Camp Cross, Mid-High

I spent last week being a resource person with my friend Michelle. We helped plan programming for the Mid-High camp (9th and 10th grades). It was a great week of working with the program staff, reconnecting with counselors who used to be my campers, and enjoying the Mid-High campers. Midway through the week, Colin and Mo (the directors) asked me to join the program staff for the rest of the summer. So starting next week, I will finish up the camping season on staff. It was such a flattering offer that I couldn't say no, plus who would turn down two weeks in August on Lake Cd'A? I'm excited for the next couple weeks. Now to just get through Katie and my move to our new house this week!

Me and Peter Miller, one of my Cathedral youth group members who was a counselor this week.

Crescent Beach, my second favorite camp spot. Beth and I canoed over one day to set up part of a relay course. The campers had to canoe back to camp from there.

Josh and Peter get ready for an outdoor night game we played during camp. If you were able to sneak up behind someone else, you got their token. Pete was VERY good at sneaking up through the bushes.

Devin and David play some worship music at St. Francis' chapel.

80's dance. The girls loved this picture of their favorite camp staff hotties!

Krista and Haley, two of the girls who were in my youth group in Walla Walla are on staff now. It's a bit humbling to realize that these girls I left as 6th graders are now in college. Oy! Makes me feel old!

The view from Sunrise Chapel. My favorite place at Camp Cross!

Colin does a bellyflop for the campers when his name is spun on the Wheel of Doom (the current replacement for camper mail throw-ins)! Always hilarious watching people go swimming
!
Krista foolishly asked me to be a water sprayer during fun-oeing, an indoor canoeing game the staff made up the week before when it rained all week. She weathered the water attack like a pro.

Marshall McLean came out and played a concert for the Mid-High camp on Friday night. It was awesome having him play. If you haven't heard him before, check him out on iTunes...he's amazing!

A couple photos from General Convention

Convention was super busy with legislative sessions, networking, and meetings. But we also found some time for fun. Aside from a couple trips to Disneyland, I found time to hang out with friends new and old. Here are a couple pictures from my adventures at GC.
My friends Megan and Ashley, and I sport our new shirts in honor of our female Presiding Bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori. She's pretty kick-ass!

Hanging out with a new friend, Bill. He works for the Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers, traveling around and helping our camps around the country. I can't wait till he visits Camp Cross next summer! We spent a lot of free time together at GC.

Ashley, Paul and I get a picture with Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies. She is pretty amazing. I love that both Houses are currently being run by women. A first in the Episcopal Church.

Our Deputation to General Convention. The Bishop is in an electric wheelchair because he messed up his back before GC. He got pretty good with the cart!
Simon from the Seaman's Church Institute models the hat I knit for them during GC meetings. It will keep some sailor's head warm this winter if they managed to steal it back from Simon!

More lake fun

Here are a few pics from the birthday party. Needless to say, much fun was had!

Tubing fun

So before I headed out to camp, I went out to Pend Oreille River to celebrate Melissa and Greg's 40th birthdays, We had tons of fun hanging out, on the river, eating... Crazy! During one of our boat outings, we picked up our friends Diane, Erica and Sarah who had drifted quite a ways down river. Here's a video of the ensuing towing, with Di holding the rope!

Incommunicato

So I've been crazy busy and out of the technology loop this last week. My laptop decided to stop working when I got back from LA and then I had to head out to Camp Cross on Sunday, with no computer in tow! Luckily, Steve was kind enough to take my lappie into the Mac store for me. Word is it's all fixed and redy to get picked up tomorrow. I promise photos galore and lots of posts from my camp/Convention fun. On another note, Katie and I just signed the papers to rent an adorable house on 30th and Tekoa. We are making the big move on Saturday, so if any of you are free... well, let us know. We'd love a hand! Oh, and I accepted a job out at Camp Cross this week. I will be serving as part of the program staff for the last two sessions. Should be a great time. My little cousins, Tori and Jordan will be there for one of my two weeks. It'll be fun hanging out with them at camp!

Katie's visit

Katie and Audra, not so happy at the "happiest place on earth"

My favorite youngest sister, Katie, flew down to Anaheim on Friday to spend some time with me at Convention. I was filling in on the floor for my friend Ashley on Friday, so Katie hung out with Ashley and our friend Meredith for the afternoon. After going to lunch, they got to check out the House of Bishops, the other legislating body of the Episcopal church. The girls met up with me after our legislation session and we walked around the exhibit hall, making a plan of attack for later purchasing. Katie, Ashley and Meredith went to an amazing Eucharist put on by the Integrity organization. Bishop Robinson (our homosexual bishop) was the presider, and our first ordained woman Bishop, Bishop Harris, gave the sermon. From all reports, it was an amazing experience that Katie better blog about (hint, hint sister). I went to the Program, Budget, and Finance hearing on funding instead, (which I'll blog about later) with my friend Bill. It was pretty cool.

Yesterday, Katie and I headed to Disneyland. It was my day off, so what else should i do? We went in the morning with our friend Audra who is here for a week. She has been serving as a missionary with the Young Adult Service Corp, and got the week off from her ministry in Columbia to share her experience with the GC. We had so much fun walking around with Audra. And amazingly, we got on most rides pretty quickly. Oh, and we learned that the secret to not being in the Indiana Jones ride line for 2 hours is to volunteer as a single rider. You're used as a seat filler, so you don't ride with your friends, but you get to go straight to the front of the line. We went back Saturday night with Ashley for dinner and more fun. We got to see the fireworks, and we rode a bunch of rides in Storybook Land that none of us had remembered riding. Ashley and I got to go on our favorite kid ride again, Peter Pan. And for the record, Pinocchio's ride is really creepy! I also got my first ride on Star tours (it was always closed when I've been in the past). It made me slightly queasy, but so fun.

We all went to Eucharist today. It was crazy amazing! The Presiding Bishop gave the sermon, and the past two PBs Edmond and Browning helped to preside. There were even drummers, dancers, and flag wavers. So fun. We get Katie for a few more hours before she heads back to Spokane. Megan, Me, Ashley, and Hannah, some friends from GC.

Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canturbury; Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies; Katherine Jefferts-Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, and the Bishop of Olympia whose I can't remember!

Not dead!

Hey all, I've been in LA since Monday at the Episcopal Church General Convention. today's the first day I've had time to sit down and blog, let alone check email. I will post for real during my lunch break. Hopefully this will tide you over. I'm super excited because Katie is flying in today. She'll be here around 1! Disneyland, here we come! Pictures posting soon.

PS. Mom, I found no yarn at Disneyland, but might be able to find a LYS.

Not dead!

Hey all, I've been in LA since Monday at the Episcopal Church General Convention. today's the first day I've had time to sit down and blog, let alone check email. I will post for real during my lunch break. Hopefully this will tide you over. I'm super excited because Katie is flying in today. She'll be here around 1! Disneyland, here we come! Pictures posting soon.

PS. Mom, I found no yarn at Disneyland, but might be able to find a LYS.

Larratt Family Photos

It seems I may have a future taking family portraits for my friends (my least favorite type of photography by the way). My friends Greg and Melissa are moving to Vancouver, OR this summer, but they really wanted a family portrait with their two-year-old JJ before making the big move (and before Greg had to head to training for his new job). We had a great time adventuring around Manito. Favorite moment- JJ tipping a little too far over the fountain and going in head first. Hilarious! Just mad I didn't get a shot (was answering a phone call from a student at the moment). Anyway, here are a couple shots from our day.