So It's Different

Well, I talked to my friend Drew about this some this summer (because he is the same way, apparently), but it is so hard for me to get excited about some things. Now don't get me wrong - I get excited. And I can get other people excited about things. But for certain things, mainly things that other people are excited about before me, I just could not care any less. And sadly, one of those things is Christmas. I am so thankful for Jesus, and I love to show others how much I love them by getting/making them presents, but I get excited about giving people their presents, not about Christmas. I just can't do it, no matter how hard I try. I have no Christmas decorations around. I don't love Christmas music. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas parties. I don't know what's wrong.
Maybe I'm just too worn out to get excited. Maybe too busy. Maybe too selfish.
I don't know.
Boring.
Christmas is in like 2 days.
Wow.

So I Did it Again

Well. I let it happen. Again. I got distracted and didn't blog.

Howw in the world is this semester almost over? I don't remember most of it. Exams start tomorrow and I'm not panicked, which is good, but the fact that I'm not panicked kind of makes me want to panic. Irony.

Last weekend, Amy Jones surprised me and flew down to Birmingham to hang out. So much fun. We went "bowling" which consisted of us rolling a bowling ball that I found in front of Pittman down a huge hill, aiming for the two trash cans from my bedroom, while wearing ridiculous clothes. On Sunday, I think Amy and I drove all around Birmingham looking for Christmas presents for people. I am psyched about several presents. Amy is the best. Also, Bryan's sister-in-law had her baby at St. Vincent's right down the road, so I got to hang out with him for like 30 minutes on Thursday. It was very refreshing to hang out with Noah's people again, even though it was so short. A little wave of the summer. I got really excited talking about this upcoming summer, but I need to remember that there is a whole Jan-term and semester that I need to live in, not just wish away and skip through. It was kind of weird having two very different worlds collide. Not bad, just odd.

We took Christmas pictures Saturday night. They're funny. Not nearly as cheesy as I would like, but they're good.

Today, when I was cleaning out the back of my car so Kaleigh and Courtney could ride with me to Zaxby's, I found a 2 and 1/2 month old pint of ice cream underneath my seat, that Kaleigh and I got for Courtney 2 and 1/2 months ago and thought we left it in the store. Nope, in my car the whole time. For some reason I smelled it after we opened it, when we got to Zaxby's. It smelled just like you would think a thing of ice-cream that old would smell. Fantastic. Vomit.
Also, we may or may not have taken the avalon off-roading. I do not know what possessed me.
I spent today making a list of all the reactions/mechanisms we've gone over this semester in Organic 2, because our exam is tomorrow. 98 reactions that take up 19 pages. Ridiculous. But I only need a 17 on the exam to get an A in the class, so I'm not too worried. But watch me not even get that. I would probably cry. And laugh.

This week Marge, Mary Grace, SB, Catherine, Ashley, and I are having our 4th (?) annual little-Christmas. I am so excited.

I think I am going to Daphne on Saturday. But I don't really want to. I think I am the only kid at Samford, or any college for that matter, that doesn't want to leave. I want to be done with class, but just hang out here.

Hmm. Kaleigh gave me a unicorn riding stick and a flask for Christmas. For the win. Except for the fact that I don't drink. The unicorn is wonderful though. Unicorns are by far my favorite animal.


Shooting skeet with Tyler, David, and Michael


Lighting of the Way


Christmas pictures

So It's Been Too Long

Well, I don't know where the whole past month has gone. I woke up today and somehow it was November 24th. What?

Recap of November:
I studied.
Studied a little more.
Annd studied some more.
Then I said, "Why am I studying so much?" So I stopped and just hung out.
Also:
I registered for my last semester of undergrad. (I'm taking Karate next semester)
I applied for the McWhorter School of Pharmacy. (What in the world. I am still a kid.)
I went to Atlanta for a lacrosse tournament and played almost all of 4 games.
I bumped my running mileage up to a little over 3.5 miles.
I went to Beeson Ball and danced a ridiculous amount with a bunch of my good friends.
I got to see Sara Beth for the first time since May.
And I am now sitting at my parent's kitchen table talking to the best mom ever.

So This is What it Feels Like

Well this weekend, for maybe the first time since I've been at school this semester, I felt like a college kid, not just a student. This semester has been ridiculous. Last week I had a test/quiz/paper/lap report or something due every day. And then this past week I had an Organic 2 test on Friday, so allll I've done lately is study. For this whole semester, I have been waking up, going to class, going to lunch, doing homework, working out, doing more homework, going to dinner, doing more homework, and going to bed, just to wake up, go to class, etc. the next day. Day in and day out.
Well, I have nothing due this week.
So this weekend, for the first time since spring break, I think, I took a break. I didn't touch my homework yesterday.
And Friday night, upon Virginia's request for her birthday, we went clubbing. It was fun. And funny.
I slept in Saturday morning, ran, went shopping, watched movies, ate good food, laughed, relaxed.
It was definitely much needed.
I know circumstantial changes don't make things better, so I try not to look forward to certain things (like days off, breaks, the summer, etc.) in hopes that they'll magically make everything better and make me happier, but sometimes it is very nice and needed just to relax and have fun, with nothing to worry about. So thank you, Jesus, for this weekend.

Also, I found a new band on my when I was studying. Discovery. I kind of hated their music when I started listening, but after a few songs, I was like "Okk, yeah. I like this." It's weird, techno-ish music, but it's conducive to my studying, so I like it.

So I'm Absentee

Well I'm in the process of applying for an absentee ballot for the upcoming election in November, and on the application, it says, "Remember to include a copy of your identification such as: (a) driver's license, (b) college or university photo identification card, (c) utility bill of voter with voter's name and address, or (d) valid Alabama fishing license."

The first three are reasonable. But a valid fishing license?
That's why you have to love Alabama.

So One Down

PCAT = done.
I'm still alive. Somehow.


Here's a picture that one of my friend's took at the Gauley. It was one of the biggest, and my favorite rapid.

So These are True

Well, I was thinking. And I have a few confessions. These are in no particular order.

(1) When my to-do list is overwhelming, I write down some really easy things on it, just so I can check at least one thing off and feel a little accomplished.

(2) Whenever I see a really dark piece of hair on my head, I pull it out, because I want blonde hair forever.

(3) Whenever I edit pictures of myself, I fill in my dimple.

