Waiting

All spring semester I couldn't wait for summer begin. I was sick of the cold, snowy weather in Logan. And then school ended. But it was still cold. Go figure. Then, I couldn't wait for Mill Hollow to start. Those three weeks at home just seemed to drag on, and on, and on.....yeah, you get the point. But finally, I got to go to Mill Hollow. And it was back to snow. I thoroughly enjoyed my summer in the mountains, but as the end of July approached, I couldn't wait for summer to be over so I could get back to Logan. The last four weeks just seemed to drag on, and on, and on...again. They too, finally ended. And now the waiting is almost over. Two more days and I get to move back to my own apartment. Two more days until I can get back to the student life. Two more days until we really get this IWA thing on a roll (okay, so that one is really three days). Two more days until I start my very last semester of college. Two more days. That's a little strange to think about.

On a side note, Mom said Rian was leaving the MTC today. Nope. He called from Detroit yesterday while waiting for a connecting flight to Nashville. That was a surprise. He says all is well, and by now he's got his first assignment and is no longer at the mission home. Now we just have to wait for that first letter to tell us where he is. He sent some pictures home, which we got today. I thought about uploading them, but they aren't really anything exciting. But you can actually see the floor of his room at the MTC, unlike his bedroom floor here. Still.

Saying Goodbye

I've always wondered why saying goodbye to people you love is so hard. Yesterday was my last day at Mill Hollow. I have really grown to love that place over the past three years. I've made some life-long friends by being there. And though I was ready for the end to come, I wasn't ready for what it brought with it. I know I'll see all of them again, since we always have a staff Christmas party or something, (and because most of the boys are only 18, so I'll have a few more mission farewells to go to!) but still. Saying goodbye to everyone (including the managers) was so hard this year. I think part of that had to do with the fact that I know I will likely not go back next summer. We had one last round of summer fun on our way home, though. We took Finn to his house in the Pleasant Grove area, so instead of going through Park City, we went through Provo. We stopped at Dairy Keen. It was awesome. And tasty.

There was one other person I had to say goodbye to this weekend. My dear friend, Natalie Jolley passed away last Saturday. I had the wonderful opportunity of attending her funeral this morning. I only met Natalie last spring, as we were called to serve together on the IC this coming school year. I only knew her for a short time, but I heard her testimony on several occasions during that time, and it was such a treat every time. If you read her blog, you'll know what I mean. Someday, I want to grow up to be like Natalie. She is definitely a hero to me!

All Things Come to an End

My relationship with paint has ended. At least for a while. And this is why:

We spent 10 days painting cabin 2. It used to be an ugly green color.

But now it is a pretty off-white!

And we made a tape ball when we were finally done.

The last week of Mill Hollow is always pretty fun. We had multiple paint wars (that's what happens when you're cooped up in the same cabin for 10 days! And high on paint fumes), laughed at the boys when we figured out that they had primed their whole cabin with paint and not primer, trips to Kamas, and making the staff poster. It was a fabulous summer, and I'm kind of sad to see it coming to an end. Though I am excited to finally start teaching again!

This is why I love Mill Hollow

We make music videos. This is the one from last year.


I wasn't in the one from this year, but it's freaking awesome. So I'm posting it anyway.

A Sunday Afternoon

This is what I do on a Sunday afternoon:

Okay, so I don't do this every Sunday. Just today.

Going to the MTC

I swear this week lasted for five years or more. My first group of girls was awful! Well, some of them. I had two schools and the one was great while the other needed some serious lessons in respecting others. They were all super sassy and would constantly back talk me. And then there was the girl that cried when she didn't get her way, which was almost constantly, or when someone talked to her, or anything else. I'm pretty sure she was always crying over something. She even ran away from campfire Monday night because she didn't get picked for the final three in our dance competition. Ugh! I hope I never have a student like her. Needless to say, by lunch on Monday I was desperately wishing it was 10am on Wednesday. Because then I could leave for the day.

Wednesday finally rolled around and since I didn't have to leave until ten I was pretty sure I'd have time to at least let my new group into the cabin and get a bed for all 51 of them. (Yep, 51. I wanted to cry when I saw that  number on the paper!) Go figure my school was the very last to arrive that morning. And they didn't even get there until 10:05. So I got on the bus, told them my name and then took off for the afternoon. I met up with Mom, Dad and Lacey in Provo. Aunt Sandra, Jess, and Brandi were there for a little bit too. (Ps. Thanks for the box, Aunt Sandra! It was like Christmas morning going through it today. :D) We walked around the Provo Temple for a bit, took some pictures (I wish Mom had said something about me being in some of them so that I could have actually gotten more ready that morning) and then walked across the street to the MTC.....just to take more pictures. I think we stood on that corner for like, half and hour.

Why can't there be people to take my luggage up to my cabin every Monday morning? That would be so awesome. Also, Rian looks a little worried in some of the pictures. But we got a letter from him today and he said everything is as it should be but that everyone else makes him feel old. The weird thing about that is, he's only a year older than all of them.

After he finally made it through the door, we went to take off for Park City to go to lunch. And then Mom found Rian's scriptures in the back seat. So Dad had to go back. Apparently it happens often, since Dad said the old man at the corner didn't seem surprised at all. Anyway, we finally made it to Park City and ate at Flippin' Burgers. It was pretty good. And I got to eat something not Mill Hollow-y in the middle of the week. It was fantastic! But then I had to go back. And as weird as it sounds, I did NOT want to go back to work. Don't get me wrong, I really do like it. But I think I'm to that point of the summer that I just want to be done. I am more than ready to move back to Logan and get going with this student teaching thing. I made it back up the mountain about 45 minutes earlier than planned. Which turned out to be a really good thing since it started pouring an hour after I got back. And when I say pour, I mean pour. I think we got two inches in like, twenty minutes. And if it wasn't that much, it at least seemed like it. 

Well, the last group of children for the summer comes this Monday-Wednesday. Which means only two more nights with children to wake me up saying there's a pillow fight in the back of my cabin. Okay, so that really has only happened once. That means I'll have a week and half at Mill Hollow with nights off. And then a week at home, and then it's back to school. Finally! I just wish it would come faster.