Whale shows in the pool...wait, what?

It's break time for the campers during their 1.5 hour swim in the middle of the day.  15 minutes.  Might as well be an hour in their mind.  Sitting there while the cool, inviting crystal blue water mocks them.  

"We have to do something.  Something fun to entertain the kids."  

(It is a quite a thing to think of others on the 15 minutes you have to yourself for the entire day.  I must admit, it melted my heart when I heard this)

"Like what?"

Turning to the campers, some of them sitting on the sides of the pool with their feet dangling in the water, some sitting at tables around the pool, he yells out…

"Campers!  Let me introduce you to Shabu!."

And that was the creation of the Shabu (Sh-aaa-booo) show at Day Camp pool time.  One counselor with a crazy idea and a few others who happily played along.  Completely improvised.  There was a whale trainer and, of course, a whale, plus the trainer-in-training.  They performed 10 minute shows once a week during Day Camp pool break.  

The kids went berzerk, screaming, rejoicing, oohing, ahhhhing, chanting "Shabu, Shabu, Shabu."  It was a thing to behold, let me tell you.  They were in kid heaven.

There were tricks.  There were giant splashes onto glee-filled children.  There were a few whale attacks.  I wouldn't have thought it possible, but the "whale" really did sound, act, seem like a whale.  Hilarious.    

These are the reasons that other jobs just seem like "jobs".  Camp life lends itself to an over abundance of imagination.  You can make up silly things and no one thinks you are crazy.  You can act goofy and dress up in crazy outfits and speak with an accents just because it's Tuesday or you are bored.  No one even bats an eye at you.  

And at the same time, you can be showing kids that it's okay to have fun and be yourself and act crazy.  Jesus laughed and enjoyed life.  He wasn't serious 100% of the time.  I think that's how the world views Christians at times though, which makes me sad.  Shouldn't we be the most joyful, happy people?  Knowing the grace and mercy that is granted to us daily?  

The Shabu show.  It was a highlight of my summer.  I miss those afternoon shows.  I sure do.  

quiet

(my Starbuck costume for this year's Smoothie Night)

Hard to believe it, but summer is over.
Camp is finished.
And it is way too quiet around here.

Funny how you get used to having 200 people around you at all times.
Then suddenly, they are gone and the birds are the only things making noise outside your window.
Kinda sad, but then again I did get to have both Saturday and Sunday off completely this weekend.
Whaaat?!
That's wealth and riches right there.

So this week, instead of moping around and feeling melancholy, I'm running away to the Big Apple on an adventure of epic proportions.
EPIC.
Because sometimes you need a break.
And sometimes a mini-vacation is just what the doctor ordered.

xoxo,

Cottage Girl

last week

We begin our last week of residential camp tonight.

I don't even want to think about camp being over, even though we do have one more week of day camp left.  Thank the good Lord.

Anyway, I've been writing quite a bit lately and wonder if I should post of it here.

It's more personal in nature and makes me feel quite vulnerable.

But writing it has been so freeing and inspiring.

Maybe one day.

I don't know if anyone even reads these ramblings anymore as my posting has become quite sporadic.

I guess it doesn't really matter anyway because I write for myself, not to gain followers.


But this week....

This week is all about finishing well.  Loving well.  Caring for others well.  Giving and pouring out as much as I can.  It's about being grateful and thankful for the ministry we are allowed to do here.  It's about giving my Redeemer the glory He is due in this crazy life I am granted.  It's about being open and honest and sharing what He is doing in my heart and my life.

This week is also about laughter.  Lots of it.  Last night, I laughed harder than I think have in literally years.  Laughed so hard I couldn't breath and my eyes were pouring tears and my sides ached.  It...was...the...best.  I'm thankful for friends that I can laugh like that with.  They are a treasure near and dear to my heart.

Dear summer camp,
I love you so much and wouldn't trade you for millions of dollars.  I love that you are a fast and furious 11 weeks.  I love that you force me to say goodbye, even when goodbyes are my least favorite thing in the entire world.  I love that you show me (and everyone else too...) my faults and failures .  I love that you give me the opportunity to serve others in a way that I enjoy more than anything else in life.  And I can't wait to do it all again next year.

