My eyes are burning...I wonder why.

Ok...so why do I always without fail get all kinds of funny looks from the people stiting around me, when I put cottage cheese on top of my chicken strips that I am eating for lunch?

Oh, to have my voice back! Yeah, so laying flat on my back in bed was not my idea of how I wanted to spend my last weekend here...but hey. Yeah, so I've been sick, but praise the Lord, I'm getting up and about again. My head doesn't feel like a balloon anymore!

I think there's something growing in my toothbrush holder.

From the shadows of the past...yes, I am still alive. Very much so. My dailey intake of chocolate milk has kept me going, as well as my dailey intake of cottage cheese.

Kitchen is my abiding place this week, last week...and for the rest of the weeks I'm here. I love it. Wouldn't trade it for anything. The only time that I maybe don't enjoy being in the kitchen is at 10:30 at night when I realize that I have to be up at 6:00 in the morning. At 6:00 in the morning, however, I love it. To those of you who know me and my sleeping habits, you will be shocked and pleased to hear that I have become a creature of the morning hours. That has it's difficulties, as most of the other girls in my cabin don't share that same love.  

Back to the kitchen news tho (you can tell where my mind has been!). Strange things, fun things...challenging things! The past few weeks, my kitchen bosses have been putting ME, yes me, in charge! They just say "you're in charge," give me a few instructions...and leave me as reigning tyrant of the kitchen, with my loyal subjucts to do my bidding. Ok...on a serious note on that topic, it's been a really good experience for me. Definitely has stretched me quite a good bit, but like I put it, a "good" bit.

It's great having Ryn here! Unfortunately, she is not in my cabin, and since my duties and her training does not cross paths except when she's going through the food line and I'm manning the food line, we kinda do the little "wave" thing every breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But, tomorrow, yes tomorrow!!! My prayers are answered, because Mom flyes in!! To say I am extatic would be an understatement. Yipee!!

Well, this post is getting really long...and if you are all anything like me, you don't like reading long xangas. So I'll close with this. God has been stretching me, growing me, opening my eyes...teaching me SO much! He has showered me with grace when it gets hard, given me so many opportunities to take what He's taught me, and use it to help/bless another person around me. Growing can be tough, but wow...it's worth it as I see God taking me up and just holding me in His hands, and guiding me. God is good.

It rained most of yesterday. Driving into camp after dark, I noticed an extrembe abundance of little frogs jumping all over the road. And then, this morning, what did I find....but squashed little frogs sprinkled along the road. Ah, such is the dangers of crossing the road.....

It's a good thing that God never runs out of grace.

I love weekends. Now that the complete cleaning of the whole camp is done...I can just kick back and relax until Monday morning. Aaaah...

It's quite a nice thing when your camp parents say "We're going to go do this...you can do whatever you want to!" And so here I am.

Sunburn update: They say time heals everything...but might I ask, who are "they?" Because I'm beginning to question whether this sunburn is really getting better...because as the days go by, it only hurts worse! I've given in multiple doses of aloe, but it stays as painful as ever. Youch...even the slight pressure of my shirt makes it sting and burn. Alas, poor me...

Tonight is Cookie/Game Night. But staying up late does not sound fun...thank goodness the members of my camp family are not late-nighters! Aah...sleep, sleep, wonderful sleep! Where have you gone?  Bwahaha, Suz, you'd better gets lots of it while your still at home, 'cause to break it to you not very gently -- you just ain' going to get a lot of it here, let me tell you!

Speaking of sleep...off to take thirty-winks during this unexpected but definitely welcome lull in my afternoon.

Ouch. That's my word of the morning. I am now wearing a flaming red left shoulder. Yes...that's what happens when you wear sleeveless, and sit in the direct sun for over two hours with no sunscreen. I didn't know you could even have a sunburn this bad, I can bearly move my shoulder! Ah well, it's my own fault.

I LOVE my camp family this week!! The O'Dell's are the awesomest family ever!! Mr. O'Dell has me continually busting up laughing, and when he and his brother get going at it...woohoo, you'd better get some kleenex, 'cause you'll laugh yourself to tears! It'll be hard to say goodbye to them on Saturday.

It's been a good week so far. Tonight is the hayride with the kids, I love it. All my little Sonshine kids are so trusting in us to "keep them safe" on the hayride....