"Excuse me. I think you were my teacher once."

My parents, Nick and Katie all go to church at Central Wesleyan in Holland so we met there this morning. The music was awesome and singing "One Thing Remains" reminded me almost too much of singing in the Green Cathedral. There were a couple things that stuck out to me in the sermon that I really loved and had to share with a few YL leaders and many of my girls.

 

"I want you to use the hurt and pain you went through to bless other people. God calls us to do something courageous. His grace speaks through us. Boldly go where you can do amazing things in other people's lives."

 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers they will not wash over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned. The flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43:2 

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

 

"There will be times in your life when choosing to be fully alive will look very different than what others around you think is necessary to live an enjoyable life. Instead we will live with a passion and purpose-- and that can not be matched by any other life."

 

I got to hold baby Redford one last time on our way out of church before saying goodbye to Katie, Nick, Lincoln and Red. I love their family and it was so good to spend so much time with them this weekend. I'm already looking forward to when I'll be back at the end of next month for Lincoln's 2nd birthday.

I went back to my parents house in Holland to have lunch with them, my Aunt Meg and Hugo. It was good to just hang out and have time to relax for a little while. I'm so thankful for the family that I have-- parents that love me and want to help me and encourage me in everything that I do.

When I left to start driving home I didn't get very far before stopping in Saugatuck. Lizzy's parents lake house is nearby so we met up for ice-cream. She was one of my favorite people at Tecumseh this summer and I've missed her so much this past week. I was so happy to get to hang out and walk around town with her for an hour. This girl is the best and I'm lucky to call her a friend.

 

Driving seemed to take fooooreverrrrr all afternoon. I listened to camp worship playlists and left voicemails for friends and talked to Katlyn a lot because she's so good at talking on the phone. Finally I made it back to Indy just in time to meet friends at the Aristocrat for dinner.

 

Sarah Battaglia was passing back through Indy on her way home to Chicago but stopped to see Mary Ellen, Michelle, Kalli, Jack and Linda. Right as we were sitting down at our table I heard the waiter say, "Excuse me, I think you were my teacher once." I turned around to find this HS boy who looked awfully familiar. I had to ask him his name but then remembered Dominique from my very first year of teaching. He goes to HS in Lawrence now but still remembered me and English Comp. He was even wearing a bracelet that he said he made that year in FBC.

 

"Linc! What do you want for your birthday?" "Money!"

Friday was a great day. Not only was it the first jeans day of school but we played speed ball at the end of every class to help us learn names. Then I got to see the one and only Sarah Briggs during lunch. She had to come to Indy today and got here early enough to see me. Luckily I have 5th period prep now so I could have a whole hour with Sar. We haven't seen each other since her wedding in May, we think it's the longest we've ever been apart since we first met. Way too long. 

As soon as the bell rang at the end of the day I jumped in my car and started driving to Michigan. A Diet Coke, my whole Rascal Flatts play list, a phone call with Katlyn and a dinner stop later I finally made it to Katie and Nick's house. On Monday my newest nephew was born and now I finally got to meet him. Redford Wilde Dekoster. Such a sweet little man.

We took a family trip down the road to get ice-cream at the Village Dipper. Lincoln was most excited about his gumball but Katie, Nick and I all got ice-cream.

I love this quiet little town and getting ice-cream with these people I love so much. After my hectic week of transitions this is exactly what I need.

Back at home we played in the yard for a little while. Did you know Linc sticks his tongue out sometimes now? I didn't either.

Hugo and Nick moved a set of lockers from the garage into Linc's new bedroom. It's the sportiest kind of dressers. Hugo is here in MI for a couple days staying with my parents in Holland. He and Dad came over to visit tonight.

My first picture with both of my favorite boys in the world! The new trick to get Linc to smile in pictures is to ask, "Lincoln, what do you want for your birthday?" Right away he says, "Money!" and then smiles so big.

