Fall 2011

Fall is beautiful out here with cold, sunny days. When we acquired the property 13 years ago, we began planting deciduous trees, so now there is a visible, beautiful reminder of the season. I have gotten in a few bike rides and horseback rides on weekends and am enjoying the slower pace of getting off at 5 pm everyday again.

Labor Day weekend Curtis and I went to his family’s farm in Selah to help with the corn harvest. It was a blast picking corn and getting to know Curtis’ family. In October we went back to take Curtis’ brother to a motorcycle race that they go to every year.


Curtis driving the tractor through the cornfields, shooting at blackbirds.


Sorting the corn into bins. The corn is sold there at their farm, also to local produce stands and grocery stores.

September 1st I moved into my own condo, and it has been so fun unpacking and decorating and finally having my own space! All the condos were built by the “previous occupants”. The condos were identical 2,600 sq ft, 10 bedroom, 4 bathroom (split toilet room/shower room, so technically 8 bathrooms!) houses with no living room or kitchen. The condos are in various states of remodel. In my house one bedroom is semi-remodeled into a kitchen, and two bedroom walls were knocked out to make a living room upstairs and downstairs. So I am left with a cozy 7 bedroom condo all to myself – obviously I have loads of room, so come visit!!! I have already had awesome visits with my mom, Annette and her kids, my friend Elias and his family, and Josh and Liz Stiger.


Home sweet home!


Annette and Cody at the bottom of the innertube waterslide.


We had a blast in the pool and on the waterslides during the Miller visit the last weekend in September.

Marta the cat joined me in October. I cat-sat for my next door neighbors while they were gone for two weeks, and she never left. My neighbors were thinking about getting rid of her, and I was thinking about getting a cat, so it worked out perfectly! She often goes over to visit, so we are all happy.


Marta the Cat

Summer 2011

Camp was busy and crazy and I loved it! Part of my job is communicating with the Work Crew (high school volunteers) who come for 3-4 weeks to serve the campers in housekeeping, the kitchen, the dining hall etc. It is awesome to see all these young people who want to work 7 days a week for no pay! They come to serve Jesus by serving the campers here, and they build amazing Christian friendships and community amongst themselves. There were always tears as they said goodbye on the last day of the session! Another part of my job is coordinating the Adult Guest Program. This is a chance for adults to come and experience camp with the kids, while in the comfort of their own beautiful lodge with a private room and bathroom. The hope is that they will catch the vision of Young Life, and get involved in some way. They have a host couple and another couple comes as Tour Hosts, to give drop-in visitors tours of the camp. I am the point person for each of these couples, so I kept my radio close by when I wasn’t with them!

Sometime in June Curtis and I started officially dating! We spent lots of evenings sitting on his deck talking and watching the moon come up over the hills. It was so natural and easy to get to know each other through biking, and the relationship just continued from there. It has been so fun to get to know him and to spend time together!


Curtis and I at luau night at camp.

My cousin Diane got married to Ben in August and Curtis came with me to the wedding and the ensuing family reunion near Mt. Rainier. The wedding was beautiful and the reunion was a blast, as always.


Me with my beautiful cousin, Diane the bride!

Camp ended with a literal bang when a huge thunder and lightning storm struck the last night of camp in August. Lightning strikes all over the property left us firefighting for the next week. So much for resting up after camp ended!


The fires were so big and close that it was "all hands on deck" and I got to help for 1.5 days until I got called into the office to help run command. It was a fun experience but I was ready for the clean, cool office again!


My legs after one day out on the fires. I was wearing pants, socks and boots all day, but I guess the ash managed to puff up my pant legs!

When the fires were finally under control we went to Bend for a few days and visited with our friends the Whites and the Pringles. The first night the three of us couples went on a “progressive dinner” in town and had a blast! We also got a fun bike ride in the next day.


The Pringle and White boys ready to hit the road!

Spring 2011

April was a busy month of packing, organizing, good-bye parties, and a week with Clayton, ending in a quick trip to Florida to deliver him to his parents which lasted a little longer than expected when I volunteered to get bumped 2x in Denver.


Clayton and I at Grandpa's pool in Florida

April 30th my dear friends from Portland, the Pringles drove up with a truck and a trailer to help me move. Kim Maris, another ranch friend, came over to lend her packing expertise. It seems that I have a lot more belongings then I did when I moved to the ranch 10 years ago, and was able to fit everything into my mom’s little Honda for her to deliver me to Buckley to get a ride from Dave Lewis. I didn’t even have a car back then!

The next day the Pringles and I drove to the ranch and unloaded my belongings in four different locations! (I have since consolidated to three, but I am looking forward to September, when I get my own place and can put everything in one house!) Besides a mini-meltdown the first night, I have jumped into ranch life with my usual vigor and desire to be involved in everything! I was surprised at how easy and seamless the transition was. I love living with the Karrs, my job, the community and all that living in the country and on a YL property entails. Thank you Jesus!

