It's really over.
Over the last three days I have hugged, cried, and waved as I watched my dear friends drive away. It's hard, being the last to leave. I'm not going to lie, it's a lonely place tonight on this empty campus. I'm all packed up, ready to head out tomorrow afternoon, ready to start the next step.
The last week here was packed with such amazingly awesome times. We stayed up late, played games, chatted about anything and everything, went out to eat, played broomball (still sore, but SO worth it), and just ENJOYED each other. I also finished my work here, well obviously the book will be a continuing project but we are as complete as we can be on our draft, waiting to hear back from the editors now. It felt so bizarre to finish up everything. So fulfilling, yet it left me feeling all jittery and odd. I was rather hyper and giddy as well. As you can probably guess, it made for an exciting evening. :)
And so now, I sit in my lonely, empty house. Looking around as memories flash by me. I hear echoes of laughter, can still feel the hugs of my friends, and see glimpses of their twinkling eyes. How I will miss living here and being a part of their lives in this way.
I still can't get over how I blessed I am. As I was packing I came across a picture of me from my very first day in Jackson Hole. I stared down at the girl in the photo, looked into her uncertain eyes and asked, "Would you ever have guessed? Could you ever imagine God would have given us this amazing year and a half?" I remember clearly that girl, I know her well, she's still very much a part of me but, well she's also practically a stranger. God has grown me so much over the last 18 months. I have experienced so much, learned so much, and I pray matured and grown wiser through it all. I have never before had such a great trust in God and His plan, a dependance on His faithfulness. Truly, even though I am uncertain about my future, I am sure that He is in control and so I rejoice at the uncertainty, for through it, God will prove faithful yet again.
And so Canada, watch out. I'm coming home.
Tetons
Showing posts with label broom ball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label broom ball. Show all posts
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Find your inner woman 8: the Chef
So I was craving chicken cordon bleu and had this bright idea of how to get it...like actually the way I wanted it (aka my mom's recipe). So instead of asking Jared to make it, I just asked if I could make it one Friday for work day and they totally said yes! So we got all the ingredients and the big day arrived!
I started at 3:15 and wow...it's a good thing. I have never even MADE it before...I mean, like maybe once but to make it for around 40 people!?!?!? It was crazy. We had 72 pieces of chicken in 3 hotel pans. Then I hate to slice most the cheese, which took awhile and then we had fresh sliced ham, which took another while, and then I had to find enough cream of chicken soup...we didn't really have enough but I just added a bit more milk to make it go farther. I didn't realize when I started this whole that I would be basically in charge of the whole meal, but I had a blast. I was directing people here and there who came up asking for a job, got people working on Greek salad, getting the pasta ready, and fetching rolls (that's right, I actually called them rolls the whole time!). So by this time, it is about 4:30 and the chicken really needs to get in the oven. We sprinkle some bread crumbs on, pour some butter over it and in they go. (I have no idea if they are really going to turn out but I'm hoping for the best.)
Now over to the Greek salad. Lish had mixed up the dressing and her and a few people were working on cutting veggies. I showed them how big I wanted them, and how much etc and then we realized we had no cucumbers...problem. So we call Jared, who is out with a group of guys at the shooting range and he says he'll bring some at 5:25...5 minutes before dinner...
Next we have to figure out a dessert and I totally hadn't thought of anything and so we are all just sitting there thinking and I have the bright idea of a trifle...not really thinking it would work but it just so happens that we have 2 sheet cakes and enough whipped topping to make two for dessert (they turned out SO awesome!).
Finally, we are down to pretty much being done: waiting for the chicken, waiting for the cucumbers, testing the pasta. Everything was ready 15 minutes before dinner time...just waiting for the cucumbers. We set out all the dishes, get the chicken out (and it looks amazing and I am so excited) and then in walks Jared with the cucumbers. Three of us on the job and 3 minutes later, the salad is done as well. I have to say, I was feeling pretty good. I had had a blast and now, was hoping people would like it.
