Growing Up Realizations

I have this morning off, and was loving just relaxing. I was able to catch up with the family, listen to some music, read a bit, and take a bit of time to look after myself as opposed to the 12 girls I'm typically caring for this week.

I had a major realization though this morning when I was talking with my mom. In 3 weeks they will be going to Iowa, and I will not be. This will be the first time that the three of them will be going, and that I won't be partaking in the adventure. It will be my first summer in 19 years not to see my extended family.

I wish I could make both of my worlds work. I know that I'm meant to be at camp this summer, and I know that if I wasn't supposed to be spending the summer in Livingston that God wouldn't have allowed me to come back. I take so much peace in that simple fact, but the idea of missing an Iowa trip isn't a fond one. I wish that I could do both - that I could be at camp and loving on these kids and showing them Christ's love, but that I could also be able to spend time with my family too. I guess that is just part of growing up.

Here we Go!! :)

Summer camp has OFFICIALLY begun! Campers are here, and summer is underway! Very few things beat spending all day with kids and getting to share and show them the love our Our Beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ.

These kids are wonderful and so precious! I have nine 8 year olds, and they are a HOOT! I don't think I have laughed so hard or acted so silly in a long time. That is one of the beautiful things about camp, you can act completely silly and ridiculous and it is perfectly okay! My girls and I made up a game where they call out a couple animals and I have to act them out. For example, a monkey-dolphin-horse. I am sure I look like a complete fool, but the girls love it and enjoy it, so we will keep playing all week until they run out of ridiculous animal combinations. The Lord sure has blessed me with this group of girls! I know that there will be rough times to come, and some weeks that are harder than others, but God is SO good and is working everything to His glory!

Please keep me and my girls in your prayers this week! Time for a quick nap to finish off my off time this morning, then I'll be meeting up with my girls for lunch, rest time, activities, flex time, and CRUD WARS tonight!

Falling off the Face of the Planet Temporarily!!

Just figured I should write up a quick post explaining why my blogging will be slim to none over the next 10 weeks - I'LL BE AT CAMP!!

I've been at Cho-Yeh for the past two weeks for Staff Training and can tell that this summer is going to be phenomenal! I'm home for today but will be heading back to Livingston early tomorrow morning for CAMPERS!! It is the time that we have all been waiting for, the day when our precious kiddos get here!

I'll be in a cabin of girls getting ready to go into 3rd grade and I'm SO excited. Literally. Like a little girl before Christmas morning. I'm enjoying getting to spend this afternoon with my family, and know that the craziness called Cho-Yeh summer camp begins in the morning. I cannot wait!!

So, my blogging may not be up to date. So sorry! Please keep me, the rest of the counselors, leadership, full-time, and most importantly - my beautiful campers - in your prayers for the next 2.5 months! Thanks so much!!!

This is Where I'm Meant to Be

I have been having second doubts about working at camp for the past few months. The time at home with my family is very brief and filled with way too many things to do, and not nearly enough time. I thought about different ways that I could be spending my summer, and was unsure if going back to camp was the right choice.

Today, I had the opportunity to work a retreat back at camp. I worked on the ropes course for 2 hours, and lifeguarded for another 4 hours.

As I was driving away from Livingston today, I realized that camp is exactly where I am meant to be.

I loved being wrapped in the arms of some of the leadership team, and being surrounded by the love that fills camp. I was reminded of the sweet memories that Cho holds for me, and how my life has been radically changed every summer I have returned. I felt consumed by Our Amazing Lord, in a way that comes so naturally and readily at camp.

I know that I am meant to be at camp. God has planned for me to spend my entire summer loving on His sweet creations and sharing His Word with them. To spend countless hours lifeguarding, and running around playing games. To share precious fellowship with others who are striving to fall more in love with a Lord who has an abundance of love constantly pouring out on us.

As much as I wish I had more time to spend with my family, more time to be lazy at home, more time to sleep in and be silly, more time to enjoy with my friends -- that is not God's plan for me this summer.