Xoxo,

Cottage Girl

Lessons

Every camp summer tends to focus on a theme for me.  Not necessarily the one that I expect it to be when the summer begins.  By the end, I can see how God has been weaving a thread through my life.  

For instance, I have had incredibly hard, heart wrenching summers that have taught me lessons like forgiveness.  Those are always hard summers to live through, but beautiful ones as well because I learn so much and and see God break me and destroy me only to gently put me back together again.  Those summers are life changing.  Those summers send me life lessons that I can't forget and wouldn't have learned any other way.  

"Come, let us return to the Lord;

for he has torn us, that he may heal us;

he has struck us down, and he will bind us up."

Hosea 6:1

Then there are joyful, happy, wonderful summers.  The Lord teaches me joy and peace and love.  I look back over those summers and can do nothing but be thankful for the wonder that is the joy of His presence.  There are lots of happy memories of those particular summers.  Usually it involves a few people that have become near and dear to my soul.  I would re-live those summers in a heartbeat.  

"And I will betroth you to me forever.

I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, 

in steadfast love and in mercy.

I will betroth you to me in faithfulness.

And you shall know the Lord."

Hosea 2:19-20

I have summers where I am too focused on myself.  All I can see around me are my needs, my hurts, my problems.  Everyone else is revolving around me.  Everything and everyone fits into a place that either hurts or helps me.  Dangerous summers, those ones.  I end up at the end of the summer not learning anything because all I care about is myself.  It's so easy to do. It's much easier to care about what effects you then to worry about how you are serving others. I almost always find that at the end of summers like these, I am melancholy and discouraged. It's basically a wasted summer. 

I have such an opportunity here to learn and grow. It is completely up to me how I choose to spend my days. No matter the circumstances, my heart needs to be in the right place to hear the Lord and be open to His leading. And this is true of any time/place/experience in life. It just seems a little more intense here at camp. And maybe that's why I love it so much. I fear being complacent and lazy and staying where I am in my relationship with Jesus. Camp is a perfect place to be challenged. 

This summer's lesson is still to be determined. 3 weeks left to go. Lots can happen in 3 weeks...

Jelly fish drama

Kids freak out about jelly fish.

I know this is a strange sentence to begin a blog post, but it must be said.

I think that kids think that jelly fish are like sharks.

They hunt them.

They stalk them in the murky depths of the water.

They lurk about seeking their tiny legs and arms and fingers.

The kids are convinced that the stings from jellies are like electric shocks.  Like a taser.

The stings will render them helpless, lifeless, basically close to death.


Fact:
Jellyfish do NOT stalk, seek out, nor follow people.  They lazily float along. One must walk/swim into them to be stung by them.

Fact:
Their stings are annoying and hurt for 30 minutes at worst.


I try to share these facts lovingly with the kids.  About 500 times an hour.  Most of the time, it doesn't matter.  A pieces of seaweed floats against their skin and they flip out and scream that they have been stung and run onto the beach as quickly as their little legs will take them. There is hollering and wailing and one would think that their limbs have been severed.


It would be funny if they weren't so traumatized.  I do feel bad, but at times, it's hard to be compassionate with the over-reaction.

Just a brief glimpse into the life at the waterfront during summer camp.

Jelly fish drama.

It is inevitable.

Heat wave

I am sitting on my kitchen counter with my Air on my lap, trying to get a wireless signal.

True story.

A girl has to get internet somehow, right?

It is currently 5,000 degrees outside and my shoulders are a nice dark red/brown.  That happens when my sunscreen melts off my skin by 11:00am.  Reapplication doesn't work when you have to towel off the sweat.  Yuk.

Other than those facts, it was a fine morning here.  I spent most of it IN the river to try and stay cool.  The river now has colder water than the pool.

Note:  I did not in any way say cleaner.  Ooooh, no.  That is most definitely not true.

Last night, I jumped in the pool at the end of the long day only to realize I was jumping in a giant bathtub of tepid/warm water.  How refreshing!