As people went through the line, I explained what it all was (many had never even heard of Greek salad!) and suggested putting the sauce on the pasta as that was how I liked it. Some people were a little skeptical - especially of the salad but everyone LOVED it! I was so happy to serve all these people something that they really enjoyed. I kept getting compliments until I was worried I was going to become a little prideful!
It was a fabulous evening and I can't thank all my helpers enough. Makes me wanna be a chef! ...but...I highly doubt that's gonna happen...
Ended the day off with broom ball and a movie - doesn't get much better than that!
I started at 3:15 and wow...it's a good thing. I have never even MADE it before...I mean, like maybe once but to make it for around 40 people!?!?!? It was crazy. We had 72 pieces of chicken in 3 hotel pans. Then I hate to slice most the cheese, which took awhile and then we had fresh sliced ham, which took another while, and then I had to find enough cream of chicken soup...we didn't really have enough but I just added a bit more milk to make it go farther. I didn't realize when I started this whole that I would be basically in charge of the whole meal, but I had a blast. I was directing people here and there who came up asking for a job, got people working on Greek salad, getting the pasta ready, and fetching rolls (that's right, I actually called them rolls the whole time!). So by this time, it is about 4:30 and the chicken really needs to get in the oven. We sprinkle some bread crumbs on, pour some butter over it and in they go. (I have no idea if they are really going to turn out but I'm hoping for the best.)
Now over to the Greek salad. Lish had mixed up the dressing and her and a few people were working on cutting veggies. I showed them how big I wanted them, and how much etc and then we realized we had no cucumbers...problem. So we call Jared, who is out with a group of guys at the shooting range and he says he'll bring some at 5:25...5 minutes before dinner...
Next we have to figure out a dessert and I totally hadn't thought of anything and so we are all just sitting there thinking and I have the bright idea of a trifle...not really thinking it would work but it just so happens that we have 2 sheet cakes and enough whipped topping to make two for dessert (they turned out SO awesome!).
Finally, we are down to pretty much being done: waiting for the chicken, waiting for the cucumbers, testing the pasta. Everything was ready 15 minutes before dinner time...just waiting for the cucumbers. We set out all the dishes, get the chicken out (and it looks amazing and I am so excited) and then in walks Jared with the cucumbers. Three of us on the job and 3 minutes later, the salad is done as well. I have to say, I was feeling pretty good. I had had a blast and now, was hoping people would like it.
As people went through the line, I explained what it all was (many had never even heard of Greek salad!) and suggested putting the sauce on the pasta as that was how I liked it. Some people were a little skeptical - especially of the salad but everyone LOVED it! I was so happy to serve all these people something that they really enjoyed. I kept getting compliments until I was worried I was going to become a little prideful!
It was a fabulous evening and I can't thank all my helpers enough. Makes me wanna be a chef! ...but...I highly doubt that's gonna happen...
Ended the day off with broom ball and a movie - doesn't get much better than that!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Find your inner woman 6: the Hockey player!
Okay, so it wasn't really hockey but, close enough! Last night, after a day of snowboarding, we played broom ball for four hours. Basically it is ice hockey...without skates and with brooms instead of sticks. SO AWESOME! I didn't play last week as I was too tired but it was soooo much fun and I'm so glad I played last night (even though I am SO sore right now - it was totally worth it).
At first, I was like really terrible and awkward. I didn't really know what to do because there were so many people around, like probs 20 people on each team at least and so I kinda just stood and "played" middle pretty much failing at ever hitting the ball. Then Cort made the excellent point that I should uh, turn the broom and actually hit it with the broad side rather than the tip so.... things started getting easier when I actually concentrated on the position of my broom.
As the game went on, I got more into it...perhaps a little too much into it. I fell a whole lot and I've got the bruises to prove it but really, they just prove that I was trying hard and actually getting in there. I stayed playing middle for most the game, checking people and making interceptions. Then I played some defense when we started really losing (plus by this time we had lost like 5 players - Stephen got a concussion, Lish hurt her knee, Nick had to leave early, Tim got cold, and Teresa had left) so then there was even more chaos and then Josh S. pulled my hair...apparently trying to pull on my tassel so I whacked him with my broom and Danilo and I had a little international rivalry going on...until he got switched to my team.
