merry christmas everyone!

Yay, for Christmas! I've been home about a week now, after a nice visit to Nashville...hopefully you're enjoying yourself, and eating lots of cookies :) I am!!

Now this weekend we're off to Chicago to visit my mom's family (cousins and babies and more cousins!). Not sure what New Year's plans I'll make...but then I'll spend a week around Iowa with different friends, until my brother comes home with his girlfriend, Anne, on the 9th! Then I'm thinking maybe another trip to the Chicago area?!...and soon enough back to Seattle!

For 2009 I've applied for a position with the Northwest Service Academy, to be a Trail Crew Leader. I am anxious to hear back about that...it would start Feb. 23 with 3 months of training, then 6 months with a crew doing just trail work :) I'll keep you updated on that.....for now, some holiday pictures!

I cried...

So the time has come...ECI 2008 has officially come to a close...we just returned from our final retreat. I managed to keep my emotions in check surprisingly well! Last week on Thursday, our final field day, there was plentiful joy and excitement...dancing and music in the parking lot, such a great feeling :) But then after our final circle up back at EarthCorps this afternoon, I got pretty sad. I definitely cried driving away....Still too emotional to write much about it, but I thought I'd pull some quotes for you from my blog entries during the very FIRST week I spent with EarthCorps...I was so excited then, and my feelings really haven't changed:

"Oh my goodness, I am so excited!! The past few weeks had been kind of strange, because I was in this new place, with nothing really to do....but after my first day of work I am reminded of exactly why I am here!! And I’m even more thrilled than I was before about this coming year...."

"I could cry...I’m that happy...I’m hoping this isn’t just a dream I’ve been living the past few weeks...."

"So when you add their mission, with their programs, the goal is to produce strong communities, healthy habitats, and young leaders. That’s the little presentation we got! And as much as I’ve been hearing and reading these words for the past few months, I’m really starting to see and understand what an incredibly awesome thing I get to become part of...."

"Oh, I could go on and on....the more I learn about these new concepts of restoration, the more addicting it becomes! Knowing we CAN make the changes needed to keep our world sustainable, one piece of land at a time. I did not realize, but the largest problem right now is actually non-native invasive plants. So much to learn....AGH! What fun :)"

"Work is still amazing! I love my crew, and my crew leaders. And the work is fun, for so many reasons. I love using my hands, and working hard, as well as learning about environmental problems, and what we’re doing to correct them best we can..."

"Ahhhhhhh. It’s such hard work, but I love it! As much as it hurts :) My hands are caked in mud from the minute work starts, and it’s a constant struggle to stay the right temperature.....going from freezing in the mornings, to HOT in the afternoons, then cold again...."

Well, you get the idea :) My feelings have not changed, 10.5 months later. It's been amazing....and I refuse to accept that it's over, plain and simple...

I'm OLD!! :)

Hello everyone!! Happy December!...I want to say a HUGE thank you to all my dear friends and family for for celebrating with me on my birthday! I had a incredible day, filled with laughter, singing, LOTS of cake, ice cream, phone calls, messages...everything a birthday ought to have! Work was a lot of fun, we took many cake breaks between planting several hundred plants (who-hooo!) and sang all day...then after work some coworkers joined me for ice cream at my favorite place in town, then we went out for a night of SWING DANCING!! It was just perfect....so much fun :) I am a happy, happy, lucky girl...



Now Sunday I'll spend packing up and moving out of my room, then 3 days at EC final retreat, then a sleepover with my friends, and I'm off to Nashville on Thursday!...love love love!!

pictures...

Last week of work for me!! Lots going on :) Here are some pics from Thanksgiving...Love to all!!!