the first to go. Oh, and we had a campfire, but in Alaska, you don't wait for the fire to die down before going to bed because it's so wet, nothing will catch fire. But we weren't in Alaska - we were in Canada. So I was freaking out that the forest would catch fire. Not good.
We woke the next morning, shopped around Whitehorse some more, and then left for Skagway. We got cinnamon rolls at a bakery along the side of the road that had AMAZING cinnamon rolls! We got back to Skagway and decided that we wanted to sleep that night (seeing as we had to be at the ferry terminal at 6am the next morning) and splurged and got a real hotel! The hotel was typical old west with spiral staircases, leather chairs, old candelabras, etc. We went hiking around and saw some incredible scenery. Went to an old bar for dinner, and had a great night. And we slept SOOOO well!
Early the next morning, we got on the ferry (after not being able to find our tickets...) and were off to Juneau. We slept for half of the trip because we were so tried. We played games and continued to talk through the remainder of the trip. The captain cam on and said, "If you look out on your left, you'll see a baby orca swimming around." Sure enough, on the left, this little orca was just coming out of the water and in the water. It almost looked like a salmon spazing out, but it wasn't. Then, a little later, the captain came on again and said, "If you look on your left, you'll see a pod of humpbacks." Now, humpbacks are pretty cool, but when you see them all summer, it's not really all that exciting. But we looked anyways. Just as we turned to look, a full-grown humpback completely breeched out of the water - 100% out of the water - and plunged back into the water. It made such a huge splash!!! Way cool - loved that! Surprisingly, those two whales were the only wildlife we saw on the trip (other than eagles and squirrels).
All in all, it was a fantastic trip. We had a great time getting to know each other and loved spending time together. Loved seeing God's creation and learning to appreciate the simple things in life.
This week I start two new things. Well, one was last night. I am helping in the youth group at my church. I have a group of freshman girls that I care for. It was pretty fun being around kids again. They're so funny and love having fun with each other.
The other thing I start is teaching preschool Sunday School! I'm not sure about that one, but it should be fun, right? I'm excited, nervous, and thinking "What am I doing? I'm crazy!" So pray for me! I'll need it!
Hope all is well with you! Love you and miss you!
Blessings!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
There's a reason it's called Jumbo...
It's been a while, and I've truly been meaning to write about my weekend. However, since I am so late in writing this blog, that "weekend" was about two weeks ago! I'm recovered now, and actually set some time aside to write.
It all started Friday night. I got home from work, was exhausted, and really looking forward to eating some simple dinner and then going to my room to watch a movie. I had just finished dinner, taken a shower, and was crawling into bed when my friend Crystal called asking me what I was doing. She said that she and Amy were going to go out to the Boy Scout camp and hike around. Even though I was exhausted, just had a shower, and really looking forward to that movie, I said I would go. So here it's 7pm and we're just starting out on a hike...let the adventures begin...
We get way out the road to the trail. Oh man, was it beautiful!! There was a thick forest of trees, the river right beside it, and a little island thing on the other side of the river. There was a huge tree that fell down on the island that cast some shadows. Me: "Look! There's a bear!" Amy: "There's no bear over there." Me: "Yes there is! Look!!!" Crystal: "That's just the shadow of the tree. There's no bear." Me: "Oh yeah. I see it now. Just kidding!" Amy: "Wait, there really is a bear over there!" Me: freaking out a litlle..."No there's not! It's just a shadow!" duh! Amy: "No, really, there's a bear over there!" Crystal: "I see it! Oh look! It's fishing!" Me: "I don't want to look." But I look anyways. Just then, this bear (yes, it was there!) picked up a salmon out of the river and began to eat it! It was pretty cool. But I was still freaking out.
We continue walking, making loud noises so that the bears wouldn't come to us. We got to a beautiful clearing and there were meadows everywhere. The sun was beginning to set, the mountains in the background, and the ocean right in front of us. As we kept walking, there was a stench about us. It was bad. As we kept walking, we saw the reason: there were so many dead fish, laying there, rotting!!!! I don't know how they got on land - I probably don't want to know - but there they were, dead and rotting. Well, here's a picture of that...
