Back in action!

What better time to jump back into the blogging world & give it another go then early January? Who knows? This may last a solid 2 months like most new year resolutions or this could develop into a habit & actually be consistent. We'll see. For now, here are 3 things that make me thankful & bring joy to life:

     My Niece Kylee! Chris and I got to spend some time with her over Thanksgiving and enjoy every moment with this kid. She has more energy and creativity than should actually fit in her little body and definitely keeps us going :-)

  To celebrate the New Year we got to spend time with our close friends Brian, his wonderful girlfriend Morgan, Laurie & Troy! It does not matter what you end up doing with people like this because it is going to end up being awesome and leave you feeling full of contentment. Only wish they lived in the area so we could go on weekly adventures together!

....and then there is Keyra. From her ridiculous sleeping positions to her boundless joy when running free outside, she is always bringing a smile to my face with her quirky personality.

Seep.Tim.Berr

Crazy how 3 months can zoom on by so quickly, the daily routine of get up, go sweat & water plants, come home each evening to good friends, yummy food and the fast pace of camp life, then hopefully catch a little time with hubby before getting some sleep and doing it all again.   


              Then WHAM! out of nowhere:  


I'm on a 10 day back pack in the Ansel Adams wilderness with 11 new friends;         
A few of my closest friends tie the knot and start brand new seasons of life, triggering memories & much processing;
Camp's over, it's staff banquet & I realize it still hurts a lot to say goodbye;          
One of Chris' and my closest friends moved onto the next stage of life, which is no longer in Bass Lake and our daily lives must change and adapt with excitement for his new adventure, but sadness at the gap in our family;         
A Dual Sport now takes up residence on our porch & Chris has a joy spot & something new to look forward to this fall;
Chris & I finally find ourselves on a much anticipated vacation at Bishop Creek with my family for a week of re-connecting, hiking, fishing, resting and basking in the Glory of an incredible place that means so much to us;
I have a new job! The season at the Nursery has come to a close and today was my 1st day at a new place, with new people and a very new but exciting work environment;
Chris is gone on a 10 day trip to WI with some of his closest friends, I am beyond excited for him and cannot wait to hear of his adventures, but already greatly miss his safe & secure presence at the end of the day;                     
....And we just might have a new member added to our family soon! A four legged, furry one...

At Kelle's Beautiful Wedding with Britt and Ashley!

Alpine Glow at Rutherford lake with Walkabout team

Arco and Pippin's wonderful wedding

A well deserved nap at the end of a busy summer :]

Fishing in Bishop with the fam

At last!! Jenna has to be one of the most patient, steadfast brides I've ever met! Her day was so full of joy and it
was amazing to see her and Brett surrounded by such a crowd of people who love them so very much!

Already at 11 months! What a fantastic year it's been with my best friend :]

Uzepost

Campers are here, Camp has officially begun! The staff arrived over a week ago for training and are at this moment putting what they have learned into practice, some for the very first time, other's for a 5th or 6th time.  It has been really weird to not be apart of the staff this year.


 There's still definitely adjusting to be done but I feel like most of the new staff and even some past staff don't know what I'm even doing here or who I am. It will take much more effort and energy on my part to build relationships this summer and to find my 'place'.


I've been thanked several times for 'volunteering' and it just doesn't settle with me. I am not a volunteer. This is my home, my family and my life right now. I want to be apart of this staff family, to contribute and help create the camp magic for staff and campers alike.  I wish there was an easy way to explain it and show others how I can be apart of this community. I wish I was better at initiating and including myself in things, withdrawing and feeling like an annoyance comes as a second nature and I really hate it. Maybe this will be a time to overcome it a bit better and I can look back 9-10 weeks from now and feel satisfied and filled with what has taken place.


Here's a few pics from a fun day with the staff, it was definitely a good start and I hope there are many more days like this.  For those who do not know, each session at camp we have a guys day (outpost) and a girls day (uzemati) up at some property further up and in the mountains, we play epic games of capture the flag, explore, eat awesome food and just enjoy the beautiful surroundings. This was the first time I played with all staff, it was awesome!  
(Chris took most of these, the water running over the weir is my contribution :-)

                                        

Sunday morning worship with Sonny and Goulet

Miss Rosie. Future capture the flag champ!

Brink!

Speare

The Battlefield

Guooooolet

Speare got my flag, but I don't seem super upset about it...

flowers, a new home and more snow * * *

Poor neglected blog.  Thought I was off to strong start there, but I've found that working full time and trying to pack up your house and move into a new one leaves little time for blogging....  but as of 3 weeks ago, Chris and I are officially moved back to camp and settled into the upper house.

We already have a fatty to-do list but are knocking stuff off it with vigor, such as; build coffee table, paint wall and door red, touch up paint, switch awkward bathroom door to other side, put in new duct for bedroom so we actually get a little cool air circulating when July hits, wall stuff up (pictures, posters, hooks..)  and etc. etc. etc....

So it's been fun, I do wish I had just a bit more time each day to work on house stuff though. By the time work is over, I get home or after we go somewhere/hangout with friends, the day is nearly over... I  do love my new job though, the co-workers are wonderful and fun to continue to get to know, there is always something new to learn and I feel more confident talking 'plant' with the customers each day! But whew does 40 hrs. take up a lot of time ;-]

My primary job/goal at the nursery is keeping plants alive and looking their best so customers will actually want to purchase them, rather than squinting down at a small, shriveled nasty-thing and asking "What the heck is this supposed to be??"  That is avoided primarily with the help of this guy:

  The hose wand.

