Sr. High Cabin Camp!!!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Camp was sooooooooooooooo incredible! It truly has been an awesome week. I've loved it so much!!! : )

I don't even know how to begin to describe this week, and it's waaay too much to tell, but I'll try to tell the major points. So to begin...


I had an amazing cabin with an amazing counselor, Katie. Here's a picture of us on the last day of camp. From left to right, it's Katie, me, my cousin Bethany and friend Brandi, Callie, Helena, Danielle, and Cristina. We had an absolutely wonderful group of girls in our cabin, and we got really close this week.

So, of course, we always have a small group made up of two cabins, typically a guy and girl cabin put together in which you do your activities with, and Bible study and everything. So we got put with the freshmen guys. Ok, ok, everything was cool. And there's nothing weird with freshmen at all (I happen to be friends with quite a few-- Macey, Emily, Jacqui, Kayla, etc... =] ), it's just that after our first day, we realized this would be a really long week... But it ended up that throughout the week we became close to our small group and became friends with all of them. And actually, there was one sophomore and a junior, and four freshmen. And something really cool was that two of the freshmen guys were from a set of triplets!!! (Austin and Nathan) This week there was a set of twins there, the two guys from a set of triplets, and a girl from a set of quadruplets. It was quite amazing. But anyway, here is the other cabin of our small group. Oh, and the counselor is Matthew Tolliver, who is part of the summer staff, as Katie is. So again from left to right, it's Matthew, Matthew, Charles, Nathan, Chris, Charlie, and Austin. We became good friends.

Campfires are always so amazing, and God's presence is always so strong there. The food, of course, is sooo good, and the pool is too. Every evening we had Community Life, which is some activity the whole camp does together. Monday we had the option of swimming, basketball, or volleyball. We chose swimming, though I don't think we even got in the pool. Tuesday was Folk Dancing, which is always a blast. Wednesday we played Mingle, a game which gets people in different groups to meet other people and talk about different things either about yourself or world issues or anything. It's quite interesting. Then we played Ninja and Wa. Thursday was Coffee House. That's where we all went to the chapel and had different stations to go to, like snacks, games, music, art, prayer for the world, etc. It was really fun. Then Friday was the talent show. My small group did "Cleaning the Bathhouse". We got like the whole camp to stand up and do the motions with us like wiping the mirrors, sweeping the floors, plunging the toilet, taking out the trash, etc. It was fun and funny.

Every morning we would get up and get ready, go to breakfast, then have morning aerobics with Emily Kemp, the fun and hilarious assistant camp director. That was so much fun. Then we'd have quiet time, which is so awesome at Aldersgate because it's out in nature in the quiet, and it's just so beautiful. Then we would have small group time. Our small group would have Bible Study for the rest of the morning, then go to lunch. After lunch, we'd swim, then do another activity. Tuesday we went to Sugar Camp Cave. You start out walking inside it, then get down on your knees, then eventually you have to pull yourself along on your stomach, and it's kind of difficult, and it's wet and cold. But it's so cool. Then when you get to the back of the cave, everyone can stand up again, and we talked, then turned out all the lights and just stood in the dark and quiet for a few seconds. It was really cool. Wednesday we did low ropes, which are wonderful, fun group elements that get your group closer by teaching us team work. Low ropes are one of my favorite things at camp. Then on Thursday, we switched our Bible Study and activity time, so that morning after Quiet Time, we went to the clay wall. As the name hints, it's just a huge wall of clay in the creek, going up the hillside, and it was fun. We got the clay and put it on us, and I made designs on my arms and we put clay under our eyes like football players do, and we went to lunch that way. Everyone liked it. So that afternoon, we hiked up to Buffalo Cave and had Bible study up there. It was sooo cool because during Bible Study, it started pouring the rain super hard and thundering and lightning. But we were completely safe and sheltered because the top of the cave stretched out over the edge of the mountain where we were, and it was like we were watching a curtain of water pour down over the trees below us on the mountain. We played the game Bacock (I really have no idea how to spell it-- that's just how it sounds!), then when the rain nearly stopped, we hiked back down the very steep trail and slipped and slid the whole way down. But we had so much fun. Then on Friday we did high ropes, which I loved. It's like probably between twenty and thirty feet off the ground, but of course you're harnessed in. I mean, it's still kind of scary all the way up there, but it was so much fun. I tried three different elements that I'd never done before. They were harder, but they were a lot of fun. I really enjoyed them.

