*week 5 is complete
*57 campers, only one sent home
*3 more weeks to go
*high schoolers coming this week, whole new ballgame
*trying to get over the perpetual sickness and hacking cough
*enjoyed a great match of soccer with 20 other counselors this afternoon
*DM and Em having a baby boy!
*working out living arrangements for August
*soaking up being around 40 friends/people my age...it's quickly coming to an end...
*learning to be patient...and finding out how frustrating that can be
*praying for Kirby, his Mom, and their family
*praising God for so many blessings, more than I can count

Well, believe it or not, I actually have somewhat of a plan after camp. Hard to fathom, I know. But I will be moving to Dallas (anyone know of good apartments/someone who needs a roomie?) and working at Fossil as a design intern. Yea! 3 months minimum, but we'll see what happens from there. I start on the 14th of August, so that'll be pretty soon after our last kids leave. It's time for reality...

Off week has been great, lots of time to rest, get sick, rest some more, family time, rest, and hang out with some pretty amazing people...


Here are some interesting comments on our crucifixion re-enactment at camp and here are some pictures from 1st half; hopefully there will be more to come...

I will never fail to be amazed at how quickly things can change in a single moment of time. I will never understand why things happen as they do. I will never understand the concept of 'bad things happening to good people.' I only understand that my worries and fears pale in comparison to those of others. And perhaps that's all I need to understand right now, to be humbled in my thinking and perspective. To know that I have nothing to complain about, no reason to not see how blessed I am. To remember that there is so much better than what this current life has to offer. To be reminded that God holds the future and that that is good enough for now.

370 campers have come and gone...Hard to believe the summer is halfway over! But praise God for off week, a time to rest, relax, and get filled back up for second half. Week 4 was the best by far, as we had 98 elementary kids and many more discipline problems than the previous weeks. Like Chris said on Saturday morning, it's the tough weeks that make it all worthwhile because the "good" kids could go to any other camp and do equally as well. It's the tough kids who would be kicked out the first day from other places that are able to find refuge at Camp of the Hills, and that's why we do what we do. That's what makes every moment, good or bad, worthwhile.

A friend asked me the other day what my favorite part was about COTH. It's the little moments, the meals you share with campers amazed to have so much food in front of them, the soccer game last Friday when everyone played so hard, watching faces light up at being able to fish and canoe for the first time, random hysterical comments that only a child could come up with, cardtricks and oragami for the weekly talent show, the times when campers open up to you and share their home lives, the time you look across the group at worship to find the child you least expected singing his heart out.

This last week I had a camper in my cabin named Ayisha, whom we called NaNa all week as her twin sister across the breezeway was named Aysha. NaNa was the typical 8 year old with a lot of energy and a little bit of whine mixed in. But she amazed me every day in Bible Study time at her knowledge of Bible stories and concepts well beyond her years. Thursday night after crucifixion as we discussed the events of the last hour, she continued to impress me as she related the entire story of Jesus on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection. And though the very next minute she merely wanted to know if "Jesus had bones," I was reminded of the innocence of these children, of what a huge opportunity and task we have been given in teaching them.

More stories to come, but for now it's off to Canyon for a few days to see the family. Blessings~

Well, Week 2 has come to an end which means the summer is 30% over...hard to believe. Over 170 kids have already come and gone. Lots of learning and excitement going on at camp as the new counselors start to get the swing of things and everyone adjusts to their roles. Here are a few highlights from the last two weeks:

*vaccuuming ants out of my car (thought of you, Abby!)
*watching a beautiful sunset on the backporch
*spa night with the girls
*seeing a fawn no bigger than a small cat while running one morning
*my first contracts
*middle-of-the-night bathroom runs every night this week, each time in which the camper didn't quite make it there on time...
*"hiking" down the ravine, or rather sliding down a huge rock slide with 17 8-10 year olds
*a rodeo show of ponies and a Brahma bull
*figuring out the best combination of butter and salt for our movie night popcorn (Seth and I should go to work for Cinemark)
*catching a lizard in our cabin while 7 10 year olds and co-counselors run around screaming
*ham steaks and "chicken & dumplings" (won't elaborate on that one)
*eating potatoes and beans for banquet as the chicken didn't get cooked (yes Mom, we did eat dessert first)
*RAIN Saturday morning, pouring rain as we attempted to separate bags of 85 campers on the front porch at 7:15 and get them loaded on time; another storm in the middle of last night
*soaking up as much quiet/alone time as I can on the weekends...I've come to crave it

Continue to pray for rain, for the middle schoolers coming tomorrow, for lots of energy, strength, confidence, and love. Be blessed this week!

Training week has flown by like never before! The arrival of new counselors as well as returners has been such a blessing and growing experience. There is much to look forward to in the coming weeks. Being on the crucifixion committee (part of a group selecting parts for our re-inactment) has stretched me in ways I never foresaw. It's always amazing to me how God can work through our inadequecies as Christians and help us grow in ways we would never imagine. Blessings abound through many smiling faces, hugs, early morning runs, midnight practice fire drills, beautiful singing, and much preparation. Please pray for rain and for the 100+ kids that will arrive tomorrow afternoon!