(4) I love when people say "You've got to be sh*tting me" or describe something as a "sh*t show," but I'm not brave enough to say it myself.

(5) I don't like when people are everywhere, especially in the caf or at the gym, or when I am shopping.

(6) I've jumped in the fountains at Samford. Multiple times.

(7) Chick-flicks are by far my favorite type of movie.

(8) I pee in the shower every time I take a shower.

(9) I also pee in pools.

(10) I think pets are dumb.

So It's Next Week

Well I found these words the other day:

"Destiny has two ways of crushing us - By refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them. But he who only wills what God wills escapes both catastrophes. All things work together for his good." - Elisabeth Elliot

Suffering in our life "...is neither an accident nor a punishment from God but a means by which Christ is becoming known." -Mary Ann Getty.

----

Also, I am taking the PCAT in 9 days, and so I've been studying so so much. I thought to myself, "Surely it'll be like the ACT, just bio and chem focused." But no. It is so hard. Ridiculous. So this week I've been reading through my PCAT study book. So many words. On Monday, my eyes were bloodshot because they had read so many words. :C


and

not to be confused with:

So Much Zeal

Welll. I was getting out of my car this night, and I decided to grab some things out of my car so it would be clean in the back seat. One of those things that I grabbed was my hammock from Mexico.

Now I have been reading all day. PCAT. Philippians 1:20-30 commentaries. Chemistry. Micro-bio lab. Words. Lots of words. So my brain is berrry tired.

So I saw my hammock in its bag, where it's been sitting for months. Maybe even years. And I said "I need to sit in that." So naturally I looked around my room for a few minutes, then my eyes rested upon my bed. Under my bed. But small problem: a dresser, several boxes, and a tiny bookshelf lived underneath it.

There was not stopping. I couldn't resist. The next thing I knew, my bed was on the other side of my room, and my dresser and desk moved around. All so my hammock could be under my bed and I could lay in it.

Bunk beds.


For the win.

So Ready or Not

Well. I'm sitting in Harry's listening to Matthew Perryman Jones play. So good. Yes, Jeff would consider him another artist who just plays "sad music" (ie: love songs that aren't bluegrass), but his songs are just so soothing. I could fall asleep listening to him, right now.

Oh yeah, speaking of soothing, I have a BP test at 9:15 tomorrow morning, and an Organic 2 test at 10:30, and I am surprisingly calm. I don't know why. I'm not really sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing, either. Normally I would be stressing out and/or studying right now. I just can't wait for 11:30 to come tomorrow. I'll be sitting in the caf, done with both tests, and ready for a break from school work. I won't really get a good break, because I'm going to listen to chemistry research lectures tomorrow from 12-4 for extra credit in Org 2 class, and I'm planning on spending Saturday and Sunday studying for the PCAT and working on my 12 page BP textual study, but Friday night is good enough for me. Parrrty time.

I found his picture the other day.



Fall break anyone?

So Good

Well. This weekend was the Gauley.

Every year, Noah's takes a staff trip to the Gauley, in West Virginia. I knew about it since the beginning of the summer, but on Friday, when it was time to go, I wasn't thrilled. I had a ton of homework that I needed to do this weekend and it's a 9 hour drive from Birmingham, and I just didn't really want to go. I was being a party pooper.

But after I woke up on Saturday morning and saw so many good friends, and then we rafted in such big, fun, warm water, and then Amy and I summersaulted/rolled/flipped down a giant hill in our sleeping bags, and then we danced to a bluegrass band after dinner, I was so glad I went. I didn't realize how much of a break I needed. Just to be refreshed. To get away. To calm down some.

This weekend, I realized that I really do love rafting. I still have a healthy fear of the water, but I'm not as terrified as I used to be. And I got in the boat by myself like 10 times this weekend. No big deal.

I also realized that a lot of this summer, and even some of this weekend, I wasn't really being myself. Amy and I were talking Saturday night, and I realized that I lived in this mindset of feeling like I had to prove myself to different people, especially the older guides, including my brother. I felt like I had to prove that I'm tough enough; funny enough; social enough; good enough; cool enough. But that is dumb. So I'll just be tough, funny, social, good, and cool on my own, and who cares what those boys say. Haha. But for real - I think it's the same thing that has made sophomore year better - I already know what's going on at Samford and I don't care what people think, so I just do whatever I want, which has made this year so fun. So hopefully next summer will be like that, where I already know the drill and I don't have anything to prove to those boys, and it'll be even more fun and freeing than this past summer was.

Here's a picture that I found on google images, of the Gauley. This is what it was like. Huge.




After doing not so much homework this week, I've been living in the library. I have a lab report due Thursday, and Organic 2 test and a BP test Friday. So I've spent a lot of time studying this week. And I will spend most of this weekend studying. But that's ok. Soon it'll be over. Just about 2 and 1/2 more months. Haha.

So I'm Thomas

Well. In the Nickel Creek song Doubting Thomas it says:
"Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face, then I beg to be spared 'cause I'm a coward.. I'm a doubting thomas, I can't keep my promises, 'Cause i don't know what's safe, oh me of little faith."

That sums up my past few weeks.

This summer was so good. And when I did face problems, they were obvious. In my face.

Then I came back to school. And duh, my classes are hard, but other than that, everything's going relatively well. So a few weeks ago I started praying that God would break my heart and bring me to a place where I had to depend on him. Where I couldn't lean on my own understanding; my own ideas; my own plans.

I was thinking last week and wondering when my next "big trial" would come. When God would really put me to the test and I could have a tangible sign of my faith. And I could see how God was working in me.

It wasn't until Sunday afternoon when it all clicked.

The past few weeks, I've just felt so drained. Stressed. Tired. Boring. Lame. Rushed. Worried. The opposite of who I am - of who I want to be. I didn't know what the deal was. I've had little to no energy to do anything. I roll out of bed every morning (after hitting snooze a couple of times), go to class, sit at my desk or in the library and study, and then lay awake in bed every night trying to make a list of what I need to do the next day. Day in. Day out. And then when I am with friends, I am always thinking of things that I need to do, and I keep looking down at my watch and calculating the minutes before I need to get back to work.

Well bingo. There it is.

This semester is a big semester for me. Organic 2. Microbio. RA. Pharmacy applicaiton. PCAT. Etc. I have a never ending list of things that I need to get done. And for the past few weeks, I've been trying to do it all on my own. I've been making my list. Making my plans. Trying to do things with my energy. And as you can tell - it sucks.