So anyway, after pool time and our small group activity, we had free time with the whole camp, then dinner. Then we had Community Life, then campfire. Oh, campfire. I just absolutely love it so much. Here's our campfire ring.

So it was such a wonderful, amazing, incredible, awesome week, and I loved it sooooo much. And I love our cabin, and small group, and God so very, very much.

The last day, they told us that if that day we'd eat at Pizza Hut in Irvine, Aldersgate would get 20% of the profit from our meal. So of course, we thought it'd be a great idea to eat there for lunch. So we went, and there were like a bunch of people from camp, and it was so exciting! I mean, we'd just seen everyone like fifteen minutes before, but it was still cool. Bethany, Brandi, and I all rode down together on Monday, and my mom drove us down, then Uncle Rocky and Aunt Denise picked us up on Saturday. Here's a picture of Brandi, me, and Bethany at Pizza Hut. Then before we left we got a picture of us with the jute box in the restaurant. We had a good time.

So I have absolutely loved this week, and I made many friends- my cabin girls, my small group guys, Eryn, Mary, Sarah, Sara, James, Sammy, Shawn, Jerrod.... and so many many more. I miss them and Aldersgate, but God is the same God here as He is at Aldersgate. It's just so easy and wonderful to go there and get away from everything-- all life's troubles and problems and kind of just escape for a week. I'm exhausted but so so happy. I'm so blessed to be able to go to Aldersgate each year, and I'm so very very glad that I'm going back in a week. But until then... : ) I love camp!!!

Aldersgate, Here I Come!

Woo hoo! I'm headed to camp! I'm so very very excited!!!

This has been a wonderful week home, and a very good weekend. Saturday Mom and I went shopping, then went to Mimi and Papaw's where we had our Father's Day celebration. Jacqui, Bethany, and I sat out on the front porch for hours in the beautiful summer weather. Then, of course, today was great! Happy Father's Day, Daddy! : )

But tomorrow...

I'm headed to camp! I'll be at Aldersgate all week for Senior High Cabin Camp with my friends Brandi and Bethany. We will have an amazing week, and I'll be sure to write all about it when I get home. I'm sure I'll have so much to tell. But for now...

Aldersgate, here I come!

