So put on your white shades, and I'll wear my smile.

I love Friday nights at Camp T.

This week was Sports Mania. "Hot dogs! Get ya hot dogs! Two dollars for two hot dogs. Three dollars for three hot dogs. Four dollars for four hot dogs. That's a dollar a dog." What's a sporting event without a hot dog vendor?

Team CILT was ready to play some sports.

Arielle and I even got into the CILT v. counselor soccer game. We really like playing sports... and running around the field... and yelling cheers... and giving yellow cards... and maybe even kicking the ball. Many CILT girls were cheering from the sideline. I love being with all of the kids of camp during trading post. Eliza is really fun.

Next it was time for closing campfire and the CILTs were ready for their graduation. They wrote their song to If I Die Young.

"When I go home, remember all the late nights, getting to know and love one another. Hanging with adopted campers. I'll take away all the words of devotions."

"So put on your white shades and I'll wear my smile. Won't see you for awhile."

I love that everyone wears their unit shirts. I love hearing every unit's cheer. I love seeing the show choir, hip-hop, and martial arts performances when the kids are so proud to be up on stage. I love going crazy during Shake Your Foot and Silly Willy. I love singing It Only Takes A Spark and Tecumseh at the end when the fire is dying down and the stars are shining bright above everyone. I love when the Torchbearers cry because they loved camp so much this week and they can't imagine going home. I love watching Brave counselors walk out carrying little campers that have fallen asleep in their arms. I love the walk back to the cabin, talking with campers about what a great week it has been.

Saturday morning comes early with staff shirts and name tags and the looming sadness of heading home for campers. 

We take dozens of "insert camper here" pictures and hug everyone twice before they leave.

I loved working with these counselors for the past two weeks and am so glad we have a whole month left together.

But it sure will be weird to go on without JACK MCGEE!

After spending two weeks with girls who are so kind like Alli, goofy creative like Claire, and enthusiastic like Francesca it's hard to say good-bye to them.

But we're also so excited for what is yet to come. Two more sessions of campers. 83 more kids to live the dream this summer.

I got to see some of my old campers that were stopping at camp to pick up their siblings and was so happy to have a mini-reunion. I love that a year later these girls are still such a big part of my life. I'm so lucky to have this job.

I went back to Indy for the day and was beyond thrilled to get to hang out with Sarah Briggs, one of my very best friends. I hadn't seen her for three weeks which felt incredibly too long. As soon as I walked into our apartment we sat down and started filling each other in on our lives. It's such a gift to have a friend that I can be completely honest with. We went and got Orange Leaf, because that's just what we do, and talked about real life stuff that I'm just not really sure about. Talking through it together was just what I needed to gain some perspective.  Sar is the greatest.