Exciting Announcement! :)

Hello, My People!

    I've purposely shut down this blog the last six months, and here's the reason why: I've started over with a clearer blogging vision and plan and earlier this month launched Lipstick & Gelato! I hope you'll join me over there for discussions on food, fashion, and art! Still me, still doing life, just under a new blog-heading which I hope will go far in inspiring women everywhere to find the beauty in ordinary life! Head over and check it out, and may "The BBC" rest in peace. ;)

If you'd like a little ramble...

Disheveled glam. How do we manage it?

The funny (and wonderful) thing about families is the fact that even when I am gone, they go on. That being said, when I come home from my travelings, I jump back in with both feet and a right good will. Father's Day is this weekend! I've been so busy I hadn't even realized it! That being said, we've got a family fishing trip planned for early tomorrow down at the farm-pond. The fishing trip will, supposedly, include Krispy Kreme doughnuts! Technically I am supposed to be off flour and sugar, but I might make this diversion. I don't know. We shall see. We will then proceed to make an awesome, Southern dinner for Dad.

Excuse me for a moment: DAD. If you are reading this, I'm sorry but you'll have to come back sometime AFTER tomorrow and finish reading it, because there are spoilers coming and I won't have you reading everything beforehand and acting surprised when it comes up later! ;)

I have plans to make three different clean-eating pies for dessert tomorrow night! Since Dad is off of sugar and has been for the last year or so, I wanted to make him something he'd love...I couldn't decide over the three of these so I'm just making them all. Since they are freezer-pies they will certainly keep and I know there isn't a single person in this family who will balk at the idea of left-overs! As soon as I finish this post I will be off to the kitchen to make Samoa Girl Scout Cookie Pie, and No Bake Peanut Butter Pie from Chocolate Covered Katie as well as Avocado Key Lime Pie. Can't wait to see how they turn out! I love a good cooking challenge--always have--so all of these clean-eating recipes are right up my alley. :)

I forget if I mentioned where I've been the past two weeks: I'm sure I have but you never know. Especially when you consider the brain-overload I've been in the grips of recently. At any rate, for the first week I was counseling at Generation Joshua's iGovern East camp, which was so neat. The Gala, the DC trip, the scenario and the chapel times... :)

Sarah's room: Shayna, Bethany, Sarah, and Heather...lovely girls!

God directly answered so many prayers in so many ways, and I was privileged to be able to have ten girls in my wing for whom I was responsible. I also acted as the House Secretary which meant I got to read all the arbitrary and/or thoughtful bills aloud for the congressmen and women to vote upon. Such fun. I was a lobbyist for Disney and had a blast playing up the part:

I kept the guys laughing with my inventive ways to bring Mickey Mouse into the hair-styles... :)

It was so great to be able to spend extensive time with Daniel, who we hardly ever get to see anymore. I loved working alongside him, getting to know his people and places and just hanging out with my big bro. I've missed him. :)

Daniel and his cohorts (Glenn, Fergie, Jeremiah, and Joel) did a boy-band parody for Friday Night Live (they called themselves Hack5) and it totally grew wings and flew.

They had asked me to be the crazy Fan Girl up front (with Josie and a couple other gals) so in the Epic Video (clink link to watch) that crazy woman you see? That's me. And halfway through I lost my balance and toppled over, landing with my head in the lap of one of the camper guys. It was totally embarrassing and totally hilarious. I laughed my stinkin' head off, and so did the Hack5 guys.

We are seriously trying to make them go viral just to tease key members like Joel Grewe and Jeremiah Lorrig who find themselves with (to quote Nick) "sudden cases of dignity". And actually, it has spread through the entire HSLDA (Homeschool Legal Defense Association) office till Mike Smith, The Higher Up Man has given permission to print Hack5 t-shirts because right now it's looking like the kids at camps will totally buy them. :D I am still laughing over the irony of it! What started as a joke is now an actual project that might soon be making money. Anyway, you can like their Official Page or the Fan Page on Facebook and encourage the whole ridiculous thing! During the week I made the first fan-art since I was, after all, the first Fan Girl. The silhouette actually turned out pretty well!

The second week, Abigail Taylor and I were staying with Tatum and Brittany (sweet gals!) in the room Tatum rents from a couple. We spent the days working in the GenJ office when needed, as well as rummaging about Purcellville. Tropical Smoothie figured largely in the offing.

*Squint*

Poor Brittany. I made her squint into the sun. She's such a peach.