So I'm done trying. I'm still going to work hard and get things done, but I'm not going to try to do it in my own power. It's a struggle. Not daily. But freaking minute by minute. I'm such a perfectionist that I click back into control mode in a second. So I literally have to re-surrender everything so so much. But I'm done trying on my own.

Keep me accountable.

----

In other news.

David, Jonathan, and two of Jonathan's friends from school came to Birmingham Saturday. So. Along with Courtney and Kaleigh, we all went to the Cahaba River rope swing. It was so much fun. The weather was perfect - not a cloud in the sky. We left with a few battle wounds, but nothing big. Oh, and then Qdob for dinner.
But the fun doesn't end there. Courtney, David, and I found this tree on campus that has nets in the top of it for sitting, and we sat up there for like 2 hours. Thennn we decided to pitch my tent on the quad.
We decide to set it up by Reid, because there are fewer lights and sprinklers over there. And then Bobby decides to join us for about an hour. After about 45 minutes of sitting and talking, Bobby gets up, gets inside my tent (we had all been sitting outside of the tent), and starts rolling down towards the middle of the quad. Yes. A tent. Rolling.
Well, at this point, Courtney, David, and I are just staring and laughing very hard. But next thing we know - there's a boy from a group of people that was sitting about 20 ft from where Bobby was rolling, and he jumps up, walks towards the rolling tent, and yells. He scares Bobby so badly that Bobby stops rolling. Dizzy Bobby gets out of the tent, very disoriented, and walks back up towards us, leaving the tent where it was.
So I go get it and set it back where I was, and after a few minutes, we go back to talking and hanging out.
By this time, it's about 12:15, and Bobby decides that he needs to go.
So.
He picks up my tent and starts walking away.
Keeps walking.
Right next to the boy who scared him, and his friends.
And.
Throws the tent on top of them and runs away.
On. Top. Of. Them.
My tent.
I literally peed in my pants when I saw this.

When I was able to control my laughter (and bladder) a little better, I walked over, apologized, and retrieved my tent.
Then Courtney and I went to sleep in my tent, and David slept under the stars (no clouds in the sky).

And that was the end of a great day.

So It's New

Well. Thinking cap, nightgown, my trophy, and a new giant trophy.

Good day.

So Sophomore Year

Well, this whole summer I dreaded coming back to school. I didn't want to be in Alabama. I didn't want to live in the Science Center (I spend 16 hours a week in there, just in class, not including homework or anything). I didn't want to eat in the caf. I didn't want to walk past people I know everywhere I want to go. I didn't want to sit at a desk and work. I didn't want to study.

Buttt now that I'm back - it's so great. I walked into my first class on the first day (Biblical Perspectives), and I knew like 3/4 of the people. And my second class (Organic 2) - same thing. And my third, on the second day, (Microbiology) - guess what? same. And my Fitness Swimming class, also know as the Samford Swim Team, is SO fun. Three of my friends, Lars, Hunter, and Jenn, are in it and we have so much fun. Last practice, Hunter high-fived me, Lars, and Jenn after every lap. And I literally laughed all the way down the pool every single lap I swam (which was probably a total of 16 laps). They said that I am the captain, and often refer to me as that, which is funny, because I am the youngest of the four of us. It is the first fun class I've had, and I freaking love it.

Also, I kind of like knowing 80% of the people I pass on the way to class - that are in the caf - that are at the gym. It's sort of empowering. And fun. Haha.

Hmm. As far as RAing is going... That's a little iffy. Sometimes I do a good job.. but sometimes.. I break every rule there is. But those are just words.

Ohhh. Courtney, Kaleigh, Sarah Waller, and I went to my parents' house, with Michael, for Labor Day Weekend. We hung out with David and Michael all weekend, and it was literally the first time since I went to school last fall - and since Nate and I broke up - that I had fun at home. We went fishing, we went to the beach, we went swimming, and we hung out at Michael's house until late in the night. It was suppper fun. Ultimate tanning time. My pfd and shorts tan ended up getting burned to a crisp.. but is now slightly tan.

I feel like all I ever do is study. Organic II and Microbiology, and their 3 hour labs, take up soooo much time. Stupid. And it is hard living by myself on one side of campus, when everyone else lives on the other side of campus, especially because they don't all live together, so I have to visit them separately, unless we make elaborate plans to all get together.

Oh, on that note, last Friday was Kaleigh's birthday, so we all got together, made dinner, and then ended up making a fort, in which we all fell asleep. I woke up at 5 and everyone except Courtney and Kaleigh had left. That floor is a lotttt harder than it looks.

That was so long. I'm sure there are more things that have happened in the past two weeks, but that's enough for now.

So These are Someone Else's Thoughts

Well, I've been reading a book called In the Likeness of God on and off since I graduated from high school. David and Jonathan's mom gave it to me for graduation, and it is so good. It's written by a surgeon, who worked with leprosy patients in India for most of his life. In the book, Dr. Paul Brand talks about different parts of the body in both medical and spiritual contexts, telling stories from his work and India, while relating the human body to the body of Christ. I was finishing up a chapter called "Image: Restoration" last night, and I thought Dr. Brand said some really interesting things.

He says, "When we join his [Christ's] body, it is the image of God himself we must find, not our own. We find it not by proving ourselves, but by releasing that desperate dependance on our own self-images in favor of taking on God's glorious image."

and "It is Christ's glory we take on, not our own...for all of us, the reward is the same: a chance to be judged not for what we are but for what Christ is. God looks upon us and sees his beloved Son."

I haven't even really been thinking about this lately, but I thought these words were interesting. Mainly because they sparked a little thought in me that said, "Hey, maybe you should be thinking about this more. About consciously releasing my dependence (even if it's subconscious) on my self-image, in order to take hold of God's glorious image."

----

I know I've said this about 4 times already, but I am going to try to life update soon, not just a random fact/thought update.

So What do I do?

Well, I am having a hard time being an RA. No, not with my freshman girls - not with the rules - not with questions. But with dealing with everyone in my life. I want to hang out with old Pittman. I want to hang out with my new RA friends. I want to hang out with my new girls. I want to hang out with David and Tyler. I want to keep in touch with Noah's people. I want to skype SB.

What do I do?
I feel like I end up blowing everyone off.
I don't know how to balance everything.
There is no time in the world.

--

But either way.