Today, the sand at the beach was like hot lava.  Burning, scalding, hot lava.  The kids were running around screaming, "It burns!  It burns!"  It does, kids.  I'm right there with you.

So basically we handle the heat really well around here.  We ignore all heat advisories and warnings.  We spend almost every second outside when the experts advise us to stay indoors.  We drink lots of water though.  And we take a dip (or 30) in various water contraptions (troughs, rivers, pools, hoses).

Side note:  one of the counselors was spraying the happy kids with the ice cold hose water while they were crabbing today.  They LOVED it.  Didn't catch any crabs though.

This heat wave won't stop us.  But we sure will be glad to bid it farewell at the end of this week.

A good hearty kick in the pants out the door.

Toasty warm and thankful for working air conditioning,

Cottage Girl

it's for me, definitely

This is my life, you guys.
And I love it.
Children everywhere.
Children in the water everywhere.
Always wet.
Always sandy.
Always salty-water covered.

Splashing
Screaming
Yelling about jellyfish
Laughing
Finding shells and crabs and minnows

Camp life isn't for everyone.
But it is definitely for me.
I'm so thankful that God literally threw this place in my lap 15 years ago.
My life wouldn't be complete without the impact it has had on me.

Three cheers for loving where God places you...
Hip
Hip
Hooray!

trapped

(Iceland via The Commons)

I'm currently trapped in The Black Hole while a thunderstorm rages outside.  Buckets of rain and my car parked far from me.  I'll happily stay in the land of free internet and 1,000's of books, thank you.

I finished up my free 70 pages of The 5th Wave yesterday on my Kindle.  Now, it's all I can think about.  Fascinating story and I'm left hanging and the local library doesn't even have any copies of it yet.  Oh the torture.  I may actually have to purchase the rest of it because I just have to know what happens.  Purchasing books is on my "frivolous" list.  I always feel guilty doing it when I can find just about anything for free at the library.

Anyway, I'm finishing up my 29 hours off for the week.  Granted much of that I would love to spend sleeping, but that's just silly.  Tonight, a whole new pack of children arrive, excited beyond words and full to brim with energy. We begin again.  Loving, playing, swimming.  Making sure they have the best week of their summer that we can manage.  And always showing them Jesus because without that, well, it's all just pointless.

Rain finally stopped.

Signing off...


ps...I REALLY want to go to Iceland.  And Sigur Ros' new album is not helping the situation.

random thoughts

There's something about writing that is so calming to my soul.  Kinda like sitting by the ocean side with the sand covering my feet and the wind whipping my hair.  Like taking a deep breath that I didn't know I was holding.  Writing just makes the crazies go away.

Sometimes, when I sit down to type out a blog post, I have no earthly idea what to write about.  Like right now...do you want to hear about the 2nd thunderstorm of the day that is rumbling around out side at this very minute?  The one that sent the campers and staff running (no, really.  RUNNING) into the gym because the wall of water (rain) was thundering down the river towards them.

Or perhaps, you'd like to hear about how we only have a trickle of water pressure right now.  For the entire camp.  It's super fun when you are trying to take a shower at the end of the day to wash off the sunscreen/bug spray/saltwater/pool water/sweat/grass/sand/dirt off that has collected upon your person through out the day.  And washing clothes?  Now that's funny.  It takes about an hour to fill up the washer.  I feel so bad for our facilities guy.  He has to keep this 70 year old place running and alive for 200 people every day.

Or how about how I love eating meals with clumps of friends.  We chat and laugh.  Oh how we laugh at the silliest things.  We talk about random things and silly things and unusual things.  And it's just fun sometimes to know that there will be a table of friends to join at meals on the little staff porch each day.

Maybe you'd like to hear about how the jelly fish were so bad yesterday that I was continuously scooping them out of the water for almost 2 hours straight.  Bad.  I've never, in all my years at camp, seen them like that.  And it was totally out of the blue too.  The day before, there had just been a few here or there.  And then the next day...plague of jellyfish.  It created quite the drama filled day.  Because, you see, campers have somehow gotten it into their head that a jelly fish sting is pretty much like a shark attack.  Why?  I have no idea.  It honestly doesn't hurt that bad.  They seem to think that these floating piles of goo can sever one of their tiny limbs.  Or at least send them to death's door.  I try to explain to them that jellyfish don't have eyes, nor do they hunt humans like polar bears.  That logic doesn't seem to work, however.  Instead I deal with blind panic and screams of terror when their life jacket straps brush against their legs in the water.  All part of the joy of working with children.