I found the darned cutest little bookstore (or, rather, sought it out after Daniel told me of it) and bought Carry On, Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse as well as a No-Fear Shakespeare "As You Like It" (so neat because it has original and simplified text) and The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli. It makes me feel literary! I felt like I was on vacation, getting to just hang out with the awesome people of Generation Joshua & Co. I swear, there are probably very few offices in America wherein you can find such wonderful people in so tiny a space! While up in NoVa we saw Star Trek 2 (Benedict Cumberbatch makes a SCARY villain. And no, Jeremiah and Josie, I am NOT a fangirl!), and we had a gourmet, healthy-amazing meal made by Lucas Mason. and we sang "Wagon-Wheel" in beautiful harmony with a mandolin and guitar completely spontaneously at midnight. And it sounded so cool.

Annnnyway. I need to get to my pie-making and leave you to your other more important-things-in-life-than-reading-Rachel's-blog. I hope you have a lovely evening, and please please pray for the families effected by the wild-fires in Colorado. Brittany and Nick's family's home was almost burned, and Jeremiah Lorrig's parents/family AND grandparents lost their homes for certain. Colorado-strong, people.

I hope God blesses all of you tonight. I'm feeling so blessed because I got the chance to sit in a rocking chair in the dusk and the night smelled like good things growing and honeysuckle and roses blooming and there was a whippoorwill and a sliver of a moon and one solitary star. *sigh* It's so good to be home.

Adventura: The Romania Trip Pt. 5

So I have gone the entire series of posts without formally introducing you to Christi, our "Glumesc". (Glumesc means 'joke') Christi fit in so terribly well with our group, it wasn't even funny. (actually, it was very funny.) He's about 30 so we all decided to adopt him as the that-much-older-brother none of us have, and he lives on in that capacity since our departure. We now have a Romanian brother. Or Captain Romania, if you'd rather. ;)

I think we're all on the same page when we say that one of the things we liked best about Christi was his ability to effortlessly slide from wild jokester into passionate preacher in the space of thirty seconds. He's learning to master the art of being just serious enough when it's needed, and just crazy enough when seriousness can go out the window. :D

Also, he speaks five or six languages fluently. (Romanian, English, French, Greek, Hebrew, and pretty much German as well as a smattering of other languages)

It was not long before we had established a catchphrase that is used to this day among our group:

"Adventura"...it's RomEnglish for "Adventure". See, it started way back during the first couple of nights when we were giving our testimonies, and I was speaking on the adventures God has planned for us. Somehow the team started teasing me every time something interesting or difficult came up:

"It's because Rachel is praying or adventures!" or  "Yeah, Rach, it's your fault!" :D

One night on the way home from a village, we loaded into the two cars. Sarah, Matthew, Amy, Christi, and I took his car and started off sedately enough. Then, perhaps because of his double dose of energy-drink, or because his crazy side came out, Glumesc started driving wildly. Before you freak out, I didn't say dangerously. Per se. ;) Swerving side to side on the roads, driving straight where signs informed us the road was turning, driving with one foot out the window, driving with his knees....you know. In Christi's defense, the road was *entirely* empty and it was a dirt road full of pot-holes so he wasn't going but so fast. We were joking, singing, shouting, laughing our heads off. It's one of those ideal moments in life that I'll keep forever in my memory, but you kinda had to be there.

Then we hit an especially large pothole that no one but Amy saw, and soon the "fwap-fwap-fwap" of a flat tire could be heard. Christi pulled over and we girls fell silent. Great. A flat. In the middle of nowhere. We wondered how Christi would take it, and what he'd do. Matthew got out to help Christi and the girls and I just kind of looked at each other. Then Christi trotted around to our open window, stuck his head through and bawled:
"GIRLS! WHY ARE YOU HAVING SAD FACES?" And since he thought the flat tire was the best joke of the night, Amy, Sarah, and I busted out laughing and the craziness went on. The tire was pumped, we piled back in, and immediately Christi started swerving back and forth and blaring his horn to the empty skies. It was amazing. :D All windows down, hair whipping in the stiff, chilly breeze, shouting and laughing as Christi tried accents and faces and all sorts of craziness.

But the tire went flat again.

He pumped it up and we went on....for a bit. It flattened again, and even Christi agreed it would have to be changed entirely. Thankfully we were near some factory that was just switching shifts and we were able to borrow a jack and a hammer.

     "Oooooh m'goodness," Christi said, still laughing, and he and Matthew set to work changing the tire. We girls stood nearby playing with a Great Pyranees that seemed friendly enough, and listening to the boys work.

