Once again, I've neglected the blogging world. I've been at camp now for two weeks and things are going good. It's a tiring time of year at camp with early breakfasts and late dinners. Summer staff is slowing trickling in, but tomorrow we start lifeguard training. I'm excited for this first part of my job for the summer. I'm glad I get to spend a week with these new counselors and get to know them really well right off the bat! I think it's going to be a fun week.

Last weekend I took my first trip across "the bridge" and headed downstate to Portage Lake Bible Camp for Mike's wedding. It was such an awesome weekend. I love Libertyville Covenant weddings and it was fun to see another covenant camp. Meghan looked absolutely stunning and Mike's smile never left his face. I got also got to spend Saturday morning and early afternoon hanging out and catching up with Anne and Becky. It had been way too long since we had been able to do that!

I've successfully injured both my should and neck in the past month...hopefully I'm back in swimming shape fast!

The U.P. is beginning to feel different. There are people starting to arrive at camp and I'm noticing more IL plates while driving around town...both signs that summer is coming!!! Hagerman is a lake once again and we've started seeing rain instead of snow. This morning the sun is shining through my windows!

Yesterday, I babysat Laurel and then headed out to camp to be a big buddy for their Rockin Robin's nature program. My little buddy is the cutest first grader ever! She just loved running around the woods on our nature hunt and we planted sunflowers (She also let me take one home!). It's such an enjoyable experience since Jane didn't have to put me with a child who has behavioral issues!

I have 4 more days of school and then I am done! I'm looking forward to the change of pace that summer will bring, but I've really had an awesome year with a job that I love. I'll be excited to see my kiddos as BIG kindergartens in the fall!

I'm excited for this week to be over for many reasons:
-the close of the school year
-life will be a little less crazy
-I will have finished Wilderness First Aid
-I can start really dreaming and planning for my summer on the waterfront
-Paul comes home from Fort McCoy
-I will get my camera back from being cleaned

This week I started making cards again! I came across an out stash of blank cards and started creating. I hope to make a bunch for weddings/showers I have this summer, but also to have a stockpile for letter writing while I'm at camp this summer. I hope maybe being back at camp will help me to write letters again-I used to be so good at being a pen pal!

Here are my first few:



I'm becoming the queen of lists as my school year winds down and I'm trying to get everything done before heading out to camp. Monday I'm taking a personal day-my first ever paid day off!!! Sadly my exciting plans are only driving back to the U.P. from Lville, but I suppose it's nice that I actually get to spend Easter with my family. Only three weeks left with my little nuggets at school!

Last week was spring break! I headed to California for a few days to soak up some sunshine. I first went to northern California to visit my roommate Krysta.
We toured San Francisco and Santa Cruz. I got to see Mission Springs, the Covenant camp that Krysta has worked at for years. I love getting to see all of the different camps! After my weekend with Krysta I headed down to Azusa Pacific University. It was great to spend some time with Erika and Davin (and lunch with the Laurens!)

The week is already off to a busy start, but I realized that I have lots of exciting countdowns in life right now!

-Megan moving to Iron River on May 1st
-5 more weeks of school (last day May 12th)
-camp starting May 17th
-Rachel's wedding on June 11th (I finally have my dress, now it's time to pick the shoes!)
-And now, Julie's wedding in December...I'm saving my pennies to make the trip to Guatemala!

While I think I'll be sad to see the school year end I'm also very glad I have so many fun things to look forward to! It's a beautiful day in the U.P. today, but I have a feeling spring isn't here to stay quite yet...

Well, here is attempt number two at a blogging life.

This winter has been a good one, but I am loving the feeling of sunshine coming in through my windows most days-and greatly anticipating summer (since Spring doesn't really exist in the U.P.)

I quit my job at the daycare, so I am enjoying my first Friday off! I'm hoping that it can be a day to catch up on life: cross things off the "To Do" list and leave some time to relax.

Dawn is coming to visit this weekend, my parents were here last weekend, and I'll be in Chicago every weekend in April, so I have a feeling my Fridays are going to become a precious time to get caught up with the craziness of life. We have one week left until Spring Break and then only five short weeks after that! It's hard to believe that this school year is almost over. It has gone by so much faster than last year.

I love my job. It's fun to realize how much I've come to know these awesome little 4 year olds this year. I know their habits, what sets them off, and what foods they'll eat. I hope I get to stick around and watch them grow up into the people they were created to be. They make me laugh and they test my patience everyday...I'd say it's a pretty good relationship!

I don't have any pictures today, because I've been slacking in that area, too. I hope to be better at that again. My exciting news is that I've taken the waterfront director position at Covenant Point this summer. So I'm sure there will be lots of fun stories and pictures to come over the summer!

Craft Fair

This weekend I participated in my first craft fair. Jenny Mecher had a table at the sale and let me put out some wallets that I had been making. I only made $18, but it was fun to hang out with Jenny and visit with the people who stopped by!





Tonight is the first boy's home basketball game! It'll be fun to be a wykon fan again and to watch some of the youth group kids play.

Chuck

This week I lost someone very near and dear to me. Thursday evening I was having dinner with some people from church when I received a phone call saying that something had happened to Chuck (Executive Director of Covenant Point Bible Camp) and that it didn't sound good. I didn't want to believe it...and really still do not. I immediately went out to camp and spent the evening grieving with those of us in the area. I was able to take Friday off and just be at camp...a major blessing! I had been asked to share at the Thanksgiving Service at church on Sunday night. I almost backed out, but I am thankful that I decided to share.

What I'm Thankful For...

When I was first asked to share I thought, "oh this will be easy, of course I have something I'm thankful for that I can share." Then I quickly became overwhelmed with all of the ideas-do I really focus in on one thing or do I share the many things that I am thankful for in life? But in light of everything that has happened over the past few days it quickly became VERY clear to me what I needed to talk about.

I'm thankful for Chuck and the life that he lived. He was an excellent example of so many things: servant hood, humility, faithfulness, simplicity, joy, the list goes on and on...

But what I really want to share tonight is how thankful I am for the concrete image of the body of Christ that I have experienced the past few days. I always knew there was something special about the Covenant Point community. I've been drawn to it my entire life. Since Thursday I have constantly been reminded of that blessing. As we have gathered for hours on end just existing together I have seen and felt God's love surrounding us.

It's hard to put into words something so beautiful and something as simple as a love that is overcoming things...big and hard things.

It's togetherness. I've been craving just being with my camp family at this time and God has had a way of bringing the phone calls when I needed them the most. Even though we have had few words o share I'm thankful to be connected. The time that I felt God the most was on Thursday night, just before I left camp, I was able to sit on the phone with two dear friends and just cry. We had no words to share; we just needed to feel each others presence.

I'm thankful for the shared tears and laughter. I'm thankful for the hugs. I'm thankful for the "I love you's." I'm thankful for the meals together. I'm thankful for the beauty of Covenant Point. I'm thankful for my ever-present God. But right now I am most thankful for this family, this body of believers, that God has blessed my life with.


Chuck Fraiser 1951-2010 "Well done good and faithful servant"