Crazy Days.

Hello, my name is Rachel and I have no life outside of work.  

 I work from 3:30pm to 9:30am every week day;  

therefore, I have no social life during the week. 

 I am a BYU Sports Camp counselor-I love it-

and I am really tired.  

 I find myself crashing in the most random areas; 

literally, the minute I sit down, my little eyes shut.  

(Well, last week my girls were insistent that I wake them up and eat breakfast at 6:30am...what teenagers do this? 

Mine, of course. ha.)

At times I feel like this is a mother-prep crash course or something.  It's as if I am a permanently enthusiastic mother who is to care for a different set of rambunctious teenage girls each week... and It gets wildly-crazy.    

Aside from the rigorous schedule of sporting practices, meals, nightly counselor devotionals, and planned activities we find so many ways to enjoy each other's company...

We feed the hungry bellies w/ late night Chinese food.  

With no utensils anywhere, fingers have proven to be great! 

We try EVERY ride at Seven Peaks Water Park

We tell stories and talk about cute boys in the other camps

These were my basketball girls, can you tell? 

 We go to dances=my FAVORITE PART.

I  love when the kids will break free from inhibitions and have confidence in themselves. 

I probably sweat off ten pounds per dance...I  GO CRAZY with the kids...in my element

(These were my tennis girls)

We do hair for the dances of course  

Fix traumatic ant invasions in the junk food

Eat Ice Cream 

Find random, interesting talents before we go to bed. 

(Licking noses and elbows, for example :) ) 

Talent Shows are a riot here. 

Did I mention I sleep in the dorms with the
 girls?  I give a devotional before bed, help
 with any injuries, attend to illness, get
 them all ready for bed, wake them up, take
 them to breakfast, etc. You know, the usual things.

Some of my volleyball girls. 

I loved playing sand volleyball with them! 

This week=soccer.

Wish me luck.

Three more weeks of this schedule before I begin my last full year at BYU-->

Now that is crazy.

My Loves.

I come from a household of all girls.  Growing up, we used our imaginations for everything.  We spent hours and hours making up plays, jobs, commercials, and dances.   We had an overflowing chest of costumes with my mother’s old drill team outfits to insane Halloween costumes. We would then bring our parent down stairs to our "home-made"theater with curtains made from drapes that were hung from the pipes in the unfinished basement.  

Our parents watched/filmed dozens of priceless presentations.  

Creativity is in my blood AND dancing is a part of me. 

We have grown up with no inhibitions when it comes to dancing in front of others. 

Years later, we did it again.  We, two of my most favorite people on this planet and I, decided to make up a dance to shake up the monotony of school life.  We piled the furniture into the kitchen and whipped out our moves.  I could not help but reminisce.  I was in absolute heaven. We laughed uncontrollably.  I was even more grateful to be surrounded, literally, by the two people I have come to love most in my life.  Two people, who also love dancing as much as I do.

Besides, it is H-I-L-A-R-I-O-U-S!

Little Moments

Livin' in Provo for the Summer=

Jam sessions under the stars

Surprise Tie-Dye Fights. 

Boys+ Squirt Guns+ Permanent Dye= Absolute Blast  

Downside...we had to take off a layer of skin to get the paint off. Ha. 

I still, to this day, have hot pink splotches in my hair 

(It's hard when you have the date that has no intentions of holding back :) )

Parades.

We gave out liters of Pepsi  in the Orem Parade for Community Action as Volunteers

[Chels is doing an internship for the Provo Food Bank]  

We even run Races for the Food Bank to support Chels

Late Nights, Early Mornings=4 Tired Girls

Hannah met a new friend @ the Food Bank

Eliza even won a medal

Sidewalk-Chalk Competitions 

(all levels of art experience are welcome :) )

 City League Softball: Friends With Benefits.

Yeah…we are pretty much undefeated! 

WEDDINGS GALORE * 

Most of my Best Friends are Married Now

Most of my Jerusalem Friends are Married Now

A bunch of us even caravanned to Vegas for a day to support a friend

   

It is these little moments that make life truly worth living.

MasterCraft X45

Master Craft X45. Pump-Up Music. Dried-Mangoes. Blue Skies. GlassyWater.   

Everyone's list should look like this: 

MUST DO LIST:

 1. Go Boating with the Garrett Family

The Garretts are boating MASTERS AND they invited me to go on their first trip out this year-how lucky am I? 

Why are they “masters” you might ask…

Carson lives, eats, and breathes boating. He is a PRO.  This was his FIRST time going boating since his two-year mission in Poland.  He whipped out these tricks like they were his day job. SERIOUSLY....HE IS AMAZING. The funny thing is, he would never tell you.  He was out of the water more than he was in it.  I kept thinking to myself, how did I find him? He is the most fun-loving person I know.  It is impossible not to be so joyously ecstatic while boating with Carson...he is surely in his element. 

(Notice the snow on the mountains.)

I am convinced that Phil Garrett can teach anyone to do anything. A tantrum? No problem.  And better yet, he can actually show up a lot of these young-able bodied teens. He is patient and into the latest and greatest of boating.

Kenna is positively the sweetest woman you will ever meet. If you’re cold, she’s got you.  If you’re hungry, she’s got you.  If you need a sick trick-pic, she’s got you.  Even if you need a fan to do some high-class modeling, she’s got you. 

So naturally, I had to be on my A-game if I wanted to keep up :) 

They zipped me up in a wet suit and I was good to go!

 

Okay, so maybe I wasn’t on my A-game one time…and it was kind of funny :)

 

 

 

 I laughed and laughed and laughed

 

Until Next Time...

A Roller Coaster Ride

It’s official, I just survived what I would like to call a “death semester.”  I had it coming…like stepping onto a wild roller coaster at an amusement park...I loaded up my schedule with extremely taxing classes, perfectly placed myself in the midst of a disaster of decisions, and chose to stand next to loved ones who are also at a peak of intensity and devastation in their lives…and I was off. 

The gospel was my seat belt…the only thing that could keep me sane and safe.

  

At times, all I could do was hold on.  I definitely had my ups and downs.  I cherished the moments where I could spend time with the people I loved the most.  As the semester progressed, these moments dwindled, becoming few and far between.  As finals approached, I spent every night, sometimes until midnight, in the library studying.  My study groups became my social life (especially my economics study group).  I refused to let Economics 110, the most failed class at BYU, be the end of me.  I competed against the hundreds of competitive men and women applying for the Business program in a CURVED class.
  

With little sleep and food, I quickly caught a hold of a sweet-little sickness.  Timing was perfection, as I had a voice final that same week. Through a power higher than my own, I was able to overcome the nasty, enduring cough to belt out four songs.

I do not regret this semester, for I learned a lot about myself and my capabilities. Similarly, I am so grateful for the angels in my life who enabled me accomplish and fulfill my responsibilities.

Call it crazy but I am back at it again. Four semesters in a row…Spring Term officially starts today.  It’s kind of funny how it works, after all is said and done, we walk off the rollercoaster and realize how exhilarating it was and get back in line to do it all over again! 

However...

I am hoping this semester will be a little more like the swings or the chair lift :)