I Love Laptops

Why? Because they allow me to lay in bed and be productive at the same time! That union makes me happy, just like Starbucks located inside Target (kudos to whoever thought of that genius idea!)

Anyways, it is almost 1:30 and I am still in bed. Yes I did sleep in until 10:30 (didn't fall asleep until almost 2am), but I have been productive for the last 3 hours thanks to the compact technology sitting on my lap. I have been sending emails, checking for new job postings, and starting different wedding documents.

We are under the 2 month mark and I definitely feel like it's Go time! I'm not stressed (yet), just staying busy and always having something to work on. There are times that it really hits me--I am getting married!!! It's not a panic feeling, but just so much excitement and joy and sometimes disbelief that this is reality and not just a dream. It hit me when I bought an airline ticket for August and wrote my name as Hannah Baughman. It hit me when I told my brother yesterday that his birthday was in 2 weeks, I would be officially graduated from college in 3 weeks and I would be a married woman in 8 weeks! It hit me today when I was working on the "script" for the ceremony and typed "Dave and Hannah walk down the aisle." Wow, I am so blessed that this is happening!

It also hit me when we finished the invitations and I took them to the Post Office. Invitations are a lot of work! But I am SO happy with how they turned out that it was definitely worth it.

After writing, finding the perfect font, designing, printing, punching flowers, gluing flowers, sewing flowers (my mom did that part), and then tying knots (Nate helped me!) so the thread wouldn't unravel--here is the finished product!

Close-up of the stitching and flowers.

As if sending out the invitations isn't exciting enough, getting RSVPs is even moreso! We send RSVP cards that people could mail or they had the option to respond on our website. We got 3 cards back at church yesterday and 2 responses online! So exciting!

Time to get back to my wedding tasks, but thanks to my laptop no need to get out of bed still :).

3 Movies in 1 Day

First of all, 3 movies in 1 day is not really anything too incredible if you know my family--we watch a lot of movies! We always have, and probably always will. It's something we really enjoy doing together. The guys watch chick flicks with mom and I, and us girls watch the action movies with them. My parents are continuously playing "name that actor and all the other movies they have been in" and only a few times do we have to go to IMDB to verify their answers. I have caught on and can join in the fun of saying who is who, who is or was married to who, and what other movie they were in with some other actor. And of course, we have our favorites. :)

We like to watch movies at home as well as in the theater. Growing up, we would often read the book once we heard a movie was being made and other times we didn't know there was a book until the screen said "based on the book by so and so" and mom would joke that we had to leave a go read the book. And we ALWAYS stay until the VERY end of the credits after the songs, location, the brand of film and cameras and then the speakers pop and the screen goes blue or black. We are almost always the only people left in the theater except for the employee cleaning up the popcorn. The ONE time we did not was when we saw "Pirates of the Caribbean 3". It was not a favorite of my moms and she got up as soon as the last scene ended. We all left and found out when we got home that there was a scene at the end of the credits (this was in the beginning of the "throw another scene at the end of the credits" fad that is now quite popular) and so we stay. But this extra scene is a newer reason for why we stay. The main reason we stay is because ALL those names, ALL those people who worked on that movie, they should get some credit too. And my mom always says "their moms would be so excited to see their kids' names up on that screen, and someday when my son's name is up there I am going to stand up before anyone leaves and tell them they all have to stay until they see my son's name."  Now that my brother is a film student, the chances of this happening are extremely likely. His cinematography knowledge is fun for us because it provides behind-the-scenes info and critiques on movies from a filmmaker's perspective.

So back to the title of this post...we like movies. A lot. My brother has gone to see "The Avengers" four times in theaters and I am the only one who has not seen it. Today my parents had a meeting after church so Michael and I went on a sibling date to see "The Avengers", which he was very willing to see yet again.

 

He rates it as the #1 movie he's ever seen. I liked it a lot but not my #1. I would however put it in the Top 10 for action movies. It had a good story, the acting was good, and it had some humor as well.

Then we came home and as is often the case at night, my family will watch a movie. Well we ate our dinner while we watched tonight so we started early. We have a lot from the library right now plus one from Netflix. My brother narrowed our choices down to two: "Made of Honor" and "Captain America" and then I had to decide. Normally chick flicks are the no-brainer choice for me, but after just seeing "The Avengers", I was in that kind of a mood. I was torn. So I flipped a coin--"Made of Honor" won. It was good. Funny and cute, and yes the couple that has no interest in each other whatsoever at the beginning does get married at the end. :) After that movie ended, the night was still young and so we watched "Captain America" as well. Also a good movie. I liked the story a lot--it didn't hurt that it was set in WWII time (one of my favorite time periods) and there was a love story. The only MARVEL movie I have yet to see is "The Hulk". I'm not sure it can top "Captain America." Green and angry just doesn't do it for me like an old-school gentleman and patriotism...but Mark Ruffalo is in it so I wonder if he will dance to "Thriller" like he did with Jennifer Garner in "13 Going on 30"? See...the name-that-actor-and-what-they-have-been-in game never ends. And thankfully, it doesn't have to, because movies keep on getting made, and we keep on watching!

A Weekend in the Emerald City

Last weekend, I went back to Seattle for a shower for my roommate Esther. It was nice to be back "living" with my roommates and enjoying Seattle life. The weather was SO nice while I was there and I was able to soak in the sun in many ways.

A walk to Fremont with Esther and Emily for Starbucks Frappucino Happy Hour!

So nice to be able to read what I want now--no more college required reading.

 I love being able to wear my Rainbows again!

Laying by the canal enjoying the nice weather and warmth.

Dislike Seattle gridlock traffic...but at least I could have my sunroof open and window down while I'm sitting on the city streets bumper to bumper.

Time Flies when...

...you are falling in love, at the beach, student teaching, getting engaged, graduating from college, and planning a wedding. Yep, all that has happened since my last post OVER A YEAR ago! But as you can see, slacking on my blog has been for several good reasons.

I had a very exciting, fun, and life-changing year. I met Nate (my now fiance) on March 26, 2011 at a volleyball tournament, which we returned to and won this year. We got to know each other long distance through letters, texts, phone calls, and visits every few weeks. After school ended in June, I returned to Cannon Beach for my second year. This summer I lived with my 3 great friends from the first summer: Jill, Katie, and Olivia. Being roommates with all of them was amazing and one of the best things about the summer. I was the supervisor teacher for the 4 and 5 year-olds, which came with a lot of challenges and joys. The kids were so precious and I enjoyed it a lot. In September, I got to spend 3 weeks at home before school started again. It was so nice to be close to Nate for longer than a weekend. We took a road trip to Montana to visit his parents and my brother as well as other fun hangouts in our neck of the woods such as boating and a demolition derby. Heading back to Seattle was hard to leave him but I had 3 amazing roommates awaiting me, which made it better. I was SO SO blessed to be able to live with Emily, Esther, and Janelle my last two quarters of college. Those girls are so beautiful, fun, loving, encouraging, and great to live with. We got along very well, and definitely the worst part about graduating a quarter early was cutting my time living with them short. Over Christmas break, both Esther and I got engaged. Very exciting to be sure! Winter quarter included lots of wedding plans, bridal magazines, and pinterest squeezed into my incredibly busy teaching schedule. I did my student teaching in a Kindergarten classroom with an amazing mentor teacher and 25 sweet students. I learned so much and survived the brand new Teacher's Performance Assessment (it took over 30 hours to complete!) I am going to be visiting the classroom this Friday and it will be a surprise for the students. I can't wait to see them!

So now I am living back at home. I have been exercising 6 days a week since mid-March (getting in wedding/honeymoon/bikini shape). Jillian Michaels exercises are great! She definitely kicks your butt and doesn't care one bit. I have also been working on wedding plans little by little including calling and meeting with vendors, making my invitations, and marriage counseling. I also applied to three different school districts for a teaching position for the fall. Praying that something opens up and I can find a good job.

The sun has finally come around and made it look like spring here in North Idaho. Nate and I had our engagement pictures taken on Sunday. It was so much fun. Our photographer is really great. I can't wait to see all of the pictures. Today I ate my lunch outside...so maybe 30 minutes...and I got burned! I seriously have the most pathetic skin ever.