I got to hold Redford more tonight as Dad showed us Alaska pictures and Linc got ready for bed. I really love getting to see Katie and hang out with her. I'm still so thankful that she and her family live in Michigan now. She and Nick used to be in Baltimore, MD and it was just too far away.

This morning I woke up ready to play with the family again. Little Red is just so cute.

The Lincster got covered in his breakfast and took his pony on a ride through his yogurt. Then he got all cleaned up so he could hold his little brother. Is there anything more precious?

Little Red is already doing a little tummy time too. He's a champ.

He also got his first official FRIENDSHIP BRACELET! Of course it had to be red for Redford. He loves it.

My and my buddy Red. We're best friend status already.

Katie, Linc and I headed into Holland to meet Dad and Hugo at the Farmer's Market. They're regulars here and know just where to get blueberries, donuts, flowers and peaches. Today was special because there was a salsa competition going on. We paid $3 each to try twelve different salsas. 

The line wound around two giant tents. We devoured so many chips and tiny cups of salsa. There were so many different kids but Katie and I ended up voting for one made with avocado and black beans. Hugo and Dad liked one made with red apples. We were stuffed by the time we finished.

Later in the afternoon Dad, Hugo, Nick, Linc and I made a trip out to the beach. We tried out the swings first, Linc loves to go high.

We set up our chairs and tent on the beach and then Linc and I went down to the water to play. He loves dumping water out of buckets and throwing sand and destroying castles. Demolition is fun.

We would attempt to get in the water but it was just too cold to go in more than our feet. Linc was loving life in the sand.

We sat in the shade of our tent to drink our Diet Coke and apple juice. Linc even got to try on Kat's hat for a second, he looks pretty cool I think. 

Right before we left Linc got in the water with his dad-- partially for fun and partially to get all the sand off.

Playing with Linc will always be one of my favorite things. I love this kid. I can't imagine what he'll be like at 7 or 10 or 15 years old but I know he'll keep being awesome and so sweet.

We went back to my parents for dinner together. I love when we all get to sit around the table together like this. Then we had a relaxing night back at Katie and Nick's. I held Redford a lot which was perfect. After the boys went to bed I watched 42 with Katie and Nick. It's still crazy post-camp to have the time to sit and watch a movie like this. It's been such a good weekend here in Michigan with my family. Can't wait to see Bethie tomorrow!

"If you want to fit in, here is some advice. Be cool, try to impress people, don't try to do something crazy, don't be mean to the teachers, always try your best on tests."

Highs of the Day:

Scavenger Hunt in room 124 and getting to meet my students on day 2

Kids finding the Banksy pictures that are hidden throughout the school and turning them in for a prize

Randomly getting to see Krafty who is in town for a wedding and having dinner with him, his mom and his friend Flip

Knowing that tomorrow I get to go to Michigan!

 

"Miss Wright, you remind me of my grandma. That wasn't supposed to be an insult. She's fun!"

Tuesday morning I went back to HSJH for more meetings and more classroom prep. It's strange that this will soon be my new normal again. At 9:15 I'll be in the middle of second period instead of singing songs in the Green Cathedral. All day long I'll be walking around my classroom and helping kids with their papers instead of doing challenges with the CILTs or playing with Blazers.

 

The best part of teacher days is getting to go out to lunch with KCraig and Lori. We ate at Paradise today and as much as I love chicken cobb with avocado salads, I was even more thankful to be with these friends. These women are my people here and I know that they've got my back and are always so encouraging.

 

That afternoon I got to move into my new apartment! Thankfully I have a huge community of people in Indy that are willing to help because I definitely wouldn't be able to do this on my own. Mary went and sat in my apt while the internet guy came because I was still at school. Then Emily and Mac came to help make multiple trips of my stuff from the Devoe garage to the new place. Sarah was with my all afternoon loading and carrying and driving all around town. Pidgeon got to come help load up my bed in the truck and carry things upstairs. Molly and Alli made a trip of stuff from Broad Ripple to Fishers and our paths didn't even cross.People are awesome.

