1 hour down...12 to go!!

For our second retreat of the year, we traveled all the way to Valley, Washington (a 13 hour drive) for the weekend. Although it was a long trip, the drive through the mountains was absolutely gorgeous and made the trip worthwhile. It's always great to see more of western Montana and Idaho, and according to Harry, Wallace, Idaho was the best pit stop we've made all year!
This second retreat was centered around social justice, and it was really empowering to sit around as a collective group and talk about the injustices we see at our jobs, why we see these injustices, and what we can do to make an impact. I think many of us came away from retreat feeling relaxed, inspired, and hopeful.
In order to split up cooking for such a large group of people, Emily and Bruce put each community in charge of cooking one meal for the weekend. Ashland was in charge of cooking squash for Sunday dinner, and as usual, the prep time in the kitchen soon turned into a dance party as we all paraded around the kitchen in our aprons and hair nets. We turned what could have been a boring hour and a half in the kitchen to a bumpin' par-tay! James and Harry were most enthusiastic when it came to the dancing (naturally), while the women held it together to produce a delicious meal for everyone.

We Dabble in Quilting

Last Fall, Annie, Sarah, and Peggy began taking a quilting class at the Prayer Lodge in Busby. The class is taught informally by a woman named Sis, who is known in these parts as the Queen of Quilting. Even though none of us had any experience with a sewing machine, we jumped right into it and began working on lap quilts to donate to the Prayer Lodge.

The first few weeks proved challenging, as we were not aware how precise our measurements had to be or how difficult it would be to try and sew in a straight line. But, after months of hard work, ripping out seams, and yelling at sewing machines when the bobbins fell out, we finally completed our first quilts! They are hanging proudly in the main gathering room of the Prayer Lodge while the three of us are moving on to our next projects.

Not only did we learn the fine art of quilting while at the Prayer Lodge, but we also made connections in the greater community. And learning how to sew became very helpful during the holiday season, as all three of us made homemade gifts for friends and family!

It's All Fun and Games...Until Someone Flips the ATV!

Over the past few months, we have befriended a teacher from the middle school who has been kind enough to invite us television-deprived JVs over to watch some football games. Last Saturday, we kicked it up a notch and utilized her snow tubes and ATV for a fun day in the snow. James hopped in the driver's seat and Peggy, Sarah, Annie, and Jess were brave enough to let him pull them on snow tubes around the property.

James started off going easy on the girls, but once he was comfortable enough with the ATV, he really stepped on the gas and enjoyed flipping all of us off of the tubes. After a few hours of cold winds and wipeouts, Kathy invited us in for some hot chocolate and snacks. James stuck around outside to enjoy one last ride on the ATV, and the next thing we knew, he was on the ground and the ATV was flipped over onto its back!! In true heroine fashion, Annie and Jess sprinted into action to save their fallen roommate. As James waited by the overturned ATV, obviously unharmed, Annie and Jess ran across the field to help him pick the ATV back up. Jess ran a little too hard, however, and sprained her ankle in the process!! (Thanks, James).

By the time Annie and Jess arrived to the scene of the accident, Kathy had skidded to a halt near us in her car to make sure no one was dead. After James admitted the only thing he hurt was his pride, we headed back to the house for the hot chocolate that was awaiting us!