  Christi's fervent "Haaaaal-lelujah's" were frequently heard toward the end when the tire-job was wrapping up. ;) As Christi and Matthew crouched near the tire and Sarah held her iPod up to the tire so they could have a little light, I asked Christi, "How do you say Adventure in Romanian?"
"Aventura" he grunted, pushi
ng on the tire.
So I wrote the RomEnglish version in the dust on the side of the car, and forever sealed the moment in our group-history.

 Amy snapped photos, we piled into the car, and spun off down the road, still laughing...

That car of people count the night Adventura was born as one of the finest moments in the entire trip, and I can guarantee it would never have happened if Christi hadn't been our driver. :D

We laughed way too hard with Christi, and learned so much from him. I recall especially the day we were sitting in the house of some church-members eating gogosi and laughing at Christi one moment, and the next I was holding back tears as he told us his personal testimony of how he came to Christ. :)

He bestowed nicknames on several of the team:

Amy = Blondie (or Sister)
Sarah = Shortie
Justin = Beauty (he was always the last person to come down when we were getting read to go)
Daniel = Daniel-son the Curly One
Alaina = Seniorita
Mrs. E = Miss Daphne, The Boss
Matthew = Justin Bieber

And in return, of course, we named him Captain Romania and Glumesc. He taught Beauty how to shop for an Italian-style outfit. He bought us shaorma from a hole-in-the-wall at midnight. He stayed up all night long the last night in Romania, and didn't go to bed even though he'd been up till 5 studying the night before. Long live Glumesc, and may he ever have plenty of shnitzel and french-fries and gogosi! May God bless and keep him, and especially bless his upcoming marriage! :)

Adventura: The Romania Trip Pt 4!

The food.

Jehosophat, the food.

It's incredible how well our hosts fed us! The portions were absolutely monumental, and certain members of the team **AHEM (Amy) AHEM** found it difficult to even make a dent in the huge plates of schnitzel, golden mashed potatoes, pickled vegetables, and other delightful things. Our chef was a brilliant cook who used to cook for Romania's last Dictator whenever he came to Arad, so obviously it was good! :D

 Each meal was a feat to consume because there was no end to the food! It was amazing. :D And the women who served us were so sweet.



I wished I could say something besides "multumesc" to let them know how much I appreciated their time and effort. It was truly a blessing. :)

whole grapefruits? Uh...yes please.

My journal reflects many instances of food-related things...

"All the food has been amazing. But oh-my-chocolate-pudding they would stuff a GIANT! How are Americans so fat when we eat a third of the portions they serve here? We are flopped on the bed with stomachs full to bursting. The first course of was soup--a really good one--with a hint of fennel and chopped parsley. Alaina said to be sure we didn't eat too much soup and bread cuz there is usually another course. I was somewhat full but took her advice, then oh my goodness: they brought out plates heaping with creamy rice and pork, then bowls of salad...Daniel would love it. I barely managed half of that before dessert came out. Ooomph. I will be so huge after two weeks here! How do they manage? :D"

"Lunch at the Zaharia's was absolutely amazing. Marianna made schnitzel, mashed potatoes, pork, and bread with plum cake and coffee for dessert. The food was served with pickled peppers and cauliflower from her garden...."

"...Christi said that on Sunday we will come again for lunch and he will make us his garlic sauce which is better than anyone's. He says he loves to cook and lectured us poetically on the best way to marinate venison and how to make schnitzel."

"I forgot! We also had sarmali, which are rolls of meat and rice wrapped in cabbage leaves--so good. Marianna made a perfectly divine soup with kohlrabi in it. Yummo! Vegetable soup here is called soupa de legume. Soup is only ever the first course so don't eat too much. Marianna smiled at us all. 'Eat slowly and eat lots', she said. She told us we must eat all the piles of schnitzel and mashed potatoes. We ate as much as we could."

"...afterward we ate pizza. Their pizza is so funny but delicious. They put ham, cheese, no sauce, mushrooms, corn, and olives with the pits still in it on top..."

"...there was bean soup with sausage from Christi's pig. (he had made it) and slabs of homemade bread. Some of the best ever! There were pickles and schnitzel with sesame seeds, and pork. When we were stuffed they brought out gogosi (which are the doughnuts) stuffed with plum or prune jam. Yum!"

