Diva Goes On A Hike

So remember that time I went to camp when I was 9 and locked myself in a bathroom? Remember that time I swore I would never go to camp again because the outdoors were just not for me? I distinctly remember the day Mom and Dad picked me up from camp and we made our journey back to Darlington. I made them promise me they would never make me do that again, and since that day, I have been terrified of camp. However, I have also been extremely jealous of those kids who are "camp kids". You know, the kids who can go on a 5 mile hike like it's nothing, and those who don't mind not bathing for 2 weeks straight. Although my hygiene standards haven't changed a lot, my tolerance and appreciation for the great outdoors has. 

Today, after a very long night last night, me, Harriet and Lizzie woke up and decided we wanted to go on a hike to Eagle Rock, an infamous spot that has the reputation of having some of the best views around.  I was really nervous about the hike...I mean it's nothing extreme, but other than a walk around the lake, I had never really been on anything like it. We started and after a lot of pushing my leg muscles to go harder, and a solid 40 minutes, we made it. And the view was absolutely breath-taking. 

I felt so close to God up there and it really hit me how amazingly blessed I am. Not only to be at Kanuga this summer, but how blessed I am to be supported by him, just like I was by that rock today. It reminded me a lot of my favorite Bible verse: "So do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand". (Isa. 41:10). It's really amazing to me that no matter what I do or say, God will always be there supporting me and loving me with the most unconditional love I will ever know. Stronger than any rock or mountain around, and it's completely beautiful. 

Kanuga so far has been absolutely amazing. The staff has been so supportive and fun and I am so so thankful to have two of my best friends with me along for the ride. Last week we had a really great group of kids and I am getting more excited for the groups coming up in the next few weeks. Conference period is so exhausting though because we are working 12 hour days! That's such a long time to be running around with kids in the sun/rain. Thankfully, the counselors are all done with training so we have them to help spread the work load which means that we don't work every day all day. I'm also super excited for this upcoming week because I get to head to PC for the Administrative Council Retreat which, as lame as it sounds, is one of my most favorite things to attend. It's the planning retreat for the upcoming school year with all the administration on campus and I cannot wait to see all the people from PC I have been missing so much! 

Here are some pictures from today's hike. I am hesitant to post them because they really don't do the view justice. Hopefully you'll enjoy them as much as I did! 

That's all for tonight, I am beat! 

Divas Do Carpentry....Kinda.

Hello friends!
Since my last blog, a lot has happened here at Kanuga. The 21+ girls finally moved into our cabin, and it's a pretty sweet set up. We have a full kitchen and tv so I guess we aren't really "camping" but whatever. We have literally been up to our elbows in bleach all day because we've been cleaning our program areas. My hands have a bleach stench to them I cannot get rid of!
So we moved in to "The Infirmary" yesterday afternoon and among our moving in, Harriet and Townley quickly realized they did not have enough room in their tiny living space for all of their clothes. That's where Wal-Mart comes in. About an hour and a few dollars later, Harriet returned back to the infirmary with a shelving system that required a little DIY. With a little help from me and Townley and a lot of frustration and confusion, the divas successfully(ish) put together a shelf. I've attached some pics from our process of putting together the shelves.

 Harriet nailing down the back of her shelves. 

 Sitting IN the shelves. A little confused and a LOT frustrated. 

Finished product. Ta Da!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Today is only my second day back at Kanuga and it has been such an amazing two days so far. It's been such a different experience from last year! I am seriously so thankful that Harriet and Townley are working here this summer; they have truly been my saving graces and an excellent source of entertainment. 
So, other than typing out all the details of camp so far, I'm going to make a few lists:


A) Things I've done so far

• Got Belay Certified: This was so much fun and so challenging. I am seriously so proud of myself that I accomplished this. It took a whole day of training but I learned so much and I'm actually pretty confidant at belaying someone at the climbing tower.
• Attempted to Climb: Although I got maybe like 15 feet in the air, I attempted to climb the climbing tower today, and I didn't hate it. I've made a goal to keep trying so maybe I can reach the 50 ft mark at the top. Note to self: Don't look down. 
• Met some really amazing people. I'll go more into detail about them later. 

B) Things I'm nervous about:

• Bethany wants me to get certified to drive Kanuga's bus...not really in my comfort zone right now. Just put it this way: Last year, a director wrecked the bus and it still hasn't completely been settled yet. We will see how this goes, I suppose. 
• Carnival: This is one of my most favorite parts about Kanuga, and I'm so lucky that it is now a big part of my job description. However, I'm nervous because I really want to shake things up a bit and change some things. Putting it gently, I'm nervous because the guest period families are not completely open to change. Here goes nothin..

C) Things I'm excited about: 

• Living in the infirmary!! This is the girls over 21 cabin this year and I couldn't be more excited. There's 9 of us living in the cabin, but we don't get to move in until late tomorrow night because they are currently moving a bunch of year-round boy staffers out. Fun story: The garbage disposal has apparently been broken for months now and the stench has been held in by a mountain dew bottle. Advice from the boys: Don't remove the bottle. Advice from the girls: Get it fixed. 
• New experiences: The Baker Building was such a blessing last year but I really cannot wait to see what this job opens me up to this year. It's such a broad job description so I can't wait to see what all I get to do.
• Potentially becoming a Primary for the Climbing Tower. This means I would be in charge of set up and take down and it's a whole lot of responsibility. It also involves climbing a 50ft ladder and standing at the top of the tower. Things to pray about, I suppose? 

I'll keep y'all updated as soon as something more exciting happens. Right now, it's really a bunch of directors getting trained for our kids.
For now, here's a picture of Diva beginning her climb...