My Week Home

Well, this has been my first official week home since school's been out. Of course, we've only been out two and a half weeks; last week we were at Ichthus (which I absolutely loved. I'd go again if I could.), and next week I'm going to camp (which I'm super excited about!). But this week I've been home, and it's been nice just relaxing. Monday my mom woke us up to a breakfast she and my Nanny had cooked for us. (My Nanny is staying with us this week because she's had doctor's appointments.) Then we just relaxed the whole day, except that evening VBS started. I helped with the sound stuff in the back during the opening, then I would help with the little dance/ music classes throughout the evening. On Tuesday we went to the dentist and I got my little cavity filled, got a sealant put on another tooth, then went to the movies. I saw the movie Up and had a really really good time. Then we had Bible School again. Well, we've had it every night this week, obviously. Also, some nights this week my family has watched Andy Griffith episodes together. Wednesday and Thursday we relaxed at home again (which is very nice to do every once in a while! =] ) Thursday evening we had strawberry shortcake and it was soooo good. Today we got up and went to work at my Mimi and Papaw's. We cleaned out the inside of their car and washed the outside. Then we scrubbed down the front of their garage and one wall of siding on the back of the house. Then afterward, we went swimming at our cousins' pool. The water was perfect, and it felt so wonderful. Then we hurried home to get ready for the closing night of VBS. We had the usual opening, then had hotdogs and games the rest of the evening. After we ate, Jacqui and I watched some sack races, then Gabriel got to pie Pastor David in the face because of a contest we had between the girls and boys to see who could raise the most money. That was pretty funny. But it wasn't the first time I've seen Pastor David get pied! =] After that, Jacqui and I did a three-legged race with a sack, and it was a lot of fun. We came in second. (I mean, there were only four teams, but we couldn't beat the guys. I think we did pretty good, though =] ) Then this evening when we got home, I helped Dad in the garden, then Gabriel and I went on a little hike behind our house and picked some mushrooms to eat. Kidding, kidding. We did pick mushrooms, but we didn't eat them! They were just cool to look at. And this is kind of random, but have you ever watched a cat eat? (Don't worry, I don't do this often. Actually, I never really have.) See, we've been having to put our cat food on top of my dad's old car because one of our dogs has been getting out of their fence on the hill behind our house, and she'll eat up all the cat food. So when I fed them this evening on top of the car, I was watching them eat. Only two were eating at the time- our one little female cat, Stripe (although she doesn't have one stripe on her!), and our largest male cat, Tiger. Little Stripe was just licking up the food so delicately, but Tiger was eating it so fast! His mouth looked like a shovel as he would just scoop up the food. It made me laugh! Ok, I just had to throw that out there. But anyway, tomorrow Mom and I are going to town to get some things on my list before I go to camp (I'm super excited! But I think I already said that.), then we have a Father's Day celebration at my Mimi and Papaw's house. Horray for dads!!! So it has been a very very good, relaxing week.

Ichthus!!!

Oh my goodness! I can’t even begin to describe what an incredible time I had at Ichthus! It was sooooo amazing!!!

When I think of Ichthus, I think of—music, bands, heat, rain, Chick-fil-a, porta potties…

Well, I guess I’ll begin with Wed. night when we went and saw our first concerts of the week. We went to get our wristbands, then went to see some bands. We were sooooo excited! This is Gabriel, Jacqui, and me in the truck on the way down—we could hardly contain ourselves!!!


The first full concert we saw was Ocean is Theory. They were so good, and we got a $3 CD (woo hoo!). This is a picture of Jacqui and me with them.


Next was Mile 7. It was so funny because during their concert, two guys from the band Our Hero’s End stood beside us and danced the whole time. They were hilarious and I laughed very much.

So Thursday morning was the big day—the first official day of Ichthus. My dad dropped Jacqui and me off and we were just going to see what was going on and meet up with my cousin Chelsey. But the first people we saw were some of our friends from the band Nineball! We went over and talked for a second and found out when they were playing, then as we walked on we ran into Chelsey. We went and talked to her, then the other two members of Nineball came over and hugged us and said hi, and we were just so excited to see everyone!
We saw so many bands that I can’t even remember all of them. And of course, we didn’t always stay through the whole concert, just parts of many. Some of those we saw Thursday morning were Finding Favor, Good Morning Gladys, Sons of Thunder, Abandon, and Our Hero’s End. Then (of course) it began to rain. It had been drizzling for a while, but concerts were being delayed. We were cool with that, because we would still get to see all the bands we wanted, they would just be a little behind schedule. So although it was raining, we were waiting at one of the stages to see the band Philmont. The only problem was, they wouldn’t be ale to play later because they had a concert in the Netherlands that same day. So Philmont came out to all of us standing there in the rain and said to follow them to their campsite, and they would do an acoustic version for us. So we followed them to their site, they set up a little tent which they stood under so their instruments wouldn’t get wet, and they played for us. No drums, no amps, no mics, nothing. Just the two guitars and the singer. But it was amazing. It was so personal because they had all the time they wanted since they weren't on a time limit on a stage or anything. So in between songs the lead singer would talk and explain them. It was so cool. Here is a short video of the end of one of the songs they were doing.

