"Hugs are my personality."

The path along the Tippecanoe River is still flooded so we got a ride to the Gish Adventure Outpost again. We headed right out to the outlook point. We tried to hike down the hill to see how high the river was but couldn't even get to the bottom of the big hill because it was so muddy. 

So of course we used a good chunk of time playing and taking pictures and laughing and being friends. That's just what the Gish is for right?

It's a pretty relaxed morning in a brand new setting which is a good change of pace.

Emma Lee Macabee is a trip. We were both especially silly today.

This is what happens to Big Girl when Emma Girl low key attacks her.

I'm such a fan of these girls-- Haley, Allie, Alex, Natalie and Christie. They're such sweet girls and so much fun.

All 9 of these girls had Liz as a counselor in previous summers. How fun is that?!

Livy, Maddie and Hannah were all in my clinics when they were Riv kids and it's been so cool to finally be their counselor. I've known Nikki and Riley and Payton's family for years and I'm so glad they were CILTs together.

ABNAKI!!!

I can't believe that I didn't even know Riley Meyer two weeks ago. I was missing out. Now this girl has got a big chunk of my heart. I will miss her.

I'm so glad that I've gotten to know Natalie and her sweet soul. She has made me smile and brightened my day countless times this session.

I'm so lucky to be around Alli and Liz all day everyday. I can't believe we've only got two more weeks with Lizzie before she moves.  Riley is an adventurer.

I'm so glad that Emma and Maggie are best friends and that they live in Indy so I'll be able to see them this year. I've only known them for two weeks but I feel like we've been best friends for years. It's like a little sister kindred spirit kind of thing.

I love Allie and Christie's friendship and it's been so cool having Devon here as a CILT after being friends with her for so many summers.

I think it's so cool that while Alli, Liz and I are so different we still have the same heart about so many things. The Longhouse is better because we're working as a team.

Thankful for mornings of hugs and going on walks and climbing things and being friends together.

Thankful for girls like Christie that have contagious optimism and spill over with integrity.

Love that at this point we're such a family but still feel like two weeks just isn't long enough.
"Hey Sarah! Let's do Hannah Conrad's pose!"

 Having 40 campers, or 30 girls, at once is pretty nuts but that just means there is so much more love to go around.

CILT girl fam. These are my favorite kind of people.

Did you know that Liz tried out for American Idol? She retold the whole story and sang her audition song for us this morning.

Alli took a walk with some girls to make flower crowns.

Mags, Emma and I ventured to the same spot so we could have cool flowers too. Then Emma told me all about Greek mythology.

We stuck flowers in Lexie's braids and it was so cool. Matt Jones got a little tuckered out, but not too tired to hold some flowers while he napped. Megann is at the end of the 2nd Harry Potter book and I wish you could all see Alli's excitement for her.

HOPI!!!!

CHOCTAW!!!

 We continued the make-up-a-cabin-cheer-at-closing-campfire tradition after J dropped us off in the OT. Hopi went first and had this phenomenal stomp that Tim and I learned too. Maybe Session 3 will have to learn it...

The Brova boys rocked their song...

Next came Abnaki...

And Choctaw finished us out strong.

I really love the Mooney sisters and I really love that they're both at camp this week. When Michelle was just a Blazer and Sar was with me in Teton we realized that we could make fun patters with our names. The first picture is Sarah Sarah Michelle Michelle and the second one is Sarah Michelle Sarah Michelle.

 Molly has loved having Reagan here for two whole weeks-- I'm such a fan of their friendship.

Smoon and Hayli bug are just about the cutest thing that you ever did see. We love this little girl more than she loves giving hugs and kisses and licking Smoon's face.

Adam is a little lady's man. I'm not quite sure what Alli will do when he leaves after this week.

Years ago when Beef and I led CILTs together he told me once that looking out at Main Field is like looking at heaven on Earth. This afternoon as I walked by Main Field before dinner it totally felt like that. Sometimes I just get hit with wave of love and appreciation for this place. Yes, it's so cool to see the younger campers impacted by the CILTs, but I think that a lot of the time the kids' love is having an even bigger impact on the CILTs.

Smoon and I got to do color gaurd for the flag tonight with a small pack of CILT girls. Usually we're calling out the commands, but tonight we walked out to fold up the flag with our girls. Emma and Elise kind of got left behind as they were putting the rope back up, but everything turned out okay.

Soaps' cabin went out at flagpole to do the Ice Bottle challenge, dumped the water on their heads and then challenged Miami to do the same tomorrow morning at flagpole.

My fav pal Erin O'Awesome got to be on the mic tonight for the Riv Cook Out. She needs to find a career where she can always be amplified like this-- party starter for sure.

My early years on staff we always played the Watermelon Seed Game every time we had a cook out. The game has phased out but I brought it back to teach Emma tonight. Each seed stuck to your forehead is a different boy and the one that sticks the longest is the boy you're going to marry. You'll have to ask Emma who the lucky guy is.

For the first time in such a long time, we had Blazer Songfest! Emma and Jack came up with such a great playlist of hits that we were so excited about.

I stood with the girls of Oneida cabin, right between Julia and Mia for most of the night. My Lighthouse was the last song so I went down the row to Smoon because it was our song of last summer. Smoon and I hugged while I held Hayli and she smiled and kissed our faces. She seriously just might be an angel.

Then everyone in all of camp headed up to the LV chapel for fireworks over the Richard G Marsh Lake. All of the LV cabins sit at chapel and all the Riv kids and Day Camp sit together on the hill.

Before the fireworks started Liz White sang the national anthem and then we had a drummer and flutist from the 1700's. It was hype.

I loved seeing CILTies and counselors all scrunched together with their campers, ready to watch the fireworks.

Fireworks at camp are the best, even if they're on the 2nd of July.

We finished the night with devotions in the Party Room. We all wrote letters to our future selves, one of my favorite things. I can't believe that I only have one full day left with this session.

 Honorable Blog Title:
"I just threw up but I feel so much better!"