Sweet, Sweet Summer

Well, I never had to click my heels three times, but I came to the same realization as Dorthy did: there really is no place quite like home.

I'm not gonna lie - it's been excellent spending some time in the real world. Camp is great for when society sucks, and society is great when you're sick of having black snot. (For whatever reason, dirt / sand gets everywhere at camp ... even in your nasal passages? ... weird, I know.)

My last week of camp was pretty stellar. Leading photography turned out to be a blast (we did lots of trick photography and they made stories out of their pictures). Despite the mixed nature of my cabin (various grade levels, all sorts of different speciality focuses), they were waaaay fun. I really enjoyed having the older kids: they're a little easier to relate to, and you can just chat with them during downtime instead of having to teach them a new game or song every 4.2 seconds. They pose different challenges though: they loooove showering, they love boys, and they're just at a really awkward age where they really want to be older and more independent but aren't quite there. Regardless, I had a great week with them.

The week was memorable for a few other reasons, e.g., seeing my boss hit my Prayer Partner with a 10 lb. plastic ball of ice ... in the face. Needless to say, it didn't turn out too well for Miss Jones.

6 stitches later, she's still beautiful to me.

I also got to see my sister that week. Her and Matt came up to scope out Wisconsin, and Jen made a stop in Wautoma to hang out with her very pregnant best friend. It was fun seeing her then, but I'd get to see her more in the week ahead.

After I left camp on Saturday, I pretty much headed straight down to Summerfest. It's always a bit of a culture shock coming out of Wautoma, and that was pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum. Summerfest, however, was great: I got to see one of my favorite bands (Lifehouse) and I hung out with Tracy ... and some of her bridal party! Yes, folks, my best friend is getting married to Doug, her "high school sweetheart." (I hate that phrase, for the record.) She asked me to be her maid of honor that day, and I gave a very enthusiastic YES. I am so excited for them!! I cannot wait for that wedding!!

Some other highlights of my week back home included spending nearly a whole day sleeping on Sunday, and then heading to church at St. Marcus and having some downtown excursions with some Ukraine friends; totally pampering myself on Monday - massage, pedicure, the works; traveling to Chicago with Jen and Matt for the 3rd of July fireworks on Tuesday; running a 5k with my family in New Berlin on the 4th of July, and then hanging out at Grandma & Grandpa's (and trying to learn how to swim ... ). The night of the 4th was quite relaxing; I got to hang out with my friend Laura, and we just sat on our porch swing and chatted ... to me, it reminded me of summers of yore: the night air, the fireflies, hearing fireworks in the distance ... ahhh ...

Jen and Matt left early yesterday, which was sad for us. I kept busy, however, trying to catch up on some stuff that I'd let slide over the summer.

It's sad to me that this week went by so fast. If you know me, you'd know I'm a real sucker for relaxation, so I'll have to get back into that hardworking mindset. Hopefully, though, I'll be rested and ready to go for the next half of the summer. With any luck, it'll be even better than the first half!

And, I might have thrown out this plea earlier, but I'll say it again: If you know any kids looking for an awesome week of spiritual growth and unforgettable experiences, send them to Camp Phillip!! We still have openings that we'd love to fill. : )

Well, I'm out to work on some stuff for the fall ... I already got a syllabus emailed to me ... gross ...