One word: Freedom.
I feel so free. And not just spurts of freedom, but real, true freedom.
Free of judgment. Free of fear. Free of failure. Free of bitterness. Free of Nate. Free of Fairhope people. Free from the past. Free from anxiety about the future.
Just free.
And it is so wonderful.
I know "Free to Dance" is some cheesy little saying, but tonight, when I was dancing wildly/wrecklessly in front of the entire Samford class of 2014 and at the 90's party, I felt so much freedom. I was wild, sweaty, and ridiculous. And I was having the time of my life. It was so much fun.
Thank you, Jesus, for your grace that brings freedom - your love that covers fear - your forgiveness that allows me to forgive others - your strength that brings joy out of pain.

--

I know I've probably posted these pictures already this summer, but I like them.

So We Need It

Well. Yesterday after lunch, instead of being at a meeting that I was supposed to be at (I got confused by a text I received from my SRA, and I ended up making it to the meeting.. 15 minutes late), Kaleigh and I went to Salvation Army. After wandering around, looking, and laughing, we made our way to the back. We found a tiny, child-sized trampoline. After jumping on it, we decided we needed it. But it was $20. Way too expensive.

Small pause: Today, my girls moved in. I had 3 girls who were already here, for orientation or band, but the rest moved in today! So I did a lot, let me rephrase that - a TON - of talking to parents, checking in on rooms, walking around, answering questions, pretending like I knew what I was talking about, etc. Lots of things. Lots of words.

Anyways, back to my story. Today, after move-in, Kaleigh and I went to lunch. After lunch, we went to Salvation Army. Again. And of course, we jumped on the trampoline. Again. However, I could not be convinced that the trampoline was worth $20.

At our RA dinner tonight at Jim-n-Nicks, Kelsey convinced me to make an announcement about it. So I stood on a chair, hit my knife against my glass, and immediately started laughing. But then I said "Guys, there is a child-sized trampoline at Salvation Army. I've jumped on it twice. It's $20.00 and it is very jumpy. We need it for the central campus office. If every just gives about 75 cents, we can have it. It can be ours!"

I now have $13.46 and at least two pledges for $1. We have almost reached our goal.

But the question of the day is: why do we need a trampoline?

I mean, what in the world? A trampoline?? Haaha.

Anyways, I am so tired from being so social. Being ridiculous is so tiring.

So He's the President

Well the past week has been lonng. Lots of preparation for little freshman. Paperwork. Door tags. Letters. It's also been pretty boring. Lots of power-points and being inside. But it's also been really fun. I've met a lot of really cool people that I didn't know last year, and now I'm good friends with them. I like them a lot.

Anyways, all of the RA's had a breakfast with the president of our school this morning. And after that meeting, I emailed this to him. This is exactly what I said. Copy and paste.

"Dr. Westmoreland,
My name is Liz Vincent, and I am an RA in Pittman, so I was at the breakfast this morning where you mentioned gutting and renovating Pittman. I lived in Pittman last year and loved it, which is the reason why I requested to be an RA here this year. I just wanted to say thank you so much for saving Pittman. You are a winner, and winning is for winners.


Liz Vincent"

Yes. I told the President of Samford University that he is a winner, and that winning is for winners. For the win.

----

Also, I forgot to say this last week. But on my last trip of the summer, when we were getting ready to go, I run up with life-jackets for my boat. I go "Here are some life-jackets, ladies," and start to hand them out. Then I hear, "Actually, my name is Joel."

Oh gosh.

Among the other 6 girls in my boat was a Canadian boy with really long hair, that he wore down. He looked more like an ugly girl than a boy. But yeah - after I said "ladies" he definitely called me out and let me know that he was a boy. Great start to my last trip ever.

----

Well that is all for now. I am going to try to write more soon. I've been slacking a lot this week.

So It's Over

Well, I’m sitting here in Denver International Airport, waiting to board my plane to St. Louis, where I will have a short layover, before I fly to Birmingham. Jeff and I arrive in Birmingham at 2:45 and I have to be checked in at Samford before 4:30, and RA training starts at 5. Big day.

But good news. Last night, Jeff and I, and our friend Kate Onion, spent the night at the house of our friend, Connie, who lives about an hour away from DIA. We woke up at 4:15 yesterday morning, brought our friend the King to the airport, then went back to Connie's house and napped and hung out all day. All of that to say, last night, after dinner, Connie and Kate and I found a picture and the last name of my destiny love, Carson. He's from LA, was a really good lacrosse player in high school, and was a first year guide at Wilderness Aware rafting this summer. One night, two of my friends and I went to guide dinner, which is a free, weekly dinner at a church in BV for all of the guides in the valley. While we were there, I see this boy walk by, and I say "I am going to meet that boy before the summer is over." And my friend, Daniel Walsh, as Carson goes walking by, says, "Hey Carson, I just wanted you to meet my friend Liz." And Carson, who had just taken his name tag off, so there was no reason that Daniel should have known his name (I just knew it from earlier creeping), looks really confused, shakes my hand, and then asks where we were from. When we told him Noah's Ark, he goes, "Oh, I'm guiding for y'all tomorrow morning" (we had a reallly busy morning, so we had to rent two guides) and makes some other small talk for a few minutes.

I could not believe it.

Not only had I just met the boy I half jokingly said that I would meet, but he was guiding for us the next morning. So that whole night, I joked about how Carson and I would fall in love, because it was destiny. But guess what? Carson was freaking in my pod. I saw him a couple of other times throughout the rest of the summer, and I'm not entirely convinced that it is destiny, but who knows - it could happen. Anyways, here's a picture of him. By the time I met him, his hair was longer and we was tanner. So looking cuter than this picture.





-----------



Ok, my computer died so I couldn't write more on the airplane or during our layover.
But now I am back at Samford.
Sitting.
Inside.
All day.
Listening to power-points.
About who knows what.
I can't handle it.
It's ridiculous compared to rowing, hiking, or repelling every day.
And the humidity is unbearable.
I didn't realize how bad it was.

But besides all of those negative things, I have my own room. In Pittman. It's a single room, so it's small, but I like it. Like a lot.
I'll try to post some pictures once I get it finished. I have very few things in my room, as of right now. The main decoration I have so far is my We Are Tokyo poster, on the ceiling above my little bed. So nothing else really matters, since I have that.

I'll try to write some more later, with some more details.

