Christmas break was fun. It was quite delightful to be able to curl up on the couch and read simply for entertainment. During my three week break I finished three novels and nearly finished a fourth (inconceivable since I began college and discovered that all spare reading minutes must go to my history or literature texts). I spent all of it sick and am still recovering a little. A cough struck me the day after I got home - just in time to be pampered by my mother. I recovered for Christmas, but on the way home from the Oregon Coast, my family all suffered various forms of the stomach flu. Over New Year's I contracted a head cold from the freezing temperature in the cabin I was staying in (my father gives me no sympathy. He did tell me how I could get the temperature turned up, but I just didn't talk to the right person). My head is still a little stuffy and my ear feels like a cotton ball is stuck in it from the airplane ride yesterday.
I spent a lot of time with my mom and sister as we drove up and down the mountain three times the first week I was home and then we multiplied that time immensely on our drive up to Lincoln City for Christmas and added my dad into the equation. I already wrote about Christmas, so all that I will say about that is that the drive home was exceedingly long.
The first ever - and hopefully annual - Horse Camp reunion was held over New Years. It was tons of fun! We had eighteen girls ranging in age from 10 to 18. Unlike the rigid schedules of summer horse camp, this one was flexible and full of playing games, staying up too late, and eating too many cookies. The last night, three girls got sick and blamed it on the "one cookie" they'd had before bed. Not the loads of taffy we'd pulled the night before or the cookies and chips in the meeting room or the candy and soda they'd had at free time. Of course, none of that would make anyone feel sick. Thankfully only one girl threw-up and the rest went to bed early and woke up fine in the morning (go figure). I learned one very important lessen from this camp. My calling is not to be a counselor. I love all of the girls and love to be around them, but when I get tired and annoyed, I like to be able to go back to my house and be alone. So from now on, I'll stick to teaching them how to ride horses. I do have an immense respect for those of my friends who love to be counselors. I could hardly stand it for three days. They do it for three months. Good jobs girls (and any of you who are guys and have been counselors, my immense respect to you, too)!
As promised: pictures from my new camera!
My beautiful sister.
No trip to the coast is complete without Mo's clam chowder.
My mom teaching a cooking lessen.
As close a picture as I was able to get of our whole family.
*I have a lot more, especially of the babies, but that's a lot of pictures to post on my blog, so if you want them, let me know and I will get them for you!
2 comments:
Good to have you back! I'd love to see the rest of your pictures.
Lisa, about your gifting (or not) to be a counselor: I applied to be a RA when I was in college and the ladies dean asked me a very important question, "How do you gain energy? From being alone or from being with people?" I went on to be a terrible RA, always needing to escape my responsibilities for my own sanity sake. I am need my alone time for energy for sure and it wasn't until I thought about that question and worked in a ministry that was completely wrong for me, that I realized it. I think that the sooner we find out our gifts, the happier we will be in ministry. You have many gifts, glad to see you are letting God lead.
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