Really exciting and informative blog! Plus lots of fun pictures, funny stories and an life changing announcement.

I am hanging my head in shame. How could I be such a careless and lazy blogger? OK, it might have something to do with my questionable Internet connection/inability to get online for more than 7 minutes at a time...but regardless, I am sorry if my lack of blogging has affected your lives in any way.

To recap:

Yesterday was Christmas! ( I got to spend it with my awesome family, in a awesome beach house in beautiful Cannon Beach!)

I've been at the ranch for almost 3 months.

I spend my Wed-Fridays scrubbing toilets, folding fitted sheets, removing urinal algae, mopping floors and folding cute little triangles on the ends of toilet papers and stamping them with a little Young Life logo. Depending on the day you might find 6 girls giddy with laughter and happy spirits, or, well, girls who are removing urinal algae. Housekeeping has truly been a lesson in physical and emotional endurance, and has shown me how a positive attitude can transform any situation.

My Fridays-Sundays are spent in the dining hall; coordinating my volunteer work crews and attempting to set, serve, buss, and re-set in a timely and calm manner. A true test in patience and perfection, I am learning to love it (the sweet police-esque radio I get to sport is a big factor in the growing affection)! I also have my own office--some might confuse it for a utility closet with a desk, but I know it's true organizational potential. I am already anticipating the craziness of summer and the entire dining room full of 800 hungry kids 3 times a day, 6 days a week. I am very lucky to have made a friend in last years dining hall intern who is graciously giving me all her acquired wisdom and calming my pre-mature nerves.

My fellow interns are stupendous. We are quite the motley crew hailing from all over the US and filled with such different stories, growing up experiences, passions and personalities. I wish you could meet them all, but for now I am too lazy to introduce them via blogspot. I have connected beautifully with some--laughing continuously, sharing my usually stoic heart and random thoughts/opinions, and have already begun to make plans for our friendship futures. I am happy to have met all of them, and know that some will be "honest to goodness" friends for life.

I wish I could describe life at the ranch in an eloquent, understandable way...but the truth is, I can't. When you live, work, and play all in the same place...things get complicated... I'm still trying to figure it out. I am surrounded by the beauty of the earth--in fact that song has been playing in my head for the past 90 days or so! I live in a community where you know every one's names, their kids names and their dogs name. Sometimes you want to crawl under a rock to avoid the nights' activities, and others you can't wait for the special dinner a random camp family has prepared for you. I am usually ok with wearing a sweatsuit every day of the week...but then the next day all I want to do is shave my legs and wear a dress. Going to town 2 hours away is still a treat, and I have learned to survive without PBS, wine, movie theaters and caribou coffee! Some days I love it, but many times I ask myself and God why the heck I am in the middle of nowhere. What a strange and wonderful opportunity to think and learn about myself, huh?

Are you overwhelmed with information? I am overwhelmed trying to overwhelm you with it. Thanks for being interested in my life, and thanks again to those of you who have supported me.

I am thankful for you!

Here is a poor quality photo of my fellow interns. One day I promise something better, but for now squint your eyes and try to pick out the cute ones