So it was the Best ONB Ever

Well business is slowing down here, because the rafting season is almost over, so instead of sitting around and doing nothing, we do "projects." When you show up at 8:00 am, you have no idea what your day could entail. For example, Monday, I washed wetsuits, cleaned out the boys' body shop, and spray painted hand-washing stations. And today, I dusted/cleaned logs in the lodge, cleaned the girls' body shop, washed coolers, and sorted/counted paddles. It's weird to do things besides raft/climb/backpack at work. But it can also be really fun.

While I was working on projects on Monday, I was informed that I was going on the overnight rafting trip (ONB) the following day, with Tony and Ben (two very attractive older guides here). Now most guides go on one or two ONBs a summer. But not this girl. I've been on six. I don't really know why. I guess they think I love them or something. Whatever.

So I show up to work at 10:00 am on Tuesday, and start gathering supplies and gear, and rigging the gear boat, which I was to row. After I grab lunch, I get river ready, finish rigging, and drag my boat up the eddy and get ready to leave. Right then, Tony comes running up and says that our group consists of two separate families and then one random guy who came by himself, and that neither of the families want him in their boats. So the +1 ended up in my boat. Yes, he was in the gear boat - sitting on the front, holding onto the straps for dear life. And think about it - anyone who would go on an overnight rafting trip by themselves is going to be a little odd. This character was 20 years old, decked out in all camo, and his voice still cracked when he spoke. And I got to row him through the whole canyon (and on Wednesday morning, after we dropped off the gear, I rowed him the last 8 miles as well).

But either way. We finally make it to camp, and we de-rigg the gear boat, and start setting up the kitchen. Since Tony (who calls himself Big T) and Ben are older, and male, I let them be in charge of setting up the kitchen tarp, and offer my assistance whenever possible. Now usually, we tie the tarp off to trees, use the two poles that it comes with, and then sometimes one oar. But not this kitchen tarp - Tony decides to use three oars, one of them right in the middle of the tarp, so it looks like a circus tent. From then on, the kitchen tarp was deemed Big T's Big Top. And as you can imagine, several other very funny things happened that night to make the ONB a clown show. It was so funny. And fun. And really weird.

But yeah. I did enjoy the ONB, but when I got home, a lot of my good friends had left to go home, and if I said goodbye at all, it was for like one second on the beach, before I left with my gear boat + 1. So that sucked.

So it's a Circus

Well, my family is here for the week, and it's a clown show. Of course my dad chose to stay in a ridiculously redneck place called the Thunder Lodge, that is a small group of these cabins, equipped with a community shuffleboard concrete slab. And the little boys are running wild, Em is doing nothing, Joe is watching tv, and my parents are walking everywhere (of course) and asking a trillion questions about this summer, whatever I did that day, and about the fall.

But it's really weird being around my family now, after being away from home for the past year. I didn't really spend much time at home in high school anyways, but I feel like I have grown up so much at school and Noah's, and learned how to be very independent. As a result, I don't really know how to relate to bickering little siblings anymore. I still love love love hanging out with Zach and Nathan, but it can get so frustrating when I'm at dinner with everyone, and the kids are tearing each other down to make themselves look better and just arguing about stupid things. I know everyone does that at least slightly, as a part of human nature, but they can get a little ridiculous.

And it's hard to find a good balance between spending time with them while they're out here, because I won't see them for another month or two, but also spending time with my friends from the summer who are leaving within the next week who I will only see once (and that's only if they go to the Gauley in West Virginia in September) before next summer. So it's been weird, but good and fun, having them out here.

That wasn't very interesting.. Pretty boring.


ps. crush status: over.

So Two Weeks Notice

Well I'm flying out on August 17th. In exactly two weeks I'll be in Birmingham, at Samford, for RA training.

Do I have to go back? I don't really know if I'll know how to go back. This summer has been the craziest, most challenging, best summer ever. I have met so many real people. I have been surrounded and encouraged by such a strong body of believers, and poured into by so many people, that it will be so hard to leave them and to go back into a community that is almost the exact opposite, in a lot of ways. I've been praying that God will change my heart and give me the desire to go back to school, but it hasn't exactly come just yet.. But I do have two more weeks.

Anyways, yesterday, a bunch of guides who had the day off went to the Royal Gorge, which is a section of 4 to 4+ white water about an hour and a half away from here that is way more intense than Browns Canyon. It was so much fun. After the big rapids were over, we all flipped on purpose, and then after we flipped our boats back over, had an all out brawl. People were jumping or swimming from boat to boat, throwing people in the water, deflating tubes, and wrestling on what was left of each raft. When we got to the take out, all 4 of our boats had at least two tubes almost fully deflated. It was so much fun.

At one point, during the battle, Abe threw me out of the boat for deflating their tubes, and swam after me. Then after they pulled me back into their boat and I started deflating it again, he put me in a headlock and picked my nose.

It was weird.

But the trip was so much fun. Here is a picture of the Gorge:

Today, I took my family down the river. Jeff just sat in the back and whistled and then played football with Drew, who was in the boat in front of us on a guide gut trip, so I guided the whole thing. So I spent a lot of time going after the ball, when one of them would miss it. It was fun though. And funny. None of my siblings or my parents had been rafting before, so they didn't really know what to expect, but they had a lot of fun. And the weather was really nice, and the water was at 1130 cfs, so it was sweeeet. A lot better than good old 680 cfs.

Well, that is all for now.


ps. I can't decide if I'm crushin' hard, letting it go, or giving up.

So Sometimes It's Ok

Well, the trail was a lot of fun. We were gone for 4 days, which was the perfect amount. We hiked in and set up camp (day 1), hiked to a lake and back (day 2), hiked through a pass over the continental divide (day 3), and then hiked out (day 4). The hiking wasn't too strenuous, but it did rain a lot. The guide's little sister (who works in the kitchen out here) came with us, and she's going to Samford in the fall, so it was nice to spend time with her and get to hang out before school in a month.