Anyways, now that I am out of school and won't have a job until late August, I have lots of free time that I need to fill. Yes there is wedding stuff to do now, but it doesn't take all my time, and I need something for the month after our wedding when Nate is still working and I'm not. So...I want to start blogging more. I think it will be fun to write about my adventures as a new wife. I want to do a lot of cooking. I have probably over 20 Rachel Ray magazines plus dozens of pins on pinterest. I want to make an organized and categorized recipe book and then start trying out the delicious meals. I love food and would love to become more confident cooking and comfortable in the kitchen. I want to do more reading. I read the Hunger Games series recently in preparation of seeing the movie (SO GOOD) and it reminded me how much I used to love reading (before it was assigned in a syllabus and I had to write a paper on it). So I need to make a list, get some recommendations, and find them for my kindle or go to the library! I also want to try and be more crafty. I have so many cute ideas for the home and decor that are on my pinterest and I think I could do them if I just tried. I know once I start teaching I will get very busy again--I'm nervous about my first year and just getting everything established and organized--but this is a new chapter in my life, mmmm more like the next book in the series as its too many life-changing events for just a new chapter. Anyways, its a new part of my life and I want to try new things, find things I enjoy, find things that Nate and I enjoy, and figure out who I am as a wife and career woman. I can't believe I'm all grown up and done with school. Wow, time flies...

well it LOOKS like spring

I haven't written in awhile. Spring break was really good, very relaxing and low-key which is what I needed. Now I'm back at school for my last spring quarter! This quarter has a lot of new things in store for me. I started a nannying job that is two days a week picking up a 2nd grader from school and then his two older brothers come on the bus. I get them snacks, start homework with them and just hang out for a bit until their mom gets home. I really like it and it's a good break from my classes and studying. I am also taking my Methods quarter which is the first of 3 student teaching quarters here at SPU. I will be in a 3rd grade classroom every Thursday observing and helping the teacher. I'm so excited to start in a couple of days. Today I had my first day of 4 Methods classes. Being in class from 8-6 is really long but I liked all of my classes a lot and the workload doesn't seem that it's going to be too hard. Actually, today gave me a good feeling about being a teacher again, which I haven't felt in a long time.

So in regards to my title...it is almost 7:30 but still very light outside. The sun is shining, and birds are singing! I love it! Unfortunately, once you step outside to enjoy it, it's all a joke as it is windy and cold so still feels like winter. I just bought Rainbow sandals and my mom is making me a dress, so now the weather just needs to cooperate!

Artistic Updates

To follow up from my last post, I used the leftover meat, dough, and onions to make calzones! I made cole slaw again but this time had honey to add and I liked the dressing much better. One of my good friends was over for dinner and as I was cooking, I realized she's been my guinea pig all year long as I try out new recipes. She keeps coming back though :) Here's a picture of last night's dinner before and after:


Also, I've been out taking lots of pictures lately. For Christmas, I got a Cannon Rebel t2i and I have loved learning how to use it and snapping shots of everything. I had some extra time today to do some editing and uploading of a bunch of new pictures. For some odd reason, the little slideshow gadget over there ---> will only rotate through a handful of pictures from my Flikr. So here is the link for my photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/hannahjezak/

8 days until I am done with this quarter and get to go home!

Cooking Adventures

This year I live in an apartment and while the cafeteria on campus is still an option, I have not been inside it once! I have been cooking for myself and I love it! Although, shopping and cooking for one person is not easy or very fun. I do always have leftovers unless I have friends over to share the meal which I absolutely love!

I have a cookbook that I got for Christmas, a bunch of mom's recipes, and a subscription to "Every Day with Rachael Ray." I have enjoyed trying all sorts of new recipes throughout the year though sometimes I do revert back to soup in a can or frozen pizza. But cooking takes time and energy and sometimes as a college student with a job, there just isn't a whole lot of either.

Last night I made this: Polish Pigs in a Blanket from the Rachael Ray show.

you can find the recipe here

This meal is really fast and easy to make! Problems for a single college student is that then you have pizza dough and 1/2 a kielbasa left to figure out what to do with. Sausage is great with spaghetti and marinara sauce and I'm still thinking about how I will use the dough in the next couple days.

This was my second time making it and it turned out pretty good, but here are some tips based on my experience. Spray the baking sheet with non-stick spray or use parchment paper so you don't lose the bottom crust like I did. The sausage crisps much faster than the onions so start it a few minutes later. Next time I will probably use less mustard and onions just because it was kind of overkill. Also, I realized half way through making the slaw dressing that I was out of honey so I just went without. It still tasted good but lacked any sweetness. It was yummy and very filling!

Sun shines through the Rain

I'm sitting in a coffee shop on the corner of two streets. It is raining on one street, but not on the other. Clouds have come and gone all day, but now there are blue skies and warm sunshine and yet, still some rain falls. Is this weather not also apparent in life? Difficult situations come and go like the rain clouds. Or maybe one area of our life is going great yet the struggles in another aspect still discourage us. And yet, the sun will always come out again. The sun can pierce through clouds and shine through the drops of rain. This paradox even results in a beautiful rainbow. God's love never stops. Even if we feel alone and discouraged during hard times, He is still there. The clouds can cover up the sun, but they cannot keep it from existing and shining. Stressful situations might consume our thoughts and cause worry, but they cannot change the fact that God is in control and He has a plan. When we recognize this promise, we can experience joy in suffering, perhaps as sweet and beautiful as the vibrant hues of a rainbow.

So, there are some thoughts for the day, and now that it has stopped raining, I'm off to do some photography.

Maybe I should have been an English major

...or maybe an emphasis is enough. At any rate, everytime I take an English class, I love it! Partially because the professors are always my favorite. There are 4 here at SPU that I just love and wish I could take more classes from. I am currently in British Literature from the Restoration to Victorian. We discussed Arnold's "Dover Beach", and parts of Mill's "Autobiography" and E.B. Browning's "Aurora Leigh" today. The part of me that could NOT be an English major is the part that reads these pieces and has no idea what they are saying. But then I get to class and we discuss and it all becomes so clear and I think 'yeah I could do this.' What exactly is "this" though? A profession of reading? Well yes partly. Everyone we've read bases their writings off of ideas from previous authors. Arnold references Milton, Mill talks about Wordsworth and Browning hints at ideals of Wollstonecraft. So, I read, take ideas, and then write something new. Sounds easy right? I'm not convinced. I want to keep reading, and start writing. But I'm not sure what to write, who for, and to what purpose? This uncertainty often leads me to just push it aside and say 'nah, it's not for me.' But then I get so excited in class and LOVE discovering the ideas and connections between authors and even pop culture today. I'm a nerd that way (along with the fact that I could diagram sentences or factor binomials in Algebra all day long :D)

Maybe someday. At any rate, for the time being I need to read some excerpts from "David Copperfield". Oh and I have discovered the best study snack item: dark chocolate covered cranberries! They are sweet, chocolatey, but also healthy! yuuuum. Thank you Trader Joe's.

I Still Believe

It is has been far too long since I posted. Last time I just turned 21 and since then I passed the West-E, finished fall quarter, had a great and relaxing Christmas break and am now coming up to the midterms of winter quarter. Oh, winter quarter. Looooong sigh! It has been very gray and dreary literally, mentally, and emotionally. I had hoped after such an amazing summer that I would not repeat the misery of last winter and in many ways it is better and different but some aspects are still not so fun. I have really struggled with some big questions such as "what am I doing with my life????" I have had serious second thoughts of my major and career choice. But, being only 1 class away from my major completed and student teaching left for certification I realized it was impractical to make any drastic changes right now. I re-applied to work at CBCC this coming summer and after a weekend reunion with the summer staff I got very excited about it again. I currently volunteer every other Sunday helping with 3yr-old Sunday School at my church and I love it. Some frequent babysitting also helps me get my adorable little-kids fix. :)

Today was very blah until the last hour and then God shifted my teeter-totter again. In my Young Adult Lit class we have been reading books about WWII and the Holocaust and then today we watched Life is Beautiful. VERY good movie but also very sad. I was speechless after watching and couldn't participate in the discussion. Certainly not what I needed on an already blah and gray day, but I think there was a good reason. So, within the last hour, my day got considerably better because of my great Bible study. It's such a blessing to be able to open up and fellowship and pray with other Christian girls. Then I practiced guitar and have been listening to some Barlow Girl. I love music and believe it is very therapeutic. Certain songs have really impacted me and helped me through different times both good and bad. Tonight at Bible study I started thinking of one particular song that I wanted to listen to as soon as I got back. It's called "I Believe in Love" by Barlow Girl and based off an inscription found carved into a cellar wall by Jews hiding during the Holocaust.
The lyrics of the chorus are:
"I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining. I believe in love, even when I can't feel it. And I believe in God, even when He is silent." It's a really beautiful song if you want to listen to it on YouTube. I think this was such a God thing how this song tied into my class experience today and then with how I've been feeling about the weather and my life and such.

I don't know what tomorrow holds, I don't know what God's plan is for me, and sometime it's rougher than others, but, I still believe.

Crunchy Leaves

I love the sound of stepping on them! It's just magical and how can you not smile and be happy when the sky is blue, the trees are flame-colored and every step sounds like you just ate a potato chip? :D I'm not sure how much longer the nice fall weather is going to last, but I'm very thankful for all that we have had and every colorful leaf that has brightened those days with its color and crunch.

I had a wonderful pre-birthday weekend. My parents came over and we had a great time catching up. It was nice to have a break from school and be with my family and some good family friends that I have known practically my whole life. Good food, good conversation, and some wonderful presents including a new camera that has a touch screen! (which I discovered on accident lol)

After my parents left, I walked around Green Lake with my bff in the beautiful sunshine.

