A Peoria Weekend!

I have officially driven out of the state by myself (and back into it). I'm kind of excited about it.

The best part was that the destination was to see all my camp friend in Peoria, Illinois! More specifically... Mags.

Hayley, also a Camp T girl, and I planned a weekend to go visit our long lost friends from Peoria. Since Hayley and most of the other friends in Peoria haven't been to camp since Pathfinders, its been a few years since everyones gotten to see each other. And who doesn't love a good reunion? So, we convinced our parents and made the 3 and half hourish drive to Maggie's house.

We spent the weekend eating yummy food, seeing old friends, meeting new friends, driving around Peoria, going to Mag's church, laughing, making friendship bracelets, seeing what Mag's does everyday, and just being best friends.

Here are some of the best parts:

• seeing Maggie's house in real life for the first time
• introducing my best friend Hayley to my best friend Maggie
• getting to see Lauren and John and Brad and Haley
• eating the best pizza in the world with tiger sauce after having a 3 year withdrawal
• meeting all Maggie and Lauren's real life friends
• getting to spend road trip time with Hayley and singing and talking the whole way there and back
• meeting and laughing with John's family

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend with better friends.

(pictures soon!)

SO CLOSE!

As I take a break from studying finals, and after a fun long weekend in Auburn, all I can think about it Thursday afternoon at 1:15 pm when its finally summer. Here's what I am looking forward to most:

• My trip to Peoria with Hayley to visit Mags and Lauren
• Staff training for CTDC2K11
• Getting to spend a week with Mags, Annie, and Ei training to be life guards in the awesome and somewhat  gross Richard G. Marsh Lake
• Meeting new Camp T friends
• Summer concerts with my best friends
• Playing with day campers all day
• Sleeping in a bunk for 6 weeks (total, but not consecutive. just to clarify)
• Making tons of friendship bracelets for tons of friends
• Sitting in a devotion circle
• Eating lots and lots of frozen yogurt
• Wearing a staff shirt and a wooden name tag every Saturday and Sunday
• Reading for enjoyment
• wWearing shorts all the time
• Sleeping in this Friday morning
• Grilled cheese sandwiches and sloppy joes with fritos
• Having chapel songs stuck in my head

Bloggers Unite

My top 10 rules for life
1. Be nice to your mom. Lets face it, as annoying or over protective or strict or demanding as they might be, they're usually right. Our moms love us. Life is a lot easier when you get along with your mom.
2. Let people cut you in line. So often we feel like we're in such a rush to get everything done that we truck on, leaving no time to think about other people. One of my favorite things is to let someone do something before me; cut in line at the grocery, take the last chocolate donut, anything.  It makes you feel better, it makes them feel better. Win win.
3. Crying is ok. In fact, I encourage it.
4. Stay home from school. No, don't make a habit of it, or do it once a week, but everyone needs a personal day (or a sleep day). Just take one, and move on. School will be fine with out you, and you'll catch back up.
5. You're never too old for play dates.
6. Tell the people you love that you love them often. People like to be reminded.
7. Hand made cards are better. Always. Seriously. When I'm 50 I still want to make my own cards for people's birthdays. This applies for other aspects of life too. Homemade baked goods, presents,  or giving your time beat things you can buy.
8. Always have that one more slice of pizza. Nothing that bad can happen if you do, and you know you'll enjoy it.
9. Laughing is good for you. So, at the rate I'm going, I should be in pretty good shape.
10. Life today well- enjoy the small stuff. Find joy in everyday things. Appreciate the everyday.

Top 10 random things about me
1. I became an aunt at age 8. I now have 2 nephews, a niece, and an it on the way.
2. Sometimes, when I wake up early to shower, I get back in bed after words in my robe and snuggle back under the covers. Its really great.
3. I have been through several periods of obsession with the game Sims 2 (and 3) in my lifetime. Once in 5th grade my friend Hayley and I played for 15 hours straight.
4. I have a tendency to nervous laugh, or normal laugh, when ever i feel awkward or uncomfortable. When words don't come I just laugh.
5. Every night I sleep with 4 stuffed animals and a princess blanket on my bed.
6. I have attended Show Choir Camps of America.
7. One of my favorite things to ship for is office/ school supplies. One time I put office supplies on my Christmas list and got a laminator. It was awesome.
8. I haven't grown since I was 12. I will forever be barely 5 foot 2.
9. Once when I was bored during the summer, I got my dad's razor out of his drawer and shaved my arms. (I'd also like to add this was a long time ago)
10. I want to join the Peace Corps after college