We hung around for a while, and then decided it was time to go back to the car. Crystal: "See Laurie, there are not many bears around here..." As she is saying this, I look to my right, and about 50 feet away, this bear pokes its head up out of the grass and just looks at us. Me; really freaking out at this point..."YOU MEAN LIKE THAT ONE RIGHT THERE?!?!?!!" Crystal: "Yeah! Oh, he's cute! Get your camera out!" Me: "WE ARE NOT STOPPING FOR A PHOTO OP!!! THAT IS A BIG BEAR, IT IS CLOSE TO US, AND WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" Amy: "He's eating, he's happy." Me: "I don't care. We're leaving now." Crystal got my camera, started taking pictures, but they didn't come out. As we're walking back to the car under the forest of trees, we are talking and laughing (me - I'm still scared to death that there are more bears around). We get so close to the car, and I hear something in the bushes right next to me. I look over, and Crystal puts her hand on my back and says, "Just keep walking." Two things I notice at this point: 1. She is not letting me look at what it was = not good. 2. She is talking louder than usual = not good. We get back to the car, and I say, "That wasn't a small animal. What was it?" Crystal says, "It was about a 1 year old bear." Amy: "We didn't want to tell you cause then you'd really freak out." So, all this to say, I was standing 4 feet away from a little bear!!!! Oh man. Then Crystal tells me that the Boy Scout trail is known for the bears. Not cool.
Here are some more pictures from that trip:
So the following day, some co-workers and I decide we're going to hike Mt. Jumbo. I'm thinking, it's a decent hike - the hike book says it's a "most intense" hike, and the round trip should take around 10 hours. So we get our water bottles, juice, lunch, home-made granola bars (thanks Jenn!) and start the trail around 11 am.
The trailhead is in between two houses - no joke. There's this little sign that says it's the trailhead. Welcome to Juneau...So we begin the hike, and it's a little steep in places, but overall not bad at all. I'm thinking, yeah! I can do this! 10 hours of this - no sweat. Soon we get to this amazing waterfall with a little bridge. So peaceful! We're all still pretty happy at this point. As we keep on walking, we come to what we fondly named the Stairs of Death.
Once you get past the stairs of death, you get to the board walk. The boardwalk is at a steady incline, but nothing too unbearable. It goes through this meadow. It reminded me of the Lord of the Rings, in the Marshes. There was this quicksand type stuff everywhere, beautiful flowers, and grasses and small trees. Beautiful! So we hike through the marshes and get to the trees. Now the fun starts...
I kid you not, this was the trail - for about 2/3 of the trip! Intense hiking all the way up! My friend and I kept saying, "K. I think I can see the top! Almost there!" We get to the "top" and see that no, there is another mountain. Oh man. This went on for about 4 hours or so.
When we broke timberline, we kept thinking, "There is a big rocky stump up there. We can't possibly be going that far up. There's no way!" Oh yes, let me tell you, that is in fact the top, and yes, you hike to the top. And what an amazing view it was:
I was in awe of God's artwork! Simply amazing.
So after being up there for a while, we started the crazy hike down. I always think that going up is so hard to do, but it is going down that kills! It took us a little over two hours to get off that dumb mountain! Well, when you have trails like this, you'd understand why:
When we got to the bottom, we could hardly move. We staggered into a pizza place, sat down, and none of us were very chatty - we were so tired! Let me tell you, for the next week, I could hardly move! My legs hurt so bad! But what an amazing experience! Lesson learned: When a mountain is called Mt. Jumbo, it's called Mt. Jumbo for a reason!
I miss you all!
Blessings!
It all started Friday night. I got home from work, was exhausted, and really looking forward to eating some simple dinner and then going to my room to watch a movie. I had just finished dinner, taken a shower, and was crawling into bed when my friend Crystal called asking me what I was doing. She said that she and Amy were going to go out to the Boy Scout camp and hike around. Even though I was exhausted, just had a shower, and really looking forward to that movie, I said I would go. So here it's 7pm and we're just starting out on a hike...let the adventures begin...
We get way out the road to the trail. Oh man, was it beautiful!! There was a thick forest of trees, the river right beside it, and a little island thing on the other side of the river. There was a huge tree that fell down on the island that cast some shadows. Me: "Look! There's a bear!" Amy: "There's no bear over there." Me: "Yes there is! Look!!!" Crystal: "That's just the shadow of the tree. There's no bear." Me: "Oh yeah. I see it now. Just kidding!" Amy: "Wait, there really is a bear over there!" Me: freaking out a litlle..."No there's not! It's just a shadow!" duh! Amy: "No, really, there's a bear over there!" Crystal: "I see it! Oh look! It's fishing!" Me: "I don't want to look." But I look anyways. Just then, this bear (yes, it was there!) picked up a salmon out of the river and began to eat it! It was pretty cool. But I was still freaking out.
