Girls Camp: Ready, Set, Go!

Here's the thing.

I love camping.  I love the outdoors.  I love the night sky.  I love the smell of the trees.

I do NOT like to be dirty. Or to not be able to shower.  Or to have greasy hair.

I leave for our stake Girls Camp early in the morning and our this is the last week Camp Shalom is open for stakes to use this summer.  Do you know what that means?  Hundreds of girls and leaders have already been up to camp this summer.  There was a fire restriction and major drought and we almost didn't get to go.  So here it is the last week and there is pretty much no water left at camp.  So what does that mean?

No showers.  5 days.  Hundreds of girls.  No showers.

Call me a big wimp but I am super stressing out over this.  

I love to be clean!

I have never gone more than 3 days without showering.

I wash my hair every day-- otherwise my head gets itchy and I am miserable.  

So by the 3rd day of camp, I may have to try extra hard not to get irritable or moody.

My mom and Cassity informed me of the 'ol baking soda technique for dry-washing your hair.  I had never heard of such a thing!  And apparently you can use dry oats or corn starch.  I'll just pack it all.

So as far as everything else goes, I'm really excited about camp!  I have spent hours playing the guitar and learning songs they want to include during the week.  I even wrote a camp theme song which you can listen to here:  "I Am a Hero".  They said they've never had a guitar up at camp before, and I'm bringing my own (and 2 extras) to teach and let people play on their own.  It will be fabulous!  This is the kind of thing I was made for.  Music, fun, laughter, creativity, teenagers, fun adult leaders, grubby jeans, nature, and more. :)  

In addition to my music and stake duties, they asked me to be the 4th year leader, which will be a blast.  We had an over-night activity at a cabin with the 4th years a couple months ago and those girls were completely awesome.  I loved getting to know them and they were tons of fun-- so even though it's added work and responsibility, I'm happy to take on that challenge to bond with a good group of girls.  

One of the nights I'll be in charge of the little astronomy "star party" for the 4th years.  I'm all about that!  I think I gained my love for constellations one year at Girls Camp.  It's so much more enjoyable to look at the stars when you understand the stories behind the constellations and know what to look for besides the big and little dippers.  So that will be a fun little addition to the week as well.

The camp theme is "Incredigirl: Finding the Power Within" and the week will be filled with superhero kinds of things.  In our stake leader skit I get to be THE incredigirl and I will for sure rock that role. :)  We have super cute camp shirts with a logo similar to the "Incredibles" movie.  I am the youngest of all the stake leaders and will feel like a random 16 year old hanging out with my parents' friends.  But the great thing is I love these leaders and they are MY friends in reality!  They are so much fun and I'm excited to be there!

Oh just kidding.  The assistant camp director is 2 yrs younger than me.  I take it back.  :)

Anyway!  Here goes nothin'.

When I get back from camp I will unpack, do laundry, and head right to our family vacation up near Yellowstone.  Busy week and a half ahead!  That shower on Saturday will be the best shower of my entire life.  I can't wait!  P.S.  I kind of wish I could see more of the Olympics!  Oh well...  :)

Blind Date: Shorter & Older...

So this has happened more than once:  I get set up on a blind date.  "Blind date" since Facebook reveals all. Anyway,  the blind date comes and goes, the guy is nice, but nothing really comes of it.  Then months later the guy suddenly calls, texts, or sends a FB message.  My wheels start turning and I try to decided if I would consider going out with this guy again.  Just as I'm trying to wrap my head around it, the guy says, "Hey... I have a friend I think you'd really like.  He's a great guy and I think you're a 'stellar, down-to-earth, talented' girl and you'd probably have a good time together.  Whaddaya say?"  What?  Where did this come from?  I finally hear back from this dude but it's only because he wants to set me up with his friend?  Weird.  But okay.

One blind date guy tried to set me up with 2 different guys... and both times blind date guy cancelled or said we'd have to postpone or just kept making excuses why it wouldn't work.  I decided in my mind that blind date guy secretly liked me and couldn't handle the thought of me going out with someone else. (haha)  Well that blind date guy was 9 yrs younger than me so it's all good.  He is young and learning.  

Just tonight another blind date guy from a year ago (I can't even remember) added me on FB and there I was browsing through all his pics, thinking, "Hmmm... he WAS pretty cute, and he looks like he's doing a lot of fun things.  He'd be fun to hang out with again."  So there I am stalking his FB wall and pics and he sends a little FB chat thing.  Whoops!  Caught me red-handed.  Of course I didn't tell him that though.  We chat for a few minutes and then the usual happened.  

Am I dating anyone?  Nope.  He says his brother is here for the summer from NY and is hoping to jump-start his social life.  He's a good-looking guy, outdoorsy, intelligent, solid in the Church, etc.  Would I consider meeting him?  Hmmm... sure.  I'm always willing to go on at least ONE date. 

I go back to this blind date boy's FB page where I had previously seen pics of his family.  Seriously, FB makes it way too easy.  I look at his brothers and try to guess which one it is.  Then blind date guy asks me 2 more questions.