I am so thankful that all my doubts about this summer have been removed. Now to make the most and treasure these few remaining moments that I have with family and friends, before I go off and see just what the Lord has in store for me this summer! He has rocked my world through camp the past five summers, and I know that Summer 2012 will be no different!

Home!

After somehow managing to stay in a restaurant from 6-10:15 last night with Jana, Jen and Katie, I ended up staying in CS last night with Jana instead of driving back to Houston super late. So this morning I drove back home and now I'm HERREEEE!!!

I actually (to my family's disbelief) got almost everything unpacked today! I went up to Falls and said hi to some of my favorite teachers from last year, and picked Kole up from school. I enjoyed my first home cooked meal in WAY too long, watched NCIS with Dad and Kole, and chit-chatted with my mom. I snuggled with KJ and enjoyed a not-long-enough walk with her while talking to Grandpa.

It was so relaxing, although I'm quickly realizing how different both of my world's are. Maybe I will switch over to my family's time schedule here soon -- hopefully! It's nice to be home, but I feel like I am missing something... oh yeah, the friends that I'm constantly surrounded with back at school! I'm spending all of tomorrow at the elementary hanging out in kindergarten, and then hoping to run by the pool to see Dennis and Kris. I'm not used to not being busy! I have to find ways to keep my self occupied :)

OH! And exciting news! I PASSED CHEMISTRY!! And not only passed, managed to pull out a B! Take that chemistry! As of right now I have also secured a B in geography and chem lab, as well as A's in English and Multicultural Education! The only class I'm waiting on is math, and then all my grades will be finalized! Freshman year is officially OVER! HELLO SUMMER!!! :)

LAST post from College Station -- goodbye Spring Semester!

It's official. I turned in my English paper this afternoon, and I am done! Hello sophomore year A-A-A-A-AAAAA!! (Had to... sorry bout it!)

My room is completely cleared out, I'm waiting until 4:00 when my RA can check me out of my dorm, then hanging out until 5. Picking Katie up from work, hanging out with her until dinner at 6 at Grub Burger Bar with Jana, Jen and Katie. Then - CYPRESS BOUND!

24 Hours till Cypress-bound

I cannot believe that in 24 hours I will be back in Cypress. I have never had more mixed emotions in my entire laugh.

Excitement: I’m SO ready to be home in Cypress and be able to spend time with my family and just relax. I have seriously missed just being with them-whether that means sitting and talking with my mom, beating my dad at darts game after game, or watching NCIS with Kole and Dad. I have missed snuggling with my puppy, I have missed my mothers cooking (even possibly her new meals). I am more than ready to be back in my own bed and have my own space for a bit. I’m excited to just be home.

Anxiety: I still don’t know my chem final grade, and so therefore I still don’t know if I passed that class. Definitely have a bit of anxiety about that realizing that there is absolutely nothing that I could do in order to help my grade at this point.

Upset: I definitely don’t want to leave my friends. This last month has been the best month of college no doubt, and the fact that I’m leaving all of these wonderful people who I won’t see for probably about 3 months is definitely poopy!

There are definitely way more emotions than just those three, but the idea is the same. College Station has become a home, and so I’m leaving one home for another. I’m SO excited to be home, I just wish that I could have both of those worlds combined into one.

So, how am I spending these last 24 (less than that actually) hours? Well… I’m in the library with Jana right now. We study really well together and I needed to edit a paper and she has a final tomorrow, so I am kinda hanging out in the library with her because I have nothing else to do. And it’s hurricaning outside, so I might as well wait the storm out. Plus, Jana found out I had never had a temporary tattoo and so she decided that needed to be changed. So, we are doing that at some point tonight? Tomorrow morning my parents are getting here to help me load up vehicles, luckily all of my stuff is essentially packed up. Then we are walking through the MSC and grabbing lunch there before they head back to Cypress and I go off to turn in my English final paper. I check out of my dorm at 4, and then I’ll probably go watch TV in the commons until dinnertime when Jana, Jen, Katie and I are all going out for dinner. Then the hardest goodbyes of all will occur, and then I’ll be on my way HOME! Tomorrow will definitely be a day of mixed emotions, but I am SO ready!