I'm still alive and around. I started working at Easter Seals Disability Services full time as a camp counselor in mid-May, and I haven't really stopped since minus the vacation time we all got. This job is the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the most rewarding. I learn something new every single day. I start work at 12:20 on Sundays and I don't get off work until about 12 on Fridays. That sounds like an exaggeration, but I promise it's not. We are on call 24/7. We can't even leave camp grounds at night.

The weeks have gone like this.

1. Adults w/developmental disabilities

2. Autism week

3. Adults w/physical disabilities

4. Performing Arts Camp

5. Children with Developemental

and there are 2 more weeks left.

Week one was pretty hard, but this past week proved to be the hardest. In fact, it was one of the hardest weeks not just at camp, but of my life. I had a camper with 2 very different disabilities, that caused for a lot of problems. I had to work through some serious behavior management issues including phsycial violence towards me, herself and other campers. I stayed up almost all night one night with her, and then went through the rest of the next day on one hour of sleep. And while taking care of her, I took care of my other camper and several others of my co-worker's.

 

To say the least it was extremely hard, but every week has it's difficulties. Yet I've enjoyed almost every single moment I've been there. There are moments I want to quit, but in the end something happens that reminds why I'm there and why I'm doing what I'm doing.

 

My co-workers are some of the best people I've ever met. We're all so different, and yet we work amazingly well together. We truly are a family, and despite our disagreements or differences we'll come together and do what's necessary at the drop of a hat because we realize we're all a part of something so much bigger than ourselves.  And at the end of every week, we walk away realizing that no matter how many obstacles we ran into, no matter how many incident reports we filed, no matter how many late/all nighters we pulled, we had the privilege of being a part of something meaningful and beautiful. You can't walk away with a feeling better than that.

 

So on that note, I have to ask for prayer. For my co-workers and my boss, but also for me. This week I managed to be come down with a respiratory infection and be bit by a black widow spider. I'm exhausted and sick, and with these next two weeks ahead of me I need some serious strength right now. Prayer would be so very much appreciated!

I hope everyone's summer is going as great as mine! If you haven't told me how it's going already, let me know!

And the test from hell is over!!!! I'm finally done with math for the rest of my life, provided I passed that ridiculous test. I studied myself to death and yet I think it would've been less painful if I'd just run the pencil through my eye. But it's over! And that is all that matters!!!

So there's a college algebra exam...looming in my very near future....3:15 pm to be exact. Pray I make it through it......

So I finished the last of my freshman classes yesterday. It's hard to believe my first year of college is almost over! Just 6 finals and I'm done. Today is studying/ "reading" day, however, I haven't seemed to accomplish much of that. Hopefully I will the rest of the day. By tuesday I'll be finished with everything, but I'm hanging around Cleveland until next Saturday afternoon. Then it's 3 months "home", which in all honesty I'll see very little of home b/c most of it will be spent at Easter Seals, and then back here on August 7th to start RA training and everything for the next year. Things are going to be busy for the next few months, but I'm really excited about.

I should probably attempt to do that studying thing now....

Things are changing, and fast. Last week was kinda odd. Life is in this really wierd stage right now, but I have to admit that I kind of like it.

Lot of decision/opportunity coming up in the next couple months. Prayer would be awesome and really appreciated.

is halfway over.........

Spring Break in less than 24 hours!

SPRING BREAK IN 3 DAYS!!

Spring Break in 5 days!!!

romanticism and pointless facts about the old testament....two things i really dislike right now.

So according to a personality test I had to take to see if I'll be a good teacher, I have a really hard time expressing my emotions. It basically says that I'm horrible with words, and while I'm horrible expressing myself, in pretty much any aspect, I pick up on others moods and body language really easily. I would say that's pretty that's about the closest anything has ever been to explaining me. It says lots of other stuff too like I'm more shy than outgoing and fairly open-minded and very sensitive, but I found that point the most interesting.

On another note, so as I said last night, Dorm Wars was absolutely amazing. I'm feeling it today though. I'm covered in bruises, but it was completely worth it.

I'm coming home this weekend, and I'm really looking foward to it. I love it here, but I need a break for a couple days. There are a ridiculous number of girls in our hall trying to start drama. And there's a whole other awful situation going on right now that I really just want to be over! I would kill for people to just be honest for once!! There seems to be a new conflict arising every day around here and I've found myself very anti-everyone for the last couple days due to it. Friday needs to hurry and get here!

So Hughes Hall and Chambers won Dorm Wars. But regardless, it was awesome. I haven't had that much fun in SUCH a long time. We did win the shopping cart race so that's always exciting. But now I'm extremely tired and VERY sore. YAY FOR DORM WARS!!!!!

Dorm Wars is tomorrow!!!!

Happy late Valentine's Day everyone. Hope everyone's was great! I know mine was

Back from Camp. Exhausted, but loved it

I'd appreciate a prayer or two this weekend. I'm going to Easter Seals for my first weekend being in charge of my own campers and all the responsibility that comes with officially being on staff. I haven't felt my best the last couple days and I really don't want that to affect the weekend. Plus I'm just extremely nervous about how things are gonna go because pretty much every moment at camp is a surprise. So if you happen to think of me this weekend a quick prayer would help a lot!

There really aren't enough hours in the day anymore.

The last few days have really busy but really fun. I've spent a lot of time with Lynsey and Vanessa and Gracie. There are still moments where it's odd to be hanging out with just girls so often, but I'm really enjoying it. I'm finding close girlfriends to be an amazing thing. We spent the weekend watching movies and going to Petco to look at the animals and shopping and going out to eat at midnight and plenty of other things. Saturday I had a friend that goes to UTK come visit and it was really nice to spend some time with her. Tonight was open dorm, and it was by far the worst one ever. No one came b/c everyone was at Cross Hall's open dorm which oddly got scheduled for the same night. But yea, things around here are busy. I work at Easter Seals camp this weekend for my first time on staff officially. Next week is convocation and V-day and then the following Monday is Dorm Wars. So lots going on in a short amount of time. Thankfully I'm looking foward to all of it.

Random nights make my life extremely happy.

We actually got out of all classes until noon, and chapel was canceled too. It certainly wasn't a "snowstorm" as many of my teachers were saying it would be. It was the typical TN snow, about an inch that quickly turned to slush. But since I got woken up at 8:30 anyway to find out I didn't have to go to class Jackie and I decided to go play in it for about an hour. It was pretty, but it melted too fast.