Overlap: "You're perfect. Do you have an older brother?"

Friday mornings week 2 are all about the CILT graduation song, final one on ones, making graduation hats and giant CILT picnics for lunch. On days like today the Party Room really feels like home. After Choctaw, I think it's my favorite room in all of camp.

We're always really nostalgic on the last day of a Session and it feels like it just can't be true that our time together is almost up. But Diet Coke helps a lot.

CILT Tide (Riptide by Vance Joy)

I was scared of Blazers and the Braves
I was scared of Warriors and leading Joy devotions
Oh, didn't think it'd be this hard to leave
We'll be at Tecumseh in our dreams

Oh, we're Session One

CILTs, yeah running down to our campers
Taken away to blob time
I wanna be your best friend here
I love it when you're singing at chapel
I got a lump in my throat cause now we gotta go home

There's this CILT Pack that I think you'll like
We all decide to pack our bags and head to Camp Tecumseh
Joey's running from the boys
and Longhouse counselors really love our joy

Oh, we love Camp T

Abnaki, Choctaw and Hopi
Then we got the Brova
Who are always breaking things
Our counselors, yeah they're pretty awesome
We got a lump in our throats cause we gotta leave Tecumseh now

I just wanna, I just wanna know
Why we gotta, why we gotta go
I just wanna, I just wanna stay
Wouldn't have it, wouldn't have it any other way

I swear we're destined for DC
Closest group of friends you'll ever, ever see

Lately running around with our campers
Trying to keep them together
I wanna be a counselor now
I love it when you're playing gaga
I got a lump in my throat cause we gotta say goodbye to them

Sarah, Liz, Tim and Alli
Ellyn, Gi and Sam yeah
Keeping us out of trouble here
It's storming, it just keeps on raining
I got a lump in my throat cause we gotta leave the Party Room

CILTs yeah, running down to our campers
Taken away to blob time
I wanna be your best friend here
I love it when you're singing at chapel
I gotta lump in my throat cause now we gotta go home

I love the magic of Fridays at camp. Clinics are awesome on Fridays. Everyone has so many friends to play with before lunch. Campers flock to their CILTs.

Friday night dinners are extra special. Tonight was the very first Hawaiian night. I think we'd call it a great success. Choctaw took a semi-awkward family picture. Ellyn and I will miss living with this gang of girls.

Daily pics with Ellyn and I sure will miss little Anna Latona when she goes home.

I love the Day Camp staff like Gretta, Grace, Sophie and McKenna. I miss being their counselor.

I love that Kaya and Olivia were Lilo and Stitch and that they walked around singing a song from the movie.

I love seeing Erin O'Awesome with her campers. I've loved getting to be Olivia and Kaya's counselor one more time.

I love being on staff with Diggy, Molly, Whitney and Becky-- they're really exceptional people.

I love all the friendships that form between CILTs in just two short weeks.

I've loved Session 1 with this team and am so thankful for two more Sessions with Tim, Alli and Liz. I'm thankful that they're faithful, intentional, kind, caring counselors. I love that they're team players and that they're in this for the kids.

I love dinner craziness, two chocolate milks for Ellyn, steps around the Party Room, dancing and singing, so many costumes, surprise Nerd Ropes and a giant Party in the Party Room.

The singing and dancing continued during Trading Post.

I'm so glad that KMax, Diggy and Erin are all in the Riv this summer. Can't imagine not seeing them all the time.

Elli and Val made it back with the Trippers from White Water Rafting. So many alumni came to campfire tonight INCLUDING MY GIRL SARAH MOONEY! Oh holy I have missed her.

The CILTies practiced their graduation song on the porch a few more times before joining in the horse parade to campfire. After being in Kampen last Friday, we were very happy to be heading out the Wright Way to the OT.

I will miss these sweet CILT girls-- it'll be so strange to not turn around and see Olivia, Rachel, Kaya and Jill traveling in a pack. I know we'll stay in touch.

CILTs have so much enthusiasm-- if there was a contest I think they might love camp the most.

We performed Session 1's cheer one more time on stage.

SO MANY FRIENDS CAME TO CAMPFIRE! Kendall Brunner, Mary Brody, Lesem, Brunner, Chrissy, Maggie Shadid, Nart!

Brunner Runner Runner got crowned as the new Buffalo Queen! Abby Murin came!

It was kind of nuts seeing all of these old friends pass out the 4-year-bandannas up front. Honestly, I wish so many of these people were still working this summer. I understand that other things come up, but we're looking at some of the greatest counselors I've worked with.

Molly and Ellyn played the box drum while we called up the CILTs for graduation.

The CILTies did a fantastic job up on stage singing their song-- I was very impressed. So many feels.

Tim, Alli, Ellyn and I stood off to the side to watch the CILT Pack perform. Somehow Liz missed the memo and sat in a row of Brave girls... This picture of Mel and I is really awkward but I just love something about it.

Together we have a total of 15 summers leading CILT girls. Working with each of these women was such a gift and they all taught me something about loving and serving others well.

This crew represents five summers of Teton Pathfinder Girl Coordinators. Hoorah for sure. What a great crew.

It was hard to see Cecilia or Lucy very often this week since we were in opposite villages, but I just love that they're Tecumseh kids. They've both got so much spunk and fun in them. Hopefully I'll get to see them often back in Fishers and we can just continue the Camp T love.
p.s. The Old Hag dominate Irish Dance clinic.

Oh Smoon-- you're the greatest. I can't tell you how excited I was to see this friend arrive in the Riv parking lot tonight. I'm even more pumped that we get to spend the whole weekend together. We've been CILT partners the past two summers and it's so strange to not be doing all of this with her now. We've got such similar outlooks on things and have learned how each other operates. I love that we're the kind of friends that will take a spontaneous trip to Lake Michigan or be totally content to just eat Chipotle and write PLs all weekend. I have no doubt that we'll be friends for life.

Tonight Mary Brody, Chrissy Crowe and Molly Brunner were all at campfire. These three were in the first group of CILTs I ever counseled and probably one of my favorite cabins ever. They taught me so much about how to be a counselor, who I wanted to be and what I wanted my life to be about. They've grown up, had their own counseling summers, graduated from college and each found a way to love kids in their jobs. I'm proud to be their friend.