~Grief~

What started out as a much needed day off to refresh and prepare for another week, ended up being one of the most difficult days I have experienced here.  The rains have continued to fall and seeing the damage is heart wrenching. Though it has not been too bad where I am, the damage is not far from us at all.   But the bigger shock of the day is finding out one of my students has passed away.  She was a resident but was at her parents house when she passed.  My dad, Debbie, Dan and I called a resident meeting to let them know.  I never expected that this would be part of my job.  The whole thing is surreal.  We spent time praying for the situation and for her family as well as thanking God that He had brought her into our lives.  The rest of the day has been a little bit of a blur.  Please pray for her family and for our students as well.  I'm not gonna lie, I could use some prayer as well.

~Rain Day~

 School cancelled for excessive rain?!?!  lol!  I live in a place where it rains most days of the year and this is the first "rain day" I think I've ever experienced.  It has been a pretty dry winter so far, but the last 3 days it has poured non-stop.  Tuesday we had the first snow of the season and was school canceled for snow???  No, of course not, but rain, yes.

The new swimming pool on campus

River in Stayton (courtesy Kevin Denton)

Salem Street (courtesy Brittany Thew)

~Costco~

It was time to make another run to Costco.  I was going to have to make the trip by myself today...which means I would have had to go back next week (cause I can't make that big of a trip on my own), but my sister graciously offered to come help.  She has been helping me around here lately and I so appreciate her!!!  Occasionally she helps with dinner, since she has her food handlers card and I have been training her in the kitchen.  The load wasn't huge this time, just expensive!  I bought a lot of necessities.  What you can't tell from the picture is that the back seat of the truck is stuffed full of stuff too :)  I'm a pretty good packer though.  It's like a giant puzzle.  I pack everything neatly into boxes before I get to the checkout because otherwise I cannot fit enough on the flatbed!  And I tend to pack everything with the bar code facing up to make it easier on them, but without fail, they think they can pack it better and take everything out.  After 2 1/2 years of Costco runs, I will confidently say that my cart packing skills are top rate.  I'm thinking of adding that talent to my resume. 

Traci helping with Dinner

A typical load

Lots of fresh fruit and veggies- I love this site!

Stocked pantry

 Made 4 cheese white pizza for dinner tonight.  I have no words for how delicious it was!  Well, one word...mmmmmmmmmm...wait, that's not a word.  The sauce was garlic and olive oil.  The cheeses were mozzarella, feta, ricotta, and parmesan (added in that order).  After it came out of the oven, I drizzled olive oil over and topped with fresh cut basil.  Definitely making this again!

4 cheese white pizza

~Pancakes~

Pancake breakfast for the residents this morning.  We all watched the snow fall while eating our yummy warm breakfast!

~Snow Bus~

Long slow drive home in the snow.  There was no snow over the pass on the way to Bend, but about a foot on the way back home!  We had to put chains on the bus and drive super slow the whole way.   At one point it took us 45 minutes to drive 17 miles!  We paid close attention because we all had to use the restroom!  We ended up being about 3 hours late.  I was glad I had asked Rebecca to cook dinner for the students that night.  I do love the snow.  It's always a fun adventure when it slows you down and messes with your schedule :)  That wasn't sarcastic either!  For the most part, I love it when the weather slows you down.  It's a nice change of pace.

Bus full of PK's

~Scavenger Hunt~

We went on a scavenger hunt this afternoon.  We had to find something that started with each letter of the alphabet...in order from A-Z.  We had a blast, but it was SO COLD!  When we got back to the room I taught all the girls how to play pounce.  Good times to be had :)

~My PK Escape~

Left for PK (Pastor's Kid) Escape this afternoon.  This is my 2nd year as a counselor.  Last year we have 5 girls plus me in a unit that slept 4.  Crowded is an understatement.  This year there were 4 girls and 2 counselors including myself in a unit that slept 8.  So me and Sandra (the other Counselor) slept in the room that had 2 beds, a tv, bathroom and mini fridge and had the girls sleep in the living room which had a queen murphy bed and a queen pullout couch.  They also had their own bathroom.  Each unit has a kitchen and this year we had a dining area as well...last year we did not.  The space was a pleasant surprise!

My bed...so comfy!

The girls watching some pride and prejudice