 

We got an incredible amount moved into my apartment that day and finally stopped to go to dinner. Sarah and I drove across town to meet a crew of camp people at Mellow Mushroom, our very favorite pizza spot. I knew Indy folks would be there but freaked out when Chrissy Crowe was at the table. She was missing camp so much she drove down all the way from Chicago. I was so happy to be reunited with Ellyn-- we got our daily picture taken care of.

Being back with this many camp friends totally made my night. I've missed Lesem, Kellie, Chrissy, Matt, Molls, Ellyn and Alli so much in just the last two days. We're not used to being apart this much. Soon they'll all be heading back to college. Lesem and Kellie are getting into the swing of things in their own classrooms and jobs.  But still no matter where we go, I know that the camp family will always be important to everyone.

Wednesday I woke up ready for the first day of school with students. The first day never fails to be fun. Even if I'm not mentally prepared for it, you can't help but have fun with 160 new students filling your room throughout the day. I got to say hi to the 8th graders, wear a cute new teacher outfit, walk around for lunch supervision, meet my new kids, talk about Kid President and make a plan for #awesometuesdays this semester. It's going to be a great year.

After school I had more moving to do. I unpacked a load of books and pictures I had stored in my classroom over the summer. Then I went to KCraig's house where more of my things had been in her basement all summer. She and Jesse G helped me load it all up, drive back to my apt and unload things there. Maddy and Eliza even stopped by to help carry things upstairs too. I've got great people helping me out.

Tonight I met Brooke, Kaitlyn and Molly for dinner. They're some of my Young Life girls and all freshmen at Cathedral this year. They've already been back to school for over a week now. I loved getting to talk to them about their classes, Freshmen hell week, soccer and cross country, new and old friends and how summer ended. I just love these girls so much and have missed hanging out with them.

After we finished eating they helped me pick out a present for little Redford and then I took them all home. It's SO convenient to live in the same town as them now. I can't even convey how happy I am to live this close to school and YL girls.

"Wow. Go get the world."

I have a new baby nephew! Redford Wilde Dekoster was born this morning weighing in at 6 lbs. The whole family is healthy and doing well. Baby Lincoln even picked out a giant giraffe balloon for his new baby brother.

I hate that I can't go right now, there's just too many things going on. But as soon as school gets out on Friday I'm racing up there to play all weekend and snuggle with Redford and chase Linc around and help Katie and Nick with everything. I'm so excited.

Lows of the day:

Summer is over
I went back to school
I sat in two meetings
I'm incredibly camp sick

Highs of the day:

I got to see KCraig, Lori and Mr. Hodgin
REDFORD WAS BORN
Looking through my class lists and recognizing a lot of names
My 6th period class has 24 girls and 3 boys-- this will be so fun
Sitting and talking with Haleigh
Dinner with Devoe's and seeing the whole Wilson family
Just sitting on a couch and watching TV while blogging and being able to chill for the first time in a very long time

"I almost died but then I ate banana bread instead."

We woke up with sunlight streaming into the tent at 9:15 this morning. It wasn't at camp, but I was perfectly happy to be with Smooney and these girls that I love so much. We only had 45 minutes till we had to leave so we climbed out of our sleeping bags to go on an adventure.

The lakehouse was just a short walk down the road to Lake Michigan. A few minutes later we were kicking off our shoes and feeling the sand fill the spaces between our toes. It was a beautiful morning.

Nina's mom, sister Mia and dog were already down by the water so we got to take a picture of our whole group.

Anybody who really loves camp understands that it's the people that make camp so great. So even though we weren't in River Village or at the Richard G Marsh Lake, being with these friends on this rocky shore still felt pretty close to being at home.

 

I'm so glad that Smoon and I got to visit these girls. They're some of the main characters of my summer and at this point I can't imagine not knowing them. Just like Shauna writes in puppies, "They've become something like sisters, best friends and younger versions of myself." 