We continue walking, making loud noises so that the bears wouldn't come to us. We got to a beautiful clearing and there were meadows everywhere. The sun was beginning to set, the mountains in the background, and the ocean right in front of us. As we kept walking, there was a stench about us. It was bad. As we kept walking, we saw the reason: there were so many dead fish, laying there, rotting!!!! I don't know how they got on land - I probably don't want to know - but there they were, dead and rotting. Well, here's a picture of that...
We hung around for a while, and then decided it was time to go back to the car. Crystal: "See Laurie, there are not many bears around here..." As she is saying this, I look to my right, and about 50 feet away, this bear pokes its head up out of the grass and just looks at us. Me; really freaking out at this point..."YOU MEAN LIKE THAT ONE RIGHT THERE?!?!?!!" Crystal: "Yeah! Oh, he's cute! Get your camera out!" Me: "WE ARE NOT STOPPING FOR A PHOTO OP!!! THAT IS A BIG BEAR, IT IS CLOSE TO US, AND WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" Amy: "He's eating, he's happy." Me: "I don't care. We're leaving now." Crystal got my camera, started taking pictures, but they didn't come out. As we're walking back to the car under the forest of trees, we are talking and laughing (me - I'm still scared to death that there are more bears around). We get so close to the car, and I hear something in the bushes right next to me. I look over, and Crystal puts her hand on my back and says, "Just keep walking." Two things I notice at this point: 1. She is not letting me look at what it was = not good. 2. She is talking louder than usual = not good. We get back to the car, and I say, "That wasn't a small animal. What was it?" Crystal says, "It was about a 1 year old bear." Amy: "We didn't want to tell you cause then you'd really freak out." So, all this to say, I was standing 4 feet away from a little bear!!!! Oh man. Then Crystal tells me that the Boy Scout trail is known for the bears. Not cool.
Here are some more pictures from that trip:
So the following day, some co-workers and I decide we're going to hike Mt. Jumbo. I'm thinking, it's a decent hike - the hike book says it's a "most intense" hike, and the round trip should take around 10 hours. So we get our water bottles, juice, lunch, home-made granola bars (thanks Jenn!) and start the trail around 11 am.
The trailhead is in between two houses - no joke. There's this little sign that says it's the trailhead. Welcome to Juneau...So we begin the hike, and it's a little steep in places, but overall not bad at all. I'm thinking, yeah! I can do this! 10 hours of this - no sweat. Soon we get to this amazing waterfall with a little bridge. So peaceful! We're all still pretty happy at this point. As we keep on walking, we come to what we fondly named the Stairs of Death.
Once you get past the stairs of death, you get to the board walk. The boardwalk is at a steady incline, but nothing too unbearable. It goes through this meadow. It reminded me of the Lord of the Rings, in the Marshes. There was this quicksand type stuff everywhere, beautiful flowers, and grasses and small trees. Beautiful! So we hike through the marshes and get to the trees. Now the fun starts...
I kid you not, this was the trail - for about 2/3 of the trip! Intense hiking all the way up! My friend and I kept saying, "K. I think I can see the top! Almost there!" We get to the "top" and see that no, there is another mountain. Oh man. This went on for about 4 hours or so.
When we broke timberline, we kept thinking, "There is a big rocky stump up there. We can't possibly be going that far up. There's no way!" Oh yes, let me tell you, that is in fact the top, and yes, you hike to the top. And what an amazing view it was:
I was in awe of God's artwork! Simply amazing.
So after being up there for a while, we started the crazy hike down. I always think that going up is so hard to do, but it is going down that kills! It took us a little over two hours to get off that dumb mountain! Well, when you have trails like this, you'd understand why:
When we got to the bottom, we could hardly move. We staggered into a pizza place, sat down, and none of us were very chatty - we were so tired! Let me tell you, for the next week, I could hardly move! My legs hurt so bad! But what an amazing experience! Lesson learned: When a mountain is called Mt. Jumbo, it's called Mt. Jumbo for a reason!
I miss you all!
Blessings!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)