But in the middle of their “concert” (thankfully they had done some songs), a worker came up and told us that a storm was coming so everyone had to get to their cars or campsites. So we headed to one of our friends’ family’s RV and about eleven of us crammed in. It was a very tight squeeze. It was really nice of them to let us four (Chelsey, her friend Kelli, Jacqui, and me) to join the seven of them already in there. But it worked. A couple of their friends from the band Farebridge were there, and we talked to them, then when the storm stopped, we borrowed their umbrella as they got ready for their upcoming show. Jacqui and I went to see one song by Manic Drive, then Nine Lashes, then headed back to the Edge stage where Farebridge was going to play, and we stood in the very front! (hooray!) Directly after them was a band called the Psalters. There were like ten of them and they had painted faces and played all percussion things like bongos and stuff, and they sang in a different language. It was like some tribal thing. But instead of standing on stage, they stood in the middle, and everyone formed a huge circle around them. It was really cool. We only stayed for one song, though, because we went with our cousins Chelsey and her friend Kelli, and Randee my cousin and Mark her fiancé (who are also my youth leaders), to the place they were staying, and Mark cooked a great dinner. When they brought us back, we saw some of Decyfer Down, then saw House of Heroes, then Family Force 5. It was an incredibly fun day! And that was just Thursday!!!

Friday we went and saw the end of Days Divide, because the day before they had asked us to come. Then we saw some of Stars Go Dim, Two Cent Offering, GRITS, and Divine Day. Then we saw Esterlyn, Everyday Sunday, part of Fireflight, Remedy Drive, and Stellar Kart. Then we saw Eleventy Seven, the very end of Rookie, then went back to the Riverhouse (the place where Mark, Randee, Chelsey, Kelli, Aunt Chris, and her friend were all staying) and took a quick break before the rest of our big evening. Then we went back and saw Kutless and Disciple. After Kutless Jacqui and I were watching a show (I don’t even remember what band it was) at the Edge stage while waiting for Disciple to start, and while we were there, we saw two members from Family Force 5—Nadaddy and Chap Stique! At their show the night before, they said they’d be hanging out on Friday. So after the concert was over, Jacqui went up to them and they said hey and gave us high fives. It was pretty exciting! Then at the Deep End stage before Disciple began, there was a man named Eric Timm who did a live art performance. There was music playing, and in- no kidding- about five minutes, he had painted this picture.
It is of a little African girl he had seen when he went to Uganda. He was a really good speaker.

Then it was Disciple. I think they were my favorite concert this week. Of course, I enjoyed so so so so so many, and a lot came very close, but if I had to choose a favorite concert, it would be Disciple. Afterward (and it was like 12:30 AM by this time), we got to meet the band. The cool thing was, back in April when my class went to the Dove Awards in Nashville, we had met the lead singer, so I talked to him, and he remembered us, and then Jacqui and I got a picture with them. It was another great day.

Saturday we saw part of Sanctus Real, The Afters, Nineball, and the end of Flatfoot 56. Then we met up with our cousins and we hung out with the lead singer from Days Divide and sat behind his band’s table in the merch tent, and sang and played guitar. It was really cool.

So all week Ichthus had everyone recycling, and there was a humongous bin in which everyone could throw their plastic bottles in. You were to write your name on your bottle before you threw it in, because at the end of Ichthus, someone was going to dive into all the plastic bottles and randomly pick one. Whoever’s name was in the bottle won something. It was a good idea. So Saturday evening, the guy who was supposed to dive in painted himself green, put on a cape, and had everyone count down before he dived. Take a look =]