Finally, how about I tell you the story of how Friday's mean Friday Night Snack Shop and I'll be in the middle of the chaos once again until 11pm.  It's always a late night and it's always one of my favorite nights of the week.  There will inevitably be jokes about how hot cheese that comes in a can isn't really cheese.  And probably a few comments like "how in the world can you eat that much candy?" or "can you really drink 5 sodas tonight before you go back to your cabin?" or "how old ARE you?"  That last one is for me because I may state a few times that it's way too late for a person of my age to be awake with those young kids.  I will probably eat something that isn't at all nutritious but is 100% delicious. I won't feel bad about it either.

Okay, brain feels less crazy.  Done.

Camp Life

Guys...this is where I work.
I know.
It's ridiculous how beautiful it is.
And honestly, I hardly ever take it for granted.
I still take photos of amazing sunsets like this at least once a week.
I still sit on the sandy shore and soak it all in.

This is summer number 15 here.
Sometimes I can't even believe it.
Other times I wonder if I've ever done any thing else in life.
College?
Was that real?
Did I really have a life that involved summer vacations?

Sometimes God completely blindsides you and knocks your plans totally out of whack.
Sometimes He has something prepared for you that you couldn't even begin to imagine.
That was what camp was for me.
Completely out of the blue, it was dropped in my lap.

And now, as I'm deep into this summer, I'm again in awe of how ministry works.
It is hard.
Probably the hardest thing I've ever done.
Grueling, humbling, exhausting.
It is also beyond words amazing.
One of the best things I've ever done.
Laughter, friendship, joy.

For those of you who have lived in the camp world, I know you get it.
We could talk about eating junk food and Popsicles when it's 5,000 degrees outside.
We could talk about being so tired that every little thing is funny/hysterical/the best.
We could talk about how kids are the craziest, funniest, most challenging little people.
We could talk about the difference between camp friends and non-camp friends.
And you would get it.

There is something so unique and amazing about camp ministry...
Something that I love and will love until my dying day.
Even in the exhausting thick of it, I always want more.

Summer Reading List 4th edition

I've done a reading list for the last few summers.  It's a way to keep track of what looks interesting and give myself something fun to look forward to in the midst of a crazy summer at camp.  Summer movies and books have become my tiny, summer vacations/my escape amidst working 90 hours in the baking, hot sun.  Something fun and cool and relaxing.  An honest and true summer vacation has become a thing of the past (my 15th summer here at camp) for me. So it sounds silly, but these are little things that I really look forward while everyone else is packing their bags and heading to new places.

Here we go...my reading list for Summer 2013:

1.  Quiet:  The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking  (This is definitely me.  Excited because I think this might be very eye-opening.)

2.  Just One Day (A new book from the author who wrote a favorite of mine. I've actually already started this one because it was surprisingly sitting on the shelf, available at the library.)

3.  The 5th Wave (Found this one highly recommended in the pages of EW a few weeks ago)

4.  Unbroken (Last week, as I was helping out kids on our Caterpillar Crawl, a teacher started telling me about this book.  She described it in such beautiful detail that I immediately put in on my list of things to read this summer.)

5. The Autobiography of Mark Twain (I'd like to chip away at this one a little more.  It's so big that I've decided it's okay to just read bits at a time, mixed in with other books.)

6.  Partials (Started this one in the bookstore or the library a while ago and really liked it.)

I'm sure there will be a few more YA books thrown in the mix.  I always have a huge list of those to read.

What are you hoping to read this summer?  I always have leave room to add a good recommendation.

____________________________

Book nerd side note:

I jumped on the Goodreads bandwagon, and must say that I love it merely for its organizational help.  The way I used to organize my books has dramatically changed throughout the years.

