Olympia

 I had the privilege of going to Olympia convention this last week, and enjoyed it immensely.  There was so much love and encouragement, it really made up for the 90 + degree weather, and that is impressive.
 I took the train up from Sweet Home, and Gary and Doris Raab picked me up and took me to my fourth convention this year.  They are such a wonderful couple and Alaska is lucky to have them :).  With a lot of help, I managed to figure out where things were, and even secured a cushy job working desserts.  Despite the heat, it really was a special time. There were a lot of Alaskans at the convention, including a handful of Cullips, Evridges, and for the weekend- Weltzes.
 I ended up staying Sunday night so that I could get a ride to the train Monday morning, and it was a greater privilege than I could have imagined.  I was the only one in the dorms, so Sunday night and Monday morning I got to help clean and generally hang out with the workers.  In the morning during breakfast someone spotted a squirrel, but I just thought it was cute and went back to eating. Apparently, if ignored, they make pests of themselves and get into the food, because the next thing I hear is "No! Don't do it!"- BLAM.  One of the brother workers, Brandon Boller, had grabbed a shotgun and nailed the little thing, while Caroline Sanderson vocalized her horror.  It was kind of funny, once I stopped freaking out about the sudden gun shot a few yards away :).  After breakfast we went to the "white house" and all shared something we enjoyed that we heard at convention.  That was so special to get to be a part of, and was really like an extra meeting I got to attend. Afterwards, I got a job cleaning in the girls dorms, and then Terri Marsh took me to the train station.  By that point, I really didn't want to leave, but I didn't want Grandma and Grandpa to worry, and at least I have Saginaw to look forward to this week :).
 It was such a wonderful trip, and maybe next trip I'll even remember to take pictures :D