10 unique things I love about camp
1.  Sleeping at the Longhouse and being right next to the flagpole, adding potentially 5 minutes to your sleep in time.
2. Walking across the suspension bridge when everyones shaking it. It still freaks me out.
3. How even when people break their arms and legs and fingers and heads they still want to stay.
4. How at cook outs the boys try to look like they're helping, when they really don't even know how to use the peelers.
5. That moment when you realize someone at camp lives right down the street and you've never seen them before.
6. The way the counselors wear their staff sweatshirts (can't wait to do that this summer!)
7. How no one judges you for eating 12 slices of pizza or an entire basket of rolls with dinner.
8. When all the pathfinder girl's make up comes off after swim checks the first day
9. How even rainy days are the best days ever
10. That moment when 4 cabins are trying to do flies all at once and keep standing their waiting their turn

Want to see the other lists? They are so great!
http://mylife-inlists.blogspot.com/ My Life (In Lists), Michelle
http://livesoverlap.blogspot.com/ Overlap, Sarah Wright
http://yourlifeunfolding.blogspot.com/ As Life Unfolds, Maggie
http://swappedmayforlang.blogspot.com/ A Year Of Joy- Project 365, Mel
http://unwrittendefinition.blogspot.com/ defining life, Sarah Mooney
http://findingjoy.blogspot.com/ finding joy, Alli
http://livelifeincolors.blogspot.com/ Life In Color, Annie
http://joythings.blogspot.com/ Little Things, Big Joy, Soaps

"Bruno Mars couldn't live there, can't catch a grenade for NO ONE"

Tonight was so so so great. After spending the week being consumed with stress about upcoming AP tests and finals and the end of the year rush to finish everything, it was a much needed break. Sar, Alli, and I all met at Mellow Mushroom for a much anticipated dinner. After we had just sat down at a nice booth in the back, we had a surprise guest. It was Ellyn. After telling us we were in HER booth, and she had just dropped in for dinner, she sat down and ate with us and it was so fun. Ellyn is really funny and ridiculous (in such a good way) and I'm so glad I get to work with her this summer.

3 pizzas, a calzone, and lots of jokes and laughing later we were off to Office Max in search of Slimcases (clip boards that open up from the bottom so you can keep stuff in them for camp and make friendship bracelets with the clip) to decorate. No luck. But we did sit in some really comfortable office chairs. After testing out many and finding our favorites, we headed down the sidewalk to Michael's in search of a craft.

While wandering around I spotted these super cool neon pink v-neck t shirts. Naturally we all had to buy one. After several minutes on debating whether or not to iron-on something to the back (i.e. a number, a nickname, Camp T. patches) we decided to just leave them plain for now. As we approached the check-out lane we jumped as we heard Ellyn shriek. Turns out she had just spotted her aunt and cousin in line... and to think we thought something serious happened. Ellyn had just been telling us a story about them, and it turns out they knew Alli's boyfriend. Crazy.

After Ellyn chased a goose around the parking lot, we hopped in our cars and headed to Orange Leaf. Ellyn and I riding in her car, Alli and Sar in Sar's. To be extra sneaky, Ellyn and I decided to put on our new pink shirts for the frozen yogurt and surprise Sar and Alli (and the rest of OL with our brightness). It was successful.

Sarah, Alli, and Ellyn knew half the people in the place, and there were lots of conversations in line, running and hugging people from behind the counter, and saying hey from accross the store. Orange Leaf is apparently just the place to be on Wednesday evenings.

I'm so glad I got to hang out with these girls tonight. Nothing makes me happier than getting to play and have fun on random school nights with some of my favorite people and laugh about camp and build up excitement and make jokes and make fun of each other and remember stuff and find random connections of people everyone but me know.

Reflection

"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."--Martin Luther King Jr


With each news station and paper revolving around the recent death of a terrorist, I can't help but be a little disturbed by all the excitement. I love my country, and would consider myself to be patriotic in lots of ways. I cannot, however, bring myself to participate in the celebration of another person's death- even a terrorist's. 


These words of Martin Luther King could not state any better exactly how I'm feeling in this moment. Although I still remember and mourn the deaths of so many Americans on September 11, 2001, the only place worth going from here is forward. In fear of going on a rant, I think the main point I' trying to get across is this: Love Wins. It says it on my car. It says it on Sar's water bottle. It says it on the keychains Annie made as Christmas presents. That fact, that love prevails over all and is the ultimate means for improvement in any aspect of life, is true today more than ever.


So, while I love America, and am grateful for the recent closure of the people who lost loved ones 10 years ago, I think everyone could use a little reminder of the words of one of this countries greatest leaders. I want to drive out the hate with love. I want to shed light through the darkness. In a night with no stars, I want to find a full moon.