Summer of 2009

So pretty much I just have felt like I wanted to write a note for quite some time now, but I have never really got around to it. Now I'm going to try my hardest to write this note and finish it in one night.
The Summer of 2009
It started off with a sad ending, but a new beginning. The thought of leaving all my high school days and friends behind was something really hard for me to grasp, and I still don't believe I'm done with high school all together. At the graduation ceremony I had always imagined that I would be crying my eyes out, but that wasn’t the case. The slide show is what made me tear up because it made me remember the times when we were all so young.
My graduation party was the following day after graduation and the day started off bad because I was just crabby, but by the end I was so happy. My party was great and I saw so many people that I hadn't seen in awhile. My mom made some yummy cheesy potatoes and turkey sandwiches. Those are definitely two of my favorite foods. We were all thinking there would be food left over, but there wasn’t. I’m pretty sure that my mom made just the right amount of food. And of course we had some fruit too which was so tasty =] Well we had beans too, but all the other food was my favorite. The day of my party was definitely one of the best days of my life. So many people came to support me in my big day which meant the world to me. I got to give so many people hugs which were great! Also I got to talk with people and just have a good relaxed day. It was a bummer it rained that day, but that didn’t keep me down that day. There were about twenty six graduation parties that day, so I was thankful to those who actually made it to mine that day. To be honest all my life I had looked forward to my graduation party because for once it would be all about me and what my life was about and I thought that was cool. Well sooner than I wanted it to be, my party was over.
I knew that there were some parties I wanted to go to that night, so I got out my handy dandy list. Well first Trina wanted to go to Shauna’s so we went together for a little bit. After that I dropped her back off at home and the busy night began. I went to a few parties and tried to stay for at least a half hour at all of them. Finally I went home and opened all my cards I got from people. That was a hard and eye opening experience for me. The reason I opened them then was that the next day I had to be at camp sometime so I knew that that night would be the only time I would get to open them. Anyway I read through all the cards and opened my gifts and it just brought me to tears. In a lot of the cards people said something about how I was a great person. I knew that I wasn’t a good person just by myself, but I was a good person because God lives in my heart. It really made me realize that people still saw the Jesus in me even when my faith seemed so small. In that moment I was just so thankful to God for who God had made me to be. Also it was really hard for me in that moment because it sunk in a little that I was done with high school, and I knew that I had to get packing soon enough to go to camp the next day.
The day of staff training approached faster than I thought it would. On my way to camp I stopped at Hannah’s party and ate some tasty food and then was off. Staff training was a great week for me and I made so many new amazing friends and I knew summer was going to be great with all those great Christians by my side. Last year I was still in school when Staff training was going on, but this year I was blessed with the great opportunity of going. Usually when I am introduced to a bunch of new people I’m pretty shy, but this time I wasn’t that shy and it was wonderful. Well staff training soon ended and I knew the trip that I had been waiting for was soon approaching. I got home from Staff training on Saturday and left for London on the Monday after.
Well I got home and went to Nate’s graduation party which was a fun time. We ate some good food and played some volleyball. Jordan and I hung out a lot during the party which was awesome. Then we went to Alicia’s party afterwards for awhile. That night I got home and I think I did some laundry and went to bed. Then Zach’s graduation party was the next day. I knew that this would be the last time I would see Hanna before she went off to Norway again and I wasn’t looking forward to her leaving. I think I stayed at the party for about an hour and a half, but I had to get home to pack because I was leaving for Europe the next day. Hanna and I said our goodbyes, but I still didn’t want to believe that I wouldn’t see her until next year. I went home and packed and my heart started beating faster and faster with every minute that passed by. I was leaving for Europe in only a couple hours and I couldn’t believe it.
Well the day had come, we were leaving for our trip to Europe and I actually felt like I didn’t forget anything for once. The trip was overall such an amazing experience. Out of all the places I liked the city of Toledo the best, but I loved so many monuments and places. In Paris I loved the Eiffel tower because it was so pretty and magnificent. No picture can even give it justice. Some other places that were my favorite were the Prado museum, the Louvre, the beautiful cathedrals, and the culture in Spain. I never thought that I would have had the opportunity to go to a different country until college at least. My friend Brianna and I got lost too which was super duper scary at the time, but it’s funnier now looking back. The reason we got lost is we were trying to help a man get some M&Ms out of the vending machine because they were stuck. The trip was awesome, but I just wish I could have remembered the names of all the buildings we saw and the importance of all of them. It was hard to take the time to just take it all in. Being the photo taker I am I took approximately 1,000 pictures so that’s pretty awesome. Well if you want to know more about the trip, just ask me about it =] I should be putting pictures on here shortly too. The beginning of the trip seemed to go by slow, which wasn’t a bad thing, but by the end it had flown by. The trip was all together amazing, but it was great to get home once again.
I had about a week off before I had my first week at camp. I got home and figured out that I did not spend as much money as I thought I did so that was encouraging! Stacey and I both bought IPods with our leftover money which was nice. Right now I have like 500 songs on mine and they are all from CDs and it makes me really happy =] Anyway in that week I also got pictures developed and hung out with some friends. On that Thursday night we had a going away party for Zach which was a fun time. I was sad to see him leave, but I was happy for him because it seemed like he was really looking forward to the Army. Soon enough though my week of relaxation was over and it was time for camp. To be honest up until the day before I went to camp I really was not looking forward to it at all. My heart was so unwilling and I’m just like WHY do I have to go to camp. I just wanted a little more time to relax and I was starting to feel bad for myself. But when the day before camp came I was starting to get really excited for camp that week and I was a little more willing.
Well the next day came and my first week of overnight began and it was wonderful, but the whole week my heart was still not willing. The girls were wonderful and well behaved, but I just really didn’t feel like I was giving that week my all. I knew that I needed to be more willing to be an overnight counselor and the next week I was.
This past week was my second week on overnight and it was definitely a learning experience. I’m not going to say it was an easy week because it was a very difficult week. There were a lot of homesick campers in our cabin which was hard. It was my first time actually dealing with severely homesick campers. It was hard, but rewarding when it was all said and done. Wednesday we had staff worship like every Wednesday night, but this time we had it done by the water. Anyway I just stood facing the water and it was so beautiful. The night was light that night and there was a reflection on the water. I loved it so much, but anyway that night I felt so much purpose and it made me so happy. I felt like I was really doing what God wanted me to do which felt awesome! The week was soon over and I was sad to see it end, but also relieved! We had in service Friday night at nine which was pretty fun and interesting.
A bunch of staff members, we all went to Mall of America on Saturday which was super duper fun. I ate at noodles for the first time and had the macaroni and cheese and flatbread. It was so yummy =] Last year I don’t think I would have went to MOA with all staff, I really don’t know why, but I just don’t think I would have felt like it.
Then Sunday I slept in until eleven and went on the computer for too long and then took a two hour nap from two to four. Then Stacey and I went to church later at the Edge which made me think about things.
Now I’m sitting here and the Holy Spirit is convicting me of things I really need to fix in my life, but I will share one of these main things with you. So for quite some time now I have been planning on going to college for Global Studies and Spanish, but in all reality this is just what I want and NOT necessarily what God wants for me. I have realized that I need to seek more after God so he can tell me His plan for me. Just if you would please pray that I seek His plan for my life and not my own. Thanks to you all =] I hope you are all having a great summer and God bless!