But now that I am home and clean, I am a little sad for several reasons.
First: my camera has decided to say "Err 99: Shooting is not possible. Turn the power switch to and again or re-install the battery." But to no avail - it won't work. It won't let me take any pictures. I called Canon, and it's going to be a lot of money to have it fixed.
Second: For the past 4 days I've been looking forward to coming back and listening to my ipod while I just lay in my bed and do nothing. I left my ipod on my nightstand or on my bed, but it is no where to be found. So I'm thinking that someone borrowed it, and forgot to return it. So I left a note on the kitchen table that says, "Dear Liz's Ipod, I miss you a lot. Please come home. - love, Liz." Hopefully someone will find it and bring it back to me. But either way, I would love to be listening to Gregory Alan Isakov or Explosions in the Sky or Dierks Bentley right now. Dang it.
Third: I am on the all day tomorrow, and I have to be a breakfast with my group at 7:10. So no sleeping in, even though I just got off of the trail.
Fourth: I have a migraine.
Fifth: I am out of Nexium.

Ok, that is enough complaining. I am going to lay in my bed and embroider. I would love to take a picture of all of my embroidery so far (a unicorn, a dolphin, two birds, an owl, and a giraffe), but my camera is broken, like I said. I think I am about to do an elephant with two little birdies on it's back. But here are some pictures. The first one is of me and Katy at Cottonwood Lake. And the second is of me and my trophy on top of the continental divide.

So It's Been Way Too Long

Well. I haven't blogged in like 2+ weeks, so I need to do it now, because I'm going on the trail for 4 days, starting tomorrow morning.

These are a bunch of things I've been thinking about lately. They're very disorganized and choppy. But here they are:

1. I have a great longing for calm water. A pool. The lake. An Alabama river. The ocean. I just love to swim, and warm, calm water (without eddies, strainers, holes, sleepers, etc.) sounds so inviting. I would also love to water ski, tube, float.

2. I'm going back to school in 3 weeks. I don't really want to go.

I want to hang out with Pittman, but I don't want to go back. I also want to change my major. But I'm not sure if it's because I want to do something else, or if I'm just scared of Organic 2 with Dr. Lampkins. I sort of would like to transfer schools as well. Or take a semester to do something different, outside of Alabama. But that's what this summer has been. A time of fun, growth, and freedom. So I need to snap out of this and get excited about school.

3. I had a rough day the other day, and it was about 98% because I was just exhausted, physically and mentally, but I definitely cried in front of and to two boys (one was Jeff, but then one of them was my friend Logan). I never would have cried in front of anybody before I came out here, but especially not a boy. God has been teaching me a lot about living freely since I've been in Colorado, even if that's just being willing to be vulnerable and cry in front of people. And God has also provided great friends who encourage me to be myself, but also to live in Christ's love and freedom.

But anyways, I was thinking about how God uses hard things in our lives, and I found this quote that I thought was interesting: "All of us have seen good come out of disaster - the blessing in disguise. When you expect good to come from negativity, it will. What you think about, you bring about." - Joyce Duco. So I guess it's saying that hard things are going to happen, but our reactions to and attitudes towards difficult things determine whether it will help us grow or hold us back. And what we think is horrible at the moment, can really be a good thing when we look back on it. I know that that was the case for my terrible day.

Also, we were singing a song at staff worship last night, and I don't remember what it was called, but there was a line in the song that essentially said "we are filled to be emptied again." And I thought that was interesting. God breaks us down and then fills us with his love so that that love may overflow onto those around us. I've been praying that He would fill me while I'm in such a strong community here at Noah's, so that when I go back to school and home, that that love will flow onto Pittman, Samford, Birmingham, College Ave, and the Eastern Shore.

4. Alba is talking about a boy she just realized that she doesn't have a crush on anymore, and she just said "if there's no spark, there's not going to be a fire." What a wise little Spaniard.

5. Pinball sucks most of the time. You don't need any forward strokes in Zoom Flume. Left of Tight Squeeze is wonderful. Below Big Drop is the best place for an ONB. Bottleneck is impossible to do without at least 2 bumps. Dang it. Raft Ripper is so much fun if you start left early. Hecla is such an easy eddy now.

I love rentals.

Those were a lot of words.

I'll be on the trail until Friday, and then my parents are coming here on Saturday. I am so excited.

So It's Fun Fun

Well after a hard week's work, it is really nice to have a day off. Just to rest and relax and have fun. Not that guiding isn't fun, but it's sort of stressful fun, because people's lives are essentially in my hands, and if something goes wrong on the river, it can go really wrong really fast. But on my days off, I can have fun fun, without having to worry about risking the lives of others.

So today, Anna and I had the day off, and Bryan, Drew, and Katy were all on-call, so after the three of them were all clear of being called in, we took off to the Mt. Princeton Hot Springs. Yes, the same place I busted my leg open. But at a different part of the Hot Springs, there's a cooler pool, that has a huge water slide. The first time we went down the slide, we actually obeyed the rules, went down with only 2 or 3 people to a mat, and we faced forwards with our feet forwards. Bump that from then on. Once the lifeguards switched and the one who didn't care about anything got on the stand, we went down 5 at a time, we pushed each other off the mats half way down, and we would spin around and go backwards or headfirst. It was so so fun.

It's cool to see how after this past year, God has provided some restoration through such good, solid, fun friends, with whom I can relax with and just have fun. And to have people who know me, who don't judge me, who I can laugh with, who I can grow with.

And SB now freaking lives in Mobile, relatively close to my parents house, so it'll be so fun to go home now.

So Here We Go Again

Well, I was just catching up on the blogs that I follow, well the one that I follow, and SB was talking about her trip to Hungary that she just returned from. She was talking about lessons that she learned while she was there. And like I've said before, it helps me a lot when people talk things out with me and help me organize and put words to my thoughts. All of that to say, I feel like Sara Beth summed up my past year in two sentences, without even talking to me or anything. She was talking about a devotional they did on John 10:9, in which Jesus says "I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture." On that, SB said, "Sometimes He sends us away from the "flock," meaning away from our comfort zone, away from even our group of friends and family and church body. He purposefully sends us out, even out of situations that aren't necessarily wrong, to do His will. "

Bingo.

I feel like God has put me almost 100% outside of my comfort zone emotionally, spiritually, physically, and socially since last August. Not because any of those things were necessarily wrong, but to do his will. And although I'm not really sure what "his will" is for my life at this moment, I just have to trust that he has a purpose, and that he will give me the wisdom and strength that I need.

I also feel like I've been talking a whole lot about this past year and how hard it was - sorry about that. It was one of those things where in the midst of it, I just looked towards the future, so it wasn't until this summer when I reflected back on the school year, that I realized how challenging it was. But little things, like SB's post, just provoke more thought on the matter.

