God, Harriet Tubman, and Tinkerbell

Last night I headed over to Col's to hang out and see my long lost college friends. When I got there I headed upstairs to find Col and Kenzie sitting on the bottom bunk catching up on life. I ran to give Kenzie a hug that probably last a few seconds too long but I just really missed that girl. I missed how she tells stories and her hair that gets shorter every time I see her and how genuinely nice she is and how she cares about other people so much. I jumped right in on the conversation and it felt like no time had passed since last summer. 

We headed downstairs for a feast of cookies and shrimp, when Grace walked in the front door. Sometimes you don't even realize how much you missed someone until you see them. Another long hug later I was just so happy to be spending time with these three girls. Grace caught us up on her college stories about roommates and late night studying and the boyfriend and just loving it all so much. Kenzie filled us in on sorority life and being some important job that I can't remember and making new friends and "sisters". Both of them are doing so well and loving life and it was really great to hear about it in person.

Next it was craft time. 

We made our way to the basement to spend the rest of the evening getting creative with canvases and crayons and hot glue and inspirational sayings. We ate pizza and listened to music and watched Grace finish her black and grey masterpiece. 

As per tradition when the four of us are together we played "Who Am I?" where you stick a card with someones name on it to your forehead that the person next to you wrote and ask yes or no questions to figure out who you are. I had the pleasure of being baby Jesus, Michael Jackson, and Maureen Whiting all in one night. Grace's combination of Harriet Tubman, Michelle Obama, and Missy Eliot was probably my favorite.

When I got home, I got to Skype with Ann Fazz just adding to the camp friend excitement! I love talking to Annie and catching up about Christmas and anticipating the next time we will see each other.

I love nights like that. Where you get to catch up with the people you miss and just hang out together and catch up and laugh and its like no time has passed it all. You pick up right where you left off. I think thats one of the special parts about camp friends. We don't always have the privilege of seeing each other often but when we do, nothing has changed. We still love each other and make each other laugh and tease each other and enjoy every second of it. I don't know how I got so lucky to make so many great friends in the past couple years, but I do know I'm really really thankful for it. Thankful for friends to tell things to. Thankful for people who you can count on. Thankful for the opportunities to spend time together, and thankful for knowing these friendships will just keep growing.

A food drive, a food bank, and a Christmas party (with food)

Saturday I woke up bright and early, and headed to school to meet the rest of the senior class council. The past two weeks North Central has had a giant canned food drive to help feed families in our school district over the holidays. The drive ended Friday, and the aftermath was a room filled with tons and tons of canned (and boxed) food.

Senior Class council would work all day to sort and bag the food to get it 100% ready to go out to the families. While it was hard and somewhat serious work, you can never be completely serious with people like Audrey and Virg around. Maddie sat on the ground and opened bags really well. Virginia had a photo shoot. Audrey ran around and provided entertainment. Chelsea was just her "hipster chic" Urban Outfitters-working self. It was really great.

After a few hours, Hayley and I met Anna in the parking lot and it was time for an All For Children trip to Gleaner's Food Bank downtown. Anna brought the starbucks. Hayley brought the directions. We piled in my car, and off we went. Gleaner's is this HUGE warehouse that has tons and tons and tons of food. They have a giant freezer that runs half the length of the building, and a fridge just as pick. We met some other members there, and got put to work.

 We organized.

We made boxes.

We emptied boxes. There was just so much food to sort through and box up and empty out!

It was such a successful day of volunteering. I'm so glad to work with officers like Hayley and Anna. Its a really cool thing to be partners with people who are passionate about what we're doing, and really just want to do their part in making a difference. I'm so excited for this club to continue next semester, and to work with these girls even more.

A ride back to school and a couple hours of Christmas shopping with Hayley later, it was time for Danielle and Cameron's 2nd Annual Christmas Party! To top off spending the whole day together, Hayley and I drove to Virginia's to meet her, Maddie and Emma and head to Danielle's!

It was so fun to get to the party and see all our friends so dressed up and just so happy to spend time all together. We ate and mingled and danced to Christmas music. I just really love this time of year.

I love days when I can help other people. I love days that I spend with Hayley. I love days where I feel accomplished. I love days when I get to see lots of friends. I love days like Saturday.

Wrapping Party

Every year, my family "adopts" a family to give gifts to for Christmas. This year I decided to have the club at school I'm in charge of, All For Children get matched up with a family as a club. Today was the wrapping party.

After school we met in Mrs. Guggy's room to wrap all the presents we had purchased for a mom and her 1 year old daughter, eat snacks, and listen to Christmas music. I loved getting in the Christmas spirit and got so excited about giving all these gifts to our family.

