The Great Outdoors

This past weekend some of our staff took a few girls on a camping trip. It's been quite awhile since I've been camping, and I was really looking forward to it! We did all kinds of fun stuff: rock climbing and repelling off a 100 ft. cliff & tubing down the river (it was supposed to be a "lazy" tube, but ended up being more of a "panicky" one :) We ate about 1,000,000 smores (each) & enjoyed a few campfire games. It was fun just to be together without a big agenda. It was a good reminder to me that these girls, although at times they may seem very "grown", are still just figuring out who they are and who they want to be.

A Good Day

I got a free burrito and a new tattoo all in one day!

(Sorry to break it to you this way, mom and dad :)

"Congratulations, Graduate!"

I had the privilege of attending the 8th grade graduation of a girl I've known for a few years now. She called me a few days ago and left a message inviting me to come, and my first thought was, "No, I don't really want to go. I'll just get her a gift and tell her 'Congratulations! I'm proud of you!'" But as I thought a bit more about it, I realized that it's an honor to be included in this event, and I really wanted to be there to support her. The ceremony was so funny! It lasted 2 hours (Yes, for an 8th grade graduation), but as I sat there, I felt like a proud parent (which, if you know her mom, is pretty hard to top with her yelling out every few minutes, "My Baby! Oh...that's My Baby!"). I was proud to be cheering her on through this milestone in her life and wishing her much success in the next phase of her journey. After the ceremony, she came up and hugged me, thanking me for coming. I could only say, "I wouldn't have missed it!". And I was glad I didn't.

Vacation at Last!

Our after-school program finished up a few weeks ago, making it the perfect time for our staff to head off on a much needed vacation :) I was able to go to Florida for a week with my family, which is a rarity getting us all together for that long with our conflicting schedules. It was very hot most days (Chicago seems like a breeze compared to that), but we still managed to have a good time. We went to Universal Studios, Sea World, the Kennedy Space Center, and the beach (can you guess...that was my great idea!) We were busy, but it was a fun time! I could get used to this. I vote to make it a tradition!

Chicago Botanical Gardens

Here's a taste of some of the great pics. I got at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. If you've never been, you have to check it out sometime! It's beautiful there.