How can you top that weekend? Well you can't, which is why I have to go back to homework tonight, classes, and studying for my West-E this Saturday. :P BUT I do have a birthday this week and no school the following day so there will be room for some fun times.

Four months later...

It is a wonderful fall day, cold and overcast but I love it. I am wearing wool socks, a sweater, and sipping warm tea while I work on a creative essay for my writing class. Today is 10-10-10 and four months ago today I was just recently finished with Sophomore year and driving down to Cannon Beach for what I hoped would be an amazing summer. On the flipside, I can answer that yes it was an amazing summer. I often look back through my pictures from all our hangouts, beach days, and fun adventures and smile at the memories and laughter we shared. I got to know and work with some really amazing people. It was so refreshing to be in an environment with other college-age kids who were on fire for God and passionate about living for Him and serving others. God used many of them to change my life. God grew me so much over the past four months, filling me with His love and a peace for my unknown future that I have longed for. I am so grateful for that opportunity and would love to return next summer if that works out.

But here I sit, in my new apartment in Seattle, two weeks into Junior year. It's been good so far. My classes are not too demanding which is nice because it allows me time to hang out with friends and have more relaxing time to myself whether I work out, sleep, or have God time. I really appreciate living off-campus. The quieter and more private atmosphere is just what I needed. I feel less stressed, less distracted and like I have more time. I am still working at mailing services which I love. New this year is my involvement in an group for upperclassmen women called Falconettes and no we're not the cheerleaders. :) We are a group focused on leadership, fellowship, and service. We just got back a few hours ago from our retreat at Camp Casey where we bonded, got soaking wet on an adventure walk, and brainstormed about ideas for service and fun that we can do this year. I'm really excited for what we will do. This group is an answer to prayer for a way to feel useful and be serving after a summer filled with that.

The quarter/year has only begun and I am excited to see what God has in store for me.

A New Season Begins

Today is the first day of Autumn, and my last day at home. It has been so beautiful here in North Idaho lately. The leaves have begun changing to yellow and we've had a few really nice sunny days with blue skies. It's getting colder and it definitely feels like fall. Mom put out the fall decorations today. The transition is over and a new season has come; not just for the calendar but for me as well. I had two weeks of transition time at home and tomorrow morning I will be driving back to Seattle (by myself, in my brand new car!).

I didn't mean to go this long without blogging. The last few days at Cannon Beach were wonderful. I miss being there so much. It seems like just yesterday yet it also seems like ages ago. Time is such a strange thing. My parents came down for the Labor Day weekend conference. It was good to visit with them and have them meet my friends and see what I had been enjoying all summer. The last weekend was bittersweet and so much happened. One of my good friend's dad passed away unexpectedly and it was so hard because there is nothing you can say to help. It was good though to be there with her, hold her, and cry with her. We helped her pack up her room and said goodbyes, promising to keep in touch and keep her and her family in our prayers. We were all kinda numb not believing what had just happened but we had to get back to work and prepare for a new group of kids that night. That night, Bruce, Trenton, Jill and I hung out watching Psych in the Beach Front lounge---should have definitely hung out in there earlier in the summer! Saturday was my day off but I worked the carnival to help out and go to dance on stage. A trip to Seaside with my parents, watching football, session, SNL practice and girl time completed the day. Sunday I worked session, played flag football, enjoyed the concert in the park, had evening session, SNL and then laid on the beach and looked at stars. Monday we had one final session with the kids and then spend the afternoon completely cleaning all the classrooms. There were A LOT of staples in that wall! It was really weird to see our Route 66 room all bare and white. Before I locked it up, I sat there and remembered a lot of good times in the classroom: games, lessons, and crafts with the kids; prep-time with Amber, Mitch, and Bruce; prayers, laughter, and talking; the dessert night that the guys threw for us; and now the room was empty. It felt like saying goodbye to a room in a house when you move. We had a final meeting to watch a staff slideshow and Eric gave a final send-off devotion. Staff bbq and packing followed and then a whole lot of goodbyes. Tuesday was the long drive home but we stopped in Spokane so I could buy my new car! A 2009 Silver Honda CR-V Ex-L :) I love it!

I've spent the last couple weeks here at home getting things ready for school, visiting friends, hanging out with my parents, sleeping in, and shopping. One of the weird things about being home is that my brother is not here! He's all grown up and off to college now. So, I went to Bozeman with Annie last weekend to visit my brother at school. It was really fun to see his campus, catch up with him, visit family friends, and drive around Yellowstone. I absolutely LOVE Montana scenery and landscape, especially between Bozeman and Bridger Mtn. Something about rolling hills of farmland, with a few big trees, a barn and house, surrounded by mountains underneath the big Montana sky is just so gorgeous to me! The scenery on the drive was so beautiful with yellow aspen trees, crazy big rocks, rivers, creeks, mountains, valleys--love it!

I'm really grateful for the two weeks at home to transition. I was really not ready to leave Cannon Beach or ready to go to school. But, as I've skyped, texted, and FB chatted with people from SPU over the past two weeks I have become more and more excited to move back to school. I certainly loved Cannon Beach and did not want to leave, but I knew it was time to move on to something else. For every thing there is a season. However, as I head into school I am not the same as I was last year. God has worked in my life and changed me in a lot of ways. He has re-filled me with a passion for Him and a love for children. I have new friends to keep in touch with, visit, and talk to; friends that I can count on for support, prayers, good advice, love, and laughter.

Tomorrow I will be heading out by myself, and heading west to lots of new adventures: Junior year, living in apartment, cooking for myself, learning how to drive in Seattle, Falconettes, Ivy Honorary, volunteering with 3yr-olds at Bethany, and striving to live each day in love and service for Christ.

Sadly, the amazing summer is over; but, tomorrow, a new chapter begins.

An Unusual Week

This week has been quite different because it is a short week so all of our schedules are different. Also this week, we had two kids with down syndrome and autism in K2 so it required extra help and changing some things around to accommodate them. They were both really sweet though and it was fun to work one-on-one with them. I have been hanging out with friends whenever we aren't working. It seems weird and yet also time for the summer to be ending.

Monday we played beach volleyball, I had my last Bible study and then watched stuff with friends. Tuesday we had the morning off and it was really nice to be lazy and take my time getting ready. it rained really hard here all day. It was kind of cool because it hasn't rained like that all summer but you got completely soaked wherever you went. Jill, Bruce, Trenton and I went out to lunch and hung out. I had 5.5 hours of rec shift but it went really fast with running a foosball tournament, friends working with me and playing pool. Today is my day off but I chose to volunteer with 4-5s this morning and I am going to again tonight. I walked around town and the beach this afternoon and then hung out at the carnival. I was kind of lazy again today and probably should have packed or been more productive. oh well :)

Winding Down

Whoops, I let another week go by without posting. It was another good week! I finally got over my stupid cough, which lasted annoyingly long.

One week from today, I will be on my way home with my parents. So crazy to think about! Almost 3 months ago, Jill and I drove up scared and nervous and now we love it here!

Last week was a lot of fun. Had some good sunny days at the beach, a good group of kids and some fun adventures with friends. On Wednesday, I woke up at 2:45 am, on purpose! A bunch of us met up and drove to Saddle Mountain to hike up by the light of flashlights and the full moon. I think its a two mile hike. It wasn't too bad of a climb and lots of fun chatting with people. The views along the way were breathtaking and the scenery from the top was amazing even in the dark. We hung out for about 20 minutes at the top until the sun came up. It was so awesome to see the first speck of light peak over the mountains. We could see Mt. Rainier, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens from up there. We all just sat in awe of the landscape and the colors that the sun painted across it. After lots of pictures, time praying and watching the sun rise, we headed back down. I hiked alone for most of the way down and it was really good to pray and think while I walked or ran. I think this hike was a really good closure on the summer for me. This might sound cheesy but I came up with a metaphor for this hike. The climb up was fun because it was something new but also kinda hard--not being able to always see that great, hot, spiderwebs in the face, steep; never knowing how much farther. That represents my first two years of college I think. They were really fun but as time went on--winter quarter of sophomore year especially--it got really tough. When I got to the top I was out of breath, hungry, and couldn't see very much. By spring quarter of school I was sick of classes, frustrated with myself over a lot of things, and needing something new. The time when the sun came up and was rising over the landscape lighting it up and adding colors is my time here this summer. I sat there and prayed and praised God for his creation. I was able to see so much clearer with the light and the trail we had come up. This summer has re-connected me with God and let me see where I have come from the past two years. The hike down I was alone though I knew friends were in front of me and behind me a ways. Heading back to school I might feel alone having to say goodbye to my friends here, but I know I can keep in touch with those I say goodbye to and there are friends waiting for me. After the steep section where the footing is hard, I ran down most of the mountain. I am hoping that in the next few weeks I feel ready to go back to school and stand firm in all that I've grown this summer. I may be standing alone sometimes but I want to be okay with that. At that same time though, I don't want this summer to just be a mountain-top experience, it needs to be only a vantage point on my climb higher and higher.

