I was born a "church kid." Both of my parents were Christian, and my dad was teaching at a Christian college when I was born. I chose to follow Christ when I was very small, much earlier than I remember, and I got baptized when I was 12. When I was in high school, we attended a very small church, with all of the kids older than grade school in one class. Several of us wanted to be separate from the junior high kids, so we convinced the adults to let me teach the high school class. I've been involved with teen ministry off and on since then, mostly on.

     After I graduated from high school, I went to the same college where I was born, now Northwest Nazarene University, and attended for almost two years, until I ran out of money. I met Chuck there, and when he went to Ellensburg for graduate school at Central Washington University, I went there as well, and finished my BS degree in Computer Science. We got married about the time I graduated, and moved to the Tri-Cities early the next year. Chuck had occasionally attended the Richland Alliance youth group when he was younger, and we started attending the CMA church in 1986.

     A couple of years later, the youth pastor at the time, Don Anderson, asked us to be youth sponsors, which surprised me, since I didn't know any of the kids. I've worked at several different places while living in the Tri-Cites: Cadwell Labs, the City of Kennewick, a farm, a medical supply company, and now Hanford at Lockheed Martin, but we've stayed at the Alliance Church, and have worked with teens there for about 20 years.

     Hmm...that doesn't say anything about snakes or spiders or scorpions; about cat poop cookies, and cake and ice cream for breakfast at the campouts; about how I'm willing to do weird stuff, and I don't care what people think about me; about how I've learned how to love all you guys and all the kids I've had and look forward to having.