I played offense for the last bit, not very useful by this time as I was exhausted and it hurt to move. (I found out there was 45minutes left and I was like...ughhhhhh, can I just sit here and swing my broom???? but I didn't.) Then, coolest moment ever! I happened to just be positioned in the right place when Cort took a shot, missed and I passed it to Derrick who shot it and SCORED!!! It was perfect! and it tied the game and ended it too as we were out of time. So great ending with a tie game.
Funny note, as we were gathering the stuff, the lights went out (only stay on 'til 10) so we had to make our way back to the cars in pitch blackness as our eyes slowly adjusted. That was fun. Oh, and by this time it was like -18 degrees and we finally started feeling the cold cuz we weren't running around and it was FREEZING!
Anyways, I hadn't done a "Find your inner woman" in awhile so I figured it was high time. Basically I had a blast and I figure my Canadian blood must have been proving itself because I've never been very good at hockey...
And I think there are even some parallels to my spiritual walk here (kinda random but you see these things everywhere when you're in Bible school haha). I'm often nervous and unsure of myself around other outgoing Christians who seem so on fire for God, going on missions, serving others, volunteering and it is really hard for me to find "my place" but really, I don't think there is really a "place" I need to find. God can use me anywhere if I just get in there and work my best for His glory. Sometimes I will fall down or miss the goal but He can always make the most of every swing of my broom and sometimes, I'll be in the right place at the right time and finally realize that God had been moving me all along for just such a time as this.
At first, I was like really terrible and awkward. I didn't really know what to do because there were so many people around, like probs 20 people on each team at least and so I kinda just stood and "played" middle pretty much failing at ever hitting the ball. Then Cort made the excellent point that I should uh, turn the broom and actually hit it with the broad side rather than the tip so.... things started getting easier when I actually concentrated on the position of my broom.
As the game went on, I got more into it...perhaps a little too much into it. I fell a whole lot and I've got the bruises to prove it but really, they just prove that I was trying hard and actually getting in there. I stayed playing middle for most the game, checking people and making interceptions. Then I played some defense when we started really losing (plus by this time we had lost like 5 players - Stephen got a concussion, Lish hurt her knee, Nick had to leave early, Tim got cold, and Teresa had left) so then there was even more chaos and then Josh S. pulled my hair...apparently trying to pull on my tassel so I whacked him with my broom and Danilo and I had a little international rivalry going on...until he got switched to my team.
I played offense for the last bit, not very useful by this time as I was exhausted and it hurt to move. (I found out there was 45minutes left and I was like...ughhhhhh, can I just sit here and swing my broom???? but I didn't.) Then, coolest moment ever! I happened to just be positioned in the right place when Cort took a shot, missed and I passed it to Derrick who shot it and SCORED!!! It was perfect! and it tied the game and ended it too as we were out of time. So great ending with a tie game.
Funny note, as we were gathering the stuff, the lights went out (only stay on 'til 10) so we had to make our way back to the cars in pitch blackness as our eyes slowly adjusted. That was fun. Oh, and by this time it was like -18 degrees and we finally started feeling the cold cuz we weren't running around and it was FREEZING!
Anyways, I hadn't done a "Find your inner woman" in awhile so I figured it was high time. Basically I had a blast and I figure my Canadian blood must have been proving itself because I've never been very good at hockey...
And I think there are even some parallels to my spiritual walk here (kinda random but you see these things everywhere when you're in Bible school haha). I'm often nervous and unsure of myself around other outgoing Christians who seem so on fire for God, going on missions, serving others, volunteering and it is really hard for me to find "my place" but really, I don't think there is really a "place" I need to find. God can use me anywhere if I just get in there and work my best for His glory. Sometimes I will fall down or miss the goal but He can always make the most of every swing of my broom and sometimes, I'll be in the right place at the right time and finally realize that God had been moving me all along for just such a time as this.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Just call me Superwoman!