After the hike I napped, layed out on the grassy lawn with friends and then went to here Luis Palau speak. For Moonshadows we went to the arcade in Seaside. It was a lot of fun to play games with friends and have a lot of laughs. Thursday was my last carnival and I got to the Obstacle Course which was a lot of fun. Friday night we hung out in Fireside with Zach since it was his last night. I had volunteered with 2's and 3's during the week and met these adorable twin girls who always ran up to give me hugs whenever they saw me. They were with their family in Fireside that night and I played with them for a bit. It made me feel so happy to make the smile and laugh so much. They were so precious and I love little kid hugs!

Saturday I went to kid breakfast, napped, cleaned, went to the beach for a bit, woo-hoo meeting and then volunteered with 4's and 5's. I always thought if I came back next summer I would want to work with older kids. But after volunteering with toddlers and 4--5s this week I think I would want to do younger kids. They are just so precious and innocent! I love being able to make them smile and be goofy with them. I think I am going to help out with 4-5s again tomorrow.

I have to go do a rec shift now, but I will finish writing tonight maybe.

Wind in my Hair

The summer is flying by like the wind in my hair today as we drove with all the windows down! I was talking to my dad the other day about it being okay to wait and get my new cell phone from him since it's only two more weeks....2 more weeks!?!?! oh man! It really is coming down to the end. Mike left today. It's so sad not to have him here.

I ended up getting more sick Thursday night near the end of session. I had chills then got really hot. Thankfully I did not have babysitting and my wonderful boss let me not have to do rec center. I came back to the room, checked my temperature--98.4--and then took some meds and chilled in bed. Friday I felt better as far as having more energy but congested and same with Saturday. Last night I took nyquil before going to bed and I think it still had an effect on me this morning because I felt SOOO tired and exhausted during session. It was a wierd kind of sleepy that I've never felt. I am feeling much better now except for a very sore throat from so much singing and loud talking over kids. Salt water is nasty but it makes the throat feel better.

Thursday night's session felt so long. We had a long story, we went to the park, we played a ton of gym games, lesson, worship, yet it still felt so long! It didn't help that I wasn't feeling so great. Friday morning was good and then Friday night they needed extra help with the babies so I pushed two little boys in a stroller all night trying to keep one entertained while the other was fast asleep. Saturday was very relaxing. I chose not to go to breakfast so I could get some good sleep. It was a very chill day of laundry and cleaning and some phone calls. I covered for Tasha so I got to do the show, eat with the guests, and work as a floater with the 2's & 3's. It was really fun doing the show again and I got to eat dinner with one of the girls in my class and her family. The toddlers were SO cute! It made me really miss the little ones at my church back home. There were these twin girls who just wanted to hold my hand and sit in my lap all night and this one little girl who was quite the talker and reminded me of myself at that age. I saw them tonight on my way to worship with my class and they remembered me and gave me hugs. :) Kids are so amazing!

We only have 11 kids this week which is rough because they get bored with games so quickly. They aren't super into the worship time and we one boy who is really stubborn. Worship time feels really crazy because Kids Klub and 4's & 5's have so many and it's just a little chaotic.

I love Sundays and Mondays because I get the entire afternoon off and it's so wonderful. Today, Jill, Bruce, Trenton and I went shopping in Warrenton and just hung out at different stores. Except for a Passion Tea Lemonade from Starbucks, I didn't buy anything. I love being able to enjoy the little things, such as all of us sitting on couches in Costco to see which is comfiest, trying on funky clothes in Ross, and driving with the music up, windows down and fun conversations. It was such a fun day!

Last night after session, Jill and I went to the park and sat on the swings for awhile just talking. It was so wonderful! It has been really great getting to know her so well and becoming such good friends this summer. We both had a harder time in session tonight and when we came back to the room she closed the door and screamed. Well I had no idea why she was screaming and she scared me so I screamed too! Then I realized she was just letting out her frustration and we both started laughing really hard and trying not to pee our pants! :) Then we went to touch the beach. We hugged and prayed and looked up at the stars twinkling down at us.

I think I will go to bed now. It is very early for me, but I am trying to kill this stupid bug that is making me feel gross. Think I will pass on the nyquil this time though. :S

Music makes me happy

As it comes down nearer and nearer to the end, I am spending every minute I can with my friends rather than blogging. We just finished another great carnival and I wanted to update this really quick before taking a nap.

This past weekend, four of my girlfriends from home came to visit. We hung out at the beach, ate good food and walked around town. Unfortunately the weather wasn't very nice but it was good to see them. Monday afternoon the sun decided to come out! We've been spending our afternoon at the beach every day playing some intense volleyball games and soaking in the Vitamin D. Yesterday we had a program outing to Hug Point and it was really fun to have everyone together hanging out on the beach and roasting hot dogs on a campfire. We sang songs the whole way back to CB. Last night was the Staff Talent Show. There were some very talented and some humorous acts! I sang Defying Gravity while Craig accompanied me on the piano. It went pretty good and was lots of fun. After that, I took a midnight run to Safeway with Olivia, Rachel, Mike and Mitch. We sang dance and Disney songs during the car rides and ate mint chocolate chip ice cream when we were there.

My class has been good this week. I guess it was not so good last night but they were better this morning. It ranges between 20 and 23 depending on drop-in kids and some not showing up. We are all getting so good at our lessons and leading games and worship. It's really cool to see each other develop over the summer. Bethany has left and Mike leaves on Sunday. We've had some new people come to fill spots and it's hard to be losing people!

Unfortunately I think I'm getting sick. Woke up with a really sore throat and tense/achy neck and shoulders. Probably a combo of not enough sleep and maybe overdoing it with singing yesterday. Despite the sunshine, I'm going to nap before kid dinner and babysitting.

Shooting Stars

To catch up from my last post...

Tuesday was good. There were a lot of big and good sand sculptures. Sessions and rec shift were good.

Wednesday was so relaxing! I slept in until lunch, did laundry, practice for talent show, ran on the beach and then volunteered in MidKids. It was interesting to see the behaviors that were similar to K2 kids and other ways they were different. A couple of the MidKid girls found out who I was at Sunday morning dodgeball and say hi and give me hugs all the time so when I showed up in their class they were super excited and have been even more attache to me since then. It's such a great feeling to have kids love you when you didn't really do anything. After session, Jill and I flipped and flopped forever about whether or not we should go to Moonshadows at the Astoria Aquatic Center. A 45minute drive (one way), $5, and not being able to swim because of my ears did not sound too inviting. But, we eventually decided to go and we were SO glad we did! We hung out with Mike, Mitch, and Bruce mostly. We had good conversations during the van rides. At the aquatic center we played volleyball, sat in the hot tub, and I watched everyone else go down the slide. On the way back we stopped at McDonalds for yummy good, milkshakes and fun times. I feel like I've gone on more "crazy college kid adventures" being here than when I'm at college. Mmmm it was a great night!

Thursday went well. At evening session, Bruce teaches about how we are supposed to be the Salt and Light. One of our kids shared how he has a bully at his school who makes fun of him for being a Christian but he still tries to love him by being nice and picking him for his team at games, etc. It was so touching and encouraging to hear from one of our kids. Our kids are really open this week and like to share personal stories that relate to the lesson. It's so great but hard at times because we have to cut them off for time's sake. Afterwards, I babysat for one of the girls in my class and her 3 younger siblings. We watched Balto (which has a lot of great lessons in it!) and then I told them a story about a Prince Chipmunk named Ferdinand on an adventure to find the Chocolate Acorn. When the parents came back I spoke with them for a bit about their week here, and their homeschooling experience. First, it was really neat to hear their appreciation for all the work we put in (especially on Thursdays). It was also cool to hear about their homeschooling and share part of my experience too. To end the night, a bunch of us went to Ecola State Park to see the meteor shower...unfortunately it was completely overcast and we knew this heading out but decided to still go! Regardless of the clouds, we had a good time. Jill, Mike, and I shared some good conversation as we watched the waves down below light up sporadically--we eventually realized it was from the lighthouse.

Today the sun came out! It was so warm and wonderful. I spent the afternoon on the beach with friends and then worked in the rec center. A lot of my kids were in there this week so I played games with them and the time went by really fast. Tonight's session was fun. We had water balloons, otter pops, stories, coloring and only two kids cry! My girls from back home got here after session and I showed them around a bit and then we went to the beach to watch the end of the sunset, moon setting and meteor shower. As my CB friends showed up it was a big group and eventually decided to go back up to Ecola Park. It was so amazing! Lots of stars and no lights around. We saw around 15 meteors. Some of us did star tripping too which was so funny and hilarious to watch! I could have stayed until 12:30 but the guys wanted to come back at 11 and get sleep so us girls decided to leave as well.

I'm skipping kid breakfast tomorrow so I can get some good sleep since I'll be spending my whole day off with Caytlin, Annie, Kelsey, and Brittney rather than napping. :)

I've had some good times the last few days. It's getting hard knowing that some events are our last with people. They start leaving in batches from this weekend on. :(

No time to write when the sun is shining.