People brought in Target gift cards, new bath towels, and a winter coat for the mom. The daughter will get all kinds of toys, 2 pairs of little cute shoes, and lots of new outfits. I can't wait to see them open the gifts. I loved seeing the stack of presents keep growing as more and more presents were being wrapped.

One of my favorite parts about this time of year is the concept of giving. Though it can be thought of as a selfish time, I think Christmas is one of the most important times of giving back. There are canned food drives and toy drives and caroling at nursing homes and people who adopt families like we did. Its just nice to know that we can all come together, and provide for the people who can't always provide for themselves. Christmas inspires me to give back, and show my appreciation and gratitude for a year of blessings.

"the bad lady reads my thoughts"

10 Reasons I liked today:
1. It was Winter Sweater Wednesday! Andrew and I are taking a wolf shirt hiatus and embracing the holiday season.

2. We listened to Christmas music in Yearbook. I have it for my first two periods in the morning. It just makes me happy. I really love it when my advisor sings "Have a holly jolly Molly" and "She's a mean one, Molly Henry".

3. I was finished with my psych project, and our teacher gave us an extra work day. Aka I got to play "Hanging With Friends" the whole period and even got a phone call into my mom. Solid.

4. I got a new water bottle. It says Depauw on it. Its really cool. It was free. Love it.

5. In Environmental Science we got to watch presentations. I love class periods like that. Its like a bunch of little mini shows... and its not taking notes. All good things.

6. I got to see Alli Kenney! Love this girl and don't get to see her nearly enough. I can't wait to spend my whole summer with her when we don't have school and the stress of life to get in the way.

7. Me, Sar, and Alli got Bazbeaux for dinner. Pizza. Enough said.

8. I went to see Olivia and Oxanna's play "Mother Goost". It was hilarious. I particularly enjoyed these lines:

But this one time I did catch on fire and it was really funny cuz I was like woah I'm on fire!

Curds are the Devil's food

I am Miss Muffet. I am strong. Hear me roar!

9. Olivia and Oxanna gave us a tour of their middle school hallway and showed as all the artwork they made. Olivia was being really funny and loud and talkative and at one point her mom said "Woah Woah Woah slow down, you're doing your camp thing" as Olivia enthusiastically paced back and forth while she told a story. I love when people do their camp thing.

10. Now I get to go hang out for the rest of the night with my Mom. Love her. 

"Raise your hand if you did some great ironing!"

This past weekend I got to experience my first ever Mother Daughter Quilt Camp at Camp Tecumseh. It was a weekend of many firsts. First time making a quilt. First time sewing. First time sleeping at Sar's house. First time meeting Katie, Nick, and baby Linc. First time playing with the Hot Chocolate Club. It was the new experience of all new experiences.

Friday after school Sar and I grabbed some milkshakes and made our way to the TLC at camp. We were greeted by a very excited Beth Wright and Brenna Friend, and shortly afterward Annie Fazzio joined us too. I really love her. The anticipation of seeing her had been building up since I last saw her in September, and running up with Sar to attack her with hugs was wonderful.

After some introductions and dinner, we got to work on my first ever quilt. I ironed, Ann pinned fabric, and Sar and Beth sewed. Team work at its finest. After a couple hours of determined work, we headed upstairs for our first meeting with the Hot Chocolate Club girls. We did some name games and got started on some Christmas themed potholder headbands. Perfection. I loved just sitting around with the girls, and talking to and getting to know them. Many of them have been coming to quilt camp for forever, and I was so thrilled they welcomed me into their club.

Saturday was filled with Quilt Camp adventures. We quilted. We did crayon crafts. We ate pizza. We saw Jordan and wrote him love tanks. We took a speedy quick tour of camp and played at the Day Came site (I miss that place). We quilted some more. Before we knew it, it was time for dinner shortly followed by Tangled and then more quilting. I even learned to sew! By around 11pm the team had finished my very first Quilt.

'

Isn't it beautiful? I can't wait to bring it to camp and college. So exciting. A big shout out to Sar, Annie, Beth, and Brenna for helping me with this huge project!

After a trip to the suspension bridge and a visit to some favorite camp people there for Purdue's BGR, we headed to Sarah's to go to bed. Sunday morning started off with a devotion, breakfast, and an intense fame of Mind Meld with Sar and Annie (and Jordan on occasion). I loved sitting there with two of my best friends, and just being able to sit around and spend time with them. I wish it could happen more often.

This weekend was full of great conversations with great friends. I loved every second of being back at my favorite place in the world. Looking forward to getting back to that place for the THIRD CILT REUNION. Let the anticipation begin...