So, a bunch of us went snowboarding at Jackson Hole Ski Resort yesterday and had a BLAST! I just bought the beginner lift pass as that was only $25 rather than $91. However, by half-way through the day, Sam (my skiing friend) and I decided to call the pass the "limited-fun" pass. See, we had a lot of fun...it was just SEVERELY limited by having only 2 lifts, and basically 4 runs. We made the most of it though as I dragged her through the trees and over little jumps and it was definitely worth every penny. Even with the warm weather causing the snow to turn all heavy, it was still great.
On one of our last runs, we were going through the trees and we heard this little girl crying and I look ahead and see these two TINY girls on skis stopped beside a marked off area and then I see a little head beyond the poles and I'm like, "Oh man". I quickly whipped off my board and ran over and look into this little hole and there is this poor weeping child inside the hole, her legs spread apart against the sides so she doesn't slip into the water running beneath her (not like hugely dangerous, just a stream). I reached down and grabbed her hand and pulled her out and she is bawling in my arms as I try to comfort her. Sam comes up behind me and goes to get her skis out and I had to hold her just to be sure she didn't slide in. Then one of the instrutors (there were like a million because we were on the beginner hills) comes and checks that everything is okay, fixes the poles and finally the girls dad shows up (he was down the trail just sitting there). He didn't say anything to us or seem at all worried that his child had just fallen down a hole...I was a little miffed at him. And then he walked out with the one girl and left the other two stranded in the trees further down and the instructor had to help them out. Altogether it was an interesting experience and we were just so glad that we had gone down that trail and were there to help her.
Later, going down that same trail, our last run of the day. I'm going pretty fast, heading for the little jump at the end and I'm almost there and then suddenly, not sure what happened but I'm headed for the a trees. Luckily I ducked forward and just slammed my leg but, I've got quite the bruise there now. haha
It was a fun day altogether, but it got even better. After getting home, eating pizza, and showering, we all headed out to play broom ball. Sam and I went together in her car a little after everyone and we filled her car tires with air as they were low. We were pretty proud of ourselves as neither of us had ever done it before. Then, arriving at the rink, I just spent the time snapping pictures of my classmates falling all over the ice. It was hilarious and I can't wait to try it myself when I am not so worn out from snowboarding!
And that is the account of Saturday. After a week of exhausting study of Romans, I was so worn out, but it felt good. Bought my season pass to Snow King today so I may have more random stories from boarding. Stay tuned. :)
On one of our last runs, we were going through the trees and we heard this little girl crying and I look ahead and see these two TINY girls on skis stopped beside a marked off area and then I see a little head beyond the poles and I'm like, "Oh man". I quickly whipped off my board and ran over and look into this little hole and there is this poor weeping child inside the hole, her legs spread apart against the sides so she doesn't slip into the water running beneath her (not like hugely dangerous, just a stream). I reached down and grabbed her hand and pulled her out and she is bawling in my arms as I try to comfort her. Sam comes up behind me and goes to get her skis out and I had to hold her just to be sure she didn't slide in. Then one of the instrutors (there were like a million because we were on the beginner hills) comes and checks that everything is okay, fixes the poles and finally the girls dad shows up (he was down the trail just sitting there). He didn't say anything to us or seem at all worried that his child had just fallen down a hole...I was a little miffed at him. And then he walked out with the one girl and left the other two stranded in the trees further down and the instructor had to help them out. Altogether it was an interesting experience and we were just so glad that we had gone down that trail and were there to help her.
Later, going down that same trail, our last run of the day. I'm going pretty fast, heading for the little jump at the end and I'm almost there and then suddenly, not sure what happened but I'm headed for the a trees. Luckily I ducked forward and just slammed my leg but, I've got quite the bruise there now. haha
It was a fun day altogether, but it got even better. After getting home, eating pizza, and showering, we all headed out to play broom ball. Sam and I went together in her car a little after everyone and we filled her car tires with air as they were low. We were pretty proud of ourselves as neither of us had ever done it before. Then, arriving at the rink, I just spent the time snapping pictures of my classmates falling all over the ice. It was hilarious and I can't wait to try it myself when I am not so worn out from snowboarding!
And that is the account of Saturday. After a week of exhausting study of Romans, I was so worn out, but it felt good. Bought my season pass to Snow King today so I may have more random stories from boarding. Stay tuned. :)
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