For 4-6 hours a day I'm lugging this guy and 2 Billion pounds of hose around to give every little plant, tree and flower a nice refreshing drink.  It has it's charms and entertainments, but this is most definitely a summer job and not my aspiration in life...

And about the snow, yes, we woke up the morning of May 15 to a nice mushy layer of snow. I definitely just packed away my snow boots and warm layers. Poooooop.

So, I Owe Chris a Jamba Juice.....

About 1 month ago I was making very bold claim that snow season was over and we would not see another flake until 2012. I mean flowers were blooming, grass is sprouting and turning everything green, everyone started wearing t-shirts and there were even several shorts and sandal sightings (Camper Jim was quoted saying, "Oh looks like it's time for me to put on my short pants, it's sure warming up!")   So I was feeling really good about my claim and welcoming Spring with open arms.

My dear husband however is a bit more reserved about his opinions and claims and rarely doesn't make them until he's given them a good deal of thought and has some hefty back up for it. So we made a bet, if it didn't snow again he would have to buy me a delicious Jamba Juice! But IF, Heaven forbid, it did snow, I would have to fulfill the shameful purchase....

I owe Chris a Jamba Juice. Actually I probably owe him like 12 jamba juices.....

Over a week ago it started to rain pretty hard, then it turned to snow. The snow started to stick and was quickly inches, then feet deep! The snow storm was thick & steady and the snow itself VERY heavy, so that very soon large limbs and whole trees began to fall, taking power lines out with them. Overnight, aprox. 60,000 homes in the mountain area had lost power, some (including camp) wouldn't have power for the next week....
I'll spare the gory details, but it's been a long week, especially for the students who were approaching serious cabin fever around day 4 with no positive news or hope from the Electric companies who were trying to get power back while working out in continuous snowfall and slush.

But crazy and inconvenient as this week has been, it was also a good reminder of just how fortunate & privileged we are. By simply flipping a switch, pushing a button or turning a faucet, our lives are pretty comfortable and easy. Millions of other people can't even turn on hot water, let alone any water at all! Not to mention heat or cool their homes or flip on easy sources of light. (not to mention the endless supply of non-essentials; microwaves, ovens, i-pods, computers, tv's...)

Yes, this week has definitely kept me mindful of these things and made me uncomfortable with just how much Chris and I have, but what do I do with this information? It's a constant question and discomfort, but God is ever teaching new lessons and revealing life truths about this and other areas of life. Such as, slow down and really think through before making silly, quick decisioned bets with your spouse.....  : ]

A Really Good Day

While the past 2 years has proved to be one of the more joyful & happy times of my adulthood, primarily as a result from the start of Chris' and my journey together, the past 4-5 months of it have been an exceptionally challenging time. Life went from 100mph, with making the last and final move from my parent's home, planning the wedding, finishing up work with camp in September, moving into the lake house, having the wedding, going on an incredible honeymoon and then, WhAm!  Chris went back to work and I was left with full, long days, mostly alone. A little alone time here and there is ok, but I'm at my best with people around for a good chunk of the day and then re-charge with a very small group or just with one other close person nearby for the other chunk. So needless to say, my spirit really went flat after a few weeks of this.

Oh and job hunting. If you've ever job hunted before you know what a beastly business that is, you learn a lot, but it can drag you down and squish you like an insect. And unless you have some fantastic connections, trying to find a job in the mountain communities in winter is pretty depressing... I have been fortunate to substitute teach here and there and gained a lot of insight and perspective on the educational world and am more enthusiastic and excited to pursue a job in teaching one day. But it's not enough to pay the bills or stay busy for most of the work week. 

All that to say, it's been a very long winter & has left me fairly empty and depressed. But the Lord is faithful and so good, at breaking points He brings comfort and clear reminders that this is only a season. Chris has been my great encouragement & joy, he is so patient when I'm a little witch or crying for the 3rd time in a week....  I love him so incredibly much, I feel like my heart is near bursting at times. 

Wooo. So there's a snapshot into this new phase of life, what a terrific processing time this has been! This whole blog thing may be a really good thing :]   Anyways, about the really good day. It was yesterday. I had received a call from the Plant Nursery in town that they wanted to hire me a few days ago, so I went in and picked up an application and spoke with the owners and I start training hopefully this next week!  I really don't  know what to fully expect but this is what I do know and excites me: 1. I love plants, flowers, trees etc. and I get to be around & learn more about them!  2. I want to meet new people in my town & get more plugged in.  3. There will most likely be fun and interesting stories to tell

You can't find either of these in a nursery, but they're some of my favorites! Aspen trees and Alpine Shooting Stars

Where to Begin.....

Alrighty Jenna, here it is. My very 1st blog ever ever.  :-)

Not sure what to write just yet, it will be fun to see how this takes shape and supposedly gets easier to do over time....  Perhaps I'll start by explaining my web address, 'Les Fleurs De Montagne' is French for 'Mountain Flowers'. My sister went to France a couple years ago and brought home a postcard of French Mountain flowers, I love it and always have it out where I can see it each day. The phrase is also nice because I'm 1/4 French (my Granpa Louis is French, his parents immigrated to the US in the 20's) and I LOVE Mountain wildflowers. I hope to be able to identify each and every one in the Sierra Nevada one day.

So that's that. And now I think I'll load a picture and see how that goes.....

This is my backyard! I try hard to never take it for granted or forget just what a magnificent place I'm living at right now!