I planned to spend some time this afternoon blogging since it has been awful weather all week. But...the sun came out and it is very warm and gorgeous! So, since i have to be in the rec center from 2:30-5:30 :'( I am going to go enjoy the sun and will post later. My girlfriends from home are coming to visit this weekend so I'm excited for that. Bethany is leaving on Monday so it's very sad doing so many last things with her. Off to get some Vitamin D!

I don't like session getting out so early!

Today, was a great day! But then again, I feel like they all are. :)

Morning session went great. I really love the kids this week, they are so sweet, smart, and well-behaved. The worst part about session was that I couldn't hear hardly at all. Ever since cliff jumping for the second time, my ears have been bothering me so I finally bought some drops but those made it way worse unfortunately and my hearing would come and go. It was very frustrating. After session we had staff meeting and then staff pictures which were funny to see the goofy poses. It was so great to have almost everyone gathered together and see the awesome people God brought from all over to work together this summer.

I decided to go to the doctor today so Jill drove me to Seaside. Thankfully I was the first of 5 walk-ins so I didn't have to wait very long. Using the Elephant Ear Washer, the nurse got a LOT of nasties out of my ears and then gave me a prescription for an infection. It is so nice to be able to hear again!!! It was a good reminder to not take my sense of hearing for granted.

In spite of being rushed and cut a 1/2 hour short, tonight's session was SO wonderful. It was cut short because the speaker this week always finishes at least 15 minutes early which is so frustrating! I felt bad cutting games short and I knew my kids didn't like it either but we had to get to the lesson. I was teaching tonight about Rules. I feel like it was one of my best lessons so far and the kids were really involved. They were paying close attention, had questions, good responses, and lots of comments. We sacrificed our 2nd game time for 10 extra minutes of discussion. Sometimes I wonder if anything I say is making an impact on the kids so it was really encouraging to have such a great response from them tonight. After the lesson we went straight to worship, which we moved 10 minutes earlier in the schedule because we have been getting out of session less than half way through. I helped Trenton lead tonight and I think it was the best worship time yet. The kids were all super engaged and singing and doing the motions. I loved that I could hear them all singing so well. I made eye contact with so many of them and received funny faces, smiles, and enthusiastic motions in return. I had a blast and was SO sad when Ellen came to tell us session was out. I could have spent another hour with my kids!

Bible study tonight was about Galatians 3:1-14. We talked about faith rather than the law that determines righteousness. It wasn't anything new for me but yet such a good reminder that regardless of all the "Christian" things I do, if I'm not living for the Lord they are meaningless. It tied in so well with our devotion this morning which was about having a relationship and not a religion--not reading our Bible because we have to as a check-list item but because we want to spend time with God. mmmm...sounds familiar to what I was posting on yesterday :) God's timing is awesome!

Finished the evening in the rec center with Jill, Zach, and Jordan and then Trenton joined us to go touch the beach and pray. How cool is that to walk to the beach after work with some amazing people and all pray together?!?!

Overwhelmed by God

Oh I don't even know where to start. At one point today I thought back to spring quarter at school as I was looking forward to working here this summer. One of the main things I hoped for was a major re-connection with God--to come away from friends and family (though I miss and love them) and find God again as the number one priority of my life. It's funny to say but not until today did I remember that desire and over the past few months, I've never consciously worked towards it but rather it happened day by day, and conversation by conversation. The environment, people, lessons, kids, beautiful surroundings, and God's overflowing love consumed me and I have felt overwhelmed and overflowing the past couple of weeks.

I feel like there are too many songs I want to sing, too many thoughts to journal, and too many prayers to pray. With the good amount of free time I have here and yet still feel like I don't have enough time to spend with God each day, I'm nervous for finding(making) the time once I'm back at school. What a glorious thing when we will be in heaven and can spend each second of every day of all eternity praising Him.

Though I didn't see it happening, this summer has given me exactly what I needed and hoped for. I remember struggling to spend any time reading my Bible or praying during the school year because I had no passion and it was more of an item on my to-do list than time with my Savior. I wanted to have the desire but it wasn't there and I didn't know how to find it. Slowly, over this summer, God has broken my heart and filled it with an amazing love for Him. Songs come alive each time I hear/sing them. Verses jump out at me and are so amazing. Just a little phrase someone says will stick with me for days. I'm amazed at how reading chapters at school was so dry and didn't help but here I can read a few verses and be so impacted.

I've realized the culmination of this overwhelming passion the last week but it really came to a head tonight at SNL. There wasn't a speaker but different "stations" that we were given time to go through for personal reflection. There was journaling, prayer for persecuted brothers and sisters, verses to memorize, a banner of Thanksgiving, and communion. During this time, Isaac played a medley of hymns and worship songs on the piano that was SO beautiful. He started with my favorite hymn (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) and that's when I realized how much this summer has really changed my life. It's been one of the most fun summers, a great learning experience, and filled with great friends, but it has renewed my passion for God, refreshed my faith, and revealed a new perspective on SO many aspects of my life.

I'm still not super excited to go back to school knowing the struggles I will face but God is slowly preparing my heart for it and giving me strength to survive through it. One thing that really helped with this tonight was praying for Christians who are persecuted all around the world. Most often they are physically tormented and as I prayed, I was encouraged that when I feel mentally, emotionally, and spiritually persecuted this year at school I can think and pray for them knowing that if they can do it in a much worse situation then I can too.

One more month here. God has done so much in the past two and I'm so excited to see what the remainder of the summer holds. Here's some lyrics from a couple of the songs we sang tonight that really captivated me:

I need you Jesus to come to my rescue
where else can I go?
There's no other name by which I am saved
capture me with your grace
I will follow you.

I'm falling on my knees
offering all of me
Jesus You're all this heart is living for.

Catching Up

Wow! Time flies when you're having fun. I did not mean to let some much time slip by without posting. Whoops. Picking up where I left off...and warning this is a long post!

Two Wednesdays ago: My mom and I spent the day together. We walked around town, spent a great time in the fabric shop, looked at pictures and videos online, sat and talked for a couple hours, enjoyed the salmon bbq, and attended Ron Cline's session. It was so relaxing and wonderful. Our conversations and laughter was very enjoyable. It was weird not having my dad and brother here with us but I'm glad for the time with my mom. I was able to share a lot of what I've been learning and just in verbalizing it all, I was able to process a lot and figure out exactly what I have been learning. Saying it to my mom rather than a journal was great too because she offered helpful feedback and encouragement! It was a great day! I will share about a fun event from Wednesday night in a separate post because it is a long story.

Two Thursdays ago was my Mom's birthday! Unfortunately, it was also the day I had to work the most but we were able to do fun things in-between my shifts. I took her out to a new little Mexican restaurant in town for lunch--we were the only ones in there! I had machaca, my favorite; it was so yummy! Then I had carnival and mom came to visit me at my booth Flick It. After clean-up, I took her to get cupcakes in Seaside and walk around. That night's session was good and babysitting was fine. We had a great group of kids this week and I really loved each session with them. Except for one girl that liked to create cliques and not join in on any of the activities.

Two Fridays ago: work and more time with my mom. We walked to Haystack Rock and back and had more great conversations!

Last Saturday my mom left after breakfast. I was sad to see her go and since then I have been more homesick. I went back to bed and slept from 10-3pm. It was SO nice and I really needed to catch up on all that sleep. Too much fun really does wear you out. WooHoo meeting was fun and hilarious as always.

Last Sunday was great! The new group of kids was so fun. In the afternoon a bunch of us went cliff jumping again. I wasn't sure that I would go again since I had checked that item off my list. But...I did decide to do it after everyone else jumped. I still took a few minutes to finally do it and needed a song to inspire me again. Craig had the perfect one: "Defying Gravity"! I jumped and though I did swallow quite a bit of water and was choking, I was not in pain and received no battle wounds this time. It was so much fun. On the way back, our car decided that blueberry pie sounded amazing so we drove on to Safeway to get the ingredients and Ellen agreed to bake us pie later that week. After session, a few of us hung out in Fireside and listened to Mike’s life story. It has been so great getting to really know people here and build such great friendships.

Monday afternoon became a spontaneous girls' day, which we all agreed was more fun than the planned one the previous week. We drove to Warrenton to go to Fred Meyer and Costco mainly so I could return and buy some things but then they all ended up getting stuff. Jill’s indecisiveness over yoga pants and food was great entertainment! On the way back we rolled the windows down, blasted some awesome music, and sang at the top of our lungs! Such good times and I’m really going to miss these girlies. Sessions went good that day and my Bible Study was wonderful. A bunch of us headed to the beach for a bonfire, complete with tiki torches. J We were all talking in British accents and it was really funny.