"Are you adamantly opposed to dating someone shorter than you?"  (He's 5'4"... I'm 5'6")  No, that's not really a big deal.  Well, it kind of is but that wouldn't keep me from liking the guy.

"Are you opposed to dating someone who is 41? (forty-one)

Yikes!  That was the first thing that came to mind, unfortunately. YIKES.  I think I can handle height and what not... that's not a huge factor for me.  But the age thing is definitely kind of a factor for me.  I went on a blind date with a guy who was 3 yrs older than me a few weeks ago and I felt like I was having dinner with my teacher or something.  I'm just not really one to click with guys who are older than me... especially when I am such a kid at heart.  Needless to say, I haven't heard back from that guy, which doesn't surprise me.  

So... am I a jerk for suddenly not wanting to give it a first date because he's 41?  I'm 32.  I feel like I'm 16.  Call me socially retarded but I can barely talk to people my own age.  (Your'e thinking, "Well Bree, you better start learning to talk to people your own age" and I nod my head and say, "Yes, yes, I know"). So I told blind date guy to let me think about it.  The next 2 weeks are just crazy but maybe I'd consider.  He hasn't said anything to his brother yet, so that's a good thing, in case I end up doing the jerk thing and saying, "Nahhh...."

In the mean time, there is another blind date guy that is waiting in the wings.  We'll call him Phone Tag boy.  My friend said this guy is amazing. (Aren't they all).  And she said I'm amazing and we just have to meet.  We've played phone tag and text tag and I'm not in any huge hurry to make it happen, but it's enough to keep me interested and thinking maybe this guy could be fun.  He seems to have a boisterous personality and I like that.  I went on a blind date walk with a super nice guy a few weeks ago but he was so chill... almost TOO chill... and soft-spoken... but so nice.  I would hang out with him again but not going out of my way to make a huge effort.  Chill boy needs to perk up a little.  

Wow, you'd think I was some kind of blind date machine right now.  Not really.  My life is currently consumed with church and work responsibilities... and things will slow down mid-August, but for now I'm totally okay not dealing with boys.  Men.  Ew.  "Men" sounds so old.  I'll work on that.  Guys.  Dudes.  Whatev.

No Cooking Skills & 5 yr old Taste Buds

There are some things about me that I wouldn't dare admit over the cyber-world of a blog.  But some things I just throw out there and decide I don't care because that's the humor of my random life.

Here's today's nugget:

I cooked fresh green beans for the first time.

Amazing, right?!  More like... pathetic.

I've always loved my mom's homemade dish of fresh green beans sauteed with onions, almond slices, and bacon.  Mmmm... so delicious!  I've done as much as prepared the beans ahead of time and snapped of the little pointy ends after rinsing them.  But I never seem to do the cooking part.  I don't know if I've ever even successfully boiled broccoli before.

So I called my mom today after buying a fresh stash of green beans.  "Mom.... what's the best way to cook fresh green beans?"  Bless her heart for dealing with my simple mind. :)  She gave me her tips and I just wanted to make sure I did it her way before destroying the beans with my guessing game.

I came home eager to be "healthy" and cook vegetables like a normal human.  (By the way, Cassity has become a pro at cookings fresh vegetables, meats, etc and the apartment always smells so flavorful when I come home at night).  The only time I influence the smell of the apartment is...  come on!  What did you think I was going to say?!  It's when I make cookies or brownies of course. :)

I took out half of my little stash of green beans, snapped off the pointy ends, snapped them in half, and placed them in a little pile on the counter.  Finally I threw them all in the pot of already boiling water, and turned the heat down while they steamed.  Then I proceeded to make my usual Spaghetti with Ragu sauce (I know, I know), but I was quite proud of my little beans.  It was a delicious dinner and I do love fresh green beans.

Here's the thing.  I just don't cook.  Like, hardly ever.  And when I do cook, it is spaghetti, macaroni, breakfast foods (eggs, french toast, pancakes, etc.) or grilled cheese.  More often than those simple meals, I'll devour a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bowl of cereal.  Seriously, my eating habits are insane.  I could probably live off peanut butter and jelly (which I pretty much do)... but I know I need to advance my lifestyle a little bit.

Confession:  Heather (my dear sister) is on the East Coast right now, going to various doctor appointments with Johns Hopkins in Maryland.  They're trying to figure out this perplexing health situation and we're hoping they will have some helpful answers.  Before she left, I told her that when she comes back, I will commit to eat according to this book:

Strangely enough, eHarmony David sent me this book for my Birthday.  I had mentioned to him my diagnosis of Ulcerative Colitis and-- although most of the time I'm perfectly fine-- there are times when my bowels go crazy.  (Usually when I'm under a lot of stress or feel anxiety about running, races, etc.) But David did some research and said this is supposed to be the best book out there.  I didn't look at it much, especially once that little situation ended, but one day I picked it up again and noticed it was geared towards all kinds of irritable bowel situations, including Celiac Disease.  Heather has looked into Celiac and some doctors have made assumptions that it could be that... but still nothing is set. This triggered my interest, though, and I wanted to read and learn more about it so I can help her-- and in turn, help me.