I have kept a small Moleskin in my purse for years.  I'll write down quotes or phrases or things I want to remember.  I've also always had a running list in the back of each notebook with books that I want to read.  That way, when I finished with a book, I'd automatically have another title waiting.

Then I got my iPhone and that notebook didn't see as much use as it used to.  Instead, I would snap a photo of a book that looked interesting to me and then save it my photo album under a "books" file.  That way, I could see a the title and the author's name with just a few simple clicks. So easy.

Then I finally decided to give Goodreads a try when I was looking at book recommendations one day.  I've never really thought much about the website because I don't really care that much about the rating and review side of things.  I probably could get really into it, considering how much I love hearing what other people are reading and enjoying, but it just hadn't drawn me in yet.

I downloaded the Goodreads app on my phone, and I was hooked.  You guys, they have a barcode scanner.  It's magic.  You just scan the book you are looking at and then you can place in one of your lists (I have a "to-read" list).  Now I have a running list of the books I want to read and a super easy way to add to it, if I want to.  And my phone is always with me when I shop or go to the library.  It's the best.

Are you a Goodreads user?  Do you find it useful?  Have you found books you love through the recommendations?


Previous summer reading lists:  2010/2011/2012

Seaside

Last week was a bit nuts-o.
Super early mornings in the kitchen (ah-hem, 6am).
Late night dinners (7pm).

But this view on Wednesday (Tues, Thursday? can't remember) kinda made it totally worth the early morning.
We had a tiny bit of snow and arctic temperatures.
Didn't so much like the single digit temps in the morning.
But let's focus on that view shall we?

I don't think I will ever get tired of living on the water.
I just won't.
Just being beside it, seeing it, hearing it, is like balm to my soul.
We were meant for each other, the seaside and me.

Echoes

(a perfect ray of light over a perfect water lily in the neighbors pond)

Camp is full of echoes this week.

By that, I mean that every little nook and corner is whispering of all the things that, just one week ago, were full of life.

Walking by windows, I hear voices of counselors and campers talking and laughing and getting ready for the day.

The beach is nothing but echoes of glee filled screams and splashes.  The sounds of the boat motors that I can pinpoint from any place on the property (even inside my house).

The pool, right now so still and serene, echoes of diving board jumps and whistle blows.

The gym, which used to be lit well into the night, is now closed up and dim.  No dodge balls banging off of walls or music playing while kids cheer.

Snack shop has no lines and only the echoes of cans opening and ice cream wrappers being torn open with reckless abandon.  There aren't hoards of people waiting there to chat and cool off.  This is especially disheartening.

I see it like a movie.  The main character is looking out over their surroundings and the empty background transforms into shapes of what they miss.  A face.  A child running in slow motion, almost transparent.  A happy group of friends waving or smiling.  That's how I picture it.


This week, every year, is always so difficult.  One would think that after 14 years I would have learned to deal with it all better.  The emptiness.  The loneliness. The quiet. The giant hole that is left in my world when every one leaves and camp is over.

I know it's really rather silly to feel so down and depressed over something that really isn't the end of the world.  But it still is hard.  It's the end of something I held dear for 10 weeks.  It's goodbyes with people I had come to love and spend time with.  When you are forced to abandon everything and everyone else that exists outside of this property, these people, these kids somehow take on a comfort zone of familiarity.  And then it's ripped away yet again.  I have to discover how to exist without them once again.  I'm allowed to go back to those friendships I've ignored and it's almost confusing.  What?!  Who am I?!  Where have I been?!  In a coma?!

These are my feelings this week.

Happy and full of life, right?

Prescription:  one week of misery and then it's time to get over it.  No one likes a Debbie Downer.

And thank you, Jesus, for the friends that are here to stay.  They are my lifeline.  I adore them.

return

I never know how to return after being gone so long.

For example...what do I start with?

Do I tell you how melancholy I am today because camp ended Saturday and life is too quiet and lonely?
That seems like a huge downer.

Or do I tell you about the time we went to the carnival to celebrate my roommate's birthday and we rode the Tilt-A-Whirl and I laughed till my sides hurt.