Then that evening we went and heard the speaker Pete Hise and had Communion as one huge body of believers. There were thousands of us gathered in our lawn chairs on the hillside, and it reminded me of Jesus feeding the thousands. It was too cool. Pastor Pete was a really good speaker, and when he gave what I guess would be like an alter call in church, except we were on a hill and there were no alters, and he asked those who wanted to receive Jesus to stand up, hundreds—maybe thousands—of people stood to their feet. Pastor Pete led them in a prayer, then had them all go to the prayer tent. It was too incredible. As I was sitting in my borrowed lawn chair, hundreds of people of all ages streamed before me in a line to the prayer tent. I just sat there and cried. I saw white- haired people to adults to tons of teenagers to little children walking before me toward the tent. And I just cried some more. God was doing an amazing thing, and I was witnessing it right before my very eyes. I was overwhelmed. Completely.
After that amazing time was over and people were dispersing to go to their tents or the different stages, or wherever they wanted to go, main stange played the cha cha slide, and tons of us still there danced. Everyone was rejoicing. Then we met up with my mom and dad and got ready to see the last concerts of the week. So as they sat down, Jacqui and I wanted to go find Nineball and tell them bye because we didn’t know when we’d see them again. So thankfully they were in their merch tent, and they came over to see us, and they gave us hugs and we got to tell them bye, because since they’re a band, we might not see them again for a while, or at least until they do another concert around here or something. (That was a very long sentence.) So with that accomplished, we went and saw Israel and New Breed, then Delirious?, the very last main stage concert of Ichthus 2009. It was kind of sad. It is sad that it’s over because we had so very very very much fun. But it was a really great experience. We got to hang out with friends, see bands—new ones and ones we’d seen before—hear great speakers, and have a wonderful experience with God and thousands of other Christians. Ichthus is an awesome thing, and I’m so glad I got to experience it again.

Family Time!

Beautiful, beautiful summer. I'm so happy. We've had so much wonderful family time together, and all the relaxation has been wonderful! I had an early morning today because I had to go to our last yearbook work day, which thankfully didn't take long at all. Then I went with my Aunt Chris to her school to help her clean up her classroom and get everything off the floor. Afterwards, she took us (her, my cousin Chelsey, and myself) to Bob Evans to eat lunch, and it was so absolutely delicious. Open- faced roast beef. Yum!

I came home and relaxed the rest of the afternoon, then my family had a very very late supper in which we had homemade banana milkshkes which were absolutely delicious. Now I am writing this. But yesterday- yesterday was just as good. Of course, we had church, then a restful afternoon. My mom and brother made delightful strawberry milkshakes from the strawberries my dad had picked the day before. (We've been making milkshakes, smoothies, etc. lately because Gabriel, Jacqui, and I got our parents a toaster and blender for Christmas, so we like making our own little recipes all the time.) We then decided to go to our cousins' pool again and pick some cherries to make another cobbler. Then we hurried home, freshened up, and went back to church. Our youthgroup had our weekly dinner, I led woship for the service, then my family came home, made the cherry cobbler, and watched Facing the Giants together. What a beautiful evening that was too.

(These are some of the cherries picked yesterday, and I just thought they were so pretty.)

Then tomorrow...

We're heading to Ichthus! Well, actually tomorrow evening my family is going down to my Aunt Debbie and Uncle Lee's house in Lexington where we'll stay the night-- well, actually the rest of the week. I think Ichthus technically begins Thursday, but we'll probably wander over to there Wednesday evening to see which bands are playing, because there should still be some concerts going on. So we are very excited! There are so many bands (ones I've seen before and new ones) that I would like to see. So this week I'll be in Wilmore rocking out to some of my favorite Christian bands! Hooray! It will be loads of fun, and I'll make sure to write all about it when I get back.

Beautiful Saturday

Today was a good day. I woke up this morning to the delightful smell of something cooking in the kitchen, and, to my delight, Dad was making us bacon, sausage, and egg sandwiches. They were delicious! My family watched a few episodes of Andy Griffith together, then decided it would be a good day for a swim. We got ready and went over to our cousins' pool where we spent four hours realxing there just swimming, picking cherries, playing basketball, and just lying in the warm sunshine. When we came home, we started

preparing a cherry cobbler, so I took my brother down the road to a little country store to get some vanilla ice cream to go with it. It was delicious! It has been an absolutely beautiful day.

