Friday, October 26, 2012

Temptation

Recently I was on Pinterest for just a minute {said no one...ever}
and I was just casually scrolling through some pictures of food {I was starving}
and I realized that although yes, for us college students....the grass may be greener on the other side!

the garlic encrusted chicken may be crustier
Source: food.com via Erika on Pinterest

the frozen raspberry lemonade may be raspberrier

the oven roasted red potatoes with rosemary and garlic may be rosemarier
Source: pauladeen.com via Erika on Pinterest

the rice pudding may be puddinger {reminds me of J.D. Salinger...?}
Source: ffffood.com via Erika on Pinterest

the crepes and cream may be creepier and creamier {or crepier... whatever you prefer...}
{jk it's whatever I prefer..... "CREEPIER"}
{but I mean... it's funny}

the balsamic and onion pot roast may be roastier {and SO delicious looking.}
{mouth....water}

and the lemon monkey bread may be lemonier

but hey at least we get peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches made with love...

{or not....}

Love, 
 

One thing.

Dear America,


live puppy cam.

you're welcome.

Love, 
 

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Healthy!

In the life of a college student, there are those days when food just doesn't quite make itself readily available.  
the free samples are at a minimum...
the free time you have is nowhere near a meal time...
you just have too much work to do before class...
and sometimes taking time to eat food is wasteful considering the papers that have yet to be written.

so... I'll stop there...because my list of hypothetical situations that ANY RANDOM college student could potentially find themselves in at any time is starting to sound more like a list of excuses.

anyway! that could happen, and you should all be warned about it.
THAT'S IT!







{P.S. I just ate DOTS and a tootsie roll for dinner 
washed it down by a grande caramel macchiato...
which was just the big brother of the tall macchiato I had as a mid-day snack and pick-me up 
with my oatmeal raisin cookie.......from starbucks}


i.need.homecooked.meals.stat.
Love, 
 

Stress...

Dear High School Seniors,
there's one thing they don't warn you about, pertaining to college...
sure, they mention drugs, sex, alcohol, lots of work, discovering yourself, declaring a major, etc.
but they never mention how bad paper writing is for your cuticles...
or your fingernails...
or your self-painted manicures...
because in those moments between sentences, when your brain is busy worrying about other things {like identity, self-concept, fallacy of approval, social comparison, nonverbal communication, kinesics, reflected appraisal, direct definition, or analyzing a woman who's self-esteem heavily effects her self-concept} when those fingers are no longer tippity typing away on that keyboard, they're finding they're own imperfections.
so right now... they ain't that pretty.
{and I don't even say ain't.......}

or maybe that should just be between me and my cuticles.
Love, 
 

Monday, October 22, 2012

Times...

"These are the times that try men's souls..."-Thomas Paine


"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."-Martin Luther King, Jr.


Now that's it's October {almost November} and I've had a significant amount of time  {almost 3 months} to process my summer spent as a counselor at summer camp...

week 1 "junior" campers. 8 and 9 yr olds!
week 4 "teen" campers 13-14 yr olds
week 7 "junior" campers 8-9 yr olds

I have come up with this.

This summer was tiring in every possible way.  
Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Psychological.... you name it, It's been tested.

Physically
  •  waking up at 7am every morning
  • leading games, running around
  • shouting and singing at the top of your lungs
  • not being able to eat enough food at meal times because you're too busy pouring drinks for your campers
  • "rest time" where no one was ever able to rest
  • and going to sleep late at night
were not very conducive to an extremely healthy person...


Emotionally
  • being in a place where no one REALLY knows you
  • yet where you're expected to spend ALL OF YOUR TIME pouring into 10-13 young girls per week
  • feeling the need to build strong interpersonal relationships with your co-counselors
  • trying to remember NOT to lash out at people when you're overly tired or stressed
  • being on the receiving end of someone's stressful day
  • and having little contact with people who know you the best, 

are probably the most taxing factors that anyone can have to handle...

Spiritually
  • not having much time to yourself to pursue your OWN spiritual growth
  • having to lead a short devotion for young girls every morning and night
  • having to answer tough questions about faith
all without really having time to spend with God, in the Bible, and in prayer...

Psychologically
  • never seeing the results of your labor
  • having your faith stretched because you can't see how God is using you at the moment
  • sometimes only hearing the criticisms, and not praises
it really doesn't have to be many things in order to have a major impact, over the course of 7 weeks...

it.was.rough.
looking back on it in this way, and remembering how much of a struggle some days were, is rather depressing, but is not at all a complete picture of my summer.... 

To be honest, if it wasn't for...
Rake-Lightsaber fights

cutting down trees...{surprisingly stress-relieving}

love notes from friends

giggles from babies

the help of all these wonderful people

letters sent to "mom and dad"

THESE GUYS!!! (including the stud in the middle *heyyy little bruthaaa*)

again.... these guys :)

colorful days!! {and people who just don't care what you look like}

"build a paper doll" letters from good friends

lobster costumes...

nail polish parties...
It's fascinating how much time little girls will spend painting their nails!!!!

babies with shovels!

sweet letters from 8 year olds about lunch


silly putty: the cure-all for injuries or homesick girlies

coffee: the cure-all for EVERYTHING

birthday boxes from best friends
{including a handmade sign}

and beautiful sunsets that stood to remind me that God was watching, paying attention, loving, supporting, and cheering me on!!
My summer would not have been as awesome...

Things like:
-spontaneous surprise snuggle parties on "the counselors' beds"
-late night vulnerability between co-counselors late in the summer
-sassy yet sweet campers
-basketball week
-"the coffee fairy"
-sunshine and lakeside napping
-nailpolish parties
-dry shampoo
-almond skillet cake
-heart to hearts with the younger staff
-thai garden outings
-campers who could relate to eachother's problems when I was unable to
-seeing God use me in small conversations
-having campers return later in the summer, and seeing how they changed
-older campers who were able to rally her fellow campers so we didn't have to
-watching my little girls jumping and dancing in chapel
-and so many more..
... these things are what made my summer memorable... 
These things are what I will remember for years to come


"Happy memories become treasures in the heart to pull out on the tough days of adulthood."
 -Charlotte Davis Kasl


Love,