Or perhaps about Smoothie Night 2012 and the crazy 80's outfits that abounded.  Such a good time.

Or how our water at camp has been un-drinkable for 4 months and turned half of my clothing and swimsuits orange, not to mention my skin and everything in our bathroom.  Grr...so frustrated.

Or perhaps how I have 517 (honest Abe, that's the number) posts to read in my Google Reader because I haven't been online in weeks.  Overwhelming.

Or how about how I'm back in the office and being inside all day feels like torture after a summer in the sunshine.

Or maybe I'll show you how I completed my summer photo challenge and posted a photo every day of summer camp on Instagram.  56 photos.  Actually, I've been posting every day 8 months, but the summer challenge was specific to camp.

There are so many choices.
So many stories.
So much of life that has gone by.
I'm learning to accept that there are times when it will be desolate here.
And that's okay.
But for now, it's good to be back.
I missed you.

xoxo,

Cottage Girl

on my radar

I have a small semi-life outside of camp during the summertime.  

Okay, not really, but I like to pretend I do.

Here are a few things on my radar as of late:

Amazon MP3's and Cloud Player app for iphone ~ this is, like, one of my favorite things all summer.  The app was just released for iphones a few weeks ago and it is already my favorite, besides Instagram, of course.  

Great things about it?  Well, #1: it's not itunes (itunes = my extreme dislike) #2: Amazon gives away free music/free music credits all...the...time.  I have 41 one songs (including two full albums) in my cloud right now and I paid about $2 for all of it.  Follow @amazonmp3 on Twitter for all the freebie info.  They were giving out $3 mp3 credits just last week.  

Music I'm loving right now:  The Bloom album by Beach House (99 cent sale on Amazon) and the new Cornerstone album from Hillsong Live (99 cents after $3 in free credits).  Plus Rivers and Roads by The Head and the Heart (sniff, sniff, Chuck) and some Ingrid too.  

TV:  Our DVR died, you guys.  Sad, sad day.  We lost all of Downton season 2 and a bunch of Sherlock episodes and my favorite Emma that the BBC did a few years ago.  Ugh.  Plus, Dish (our current provider) dropped AMC.  Not okay.  No Walking Dead or Mad Men?  Not okay at all.   

I've watched very little TV recently (besides my Dr Quinn marathon when I was sick 2 weeks ago).  Truly, it just hasn't been appealing lately.  I've watched a few episodes of White Collar season 3, and they were fantastic.  That's a great summer show.  I love recommending that show to people who need something to watch.  

Books:  I am now currently in the middle of 5.  Wool by Hugh Howey (a self published book I found on Amazon and downloaded to my Kindle).  The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (not to be confused by The Boy Who Could Fly, the 1980's Disney Channel movie that I watched about 45 times as a child.  anyone else?) The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery (free on my Kindle). Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller (I will finish it this summer and return it to you, my dear brother.  I will.).  And I just started The Soulkeepers by G.P Ching (free through Amazon Prime on my Kindle).  I like variety.  Always been one of those people who is in the middle of a bunch of books at once.  And I'm still loving my Kindle.  

Treat:  My favorite thing at snack shop right now is Horizon's Chocolate Milk.  Good gracious, it's delicious. A perfect bit of chocolate without all the calories and fat that are in candy.  

Movies:  I've seen two movies lately and both were just ho-hum.  I think The Avengers ruined me for the summer.  It's bad to start out with the best one because everything else just pales in comparison.  The two "ho-hum's" were Brave (it was fine, but didn't wow me like most Pixar movies do. ex: Wall*E and Up) and The Beasts of the Southern Wild (it didn't live up to the ridiculous hype it's been getting).  The Dark Knight Rises is up next.  Oh, and I watched The Artist again and it was just as lovely the second time.  

Podcast obsession:  A few months ago, I found Kevin Pollack's Chat Show by way of hearing that a certain Zachary would be on it.  After listening to his episode, I dove in head first into the library of over a 100 other interviews, downloading them and listening to them constantly.  I just finished Damon Lindelof's, and can I just tell you that I was entirely enthralled.  No joke.  It was fascinating to hear the story of how he became a writer for TV and ended up doing Lost.  I'll be listening to that one about 7 more times, I'm sure.  Nick Offerman's is also fantastic.  He is fascinating.  

