Tomorrow, Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I Love Ya, Tomorrow!

Tomorrow I leave for my last summer at camp. This is kind of bittersweet. Jerome says I'll be back; so does the camp director. Well, I may return, but not next year. Next year I want to be married to my husband. I want our first summer married to be one of us doing stuff married people do, LOL, not a summer of me being gone fo rnine weeks and only home every other weekend.

For those of you who are new to my world, I started attending this Girl Scout Camp in Pevely when I was 8 years old. It was kind of one of those things where my parents said, "Wanna try this?" And I shrugged and said, "Sure." Ha ha. Then it kind of snowballed from there. I went every summer from then on, even getting my best friend involved. We were COunselors-in-Training (CITs) together the summers we were 15 and 16, and while she didn't return after that due to an unpleasant experience, I did. I was a lifeguard for three years and then I took over the program that I had loved so dearly -- the CIT program.

I love working with my girls. It's so much fun getting them in July the first year and watching them learn, and then getting them again in June the next year and watching them GROW -- as youong women, as role models, as counselors. They're always a fun bunch and I'm sad that I have to leave my group of CIT 1s that I will start this year. CIT-dom is... sacred. You mock, but that's the way a lot of us loko at it. Those of us who fell in love with camp and counted down to the next summer we got to go from the day we got home (not even kidding) dreamed about being a CIT. THey were the cool older girls who sang at meal times and helped out the counselors every now and then. And the girls you're a CIT with, they're called 'sisters" for a reason. YOu learn so much about the other girls you're in training with; yoou live with them, you love them; you learn what makes them tick. You create memories that could last a lifetime.

And it's not just your CIT Sisters this happens with. I have friends from camp who were never CITs, but they fit in just the same. In the age of Facebook and e-mail, it's so much easier to keep in touch with friends you make at camp, and as a result, you stay closer to them. You see them when they're in town.

People ask me why I'm 22 and still work at camp -- Girl Scout Camp, nonetheless. It's simple, really. This is a place that was almost cheap therapy for me. When my parents divorced when I was ten, it was here that I could let it all go and not worry about putting on a strong front for my brother. It was here that Irealized I needed to just be myself. It was here that I found myself. Camp is not just a place: it's a state of mind; it's a refuge. I go back year after year after year because it's another home to me. It's done so much for me that I almost have to repay it somehow.

I realize that I spent most of this post talking about the people of camp and the emotional environment and didn't touch on the landscape: the rolling hills, the lake, the meadows, the effect that millions of lightning bigs have on a hillside at night. I figure the beauty of these things go unspoken. I wouldn't keep returning to a place that I thought was ugly. It's peaceful. It's awe-inspiring. It helps me connect with God.

Anyway, I leave tomorrow which means I won't be updating for a while, but I will post on my weeekends home and let you know how I'm doing. I may even post some pics. I wanted to post some pictures of little me at camp and of the camp itself, but my scanner isn't working.

R.I.P. Maria Sue Chapman

On Wednesday afternoon, the five year old daughter of Christian music artist Steven Curtis Chapman was accidentally struck by the family SUV as her older brother backed out of the driveway. They buried Maria yesterday, about two weeks after her fifth birthday. I can't imagine how the family could be dealing with this loss, especially when they were also celebrating their oldest daughter's engagement and their oldest son's high school graduation. Please keep this family in your thoughts and prayers over the coming weeks.


The Chapman family (Maria is sitting on daddy's lap).

I saw Narnia

And I have a new crush:

That is Ben Barnes, who plays Caspian. He is H-O-T. J won't mind that I have a celeb crush, and I'm declaring my love here and now, LOL. He did great as Caspian, even though he's a little too old (in the book, Caspian is, like, 12), had the movie stayed true to the book.

As for the movie itself, I loved it. There was one particular instance that really made me mad because of the stray from the book (for those who have seen it... in the tomb...), but overall it was amazing and it didn't feel like a long movie. I'm so surprised at how all fo the kids have grown. Little Georgie Henley (Lucy) is no longer little, and has gotten rid of that slight lisp she had in the first movie. Anna Popplewell (Susan) is absolutely beautiful. My roommate has an issue w/ her "Angelina Jolie" lips, but I love her face. Skandar Keynes (Edmund) has grown so much he almost doesn't look like the same kid! And William Moseley (Peter)... Wow-o-wow. I don't think Ben would mind if I placed a picture of my other Narnia hottie on here. Never mind. I can't find a decent pic just yet. But when I find one, I will post one 'cause Peter was a babe!!

And, last but not least, one of the best shots of the whole movie:

Flickr

I saw this post on Aimee's blog and thought it was interesting.
The rules are simple:

1. Go to http://www.flickr.com/.

2. Type your answer to each question in the “search” box.

3. Using only the first page, pick an image.

4. Copy and paste the picture into your blog.

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1. What is your first name?


2. What is your favorite food?


3. What high school did you attend?


4. What is your favorite color?


5. Who is your celebrity crush?


6. What is your favorite drink?


7. What is your dream vacation?


8. What is your favorite dessert?


9. What do you want to be when you grow up?


10. What do you love most in life?


11. What is one word to describe you?

(The honesty part, people, come on...)

I Hate money.

And overdraft fees.

Where is my rebate check?

The end.

My Wedding Dress and Agape

I found my dress on Friday. I'm not going to post pictures, though (sorry... wanna maintain that awe factor... trust me, it's killing me not to, too). I can tell you that it is a halter top, ivory, and simple in an elegant sort of way. Which, if you know me at all is TOTALLY my style. There's no beading or rhinestones or anything on it, though I'm looking for a brooch to use instead of this stupid flower that's on there. But it will be fun getting my accessories; looking for things which will accent my dress and can be a little more blingy, so to speak, than I would get if my dress had beading and stuff on it.

The best part? I'm spending less than $400. Is that tacky to tell you? Well, I don't care. I love finding a bargain. Ha ha.

Yesterday, J and I went to Agape Fest in Greenville, IL. It was a lot of fun but sooooo windy. I kept a blanket wrapped around me most of the day. I loved hearing Storyside:B for the first time live, and the Afters. But my favorite, of course, was BarlowGirl. Here's what I love about them: They are so honest on stage. I really feel like what I'm seeing is not an act. When they talk about God they are serious about it. They aren't just challenging us to be a voice without doing it themselves, or without having Scriptural back up (in this case, it was 1 Peter 2:9). And while they played the same set that they did 3 months ago at winter jam, it was still amazing. They do this medley (the "Love Medley" as I like to call it) where they sing "I Believe in Love," "I Need You to Love Me," and "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever." It's always an amazing worship set and I gotta be honest... it moved me to tears last night. A-mazing.

I will post pictures later. Now, I gotta get ready for church.