So It's a New Challenge

Well the water is at 800 cfs, so 4.5 times lower than the peak. And there's one major difference now: rocks. Unlike at high water, there are actually rocks in the river. And a lot of them at that. So although the trip may not be as exciting for guests, it is a lot more challenging for guides. So that has been interesting to deal with that, because the first time I saw the water was with customers in my boat, we do low water routes now, and also because it can get really frustrating hitting rocks.

Also, I was thinking the other day about the concept of aquaintance-ship vs. friendship, and how in a community, we essentially have to choose people to be friends with, whether it is subconscious or purposeful. When you're surrounded by tons of great people, or even by not so great people, you can't be good friends with everyone, so you have certain "chosen ones" who you pursue, who you trust, and with whom you are vulnerable. While you still spend some time with everyone in the community, there are definitely people with whom you are closer to, and then those that you don't know as well, but who also don't know you as well. But what really sucks, is when the ones you have chosen start to fade out of your life and you're left not really knowing who your friends are, and not knowing if you should keep pursuing those people, or start pursuing other people. But those are just some words.

I've been guiding the past week, but today I'm on babysitting duty again. So it'll be just another day with the 3 little indians.

So the Adventures of the Three Little Indians

Well the other day I babysat the 2 kids of one of the Noah's staff members. As soon as I got there though, the kids, a 10 year old boy and an 8 year old girl, informed me that I was not their babysitter (because they are not babies and they do not sit), but their Adventure Program Director.

I knew I was in over my head as soon as they said that.

After getting a tour of their house, they gave me 2 feathers for my hair, a bandana, and an indian shirt, and they informed me that we were going to "the farm." Now as I have said earlier, my imagination is tiny. But these kids lived in a whole different world at this farm. They have a fort on "Adventure Island" and get daily missions from "Mr. Orville" and have to avoid a "wicked witch." Thankfully Mr. Orville gave us the day off after we got there, but it was actually really cool and refreshing to see the creativity and innocence that these 2 kids still have. It was nice to be able to run through fields, wade through streams, and just play outside. And I brought my camera, so I ended up just taking the pictures the whole time, and pretending like we were on a photography adventure. They played along, and even made me write about it in their "The Adventures of the 3 Little Indians" book that is made out of construction paper tied together with ribbon, that all of their Adventure Program Directors have to write in at the end of every day of adventures. So that was my day, but here are some of the pictures:

So Big Surprise

Well I was thinking the other day, and I realized that I am not a thinker.

I don't sit down and just think about deep things, about the meaning of life, or about the reasons behind things. I can't process things by just thinking to myself - I need to talk with other people and hear their opinions, in order to formulate my own. (On the rare occasions that I do think, it is very rational, planned, organized, and purposeful.)

I am also not a dreamer. My imagination is very small, if it exists at all. I don't sit down and just dream up stories of the past or elaborate plans for the future, in my head. (When I do dream it is usually based off of someone else's ideas, usually pretty short, and/or usually boring.)

I am a lover. I love people. (And not "people" as a general word for population or group, but people as in the plural of person.) I love to love on people. I love including people and making them feel comfortable. I love hanging out with people: getting to know them - showing them that I love them - investing in them - laughing with them - listening to them - sharing with them - celebrating their lives.

I think what naturally comes with being a lover, is the desire to be loved. And when I say desire, I don't mean that it's all I strive for or that it is what my life/joy depends on, but that I want others to reciprocate the love that I pour into them, because I don't really understand thinkers or dreamers, so I subconsciously expect people to be lovers too and to want to love others as well. And I think that that is often a fault of mine, because I allow myself to be crushed when things go wrong, especially with relationships that are very close to me.

This past year, a few of my closest relationships fell to shambles and I was devastated. I think it was a result of being a girl, although it could be other things, but I naturally blamed myself. When I think about it though, all of them, including the two closest, that hurt me the most, had little to do with me, but more with the other people's actions/reactions. I'm not saying that I am without fault or blame in any of these situations, but that I did as much as I could to healthily maintain and restore these relationships, but to little or no avail. And in all of the relationships that drifted away this past year, which are mainly where my parents' live now, it is hard for me to go back and be around those people who I used to be so closed to. My heart just hurts.

Being out here in Colorado is so good for me though. Because so many people here, both girls and boys, even if they aren't lovers like me, pour Christ's love into me. And I have just felt so drained and empty for so long, from pouring love into others this past year, but having very little poured back into me. This past year was so hard, and it wasn't until recently that I realized that this was one of the main reasons why. And even though living out here and working on the river is so hard and tiring and draining, it is good. God is teaching me so much through pain, but also through the love that others have been bestowing upon me.

Well, those are just some words.

So Sometimes Pictures Fail

I had today off, so after I did a bunch of not very important things, I went on a bike ride to my new favorite place in BV. This was my second time to go here, and it is such a great place to just sit and think. It is ridiculously wonderful. It is absolutely beautiful - out in the country, overlooking a field where 4 horses live, with the collegiate peaks in the background. It is quiet, and it just radiates God's beauty. I don't even like horses (I'm actually quite terrified of them), but those fears just fade away when I go here. I took some pictures this afternoon, but I don't feel as if they did it nearly enough justice. But here some of them are:

So Maybe It's a Rollercoaster

Well this past week has been a little different.

A couple of days ago I was really just overwhelmed with this whole past year. Since I left for college last August, I have been stretched, pushed, and several times even defeated and crushed in every single area of my life. Physically, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, relationally - everything. So many changes. I went to a brand new school, 4 hours away from my parents and friends, where I knew no one - I took harder classes than I had ever taken before - several relationships in my life went from amazing to completely sucking - I came to Colorado where I basically knew no one - I became a river guide, which is extremely physically demanding - not to mention tendonitis, stitches, and a bunch of little things that add up very quickly. And I am honestly just exhausted - worn out - broken - empty. And the reality of that just came crashing down the other day. I talked to my brother, who experienced basically the same thing a year or two ago, and it was so nice. I ended up purposefully just hanging out and doing nothing all day (I had the day off). I embroidered a dolphin onto a t-shirt for SB while I watched a movie, then I went for a 3 - 3.5 mile run. And then I talked to my parent's for a while, and I went to bed relatively early (1030ish).

I woke up the next morning feeling so much better. I had a whole new outlook on this summer and this upcoming year. Even though this time in my life just sucks sometimes, if not most of the time, it's the only way to grow. And it's how God shows me that He's sufficient - his grace is new every morning - his steadfast love never fails.