****WARNING:  I would rate this show with a giant PG-13 or higher.  There are no censors online, so the language can be harsh at times.  You've been warned.  

Other than that, it's just been boat repairs, hot summer days, lots of sand and brackish water and a couple children.  Okay, more like 200 children.  I do love that summer is a completely different lifestyle for me.  I don't miss TV.  I don't get bored often.  I'm busy and investing in people and trying my hardest not to melt into a puddle.  My days are filled with things that most people dream about doing.  Driving boats and having conversations.  Getting snack shop treats and going to the pool.  Don't get me wrong.  It's tough and exhausting.  But I wouldn't trade it for any other summer job.....well, maybe a house sitter on Oahu's North Shore, but still.  This job is pretty fantastic.  

Side note:  It has taken me four days to post this.  If I could just get a decent internet connection... It's so incredibly frustrating.

the third week

Week #3 of Summer 14.

Week 3 turned out to be pretty crazy.  Why?
Well...

1) We started a day late because of the power outage caused by that crazy storm the Friday before.  First time I think that has ever happened and I hope it will be the last.

2). It was blazing hot.  I mean, I felt melted by 10am H-O-T.

3) I got sick with a yucky cold.  I realized just how sick I was when I was sitting on the beach on that hot Tuesday morning and I wasn't sweating.  It felt comfortable.  Fever.  Yes, indeed.  And I lost my voice too after all the yelling I do at the beach.  It still isn't back.  I miss it.

4) Lots of great conversations with the staff.  So very much younger than me, but oh, how I love them.  I just l-o-v-e them.

5) I got to spend a good chunk of time in our neighbor's backyard while my roommate was house sitting for them.  It's a dream of a back yard (Day 15).  A pond, full garden, green house, chickens, flowers everywhere.  I sat for a long time watching the frogs in the pond and wandering through the yard.  I didn't even mind the crazy hot evening.

6). The jellies are here.  They arrived with a vengeance this week. We didn't have a single jelly fish last summer.  Well, this summer is making up for that already.  They are everywhere.  And huge.  Some of them are the size of a dinner plate.  Jelly fish stings are happening constantly now.  I hate it because there is nothing you can do for a jellyfish sting to make it better. I feel so bad for the kids when it happens.


On to week 4.  Or Teen Week, as we call it.  Lots and lots of boating going on.  But it's only going to be in the temperature is only going to be in the upper 90's.  Bliss.

Sweltering

Week #2 of my #campsummer14 project on Instagram.  

Because of the power outage last week, I couldn't post last weekend, so here it is a bit later.

Week 2 was lots of HOT days.  Close to 100 degrees mostly every single day.  Yes.  Hot.

I was talking to one of my camp co-workers about the weather the other day.  You know how people say that you talk about the weather if you can't think of anything else to mention?  It's like a safe topic of nothingness?  Well, when you spend 85% of your day outside, the weather becomes essential.  I check the updated forecast about 37 times a day.  Praying for rain (we haven't had a good rain in over a month).  Looking out for storms that would affect our activities on the waterfront.  Planning my day around the hottest part of the day if it's going to be sweltering.  Case in point:  the weather is important when you work outside all day. 

Week 2 was also one for the books because we had that crazy storm that knocked the power out on Friday night.  No running water.  Trying to feed the kids breakfast with no power.  No phones.  We managed (read: the Lord showered mercy upon us) to have one random phase stay on giving us limited electricity to get the necessities.  And we got two generators hooked up so that we could have running water.  

The campers were gone by 11am and we were left to die of heatstroke in the extreme heat.  Thankfully though, the kids were pretty much unaffected by the loss of power.  Had it happened a day or two earlier?  Nightmare.  But, as hard as it was the days that followed, the Lord was gracious and the damage was minimal.

