Finally

This is summer camp 2010.


This list, written mostly by my friends Arielle and Carolyn, made me laugh really hard yesterday.


This imitate-Irving activity made me laugh really hard today.


I love this place. I love these people. I'm so glad this summer has started.

Don't worry.

Yesterday I honest to goodness tried to blog. I stayed up too late and got all the way to the blogger website and IT WOULDN'T WORK! I was so frustrated and tried the website multiple times.
But I was assured by the people around me that it still counted for my uninterrupted streak of blogging. (Paige Coapstick, Arielle Brosman, and Molly Gigax can all vouch for me.)

Peace out 1938

I counted today and figured out that since I was a senior in High School I have moved 19 times.

Today I officially left apartment 1938. I lived by myself this year which was a totally new experience (I had never lived with less then 7 roommates.) and I thought I would hate it. And I did for awhile. But then I got used to washing my dishes when I wanted, watching the TV shows I liked, going to sleep in quiet, and having time to myself when I needed it. Next year I'll live with friends but I think this was a good experience.

I will miss my mantel and this tree.

From my living room I watched this tree's leaves turn colors and then fall off. The limbs get covered in snow and ice. And most recently I got to enjoy the new green leaves growing. I really love trees.

these girls

This morning I met with Allison,

Taylor,

Susan,

and Dom

to drink coffee, tell our stories of the last few days, and say bye for the summer. I don't like saying good-bye to people. I really wish all my favorites could live in one place so we could see each other everyday. I understand that these changes have to happen and that they're good because we experience new things and grow and change and meet people and blah, blah, blah. But today I just plain didn't like driving away from that Starbucks and knowing I wouldn't see these friends for a very long time.

"The best part of the last couple of days is that there has been such an atmosphere of everyone being up for anything, no "too cool" attitudes whatsoever, and everyone just thriving off each other's creative, adventurous minds! This is what life's about. Loving & sharing & taking life less seriously & giving & laughing & playing & living as though heaven were on Earth & embracing our inner youth. Spread the joy. Show the love. Pass it forward." -these girls

Blobs and Burritos

One thing I really love about the culture of Tecumseh is that everyone pitches in to help each other out. When my friend Eric needed help setting up the lake this morning Seth, Kraft, and I showed up because a) Eric is our friend and b) he needed help. I wish that a standard like that would be a part of so many more places. Life is just better when we help each other out.

I not only learned how to put the blog together but swam in the lake and jumped on the tramp for the first time this summer.

I made a trip back to Indy to see some Young Life kids and go to graduation parties before camp officially begins and I'm away for two months.
This is Emily and Stephanie.

They make me laugh and tell entertaining stories. Tonight we ate Chipotle and worked on a project and I loved getting to hang out with them. I'm going to miss them this summer but can't wait to go to Castaway with them at the end of July. With these two it will be an adventure for sure.

I also love that they wave from Steph's porch until they can't see my car anymore.

Remember Arielle?

I wrote about how I missed my friend Arielle a lot once. GREAT NEWS! It's summer now so we're both back at camp and we get to see each other all the time.

Today I got to spend almost the entire day with her. We collaborated with a group of counselors to work on chapel skits and songs all day. We are both passionate about this part of camp and how it can make such a huge impact on kids.

Then we got to just keep playing. We worked on a staff training project, ate pizza and played a hilarious game at quilt camp, kind of packed for camp, I told her all the funny things my students said this past year, got Blizzards in Delphi, and walked all over great Camp T (this place is seriously so beautiful).

She is goofy and wise and loyal and prayerful and observant and I really love her a lot.

Market Square Lanes

My friend Jenna hates bowling. She also kind of hates putt-putt, lazer tag, ice-skating and any other activity like that. Sometimes I really feel the same way but tonight I went bowling and it was just real great.

You see, I have some really funny friends.


I've met all these people through camp at some point in the past seven years. I love that we can go all year without seeing each other and then have nights like tonight where it just feels so normal for us all to be together.

Seth is competitive, Ben does the weirdest techniques, Delong dances to all the music, Matt encourages, Pula holds the ball in his palm, Meg...tries hard, Amy is the graceful bowler, Pete watches the Blackhawks in game three, and Kraft tells us what the pins would be saying if they talked to each other.