"On the way back up the Square we stopped at an icecream cart and bought soft-serve for 2.5 lei. It was amazing! And I'm not just saying that because it was a novelty. Best soft-serve ever! Foarte bun!"

"We went into many stores, and got lemon and sour-cherry gelato from a storefront shop. It was so pure and good. As I walked down the street with our group and Oana and Stefana, eating gelato, and watching life go by I thought to myself, 'is there any felicity in the world superior to this?' Honestly, I thought that perhaps I would be forever happy to walk in that moment." 

"We piled into the cars and drove into downton Arad onto a decidedly sketch street lined  with shaorma and kebab joints. Christi wanted us to try shaorma before we left, and since I've long wanted to taste it, I was game. Seriously now. Standing at midnight on a street in Arad eating shaorma and laughing over nothing and everything..."

Haha! Obviously food was a major thing for us there! I didn't even share lots of the other times I mentioned food. Wow. I didn't realize how much I wrote about it! :D Of course I realize that the Romanian people don't eat like this all the time--it was special just for us, and that made it twice as much of a blessing. They put so much work into hosting us!

Dinner at the gipsie house was spectacular!

"Home" was the church, and most of the time there, it seems like we were either eating or singing. :D

We spent much of our "free time" wandering around Arad, but if we were home, we would practice music for the next night, study for our testimonies, play ping-pong, or stand at the top of the five-story stairwell and sing down the flights of stairs, listening for the chill echoes. :)

Haha. We also liked to take strange photos at night...

This is only one of the really neat series we took of airborne-Justin.

I think one of my absolutely favorite things about life at the church was the fact that there were absolutely no screens in the windows, and the windowsills were beautifully wide, and the windows cranked open. That meant that I was able to spend half the day hanging out the window-sill, or sitting on the ledge in peril of falling out backwards. It was delightful. :D

We spent a deal of time in the little courtyard, and had lots of laughs, including an incident with snails, described below:

"So. The snails. I mentioned that Sarah and I went snail-hunting a few days ago. We squeezed into the back garden and found hundreds of big, meaty ones just peppering the grass. For a space of five minutes Sarah and I collected the snails and put them into an old, discarded paint cloth. We brought the snails out front and since we wanted to tease Christi that we loved escargot, we wrapped the snails up well and deposited them into a flowerpot beneath the hose, meaning to release them later.
We forgot.
The next day I exited the church to follow Christi to the car, and the kitchen lady was standing with a broom, a dustpan, and a horrified and bemused expression at forty or fifty fat snails decorating the church wall. She consulted Christi with confusion as to why the dickens so many snails ended up in that particular spot. I suppose it would have remained a mystery had I not come outside, seen the commotion, and completely lost it. I was laugh SO hard. I fled back into the church and collapsed with Sarah against the glass doors. Christi crept up and shoved a snail over my shoulder and into my face, but I was laughing already. I explained between bouts of gasping for air that we had gathered the snails and put them there.
"Have you?" and his smile was that 'these-are-American-crazies-but-I-still-like-them' smile that sometimes comes over these Romanian faces."

The people at Bethel certainly made us feel beautifully welcome. :)

With Lavi, one of our favorite translators. :)

 I hope someday we might have the opportunity to give someone as good of a time as they gave us. That church became home to us, and I loved spending time there....

Next up: a whole post about Christi, and how Adventura was born! 

Operation Graduates Part Two!

Sarah and I had a coffee/lunch date with Casey in Smithfield today. It was so much fun to walk around the town in this glorious (though strange) 70+ degree weather! We wandered all over and I enjoyed it, though my feet didn't. See, I made the mistake of wearing my vintage heels and forgetting an extra pair of shoes.

Ahem ahem ahem.

Though I guess it was horribly improper, I took off my shoes and finished my walk and shop-wandering in bare feet and hose. I mean, honestly--what was I to do? I didn't care what people thought, and Casey and Sarah didn't care, so what was wrong? Nothing. I guess my characters are rubbing off on me...that sounded terribly like something Calida Harper would do. XD

We didn't do a lot of cooking today, but we did look through a TON of old family pictures. That is always a load and a half of fun. I have changed so much. I used to be so cute. ;) Anyway, in the spirit of reviewing childhood before graduating, and because Kendal wanted to see pictures of me as a kiddo, I have brought you a few. Enjoy! :D

Me, Sarah, and Daniel. I love this. Our personalities are so evident already. Daniel, slightly mischievous, Sarah being goofy and me....?

Yep. Ever a book-lover. :)

Little Ballerinas.