I've spent more time this summer with Smooney than anyone else at camp and I can't imagine what I'm going to do without her right by my side this year. She was already one of my best friends but we've grown so much closer in the past ten weeks. She gets me, supports me, cares about my heart, laughs with me and never gets tired of me. I love her for her hair bows, inability to eat anything with yeast or dairy, obsession with Rice Check and craisins, how she scrunches up her face when she takes pictures, loves her sisters so much, gives so many hugs and back scratches, willingness to jump into any of my crazy ideas and the way she pushes herself outside of her comfort zone. Friends like her are hard to find. I'm so thankful we got to have one more grand adventure together.

I'm going to miss Emily, Katlyn and Nina so much this year. They've each got a big chunk of my heart. You know how people draw hearts and then color them in red? I'm pretty sure if you could see my heart it would be a huge mosaic of all different colors and patterns of pieces. Most of the people I love, friends and campers and YL kids and my family, are scattered all over the country and they've each got a piece of my heart. It's in the middle of transitions like this, when I leave camp, that my heart almost physically hurts because I can feel all the different pieces and wish I could just be with everyone at once.

Even though we'll be hours away from each other for most of the year I won't forget or stop caring about these girls. They'll still be at the center of my thoughts and prayers. Phone calls and videos and texts from them will make my face light up and for a second it'll be like we're together.

We walked back to the house, our shoes filled with sand and rocks in our hands. Then it was time to say good-bye. The visit was short but sweet and I'm so glad we decided to come. It's surprises and memories like this that stand out in my mind as some of the very best. After being a counselor for so long I've got a good sense of knowing when I'm going to stay connected with people for years to come. I know that I don't have to worry about losing these friends.

Smooney and I drove back to Tecumseh together to get her car and then we had to finally say good-bye. Let me just say it was awful. Love her to the moon and back and don't know what I'm going to do without her. Someday I hope that we'll be the kind of friends that live in the same place and get to be every day kind of friends all summer long.

I drove back to Fishers today. So weird. As much as it's hard to come back from Tecumseh I'm so glad that this is where I'm coming. Fishers has become another home for me and it's filled with people that I love and that love me right back. My first year out of college was so scary because I knew almost no one here. But now I've got teacher-friends at school, friends in Indy, Tecumseh kids all over the city and a huge Young Life community of kids, leaders and families.

Tonight Young Life hosted the 2nd Annual Amazing Race Fundraiser. Over 150 kids 8th-11th grade showed up to compete in a race of challenges that took them all over the Hamilton Proper neighborhood. This was such a fun first night back-- I've missed these people.

We hung out for awhile while everyone got registered. Then all of the kids gathered together for directions.

Then adult team leaders stood around the circle with team rosters and matching bandannas for the group.

Then they were off, like the running of the bulls, down the street and through backyards.

The Young Life leaders had our own stop at the end of the street. Kids came to us for leader trivia. They could choose any leader and then answer a question worth 10-50 points. They had to get 100 total points correct in order to move on to the next station. I got the extra job of taking a picture of all 16 teams. It was so fun to see all of the kids run through.

(This team ended up winning!)

As the teams finished the race they all hung out at the end of the street. We were grilling out, their was a Kona Ice truck, Ryan and Lauren had a concert and all of the YL kids and siblings and parents and leaders were hanging out together. It's going to be so good to be back with girls like Julia and Olivia that I just love so much.

It's going to be so strange come Wednesday to have Anne and all her friends in the Freshmen Center instead of ol' HSJH. I'm so used to seeing them in the halls and visiting my girls at lunch. I know there will be lots of kids that I'll get to know but I'll miss this group a ton.

I actually got to meet a bunch of the new kids. These are all new 7th grade girls that are pumped about FBC and Wyld Life this year. We're thinking we're going to do a bible study together too which I'm excited for. About half of them are going to be in my class this year too. I told them that we had to take a picture so that we could remember when we first met.

So that's it. I'm officially back in Indy and finished with camp. Nothing like a fast transition right? This was my last day of summer 2013 and tomorrow I'll head back to school. Trulock says we just shouldn't go to sleep tonight because then we won't have to get to tomorrow. Hm... sounds like something Ellyn would say.