Anyways, today just may be the best day ever. I checked out this morning (meaning that I had my first commercial trip and I passed), so I am now officially a guide. Jeff was in the boat right in front of me, and Matt Wertz was in our pod, so I performed my bus safety talk for him. And then I had lunch, hang out with some girls at the Red, and then went to New Bee's (a thrift store in town), and found a puffy vest. Now long story short - I have been looking for a puffy vest all summer. Of course I am very picky about it and I did not want to spend $100+ on the Patagonia one that is the most appealing to me, so this vest is perfect, for now. The one I got today is navy blue, with a zipper, but also snaps, and also pockets on the side. And it was $2. No big deal.

Oh, here are some pictures from the past week.

Drew Holcomb and I holding my trophy.

Ladies. And Khavari.

Me and Jeff, before my first commercial.

Jordan and I in matching onesies.

So Wow

Well this is just fantastic:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him." The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

-Lamentations 3:22-26

So It was No Big Deal

Well I am known to have weird injuries. Usually for stupid reasons, and almost always just bad enough to kill, but just superficial enough to not need to go to the hospital. But today trumps them all.

But to rewind: this morning we didn’t have to be at Noah’s until 9:15. It was so nice. I got to sleep in until 8. Then we did a couple lessons, and we only went down the river once. We did one more lesson after that, and then we had dinner. At dinner, I sat next to Shawn who mentioned the Hot Springs. Now today was cold and rainy all day, plus we were wet from the river, so the Hot Springs, which is a couple different naturally heated pools (between 90˚F and 105˚F water), sounded amazing. I debated in my mind, because it takes so much energy to change my clothes. But I decided to go. And that’s where the incident occurred.

I was climbing out of the 102˚F to walk to the 90˚F pool because I was ridiculously hot. Well, I pushed off the bottom and pushed up onto my arms, just like I usually do. I put my foot up on the side, just like I usually do. But this time, because the side was so wet, my foot slipped and I nailed my shin, like I have done many times before. So I push off my shin, hop up, act like nothing happened, and keep walking over to the cooler pool. However, I look down and see blood pouring out of my leg, covering my foot. I think to myself, “That is bad news – that is not normal.” So I casually cover over the wound and walk over to sit down. But when I uncover my hand, I glance down and see my bone. Yeah, no big deal. Just my bone. There was about a quarter of an inch puncture wound, and when I moved it around, I could see my sinews, fibers, and tibia. Surprisingly, it did not hurt that badly. Only the giant goose-egg above the puncture wound hurt, and not even that badly. Thankfully, almost all of the people I was with were Wilderness Advanced First Aid certified, and a couple of them were even EMT’s. So one or two of the guys assessed the scene, covered it over, and applied pressure. Praise the Lord Jeff was there, so he called my dad and together they decided that I needed to go to the ER. So that’s where I am headed now – in the back of Shawn’s car, with him and Jeff, on the way to the ER. I will update after. Maybe even during. We’ll see.

On a scale of 1 to getting hit by a semi, I’m at about a puncture wound exposing the bone. So hopefully they have some pain killers for me.

Ok, two stitches later, I am home. It was so fun. I watched the whole thing. It was so cool! And Jeff and Shawn are angels and came with me and helped so much.

Story over.

So It's 4,500.

Well the rocks are over. Praise the Lord. On the third day of rocks training, I was repelling for my friend, Drew, as he practiced belaying. And before I walked off the edge of the 60 ft cliff, I said to him and to Will, our instructor, "Hey, guys, the rope is sort of stuck on a ledge a few feet down the cliff.." and they said "Oh, don't worry about it. It'll work itself out as you go down." So I walked closer towards the edge. Then I looked again at the rope. "Guys, it really is caught on that ledge." "Don't worry about it. Go ahead and start repelling." Trusting them, I walk off the edge. When I'm about 20 ft down the mountain I just stop. My rope is stuck. On what? That ledge. So I sat there, suspended 50 ft off of the ground. After about 5 minutes, someone on the ground had to get the end of the rope out of a bush, and I had to manually pull the rope off of the ledge, so I could go down.

Funny story: the very next day, I was repelling for Drew, again, with Will instructing, again. I'm about 20 ft down the cliff, again, and I come to a swift halt, again. But this time, it was because my hair got stuck in the figure 8 that we use to repel. After about 5 minutes, again, I was able to lower myself down the rope. But this time, I had a handful of hair. And not like an infant sized handful - a large handful of hair all about 8 inches long. I now have a bald spot. But thankfully, the hair on the side of my head covers it up.

But either way. We went back on the river yesterday and the day before. 3 trips a day. Triple dipping. The water was at 4,500 cfs. That is 10 times higher than the first time I went on the river. It is huge. HUGE.

Today was our first day off in almost 2 weeks. It was so nice. My cell group spent the night at the Poremba's cabin, and it was fantastic. I slept until 9 o'clock. It was wonderful. And the bed I slept in was the most comfortable bed I've slept in in years. Later in the day, I went with 6 other girls to Leadville, CO (trivia: Leadville is the highest city in the United States, at an elevation of 10,152 ft). We walked around and went to several different consignment/thrift stores and then to the Melanzana store. I found a pair of almost brand new Salomon's for $15, to use on the river. No big deal.

Annnd that's about all I have to say. No major words. Nothing interesting happens around here. I don't even have any pictures for today. Boring.

So It's a Little Rocky

Well, for the past 2 days, we've taken a break from the river and we've been doing rocks training. "Rocks" is a very deceiving word though. To define it for you, I will use a few words: climbing up a rock and thorn-bush covered mountain at a 60ish degree angle up to a ledge that leads to a ledge and a cliff that is about 70 ft off of the ground. One word - terrifying. However, it is gorgeous from the top of the cliff. You can see a beautiful mountain range, the river, the valley, and part of the town from up top. I took my camera up there yesterday, and I managed to get some pretty sweet pictures. Also, it has been nice just to sit and hang out and talk, instead of always rushing or paddling or freezing, like we do during river training.

Here are a few of my pictures from yesterday. And of course I brought my trophy.

Also, last night was the first of the boys' softball games. Although Jeff fired me from being the team mom, and did not allow me to bring orange slices and Capri Sun's, I brought my camera and took a bunch of pictures. So here are some of those: