Happy Birthday Raychel!! (coolest headband tutorial)

So Raychel Pozza's birthday is TODAY and every year it kinda gets forgotten (guilty two years in a row).

Not this year!!!  Her great friends planned a surprise party for last saturday and she was totally shocked.

Raychel is not only beautiful, fun loving, and outgoing, but has been an incredible encouragement in my life and an amazing friend. Everyone should wish her a happy birthday as she turns 20!! The big TWO-OLD!

In honor of Raychel, I made her a headband which I found here.  Every summer she has worn a headband almost everyday and I would like to stick to this tradition, so I crafted her this nautical knot headband. It was easy, quick, and fun to make.  You can try it yourself (but not before wishing her a happy birthday!!)!

The Next Step

A friend of mine (an AMAZING friend of mine) named Amanda wrote a post today that was inspiring to me.  You should read it here :)

For those of you who have not heard, Jude and I will be heading to Blue Mountain Christian Retreat after the wedding to start work.  I say work with the fondest of terms, because its really more like fun and family.  Honestly and Truly.

This will be my fourth summer at the Mountain.  WOW!!

Blue Mountain really has changed my life.  My students are incredible, my coworkers have become my family, and it has now become more like a home to me than anything else.

Summer 08

The first summer I went to the mountain as a counselor my life was in turmoil and it was the friends I found there that helped me to learn who I was and find peace.  That was a crazy summer and I would count it as one of the best summers of my entire life!!!  My roommate was a blessing and that was also the summer I met Raychel Pozza, who is now one of my Bridesmaids.  Let's not forget that's when I met Bekks and the Billets and Jose..and well everyone else because as it turns out, most of my coworkers now were my students the first year I was there!!

Staff Baptisms 2009

Karl Coke Week 2009

My second summer was just as amazing and I had a new co-counselor to mix it up.  That summer I spent most of my time flirting with my now fiance and getting to know myself (and my friends) better.  I would also count it as one of the best summers of my life!

Staff Picture 2010

LAST SUMMER was DEFINITELY the best summer of all.  I lived with 5 WONDERFUL girls!! 4 of them were once my students and I LOVEEEEEEEEE them so much!!!!!!!! They are Godly women full of joy and laughter and good times! Not to mention love and support in all situations.  They are family.  Along with the rest of the team.  Some of the team last summer had been there during my second summer, which only added to the family feel.  There is no place I would rather be (in PA) than at home at the mountain.

So what does this year hold??  Most of the same team is coming back and Jude will be joining us along with the wonderful Lauren Stump.  There may be another surprise team member and I'm so stoked to get to know them.

Last fall, the main building of Blue Mountain burnt down.  It was tragic, but now they are rebuilding and  we will rise from the ashes stronger than before (literally).

It has been an iconic year for the mountain and I think this summer will be INCREDIBLE!!!  With that said, I CANNOT WAIT to see everyone, play uno, run from bears, stay at the Billets until someone falls asleep on the couch, come up with crazy lessons, watch preschoolers run off stage, and craft it up until my fingers are glued together.

Truly this is the good life.  I am Blessed!!!

FINALS WEEK!

HOW IS THIS HAPPENING?!?!

It's really finals week??

Some of you are laughing and saying "No! I already graduated this weekend" (darn Elim grads)

I am not laughing.

But perhaps I should be.  I am graduating! This Saturday! For the second time in a year.  It's an accomplishment! An incredible accomplishment!!

It will be a little awkward walking across stage with many people I do not know and who do not know me (yay for being a Sr. transfer student!).  I will willingly admit that I wish I was graduating again with my same wonderful fantastic amazing group of friends as last year, but alas times change.

And here I am, entering adulthood.

In this one month I will be graduating (again), filing immigration paperwork with Homeland security (not for the faint of heart, trust me), getting married, changing my name (duh), and moving into my first "us" apartment (even if its temporary).  I will pay my first car insurance bill, school bill, grocery bill, and every bill this side of the mississippi (with Jude's money ;) of course).

Hello adulthood. Hello overwhelming responsibility.

Keep us in your prayers! We need them :)

With all that being said, I just want to say that if I become annoying, please punch me.  Ok, maybe don't punch me, but at least shout a little "hey you're being annoying!"

You see, as the wedding gets closer I feel like thats all people ask about and all I care about and all I want to talk about. Not Cool.  If I become one of those annoying girls who ONLY talks about their wedding day, I have failed.  If, however, I talk about my amazing Fiance until your ears bleed, too bad!  My wedding will be one day but my soon to be husband will be...well...forever (until I die).

Well, that's it on this spontaneous post.  Finals week will do that to ya.