Tuesday: sessions were good with our kids! That morning we told them to bring sweatshirts for our time at the beach that night. One girl said “we’re going to have a bonfire?!?! You guys are the BEST!!!” We had Capture the Flag and a bonfire at the beach which went really well. During the afternoon I had my mid-summer evaluation which went well and then practiced for the Talent Show. I now have an extra rec shift on Tuesday nights since one of the Floaters has left. It was a lot of fun and I spent most of the time teaching Jill how to bump and set a volleyball and then peppering with Katie. Afterwards, a bunch of us gathered in Jackie’s house to watch Trenton’s favorite movie, Rocketeer.

Wednesday was such a great day! I slept in which was so nice and then baked cookies with my K2 staff for the Nursery gals. They were the group we were assigned to do something nice for. We had lunch with them in Fireside and gave them cookies and cards. After that Gretta and I watched Hello Dolly, singing along to all the songs while Jordan sat there and pretended not to watch it. J The sun finally came out and so Jill, Gretta and I went to meet Trenton at the beach for some Vitamin D. After session that night we had a little girls movie night at Ellen’s to watch Hairspray. As I write, I realize all I do this summer is hang out with cool people and have fun, yep it’s awesome! J

Thursday was great. Another awesome carnival which I spent part of in the dunk tank. J Mexican food with friends and then the long session and babysitting for two adorable children.

Friday’s sessions were a little more chaotic. All of our kids really bonded with one another this week which was great but it made them want to have conversations and giggle more than listen. The sun came out again and I was able to enjoy the beach for a little bit before going to my Rec shift. I usually don’t enjoy rec shifts because it is slow but I knew I needed to have a better attitude about it so I went in looking for an opportunity to hang out with kids even though I would rather be at the beach in the sunshine. God was good to me though and I had a GREAT rec shift. One of the girls from the Youth came and sat down to chat with me. I found out that she went to Legacy and we had a lot in common which provided great conversation. She then showed me her sketchbook which was amazing and I asked her to draw me something. As she sketched, we talked more and she pointed out how awesome it was that God is such an amazig artist. After she finished she asked for my email so we can keep in touch. It was neat to spend time with someone not in my age group and connect with her. I’m always amazed at what I learn from the kids here even when they don’t mean to be teaching me. After session that night we finally had the blueberry pie! But…because Zach and Ellen are retrievers and felt bad talking about pie at lunch in front of people who hadn’t originally been invited…they invited everyone and decided to make 2 more pies: apple and chocolate peanut butter. We all sat in Ellen’s cozy living room eating pie, playing Apples to Apples, playing Robot Unicorn, and laughing way too much.

And now that brings me to today! Kid breakfast, ear drops that made my hearing WORSE, lunch with Cassie and Brian, drinking a delicious French Kiss Latte on the beach in the rain, WooHoo meeting and volunteering in the nursery to hold an adorable 1year old boy all night! :D So happy!

Phew, that took awhile! My bad for not keeping up on it. I will try to do better the remainder of the summer.

God has blessed me so much

by allowing me to work here this summer! I am learning and growing more than I ever imagined. I never want to leave! :(

My friends Amy and Lauren came to visit this weekend. It was great to see them, catch up, and have them meet my new friends here. They asked what I've been learning here and it was so good to verbalize all I've been through and really recognize the things I've learned and grown through.

Our new group of kids this week is so so wonderful. We have 20 but they are really well-behaved and none that stand out as problem kids.

Monday afternoon was girls day for Olivia, Jill, Katie, and I. We went out to a yummy lunch and then walked around Seaside. We talked and laughed so much; it was great!

My mom arrived today for a 4-day visit! She had to sit and wait for 2 hours because of a head-on collision. I'm glad she made it here safely. Tomorrow is my day off and I can't wait to spend time with her!

If you get the chance to sit it out or dance...dance!

This is a photo of the Ronaldo family from Soccer Mom Soccer. :)

Wow a lot has happened in the past few days! I am just having too much fun. :)

Wednesday--instead of sleeping in--K2, Midkids, and Floater staffs left at 9am to go on a joint program outing to Tillamook Cheese Factory. It was a lot of fun and I had two huge scoops of ice cream for my breakfast and lunch. :) On the way back we stopped to go cliff jumping into a river. I had not planned on going when we made the plans the night before and therefore did not wear or take appropriate clothes. However, once we got there I wished I had. Everyone was going and telling me I should too. After a lot of persuasion, my friend Zach said the line that is my title and I decided "yes I should go or else I will regret it." So I borrowed my friends shorts after she had jumped and changed again. It still took me like 5 minutes to finally jump. (video to be posted soon). It was fun and I'm glad I did it. However...I woke up this morning with huge bruises on my left shin and calf which hurt really bad and my thigh is really tender too. So apparently dancing can be dangerous. I'm still glad I did it though.

We got back to Cannon Beach and it was really windy so I decided to finally take my kite out. It took awhile to figure out how to put it all together and a phone call to my brother to find some pieces. Zach went first and did great--he could do 8 flips one way and then un-do it. Then I tried and could only get to 3 flips and would usually crash it. After 4 or 5 crashes I did it once more and broke the main pole so our kite session was over after only about 20 minutes. Thankfully the kite shop repairs the poles for free so now I have to go do that at some point again.

After session on Wednesday night we had Soccer Mom Soccer. Oh my goodness, so much fun! Everyone was totally into their characters with costumes, props, accents, and family drama. I think the "parents" had more fun than the people playing soccer. We hardly even watched the game because we were so busy making up family conflicts and getting in fights. It was hilarious.

Today the sessions went good. Thursdays are always so long and tiring. The little boy who was adopted from Russia cuddled with me during story time which was so precious, except that he kept leaning on or kicking my bruises! During kid dinner I was able to chat with the Miley Cyrus girl and older boy some too which was really neat. Sigh...I really love kids! After my rec center shift tonight I hung out with some friends that I don't normally hang out with a lot and it was fun to talk and laugh with them more.

I know I should go to bed, but I'm not tired and Facebook is FINALLY after 20+ tries (not kidding) letting me upload my pictures from the past few days. One more day until my day off and two of my girlfriends come!

Sand between the toes is a great way to end the day

The past two days have been busy but great! Yesterday I went to session to meet the kids for the first time. We have 9 kids total this week and only 2 of them are girls. With such a small number of kids we are very limited in games we can play because dodge ball with 5 on 4 just isn't realistic. So, we teamed up with Mid-Kids to play games in the gym this week and it's been a lot of fun so far. This group is also a big challenging because we have quite a range of maturity from a few young ones who listen well and like everything to a couple older ones that are very vocal about what they do and don't like. We also have a little boy who was adopted from Russia and English is his second language. He does great speaking and reading but I find a real barrier with comprehension. I have to explain games to him several times and play it out with him before he gets it. Even then though, he claims he doesn't understand despite playing it correctly and uses that as an excuse to not want to play. While he is a handful, I really love him and he's attached to me. One of my little boys is just so precious. He is adorable, has trouble saying his Rs which is really cute, and is so well behaved (I found out he's from a large homeschool family...ya-yeah!). I also have a soft spot for one of my girls. She has 7 other sisters and one brother and is on the verge of becoming a Miley Cyrus look-alike. She came in one session with more eye make-up on than I have ever worn...she's 10! I think her sisters did her up. She was really shy to begin with but has started opening up. I'm really hoping for a chance to hang out with her outside of class in the rec center or something.

Between sessions yesterday I planned to do some reading but took a 2 hour nap instead and woke up with a bad headache which grew worse through session and my rec shift. By the time I was done for the night at 11:30, I felt so awful. I'm wondering if it was a migraine because my head just hurt so bad and I felt like throwing up. I took a tylenol and went to bed thinking that since I was so tired, I would fall right asleep, but no. It took forever! Thankfully it went away by the time I woke up this morning.

Today's sessions were good. Between the older boy and the adopted boy I was constantly telling one to stop doing something. I really still like them though. I feel like I have to be the strict teacher too much rather than just goof off and love them.

I spent the afternoon with Olivia and Jill. We have Soccer Mom Soccer coming up for Moonshadows on Wednesday and we went to Fred Meyer to buy items for it. Basically some staff will play soccer and other will be their soccer mom (or dad or grandpa or aunt, etc). So we bought white t-shirts to decorate, juice boxes, fruit-by-the-foot, granola bars, and oranges. We plan to apply Snoopy band-aids, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen whenever necessary. :) We will dress up like soccer moms and fight to defend our "kids" against other players and parents. When we got back we used sharpies to decorate the shirts for all our "kids" saying "I <3 My Mommy" and then ours will say "Proud Soccer Mom of ...." and we also have a grandpa so his says "#1 Grandpa" and signatures of all the "kids". :) The sharpie smell got REALLY strong but it was so much fun and I can't wait for Wednesday night!

Tonight in session we tried a relay race where the two teams raced around the running track to put on costumes and then once both teams were finished they each acted out a Bible story. They were so cute and hilarious! It was way more of a success than I thought it would be and the kids loved it. I had Bible study afterwards. Then I spent the rest of the night in the rec center with my friends. I won a game of foosball, got mustard on my face (revenge for having my friend "smell" whip cream and smearing it on his face) and then we tried to balance 3 golf balls on top of each other but could only get 2. Oh, and then we went down to touch the beach! I love the feeling of sand between my toes.

