I had a great week at camp. A GREAT week!

I can't really sum it up in any way, except that it was a super busy, fun-filled week taking care of the kids and counselors. We really didn't have anything serious, with the exception of sending a kid to the ER who was having an anaphylactic reaction to something. We thought on Tuesday that we were having an outbreak of a stomach bug, but ended up only having two, one of whom we had to send home. That was not a fun part, because she was the sweetest girl ever.

We were confined to the nurses' cabin for Tuesday and most of Wednesday due to housing the sick kids. It was really ok, because they were both sweet and a lot of fun to be around and get to know. I hadn't expected that going into this week.

It was great to run into my old youth leader and counselor, Holly. Her girls were all surprised to find out she had been a counselor to Allison and I. Yikes, do we seem that old to jr. highers?

I hope I get to do this again next year! Nothing like reliving the good times at Camp Kulaqua.

I have a super busy month ahead of me. I'm so excited about it. Other than the usual work in between, it is going to be awesome! Work is a part of life and I have to get used to it--- the one good thing I have decided, is that I don't bring it home with me in the form of papers and studying. I do bring the stress, but I figure that is just something I have to live with.

Camp next week. I'm so excited about this, you have no idea! I'm going to be the nurse along with Allison, which I'm so excited for! I went down and visited for a day while she did it last year, and I didn't even think I would ever get to do it.

After camp, I'll be back home to work four straight days in a row which I'm very un-excited about. However I will then have fifteen days off, about eight of which will be spent up north with family. It'll be sad when the next month is over, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts. Fall will be right around the corner, along with Brennan and Lauren's wedding.

Why does time go so quickly? I want it to, while at the same time I wish it would slow down.

Also, newest cool discovery: shatter nail polish! I haven't always liked painting my nails until recently. Allison likes rubbing it in that I laughed at her for doing it a few years ago. Which I did, but am I wrong in remembering that french manicures were more the "in" thing for awhile in the early 2000s? I don't remember a lot of girls painting their nails that weren't 11 years old or younger, so naturally I still felt that way up until recently. Anyway, shatter nail polish is a lot of fun. Unfortunately they only had navy blue, as all the stores seem to be sold out, but I paired it with hot pink underneath and love the way it turned out.

I love memories. I love things that I associate with memories. Objects, heirlooms, songs, places, if I have a memory associated with something, it's hard for me to part with it. I suppose that's normal, but I don't find it to be the case with many people.

Grandma died four months ago today. It's hard to believe that much time has passed since we have seen or spoken to or heard from her. I still miss her and Grandpa so much. I find myself looking at pictures of them and thinking of them a lot. My parents' old video camera got fixed a couple of weeks ago, and I've been able to watch more old videos of them. I love seeing their faces, hearing their voices, their laughs.

I still hold on to them. Their memory can never be taken from me. Even if all those videos were gone, if you took away the things I have from them, I will always remember them. The advice my Grandpa gave, even if unsolicited, and the love my Grandma gave. I don't live in the past memories as I was, but I still think of them. I still love them, and I know that even when I'm 100 I will miss them. The acute pain of their loss is almost gone, being replaced by melancholy yet happy remembrances of them. I know I will see them again someday.

I'm looking forward to Camp Kulaqua a week from today. It's gonna be fun!

June passed quickly and here we are, nearing a week into July. What a busy, fun summer it has been already! I haven't had a summer like this in a long time.

The 4th was great! I started the day off going to the beach with Hannah, Catherine, and Lauren. Parking was a you-know-what and we drove around almost an hour just to find a spot. But our time on the beach ended up being a lot more fun. We played in the waves awhile, and I'm glad to say I didn't get sunburned at all! Yay, Neutrogena 45 SPF that lasted three hours! I didn't even need to re-apply.

The Kerchers came over to my parents' house in the evening, and it was such a good time. Sitting around eating dinner, talking, laughing, walking to the river in the intense humidity (magnifies the heat at least 100X if you ask me), and back home to watch Macy's 4th of July fireworks from the air conditioning of our home, all in all a great day. Friends that are like family are the best. Our family away from family, but really they are family to us.

In less than two weeks I will be trekking south of Gainseville to work with my sister as the camp nurse. And now that it's this close, I'm scared to death and hoping for a calm week. Those kids better behave and not do anything stupid. After that, I will work another several days and then it's on to visit family up north. It will be fun, of that I'm sure.