Awwww! Sarah was so cute as an Indian chief!

Me, Leah, and Sarah all dressed up for church. :) Isn't her hair so blond?

Ha ha. This picture makes me laugh for some reason. XD

Aaaand the little fire-fighters. I look out of humor...wonder what was wrong?

Awwww. I love looking through old photos, don't you? A graduation is totally the time and place for it! :D Gotta love re-living the old years! I know there'll be lots of preparations for the graduation tomorrow, so stay tuned for further episodes in Operation Graduates! :D

no need to say goodbye.

Now we're back to the beginning

It's just a feeling and no one knows yet

But just because they can't feel it too

Doesn't mean that you have to forget.

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger

'Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back when they call you

No need to say goodbye.

-Regina Spektor "The Call"

I have come home. It is so good to see little faces and give kisses eight times a day to each chubby cheek, and pull Grace onto my lap or ruffle Levi's hair. It's good to be eating homemade food again, it's good to sleep in my own bed, it's good to talk with Sarah after getting in our pajamas. It's good to be with home-people, speaking of home-things, seeing home-sights...Georgia's pretty but Virginia's gorgeous. Just sayin'. ;) Abigail Taylor came up Thursday night after we got home, so I haven't had a long time to get Campaign-sick yet. She's amazing enough herself. <3

We also ended up getting together a group of home-people that I hadn't seen for at least a month, which was so much fun! We went to see the newest Batman movie, and (after I got over my temporary theatre-fear :P) I really enjoyed it! The themes of heroism, courage, and A Tale of Two Cities will be discussed in a different post. Suffice it to say, I liked it very well. :)

But despite all these things, I will admit it that a sensation of Missing Them is lurking, and I didn't expect that. :D I miss my guys and girls that I spent such a long, eventful month with. It's crazy how quickly you grow close to people when you are working together with a common purpose, a common goal, and sharing the same life. :] Thankfully I expect to see a good many of them again someday--homeschooling, Christian, political circles just aren't that cavernous, and I am fast becoming a believer in the 6-degrees-of-separation idea. I mean really, I just discovered that I'm two degrees away from Michael Phelps! (A friend's cousin is Brandon Hansen--a guy on the US Olympic swim-team which means he would know Michael. :)

I have had so.many.memories on this Georgia trip, and though we did not win the election, I cannot in any way say it was a waste. Not when I flip through  my mental scrapbook. Not when I picture Autumn giggling or John laughing, or Zach's happy-dance. Not when I remember the many sighs and laughs and exclamations, or all the thousand-and-one stories of going door-to-door.
These people have made indelible prints on this summer of memories, and I hope I will linger in their thoughts awhile. :) I know they've effected me!

I'll never again eat Skittles without remembering Wyatt Fairlead.

I'll never smell Axe without recalling the Axe-opinion war I waged with Micah.

I'll never hear the words "Eagle-stare" without remembering my first day with Autumn.

And I'll never ever ever hear anything about 6-packs without thinking of Katie. 

Even though the girls we had were few and far between, I got to be great friends with Katie Frost, Autumn B, Bridget, and Mamie Carlstrom. You girls were awesome, and when you were around we had larks by the bucket-load. I love you! <3

But a huge thank-you goes out to my hotel boys. These dozen or so guys made life as the only girl at the hotel simply amazing. The surprise birthday party...the literary discussions...the anticipation over Olympic events....you've spoiled me, guys. You were such gentleman that I really am missing you majorly.

I actually had to open a door by myself...two of you were always there to do it in Georgia. 

Since coming home I've kinda lost my Royal Retinue...I always had a pod of 3 or 4 of you wherever I went. It was fun being your Queen. :)

I'll have to look for fashion in the Belk-ads now...Jere and Stephen, you definitely gave us some laughs.

I've gone back to doing laundry at home...Nystrom boys...you'll have to get your own laundry soap from now on. ;)

Russell...no one can sleep as deep as you. Period.

Ian...Bumble-bee kilts and you are forever paired in my mind.

I now know a deal about loose-leaf tea, Southern soul-food, Pentatonix, Kansas, and why I don't run marathons. Thanks, Zach. :)

Elijah...you with the face. That's all.

Justin...you make a splendid Puddleglum, even when you're cross. And you can run like nobody's business. You and Zach should race sometime.