I feel fine right now and this book is to help people who are in a really sickly state. (Lots of endless diarhea, etc.)  Take me back to the summer of 2002 and I would've been in that boat.  Luckily I'm not anymore, but it won't hurt to read about these guidelines, eating restrictions, etc.  SO.  This is what I have committed myself to once Heather returns.  

I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS GETTING MYSELF INTO.

It cuts out A LOT of things that I eat daily.  Things that I love.  But I am fully prepared to just suck it up because I know Heather has had to do the same thing and will probably have to continue to cut out more and more.  So today I embraced more vegetables and fruits in my shopping trip.  My problem is I buy produce and then forget I have it (as I eat cereal and sandwiches) but I won't let that happen this time.  I figure, in the mean time, before Heather gets home, I can at least be easing myself into it so it doesn't seem so intimidating.  

Hence the fresh green beans.  And they were tasty.  

So here's to Heather getting healthier... me getting focused... and my taste buds maturing a little. :)

My Life at Work: A Sneak Peek!

Hey All!  I'm only going to keep this posted for a few days, so as to not allow it to float around in cyberspace.  But I wanted to share the blog we've created for the teen program at the Boys & Girls Club where I work.  I was so excited to finally have a place to write about our adventures, post pictures, etc.  It's also a place where teens can do their own blog posts and I'm the site supervisor.  So some of the posts are random, but that's the freedom we give the teens. :) My boss and his boss were excited about the blog idea and I think it's a great way to share our accomplishments and fun times with Club supporters, donors, grant-writers, parents, staff, etc. I love my job-- I love these kids.  You already know that!  Now go check it out.  You can save the link to check back on in the future but I'm not going to post it on Facebook or anything.  Happy Summer!

Midvale Club Teen Blog

Bree

Top 15...

Top 15 Memories or Facts of my life recently:

15)  I joined a co-ed adult kickball league and it is awesome. :)  We've one our first two games:  24-8 and 26-1.  Seriously?!  Either we're REALLY good or everyone else is super pathetic.

14)  Remember I'm in a master's program for school counseling?  We didn't have class on the 4th of July and this little week off has made me lose all sense of focus and self-discipline.  Homework? What?

13)  Heather (& Jake) flew out to Baltimore July 6th and she has an appointment at Johns Hopkins for all her many problems on the 10th. We're praying, crossing our fingers, and casting spells on the doctor people that they will have all the answers and know how to help. :)  Well... mostly we're praying and hoping.  :)

12)  I told Heather when she gets back to Utah I will start eating a strict diet meant for people with Ulcerative Colitis-- that's me!  My eating habits should probably be closer to Heather's strict eating than I would like to admit.  ;)

11)  I saw the "Katy Perry" movie and actually really loved it.  I cried.

10)  Dusted off the cobwebs and went on a fun bike ride today.  My knee was hurting (don't know why because my running groove is definitely on pause right now) so I figured riding a bike was more knee-friendly.  I worked up a great sweat and made it to Utah Lake and back in 1 hr 15 minutes.  That was my goal and I made it-- down to the last few seconds! :)

9)  Hiked up to the "Y" this week with 7 teens.  It was pouring rain (of all the days!) but it actually turned out perfect and I LOVED it.  We had a super fun time and took fun pictures all along the way.  The teens were champs and I bought them all lunch afterward.  (I really need to stop doing that...)

8)  I've seen some fun friends from our days in CA:  Jessica (Macias) Epson, who was one of Heather's best friends growing up.  I love chatting about the old days!  I also visited with the "Jim & Veda" Williams family, which is made up of completely awesome people.  Candace (Williams) McCain was my ultimate role model when I was a teen and influenced a huge percentage of my life decisions.  :)  I love good, old friendships that still exist even years after moving away.

7)  I went on a blind date a couple weeks ago.  It went no where, but it was a decent evening of simple dinner conversation.  I'm so over first date awkward small talk.

6)  There is a new guy my friend REALLY wants to set me up with.  I guess when I'm busy and the guy is busy (or out of town randomly a lot) that makes it hard for anything to blossom.  But maybe we'll cross paths soon.

5)  I have had multiple sun burns (of various degrees) so far this summer and I'm turning into one big freckle patch.  Yes, I do wear sunscreen... SPF 50 like a good girl.  I've learned my lesson with too many blistery sunburns as a young dumb kid.

4)  I decided I want to teach the teens how to swim without plugging their nose with their hand.  You can't swim with one arm!  So I'm insistent on teaching them how to blow bubbles through their nose.  It's pretty funny to demonstrate and watch... but we're making progress.  I'm no swim instructor but those swim clinics for CA Girls Camp did me some good!

3)  I am SO enjoying my calling with the stake Young Women right now!  Girls camp is in 3 weeks-- I'm the "music girl" and it's going to be such a blast.

2)  My mom is in Utah all summer and it's always fun to have her here.  She does such a great job playing "Grandma" to all the little grand-kids.

1)  Golden Girl and her dad were baptized today!  I was asked to give the talk on baptism and I loved doing it!  Brought back all the good feelings of being a full-time missionary.  I love that entire family with ALL my heart!