Off to bed now. One more day of work until a day of rest!

I wish I could bring my laptop on the beach

because I think of so many great things to write about when I am sitting in the sand watching the waves crashing. But, my phone barely survives the sand so no way would my laptop. I guess I'll have to start carrying a notebook and pen with me, sigh, so old fashioned. :)

I woke up early and went to breakfast to say goodbye to the kids. It's always fun to hang out with them outside of class. Today I took Katie's housekeeping shift as she is on a camping trip with her family. I was excited to try housekeeping one time and join the singing group. I cleaned 4 bathrooms and made about 8 twin bunk beds. There was a LOT of sand on those bathroom floors and the new comforters for the beds are WAY too big and look ridiculous in my opinion. It was fun but I was so sweaty and sore and dead that I'm pretty glad I don't do that every week.

Even though I don't work, I love going to the kick-off meeting for program which we call Woo-Hoo! We give "High Fives" to people--little notes of encouragement that we write throughout the week saying "good job" to people. Then we tell kid stories. It's always a great time and we laugh a lot! It's so great to hear stories and learn from the kids sometimes. After dinner I went and sat on top of a sand dune for a half hour. I watched the waves crashing on the shore and the light was shining through the clouds onto the ocean. It was so beautiful and nothing you could ever capture with a camera. I spent the whole time talking to God and it was so wonderful to be alone with him and talk about some things I've had on my mind for awhile. Going to chill the rest of the night before heading back to work! I just got a text that we only have 6 kids, only 1 of which is a girl!

Worn out

I didn't post last night because I was completely exhausted! Thursdays are so long! The morning session went great, nothing special that I can remember. Carnival was excellent! I got to dance the whole time which was super fun but also very tiring. The last song of the whole thing is called "You Can't Stop the Beat" from Hairspray, and man you certainly can't. My boss cut over a minute of the song out and it was STILL really long. We kept dancing and thinking it was over but it would keep going and going. I danced with one of the girls from my class during that song. She was really shy at first but by the end she was totally into it.

After carnival I lied on my bed and just listened to music and then hung out with a friend and colored. So relaxing. I forgot how much I like coloring. Then we had kid dinner. I am getting really sick of that pizza. :P And we get corn dogs for staff lunch on Thursdays so you just feel gross eating all that "healthy" food and then dancing and running around. Craig and Mitch told another hilarious story which even the High School group came to and enjoyed. I didn't have anyone to babysit after session so I had to work in the rec center. There was 4 of us working and hardly anyone in there so it was quite boring. I collapsed into bed that night. I was sleepy tired and my body was just dead. This morning I did NOT want to get up but that's okay because I have learned how to get ready in 20 minutes and not be late. :)

This morning our devotions were about the oxymoron that Jesus, Peter, Paul, and James teach us about having joy in times of suffering. Our boss mentioned my co-worker's injury last week and how none of us wanted that or liked it but we all grew from it. It was just a week ago that it happened. I still remember it from time to time but when he mentioned it again, all the memories and images came flooding back. Then during session, we took the kids to the gym to play Gladiator--the same game we had played when it happened. It was hard to have a fun time because I was remembering the whole thing. I was constantly looking around counting kids and leaders to make sure everyone was present and okay. Mitch got out and then just stayed sitting down against the wall. After class we talked about it and he was just having flashbacks too. It's crazy how something like that can stick with you so much.

This afternoon I walked around town on the beach for a bit, just thinking and praying. I love being here and hanging out with all my new friends but it is so good to have time by myself too and I don't get enough of it. I napped for an hour and could have kept sleeping until dinner except that I had to work rec center for 3 hours. Those 3 hours are always SO long, especially since hardly anyone comes in for the first 2. Tonight's session was the last with these kids and a lot of fun. Week 4 is over and gone!

War Paint

Since there is no morning session on Wednesdays, today the Program staff played against Housekeeping in dodgeball. It's my day off but I still wanted to play. We all assembled early and put face paint on while listening to pump-up music. The guys all had basketball shorts on but then right before we started they yelled out war cries and ripped them off to reveal short running shorts. It was...hilarious yet interesting. Program completely defeated Housekeeping but then we played other games switching up the teams. It was a lot of fun. After lunch and having to use a lot of makeup remover to get my war paint off, we went to the beach for the afternoon. I have only been putting 8spf on but my tan does not seem to be getting any darker while all my friends put nothing on, burn and then eventually have nice dark tans. Grrrr...maybe I will use the 4spf next time.

Wednesday nights is salmon bbq for the guests and this one time only all the staff got to eat that meal too. It was SO delicious! A bunch of us sat on the grassy hill at Whale Park while we ate. Good food, good friends, a grassy hill and sunshine made it just so wonderful and one of those moments where you just smile at how awesome life is.

I went to the adult session then with my 3 other friends who have Wednesdays off. The speaker talked about the power of the gospel and then had an invitation. One guy went forward. I realized that I haven't witnessed someone accept Christ in a long time. Neither of the churches I attend do invitations. Part of me was sad that it had been so long for me to see this. I was really struck again by how amazing Christ's gift is and what a blessing it is to become one of his followers. As the man walked forward, my friends and I all got the warm fuzzies. :)

This wonderful day ended with watching "You've Got Mail" with a lot of my friends. It was quite the movie night because the girls quoted it, the guys had never seen it and were trying to guess what would happen and I kept saying "Shhhhhhhh!" :) It was fun though.

I found out that I get to be one of the dancers on stage at the carnival tomorrow so I need to rest up.

I like Australian Accents

Today's sessions went well. Nothing extraordinary or difficult. The kids are really sweet and fun to be with. We did go to the park this morning and the sprinklers would going so we played Captain Captain and had to run across the soccer field and avoid getting wet though some of the kids enjoyed soaking themselves. :/ Then tonight we went to the beach for Capture the Flag and a bonfire with s'mores. Probably the smoothest that has ever gone AND we made it back in time for worship which I think is a first.

I had Sand Sculpture shift today and there were some great ones such as a huge goldfish cracker, a horse, and a shark with a leg sticking out of its mouth. Then, during my afternoon break I napped on the beach which was wonderful and warm! Tonight I went to the worship leader's concert because one of my students told me she was Reba's sister! I had spent an hour with her as one of the judges at the sand contest but didn't know. She doesn't look that similar but when she sang I could hear a similarity and see some in the way she performed.

In regards to my title, we have a speaker here this week for staff who is from Australia an studying at Multnomah. He is talking to us about conflict this week--how it arises, how we often respond, and how we should respond. It's fun to hear how he says some words but accent aside his messages have been really good.

I am so excited for a day off tomorrow! Sleeping in for sure. :)

Oh...and running this morning failed because I hit snooze too many times and then only got to work on time because my supervisor texted me saying where we were supposed to meet in 30 minutes! whoops

A Whirlwind Weekend

I haven't blogged since Thursday and a lot has happened--a lot that I couldn't write about until now because of time and processing.

Friday morning while we were playing dodge ball, one of my co-teachers collapsed on the floor. He bit his lip and was bleeding and appeared to be having a seizure. We found out later it was not a seizure and he had just been dehydrated. He is okay and back to work now but that was one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed. I am amazed at how my body kicked into adrenaline as I ran for help, got the kids back the classroom and continued playing games with them while I heard the sirens and my mind was racing. I am so thankful that all four of us were working that day, that the kids did so well, that we had a floater come in to help when we got back to the classroom, that he is okay, and that our supervisors were there for him and us so quickly. My friends were a big help too afterwards as I talked and processed through it.

Saturday I got up early to have breakfast with the kids. With the big number, split week, and incident of Friday morning it had been a crazy week. Yet, I had grown so close to the kids and it had been one of the best also. I don't normally go to breakfasts on Saturdays because it's my day off but I really wanted to say goodbye to these kids. After that I headed to Seattle with Michael and Chad for a friend's wedding that night. It was great to see my parents and talk to them in person about my experience and friends here. And even though I missed being here, it was good to get away for a couple days.

The wedding was good and a lot of fun. Usually I sit and watch the ceremony with so much excitement and dreaming, smiling at the magic and beauty of it all. I talked about it with my best friend (the groom's younger sister) at the reception though and this was the first time that we sat at a wedding and had a different feeling. We were both kinda scared. I think it really hit me that I am old enough and getting to that age where this could really happen to me soon. Some of my friends are getting to the point where proposals will start happening and then wedding planning. I have always dreamed about my wedding and planned what I want. But on Saturday, I sat in the pew looking at the bride and groom and thought about myself standing at the altar. I was realizing the full force of how big a deal it is and how soon it could be happening. I think in some ways I am ready but in other ways I am so not, which is why thankfully it is all up to God's timing and not mine. It was good to have these feelings and then be able to share with my friend later.

