...Wouldn't you like to know! I'll give you a hint: He was breathing as of 4:30 today when I got off the phone with him...he lives in a different state than I do...Portland to be exact...and he's 93 years old!
A couple posts back, I wrote about this old man I met in the airport named Gery. I wrote to Gery when I got back to Juneau, just saying that I hope everything was alright with his heart and his ribs (he fell when he had his heart attack), and that it was a pleasure meeting him. I hadn't heard from him since.
When I got home from work a couple days ago, I randomly checked my messages on my home phone. I never do this...there were about 12 messages on it...One of them was from some man who sounded really old and who I could hardly understand. So I looked at the caller id (my phone saves caller id's) and saw that it was a "Vandermort Ger". I had no clue who this was, so I thought nothing of it.
So last night Kendra, Andrea and I were having dinner and I burst out saying, "I know who that is!" I proceeded to tell the girls who the "mysterious man" was. Since it was about 8:30 pm my time (9:30 pm his time) I thought it wouldn't be a good idea to call him then. I opted to call him on my lunch break the following day (today).
So lunch comes around and I give Mr. Vandermort a call. No answer. So I leave a message saying that I hope he's doing well and would like to talk to him. He calls later in the day while I'm still at work, so now I've opted to call him on my way home from work.
I got off at 4:30 (beauty of working through lunch breaks...) and call this guy up. He answers! We talk for a good 20 minutes. He fills me in on all he has done since January: "I've taken a lady to the hospital, I'm going to meet my friend again in Southern California, I'm still doing counseling with some couples, and I'm building things." I fill him in a bit on what I'm doing: "I work with crazy people, and sometimes think I'm crazy because of it!" He then begins to ask about my boyfriend again. I laughed and told him, "When my boyfriend shows up, you'll be one of the first to know!" He then tells me, "Laurie, I am so blessed to know you. And I want you to know that the Lord's timing is perfect. He has someone for you. You've just got to trust God that he will bring him to you. You're young and beautiful, it'll happen. Just wait for God. The Lord will lead you. Just listen - be sure you listen - you don't want to miss it."
Wow. Sometimes I feel like I'm five again, and just got in trouble by either my Jansen parents or my own parents because I wasn't listening. It's hard to wait for God's timing! On so many things, not just some guy. I want to move back to CA. I want to have a job I actually enjoy all the time, not just some of the time. I want to travel all over. I want to have a relationship with a guy. But as Mr. Vanderwort said, "In God's timing. Just wait for God. The Lord will lead you. Just listen..."
He then wished me a Happy Valentines Day and said, "Laurie, I love ya. You are a blessing." We hung up and I was left with a smile on my face. Yep, Mr. Vanderwort is my Valentine this year.
Happy Valentines Day to all of you!
I love you!
Blessings!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Getting it all out
Thanks for this song Linda! It's great - I'm loving it every time I listen!
As many of you know, there are some changes going on right now...friends' lives are being changed, my surroundings are changing, and there's a lot going on in my head. It's hard to get it all out...
As many of you know by now, I am moving yet again! Hopefully I will stay in this new place for a while. I'm renting a one bed/bath apt from Amy's parents and am SO excited that I finally can have my own space! While living with people have some major benefits, I can't even begin to tell you how good it will be for me to have my own apt. It's a super cute apt, and my current roommate is going to help decorate it. So, for all you that need a place to stay when you visit Juneau, give me a call - I'll have a sweet place! ;-)
One of my roommates is getting married in May. Very excited about that! She's actually walking down the isle to this song, so we've been listening to it quite often...haha! It's been fun watching her and helping her plan this wedding. She is so excited and it just rubs off on you.
My job is going well. I still have no idea what I'm doing or what I'm supposed to be doing, but that makes it even more interesting, right? I am continually surprised by the folks I work with and the different levels of "crazy" we get to deal with. It's a fun job, but as always, I'm so ready to move back home!
Preschool is going well too. The past two weeks have been huge challenges: last week I was on my own with 11, and this week I had Shawna back with 15! And for some reason, these past few weeks, the kids have had an extreme excess of energy. We're thinking because it's been so yucky outside, they haven't played outside in a while. Whatever it is, I've been praying constantly for patience with them! They're an exhausting handful, but they're pretty fun too...
That's about all I can talk about now. So many more things are happening, but too much to write in a blog, and some I'm not quite ready to talk about. But know that I truly am doing well, and am making the most of the time I have up here. God is doing incredible things and teaching me amazing lessons that I would not be able to learn in other places or situations. For that I am grateful.
I love you and miss you!
Blessings!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Saying Goodbye
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!
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, 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!
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