I just wanted to let you guys know how much getting to know you blessed me. :) You turned what could have been a lonely, drab hotel time into a grand and glorious hullaballoo. You were entirely awesome and I'm still smiling over my month. And thank you, Jesus, for bringing our amazing team together. Thank You for blessing us with Your grace and letting us bring You glory, even through what we see as a defeat. You are amazing, God. :)

//Further chronicles of the south//

Hello darlings! I'm still down in Georgia, and am presently enjoying a quiet hotel room before heading out to The Varsity this evening. :) (It's supposedly some amazing, All-American greasy burger place that is entirely famous. :P) It is also supposedly the world's largest drive-in restaurant! We'll see how it goes. My 20th birthday was on Friday, and the dear guys went all out for it. It began with a wonderful package from my family--you can read about that here--and went on to include being treated fabulously all day. :) 

My glitzy package. :) <3

Toward the evening some people were needed to run down to the office and map out a precinct or two--initially I was not going, but then Daniel changed his mind and asked me to come along. At first I was suspicious that something was afoot, but after getting down to the office and seeing nothing out of the ordinary, I forgot all about it. 
We got back to the hotel and Daniel tried his key in the door--it didn't work. He then told me that Ian (one of our guys) needed me to help him with the laundry machines. I went to the second-floor laundry, but then Daniel called me back: "He's on the first floor!" So I tramped downstairs to the first-floor laundry and was almost there when Daniel came dashing out of the elevator: "He's actually on the third floor--sorry!"
At this point it was midnight and I was exhausted. I began despairing over Ian's sanity--I mean, what 18 year old guy can't figure out a laundry machine? But I am the unofficial hotel-Mama (the only girl in a group of 11 guys!) so I knew I had to help. ;) Then Daniel took pity on me. "I'll get it," he said. "Just come in and put your stuff down." He fit a different key into the door and swung it open. All at once a loud chorus of "Happy Birthday!" filled the air and the light-switch came on. :) Brandt, Justin, (two of our home-guys) and John (An Arkansian--and a twin! :) had stayed awake the whole time we were at the office, and had decorated my room with all the things Mama had apparently sent. :) 

They did an amazing job, and I was so touched and blessed by their forsaking their sleep to wait up for me and give me their little gifts and cards. It was so much fun! Zach (another of my boys) had bought a huge card on behalf of the whole crew, and everyone signed it. They bought Bieber because they knew I was such a fan. ;)

Hee-hee. :]

^My enormous birthday-pin....yes, I wore it to Steak n' Shake. :P

Because of course we had to seal the night with Steak N' Shake afterward. That put us back at the hotel after 1:00 a.m. I definitely let my golden-birthday out with a bang! :D I think the  best part of this whole campaign has been being the only girl in the hotel--the guys are such little gentleman, and make me feel like the queen of the realm. :D It's rather a lot of power. ;) When a decision is to be made, one or another always pauses and says, "Well what would Rachel like to do? She's the girl!" :)

Here are some pictures of the rest of the fun we've been having between all the work...enjoy!

Zach enjoying some sparkling-water at Moe's. We walked there for dinner the other night. :) I'm learning lots of fun trivia about my teammates. For instance, Zach and the Frosts love old movies, and are edu-ma-cating me in which ones I need to watch SOON! Arthur is afraid of strong medication, and dogs don't like him. Arthur's brothers [the twins] like BBC dramas! :) Zach's family owns and operates a British imports store called The Queen's Pantry that I want to visit someday!

I had my birthday lunch at Five Guys with my five guys. :D 

Left to Right: Brandt, Russel, Charles, Daniel, and John. (John and Charles are twins, and therefore two of my favorites. :)

Mail!

We campaigned in old Senoia, which is where many films have been shot, including Driving Miss Daisy! :) That was so neat!

Ever tried to fit 10 or 11 guys in the back of a mini-van? Well, it works....if you don't care about legality. :P L-R: Jeremiah, Ian, Zach, Arthur, Justin, Charles, Daniel, Brandt, and Stephen. John was buried underneath everyone! If you look close, I am told you can see one of his legs. I haven't tested that yet, though.

Our massive team we gathered for Saturday! Actually, Daniel, Brandt, and I ended up staying back at the office to make maps. It was a pleasant break!

Arthur and Ian saving the South, I believe. ;)

It's been such a blessing from God that after our long, grueling, highly productive days we have such an awesome group of people at the hotel to come home too! The hotel staff are pretty great too! :) All in all, I'm having a great time in Georgia, and I'm so glad that Daniel and I were given this opportunity. I appreciate all of your prayers, and all the dear letters many of you have sent!