Tag Archives: Pictures

The long awaited wedding

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So the first of my friends got married this month. It’s still crazy to think that I’m old enough to have friends that are married. These two are such inspirations. They are a perfect example of God’s love. It had truly been wonderful to witness their love. I feel so blessed I was able to take the train up for their beautiful day.

A bit of a humorous story: I brought up one dress for the wedding. I had worn it to my brother’s wedding in August, so I didn’t even think about trying it on. I knew I’d need to steam it once I got to the venue because it was silk. Wedding day comes. I go to the bride’s house to do all the bridesmaids’ hair. Two hours to the wedding, we get in the car and drive to the venue. I’m still in my yoga pants with no make-up on. I locate a steamer, and fix my dress. An hour and fifteen minutes to the ceremony, I put on my dress. It was then I discovered that I had lost weight. A lot of weight. So much that the dress did not fit. At all. It might have been okay if I just had to stand, arms down, with my chest puffed up as much as it could. But I had to sing during the ceremony and lead a flash mob for the reception. Thankfully, the style of the dress allowed me to fold and pin a good three inches over. Thank goodness for safety pins and flowy dresses.

I got to see this beauty after 6 months!

With the maid of honor! I got to help Jo make all the bridemaids’ skirts when I visited in January.

Leading the flash mob with one of the main bros.

Dish Duty

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I thinks it’s easy to go online and see beautiful pictures of perfect people on mountain tops. Or hear stories of couples going on grand adventures. I think almost everyone wants an adventure in one way or another. I am one of those people. Or so I thought.

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I just got back from Adventure Kamp. I flew a plane, went scuba diving, rappelled kids off a 300 foot bluff, taught countless survival classes, built a water proof shelter out of sticks, leaves and vine, killed, cleaned, and cooked a rabbit, hiked in rain, sun, cold, and hot, found my way with a compass, prepared devos and tried my best to counsel the great kids I had, slept in a hammock 33 nights of the summer, saw the milky way, watched 35 shooting stars during my fire watch at 2 in the morning, and killed a copper head. Six hours of sleep a night, cooking, taking photo and video, driving, teaching, and counseling. It a summer of firsts. First time in a small plane. First time cliff bluffing. First time being a counselor. First time navigating an airport. First time camping. First time backpacking.

And yet, it all felt very unspectacular. It wasn’t that it was because it was my job or that I was overtired (although both would have been true). No, it was something else. How could I go on such wonderful adventures and it feel so ordinary? The more I thought about it, the more I realized I had the wrong idea about what adventure meant.

~an unusual and exciting experience or activity~

~to engage in hazardous and exciting activity, especially the exploration of unknown territory~

After this summer I realized I could go everywhere, do everything, learn everything, be everything I wanted to be, but still be empty. This summer, I went on journey. An exploration. And what I discovered? I really need community. People to experience life with. People to share struggles with. People to take in a moment with. To laugh with and cry with. The more I thought about it, I’ve had adventure upon adventure washing dishes with my small group back home. Or explore my home town with my besties.

Yes, I long for adventure, but even deeper than that, I long for connection. And I’d rather share a mundane life with people than have the grandest of adventures alone. I hope to make life my adventure. No matter where I am or what I’m doing. So here’s to life. And here’s to loving people.

 

I work here, but it’s not work.

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Several weeks this semester I’ve worked over 50 hours a week on top of my 17 credits. It sounds worse than it is. In reality, 20 of those hours are spent at camp. It’s about an hour drive to Lake Geneva Youth Camp, and I’ve been going up almost every weekend. My mom is concerned that I need to ease up and destress. I respond that camp is my destress.

Story time: It was minus 20 degrees. I worked outside all day at the giant swing and then headed to Conference Point Center for lazer tag in the evening. I suggest taking my car across the lake because I know it’s reliable. Previously, the truck we normally take wouldn’t start because of the cold. However, because I’m a minor and my car isn’t on camp insurance, we took a camp van. The problem with this camp vehicle? The gas light doesn’t work. No big deal. Kitchen staff filled it this morning. “Yay,” I think to myself as we head to CPC. “Warmth inside at last.” But no. Tippiwalkin, the building we set lazer tag in, is unheated. It’s now past sunset and the inside of Tippi acts as a freezer: no wind, just bitter, bitter cold. My toes hadn’t defrosted from being outside all day, and they went completely numb. Good times. After lazer tag ended, it was time to head back. We get off the highway and are just entering the quaint Lake Geneva town when the lights of the van start flickering on and off. The gas peddle isn’t responding. Yep, we ran out of gas. You know what no gas means? No heat. We waited around in the freezing van for about 20 minutes until my boss saved us. That was one of the coldest days of my life.

Yes, I know it’s strange, but I actually gain energy by working at camp. Yes, it does make me happy. Plus I got to share rec life with my friend, Than!

I’m also learning super cool things at the rock wall. I was able to start one of the hardest courses at the wall: yellow. I was super proud. I haven’t made it to the top on yellow yet, but it’s a working progress. My biggest accomplishment is that I can climb up a rope. My boss, Neil, taught me how. After watching me he said that I should join cross fit with him because I would be good at it. These are the comments that warm my soul.

 

Rediscoveries

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Yes, I’ve found a new love. As a kid, I always thought hammocks were cool. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want a hammock. Over the summer, I rediscovered my hammock love. At camp, several of my friends had hammocks and one let me borrow one to sleep outside. By the second time of waking up outside with the sun shinning overhead, I decided I was going to buy one.

I’m normally not a big spender, but it felt good purchasing my hammock. It felt like an investment. You know what is also grand? Feeling like a kid again. It feels stellar getting excited over things that I used to get excited about. It feels like me.