And lastly, Week 2 was the week we had problems left and right with our boats.  Those two old workhorses are showing their age with a vengeance this year.  We haven't had two boat working simultaneously even once this summer.  It's been tough, but again, the Lord is gracious and we've been able to move the schedule around and get all the kids through their activities with just one boat.


So there we go.
A quick re-cap.
Week 2.
Over and out.

2 point 5 seconds

My sister came to visit with her brood last week.
I got to see them for about 2 point 5 seconds.
Staff training ate up all my free time.
That was tough...

My littlest niece just turned one.
I can't even believe it.
I found the cutest books (that I wanted to keep for myself) to give her for her big day.
She's such a peanut with hot red hair.

It was torture knowing they were so close, but I was too busy to get away.
Hopefully they won't forget who their auntie is.

I'm already contemplating a visit when I'm released from these 22 acres.
Perhaps a long weekend in late summer?

no rhyme or reason

My life has no rhyme or reason lately.

For instance, here is a list of the things I have done in the last few days.

Taught the new staff to safely drive a boat (at 6am).
Gone to the health department to get my lifeguard license renewed. (and be be-littled by the lady at the desk)
Mail out 6,141 newsletters.  This is not an exaggerated number.  (and be be-littled by the guy at the desk)
Take an hour to put gasoline in 2 power boats (we have to do it manually now.  NOT fun.)
Tie-dye t-shirts with the new summer staff girls.
Do a cleaning check out for a building that 20 boys had been living in.
Have a deep conversation and give advice with compassion and grace.
Answer the phone 459 times (exaggeration, but it really felt like that many)
Go running (I'm particularly proud of myself for doing this after teaching a 6am boat class)
Laugh with friends.
Made my first smoothie for the summer (peach, pineapple, OJ, chia seeds)
Answer emails.
Make lists.
Hand the gift shop over to the girl who will be in charge of it this summer.
Tow a boat to the marina to be fixed (Now both boats are officially broken.  Uh-oh.)
Pray, pray, pray.


This is just off the top of my head.  There are about 20 other things that I've already forgotten.  Never a dull moment around here.

read this one

If you've been reading here for any length of time, you will know of my love of all things adoption related.  It's pretty obvious from the sidebar as well.  In fact, I started this blog way back in 2005 because I discovered blogging through Chinese adoption blogs.  True story.  Those blogs introduced me to what blogging was.

God planted the love of orphans in my heart before I think I ever really understood what it was.  When I was little and my brother and sister and I played pretend, we didn't play "house", we played "orphanage."  It's true. I would make them bundle up in blankets and I would be the orphanage director who would go and gather them from the rainy, cold streets.

When I was in second grade, a little boy who was adopted from Korea (which was un-heard of in the early 80's) was placed in my class.  I was fascinated by him. When he did a presentation in class about his heritage, I was riveted when he told his story.

Rambling way off track...let's bring it back around, shall we?

A few years ago, this sweet girl came to work at camp.  Selfishly, I like to think that God brought her here because we were kindred spirits.  He knew what a blessing she would be in my life.  But I'm sure it was because she is so good with kids and fits in perfectly at camp.



I found out a few days after she had arrived that her family had adopted 3 of her siblings from around the world, China being one of those places.  I, of course, begged her to tell me their adoption stories and let me see every photo she brought with her to camp.   To make a long story short, I adore her.

Last year, she didn't return to camp (sad face), but she had a pretty good reason why.  She was spending the summer in China doing some amazing things.  Fast forward one year later.  Her family is now in China adopting a little cutie, who will seriously melt your heart the second you see her.

You just have to read the story of how her family was brought together.  Part 1.  Part 2.  Part 3.  And then keep reading.  They are in China right now, finishing up their adoption.

I asked M if I could share her new little sister's story here because it is seriously one of the most amazing adoption stories I have ever heard.  God was completely in every single step.  It has been so neat to walk along side of her during the whole process and see God open doors and make the most incredible miracles happen.  She and I were texting the other night and she said "It just goes to show that when God has a plan...He gets things DONE!!"  I can't think of a more perfect way to sum it all up.

Love you, M!  So much. Thanks for letting me share your family's story.