Just two weeks into my time here, Creekside, the new camp on the property, opened. There were a lot of late-nighters/all-nighters for many of the staff and contractors here in preparation for the opening. It is an incredible camp with a mining theme, centered around a great pool with waterslides. It is designed for middle schoolers, and I trust the Lord is going to do some amazing things in the hearts of young people there this summer, and in years to come!



Memorial Day weekend was the much anticipated family camp at Creekside. I was delighted to have so many special people in my life attend the camp. I had the 3-day weekend off and stayed down at camp with Marybeth, Clayton, Beth and Anya. It was a special time of being together and I was happy to show my dear Bellevue friends my ranch life!


The Pringles enjoying a "Sassy treat"


Anya and I at the Carnival


Preston and Margo at the Carnival - those Elephant Ears came back to haunt all us grown-ups!


Our cabin picture - Marybeth, Kari, Beth, Clayton and Anya

Last weekend was the Wild Canyon Games, a crazy 2-day sporting event with teams of 7. It is a fundraiser for Young Life and several other youth organizations. This was its third year, and each year the number of participants has doubled. There were 103 teams this year! On Saturday there was a triathalon that three of the teammates participate in, and simultaneously the other four teammates do a 5-hour geocaching event. In the afternoon each teammate has a challenge event, but the whole team has to be present, so we spent about three more hours running around between the two camps doing the events. Sunday was the “Creek to Peak” challenge, with each teammate doing a leg of the 7-part race, ending at the top of Communication Hill. My part on Saturday was the 15.5 mile mountain bike race. In preparation I bought a new mountain bike and have been riding almost every day of the month I have been here. I have a new bike buddy out here, Curtis, who did the mountain bike part the last two years. He helped me train and we have had fun getting to know each other on long rides around the property.


Curtis at the Fire Tower


"Big Muddy Co-Ed" - go team!


Me starting up the last climb, "Heartbreak Hill"

Now we are just two weeks away from the beginning of camp. There is a lot to do before then, but I am excited about the summer and all that it will bring!

Winter 2010-2011

As spring officially begins this weekend, I figured it was time to write my winter blog! Maybe I say this about every season, but it was a crazy season!! It started off common enough enjoying Thanksgiving in Portland with the Pringles, and Christmas at my mom’s house. Late December I went to a skate-ski clinic in Winthrop with the Middleton-Young family and had a blast learning to skate ski! I have been skiing about once a week, although bursitis in my left shoulder has forced me to ski without poles most of the time. I spent New Year’s Eve with the Parsons at their condo in Wenatchee and we had a great time sledding, playing games and just being together.


Annette and I XC skiing

Then things started to get a little crazy! I had wanted to volunteer at the Washington Family Ranch (in Oregon) this summer, and the Camp Manager told me I had until March 1st to decide. Around New Year’s he asked if I had a better idea of my plans as they were in the midst of hiring interns. After a few days of praying and agonizing I emailed Rich that yes, I was coming! But I was not finished with agonizing decisions yet…Rich then called to ask me if I would be interested in applying for a full-time year-round office position. I had some plans in my head of what I wanted to do this year, and getting a job was not actually one of them :) But when I read the job description I was intrigued. It sounded perfect for me. So I applied, interviewed, and was offered the job. The two days prior to accepting I cried…a lot. It was difficult to know if that was where I should be or not. Although I prayed and fasted I never received clear guidance from the Lord. He did not fling the door open wide, however he did not close it either, so I trust that He will bless this decision.

They were looking to hire someone to start February 15th. But I felt I had too much to wrap up in Bellevue and negotiated moving to May 1st, although I did start part-time February 15th. January was crazy with three weekends out-of-town, moving from the Johnston’s back to Beth and Anya’s house, and accepting this new job (while continuing to nanny and work at Bellevue YL). The first out-of-town weekend was interviewing at the Ranch and visiting the Kearbys in Yakima on the way home. The next weekend was in Portland with the Johnstons, going to a Derek Webb concert at Donald Miller’s condo and watching the filming of Blue Like Jazz. And the third weekend was back to Winthop with my mom, XC skiing and snowshoeing. It was special time together as our last big event before I move.


Mom and I


Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop


View from our hotel room!

In February I spent one week at the Ranch being trained on my new job. It is surreal moving back there ten years later. So much has changed, yet so much is still the same. I have visited several times a year each year over the past ten years, so it seems natural to be there for as long as a week, but I am having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that I will really be living there again! I returned home to Bellevue for two weeks, during which time I was working all three jobs, starting to pack, and visiting or scheduling time with friends and family for “one more visit” before I go.


Girl time! Pedicures with sis-in-law Teresa, mom, me, cousin Vanessa

Now in March I am back at the Ranch for two weeks while the Johnstons are in Europe and Africa. I am enjoying my work, and the peace and quiet of country living, where I have seen more elk and deer than people! The five of us in the admin department went on an overnight last weekend to a cabin near Sisters, Oregon, right on the Metolius River. We hiked along the river, shared life stories, ate good food, and laughed a lot :) They are great people and I already enjoy working with them.

Stay tuned for the next blog with stories of Ranch life!


The admin department on our retreat


See the white building on the left? That's my new office!


The camp


View on my "commute" (10-15 min by bike)