"Momo why do you have two names?"

I love that my family is unconventional. Some people are always wishing for normalcy, I love that we're crazy and non-traditional and dysfunctional and loud and different. In fact, my family is maybe the only thing I missed while I was gone this summer. Today I had the opportunity to spend some time with family.

This morning I picked up Carter from my sister's house. Carter is loud and hilarious and three. Since my sister just had baby #4, and the older 2 started school last week, I decided Carter needed to get out of the house for awhile. When I rang the door bell the kid was so excited for this day he sprinted to my car with no shoes on and his car seat still in the garage. I loved it. A few minutes later we said bye to my sister and baby Blake and made our way to Build-A-Bear. After the being completely overwhelmed by the giant wall of stuffed animal possibilities Carter decided on a Camouflaged bear he would later name "Camouflage". We have it a heart and a bath and picked out a super cool Lightning McQueen outfit for it to wear. Its really a process, making stuffed animals.

As we walked through the mall to the car, Bear box in hand (Carter's hand that is) he just couldn't contain his excitement. He would tell about his new bear to anyone who would listen while I just laughed and stood there amazed at how funny and outgoing my nephew its. Even though I love spending time with all my nieces and nephews, its really cool when I get to hang out with them one on one. They're all turning into real little people with such different personalities and unique interests. Its crazy to think their are 4 of them now. I wouldn't mind having 4 more.

Later in the day, I met up with my sister McKenzie to go with her to her first wedding dress fitting. She hadn't seen the dress for 5 months, and was feeling really nervous. I still can't even believe their is a wedding happening at all, so things like this are so crazy to me. We met my mom and a family friend at the bridal salon and she went in the dressing room to put it on. It was perfect. She was beautiful. I can not wait to see her on her day, and stand up with her as part of the wedding party (even if it does make me really sad).

In my last year living at home full-time (that is so weird to say) I really want to embrace my family. Embrace our flaws and different ways of doing things and out of the ordinary everythings. I can't wait for the weddings and baptisms and birthday dinners and Christmas time when we are all together. I cant wait to babysit four great kids. I can't wait to help McKenzie decorate a new house. I can't wait to spend time with my mom and tell her everything and go to breakfast on weekends with my dad. I can't wait to see my sister-in-law Traci when she visits with my brother from Alabama and eat Blondie's cookies with her and watch re-runs of Real Housewives. We might be unconventional, but we really really love each other and when it comes to families, there isn't another one I'd rather be apart of.

On Returning

So, Camp Tecumseh is real great. Don't think I could ever say those words enough. It is quite possibly the greatest place in the world, and most definitely the greatest place in my world. With that being said, as the summer comes to a close I'm having trouble squeezing my way back into real life.

For a whole 2 months of my life it was like time stopped. Where for those 2 months the biggest worries I had were getting all my day camp awards finished and trying to get to bed earlier. Now, as I find myself thrown back into the real world with real problems and real worries and real things to get done, I'm a little less than motivated. While I think this is a somewhat normal reaction, I want things to be different.

Although I'm no longer at camp, I want my "camp self" to be apart of my everyday life. I want the same enthusiasm. I want the same positivity. I want the same willingness to learn and get things done. So, while this adjustment back into real life has been anything but easy, it has to happen. And since it has to happen, I want these next 10 months before i go back to that place to really count. To really mean something. And to be more than just a countdown until the good life starts again. I want this to be just another version of the good life.

I want to love God the way I do at camp. I want to love others with the same intensity. I want to help people and put myself third. Most importantly I just want to be happy about living, no matter where I have to do it.

This Summer

This Summer...

I made really amazing friendships,

I grew even closer with old friends,

 

I sang in chapel songs in the green cathedral,

                                       
                    
                                       

                                      

I lived with some really awesome Blazer girls,

                                        

I got to play with 5 and 6 year olds everyday,



  

Some kids changed my life,

 

I changed some kids lives,

I shared a porch with Mags,

                                       


I spent 3 weeks with super cool (but not too cool) Pathfinder girls,
                                    
                                      

                                      

I danced on my chair at many theme dinners,
    
                            

I laughed every single day,

 

I stayed up talking on the back porch with amazing counselors,

                                      

I sang loud and got excited for new weeks of camp at opening campfires,

I reflected on weeks past at closing campfires,

I led my own devotions,

I drank lots and lots of Diet Coke,

                              

I loved more than I thought possible,



I gave lots of hugs every single day,

                                               

I experienced life by the river and the lake,

I became a lifeguard (how good of one is still on the table),

                                  

I gave out day camp awards and met parents every Thursday night,

I wore red and blue staff polos,

                                                 

                                        

I felt really loved all the time,

I had the best Summer ever.