Below: I was pretty cold =] Jacqui taking a break from the pool to play basketball; Gabriel swimming- of course, he was in constant motion

My Official License

Well, I know my picture's kind of blurry, but I put it on here because I got my unrestricted license today! Hooray! I mean, I've had my restricted license for like 7 1/2 months now, but today I finally made it to the county clerk's office to get my "official" license. So I have been pretty excited today! : )

But see, it all started becuase this morning I had to go the dentist, and that went well excpet that I have a tiny cavity in one of my teeth (my first one! which stinks that I now have one after all these years), but after that, we were planning on going to the Catlettsburg courthouse to get my unrestricted license. My mom called but they said we could do it at the Arcade in Ashland. So we drove right down the street and went to the Arcade. It was so cute!!! Actually, it was a huge old building that had all kinds of different little offices and things in it. So I got my license, registered to vote, then saw a little place inside the Arcade called Jim's Hot Dogs and Spaghetti. It was so cute! We (my mom, brother, and myself) went in and ordered the special for today- meatloaf sandwiches. I know it sounds kind of weird, but it was surprisingly good! There were only like three tables and some stools by the window, and when we went in there was only one man. He was reading his newspaper and eating spaghetti. But I kind of felt sorry for him because Gabriel seemed to get increasingly louder, and a couple times the man would glance over at our table from his news, wondering who the loud family was that was eating beside him. But I have to admit, Gabriel was being pretty funny because he didn't realize what he was doing. He would just sometimes laugh or hiccup or cough or clear his throat loudly, and I would just have to laugh too. Finally near the end of our meal, after Gabriel had made like three consecutive loud noises, I asked, "Could you be any louder?" which caused him to laugh (loudly, of course) which then caused the man to look over at us again. Finally we left that cute little restaurant. I bet the man was happy.

On our way down the long halls of the Arcade, we saw a barber shop. Gabriel needed a haircut, so we decided to take him there. This whole place was just too cute. But I'm sure it was a thriving shopping center years ago. But anyway, we walked to the barber shop, then started to laugh when we saw the barber had a shaved head and Gabriel badly hoped he didn't do all his customer's hair like his own. Thankfully, the cut went well, then we left the cute little Arcade.

Well, that was my big day. Actually, we did all that before noon. Oh, and after the Arcade, we went to get the oil changed in our van, but that's not really exciting or cute, so I won't talk about that one. So all in all, it was a very productive day.

SUMMER!!!

Summer is here! Woo hoo!!!

Well, since it's now summer and I have some time on my hands, I decided to get a blog. I like to write a lot, so even if nobody reads this, I'll still enjoy writing. : ) But anyway...

Summer is here! Woo hoo!!!

I just finished my junior year, and surprisingly I've loved it! It's been my favorite year of high school so far. This year I only had nine people in my class (I know, right?) but we're all like best friends and I love all my classmates very much. It's kind of sad to see it end. We've done such fun things together- like going to Nashville, and a Reds Game in a hummer limo, and Blue Licks, and making fun things like a Spirit Week rap/dance. Last week we each wrote something positive about each of our classmates, and Mrs. Fields put the comments about each of us on separate sheets of paper, so we each got to see what everyone said about us. And on the back of the paper Mrs. Fields had the "Friends are Friends Forever" song. It made me love my class even more. We've all gotten so close this year. But next year will just be so different! I know, though, that change is a good thing and that it's necessary to move on in life- it's just hard for me. Change is one of my weaknesses, I think. I'm usually pretty laid back, but when something big changes (not like rearranging my room or changing my favorite flavor of ice cream or making little spontaneous changes) like, umm... well friends leaving school like Mrs. Bentley or Kayla or Keyur. :( This makes me sad. But what was I saying? Oh yes- next yr. It will be different. But it will be good. I'm just a little sad. But it's ok, because...

Summer is here! Woo hoo!!!