Sunday I went to church with my family, brunch with them and the Randolphs and then drove back to CB with friends. When I got back, I realized how much I had missed everyone! I really like my job. :)

Today was my first day with the new group of kids. Only 11 this time which is easier to manage but harder to keep entertained because we go through games so much faster. I am excited for the rest of the week and to see how it goes.

Prayer Requests--I found out that one of my friends here best friend was killed by a drunk driver today. Prayer for my friend, the boy's family, and how I can help.
--for the newly married couple and their future together
--no rain at the sand sculpture contest tomorrow

One Third

It has been one month since I got here! I cannot believe how fast that has gone and how much has happened. Jill pointed it out this morning and then finished by saying "only 2 more months" which made me so sad. I don't want to think about it right now, so I won't.

Instead, I want to think about the amazing day it was! Best Thursday of the summer so far. Thursdays are very long and tiring with morning session, carnival, kid dinner, evening session, and babysitting. Usually I am stressed, frazzled, tired, upset, disappointed, etc by the middle of evening session. But today was different. Morning session went great, nothing special or awful. Carnival was fun. THANKFULLY it was overcast and nice and cool today. Ugh, if we had to set up, dance, play games, and tear down in yesterday's heat!!! I worked the Door Prize table today and my brother bought me an elephant ear. :) Then I went to the beach with Michael, Chad, and friends for volleyball and skim boarding. Kid dinner was fine followed by another hilarious story by Mitch and Craig that lasted over 20 minutes. Then we played games at the park followed by the salvation lesson. It was really neat tonight because the kids started a lot of discussion and we talked a lot. There are three kids that were glued to me all night and I loved it--two little girls and one boy. They wanted to sit by me, walk with me, talk to me, hug me--sigh! I really needed that after such a hard day on Monday. Babysitting was fine tonight too. It was one of the girls in my class so we went to the talent show, the park, and the rec center. I was really tired of carpet ball and Sorry! but she was having a blast so it was good.

Now off to bed to rest up for my last day before a weekend off! I am SO excited to see my parents. :)

Heat Wave

So on Monday we were wearing pants and sweatshirts and then today it was 94 and standing in the shade was too much! Not much of a gradual weather change here. Being my day off, I slept in and then being Jill's birthday we went out to lunch to celebrate! Zach, Olivia, Jill and I went and had pizza and then ice cream and finally decided to go to the beach where it would be cooler. We ran straight into the ocean to cool off and the numbing cold felt so refreshing. Some of our friends came and joined us when they got off work and my brother, Michael, and friend, Chad, arrived in town and came too. After enjoying the beach and sunshine for 3 hours, I took a nice cold shower that felt so good. Unfortunately I was sweaty and gross again 10 minutes later when I stepped outside in my khakis and navy polo ready for the intro song at dinner.

Even though it was my day off, I switched with the other girl in my group covering for her tonight so she could go see Lion King in Portland with her brother and she will cover for me on Sunday. Today was the first day of the 2nd half of our split week so we had a bunch of new kids tonight in addition to the 10 or so that are staying all week. We did worship outside again but it was much cooler tonight and then two of the guy leaders tag-teamed telling an awesome and hilarious story that kept all 74 kids quiet and entertained for a good 20 minutes.

After session I headed to the park with Michael and Chad for ultimate frisbee with staff. However, we decided not to play and grabbed a cookie (thanks mom!) from their car and then sat on the swings and talked about memories of Cannon Beach. It is so nice to have them here to visit and have them meet my friends and talk about old times before they both head off to college in August. :(

I need to get to bed now because tomorrow is going to be a long day, as Thursdays always are.

The Sun Came Out!

And it was glorious!

Today's sessions were better than last night but still chaotic. We were able to go to the park in the morning and the beach tonight and play some running games so that helped. However, rinsing the tie-dye pillow cases out has never been so messy! There was water ALL over the girls' bathroom floor and regardless of how many times we said the instructions the kids still didn't listen and had to be told again. And again. After this madness we took them to the beach for Capture the Flag, lesson, and then bonfire and s'mores. It was sandy, smoky, and sticky. But we all made it back with a bit of extra sand in their shoes and marshmallow all over their faces. I'm really sad that so many of the kids are leaving tomorrow because with the chaos I have not been able to really get to know these kids. Tomorrow we have a whole bunch of new kids come.

In between sessions today I went to the beach with a bunch of my staff. It was so beautiful, sunny, and warm out. I attempted some reading but fell asleep for awhile. I woke up very hot and went down to the ocean to try skim-boarding and cool off. I did the splits the first time--the mistake of putting one foot on first. The second time I rode for about 3 seconds then fell off. Then we headed back for fast showers and cool treats from the coach house. I walked around town to renew my library book and get my kite repaired, got a 5minute guitar lesson from my friend and then dinner. After session I watched my friends play Wii.

As I look at the clock I'm debating whether or not I will get up to go to breakfast with the kids. I am not scheduled to work by going to breakfast but I can go if I want to, aka if I want to be in the dining room at 7:15 for one last time with the kids and really good food. enh....we shall see

I'm a Pony (a little hoarse)

This is going to be short because I am so tired and need some rest for tomorrow. I am so exhausted because those 18 children wore me out today, oh and the beach volleyball might have a bit to do with it too.

The kids this week do not listen. We had 4 leaders tonight. All of us are pretty tough with making the kids raise their hands and saying to be quiet but it did no good. My throat hurts so bad from having to be louder than them or saying things over and over. I hope tomorrow goes better!

My Bible study was refreshing and relaxing though, which is nice.

Unusual 4th of July

This morning I totally forgot it was the 4th of July. It wasn't until I noticed the kids running around the gym and how much red and blue they were wearing!

Last night my supervisor had warned me about a couple things with this group of kids: cellphones and don't listen. I was a little nervous heading into this morning since only 2 of us work and the supervisor has today and tomorrow off. Cell phones were not an issue because I said I would take them if I saw or heard them. But my goodness I have not had to yell so loud to get their attention. Such a bunch of loud talkers! I think I might lose my voice this week.

After session (which was an hour shorter today thanks to the holiday!), a bunch of us staff gathered on the sidewalk in front of the conference center to watch the parade. As we waited, we sung various Patriotic songs at the top of our lungs. People around us took pictures and applauded. The parade was really fun with lots of candy and big dogs.

Then a group of us decided to go on an adventure to a cool lookout point. Well, we realized we didn't know exactly where it was so we stopped at this parking lot for a hike and headed out even though some of us (me included) were wearing flip-flops or white shoes. The sign said 2.5 miles but we only made it 100 yards before deciding to turn around. Then we drove to Hug Point but instead of going down to the beach we went on this crazy adventure on a "trail" over logs, around sticker-bushes, under branches, up cliffs. It was insane but really fun. The whole time it was a misty rain so we were wet and dirty. We eventually did make it down to the beach and hung out for a bit and then a couple of the guys decided to take a quick swim in the water. The spontaneity, craziness, and fun of our adventure was so great and felt like something that college kids are supposed to do. :)

Evening session was good. We played the Jr. High kids in dodgeball. After beating them last week I was really surprised to show up and see they had twice as many kids as us and this week their kids were all a lot bigger! Thankfully no one got hurt. I was supposed to have a babysitting shift tonight but no one requested it. Usually the babysitters then help out in the Rec Center but with so few people there tonight our boss said 2 of the 5 of us could go with the staff group to the fireworks show in a nearby town. We talked amongst ourselves and me and another girl got to go. I am so glad I was able to. It was great! 22 minutes of intense, huge, loud, colorful, and awesome fireworks!

Today was quite unlike all previous 4th of Julys. No barbecue, no boating, no sunny weather, but it was still really fun!

Two Weeks Down

Thursday once again was long, crazy, stressful, and exhausting. The rainy weather prevented the carnival from happening outside and we had to stay indoors during the kid dinner and long evening session too. After session I had babysitting for three little kids. Even though the 8-month old cried for 20 minutes as I rocked him, it was so refreshing to hold a baby and made me miss all the little babies back home.

Friday morning the kids were as tired as us so it was a mellow and easy session and then Friday night was a fun-filled finish followed by a staff bonfire.

Today is my day off and I'm just catching up on sleep, laundry, reading, and relaxing. Getting rested up for a crazy week ahead! It is a split week and we are actually going to have more kids than the first week!

Time flies when you're at the beach

It has been 3 weeks since I got here! It is flying by. :(

Yesterday was my day off. I went for a run again after not going for over a week and it felt really good. I spent the rest of the day just relaxing and chatting with friends. Then I went to hear the adult session followed by Retro Bowling night for the staff, which was very fun! They turned the main lights off so people's retro clothes were glowing in the dark. I got two strikes and everyone was dancing! A Reese's McFlurry finished that great night.

Today is drizzly so we had the carnival inside which worked out fine but is not desirable because we have to do less booths. I'm starting to get in a routine here with work, Bible studies, and such. The kids are so sweet and wonderful.