So...kamp is an utter blast and even though I'm still not sure who exactly was in charge of putting children under my supervision, I'm so thrilled they did! I have 11 little pieces of sunshine in cabin 4: aubrey, libby, megan, emily, jane, rachel, laura, carter, haley, caroline, and shea :)

I rode up to good ol' Lampe, MO on July 17 with Ms. Courtney Corbeille, a stud OU cheerleader alum...and just stud in general. Here's a snap shot of the two of us in front of the Missouri rest stop sign. Even though we're the classiest pair you've ever seen, we couldn't resist commemorating our road trip with photo documentation taken by a balding, obese, fellow rest-stopper with jorts. Take a minute to commemorate our documentation for yourself below...

That's right folks...Missouri...the "Show-Me" state. Whatever that means exactly, we're not sure, but this is what we are sure of...Branson, MO is, hands down, the most BIZARRE city in America. Courtney and I are on a night off tonight (have to be back at k2 by 1 am) and on our way to Panera (on Branson's busiest street that also happens to have only one lane, making getting anywhere quickly impossible) we spotted a figurine store with an actual size Elephant head mounted on the wall outside the building with a sign underneath reading, "Elephant for sale"...as if it wasn't blatantly obvious that the object for sale was an elephant. My only question was concerning the rest of the faux, life-sized Elephant head's body. Did it exist? If it did...was it, too, for sale? Anyway, we ended up at a Starbucks of all places, and I can guarentee that this caffeine fix will leave me doomed with insomnia tonight, but I'd say it was worth it. But that's not the point...the point is that this Starbucks is in the same building as a hair salon and Branson live show theatre. I guess I had never considered the convenience of getting a haircut before the big show, while sipping on coffee? Oh the crazy Branson combos.....bizarre.

Anyway, leaving kamp was kind of hard for me because I feel like every moment with my girls is so precious, and the thought of missing out on a big occurance with them was hard to accept. Literally, I felt like a mom not wanting to miss her child's first words. *Sigh*...I'm so lame. Anyway, the second thing we did (Courtney and I) was go to Wal-Mart. I really wanted to get something for my girls to come back with...because they deserve it for being as cool as they are.  I had picked out little headbands and such to bring back, but dropped them all on the ground when I spotted my destiny gift...Justin. Bieber. Poster. Yes, I do plan on signing it as so..."To Cabin 4, Love, Bieber". In addition, I also plan on telling them that I got so lucky to receive such an autograph because the young pop sensation was conveniently performing in Branson...with Dolly Parton. (I think that she's the star of every Branson show.) I think this will earn me lots of "cool counselor points". Afterall...I'm not above buying their affection.

I can't wait to post more pictures, but my computer doesn't have one of those camera card slotty things so I can't load them yet. But, mark my word, they will make their way to "Like a Virgin" in due time. We just got kicked out of the crazy-combo Starbucks showtime salon theatre, so we'll be heading back to kamp soon-ish. In a few hours I'll be back to the 100+ acre oven, that is k2, to spend more time with some of the coolest, and in some cases, most socially unaware tweens and teens in America (and beyond! seriously, we have foreigners) I'll be back to teaching dance class after dance class to girls who, as far as I'm concerned, are mute...they don't speak. But it's okay, because I do. I certainly do speak. I'll be back to the "muts" (Cabin's 1-4 outdoor bathrooms where bugs are free to fly in and out of showers and the water temperatures are as follows: freezing degrees and scorching degrees), where I don't stop sweating even when I shower. But all these things are made okay, and even worth it, when I have a belly laugh with a 15 year old, or get to have an open and honest conversation with a girl who is able to look past my flaws, inadequacies, and short-comings, and see me as a role model, who needs to do nothing more than be a college "watch-wearer" who loves Jesus, to gain their trust.

Please continue praying for me and my time here at kamp! The Lord is so good, and is so faithful to His people when we simply ask for it! I can't wait to update you with more cool stories about my kiddos- can't say enough good things about them! Dear readers, it's been real...until next time, keep the prayers comin! (And read the book of Matthew. All of it. And after you do that, read it again. You won't regret it!)

Who's responsible for letting me be in charge of children?

Well, readers, it's official...I've strapped on my stylish, but sporty, white/gold addidas watch because tomorrow morning (this morning) ((in a few hours)) I'm headed to kamp!

I wanted to make sure I had a farewell blog, just so everyone was well-informed that I am only taking a temporary break (because computers aren't allowed at kamp), and that I'm not just abandoning you avid blog-junkies.

I have decided to bring pictures of me as a kid to show my kampers. 1- because awkward stages are the worst, and if they are anything like me, they might think they will never escape the chubbyness, bad haircut, braces, acne, and social unawareness, and 2- because I was hilarious looking, and everyone deserves to laugh at Bethany Stutsman in her "tweens".

I don't have any of the TERRIBLE pictures on my computer for obvious reasons (some people I know enjoy making facebook albums of just me on my own account and those pictures would be way too easy to take advantage of) BUT..here are a few pictures from my days as a kamper...enjoy :)


Ok, I lied, this is pretty terrible...

So young...so free...so trying to get attention

Me and Kelly ended up being roommates our Freshman year!

Kamp Crush. Taylor Horneman, ladies and gentlemen. We were both so gosh darn good lookin' I'm not sure how we managed to keep it to just 3 second side hugs (as is the rule for boy-girl physical interaction at kamp) Still friends with this boy today!

 

"Fab 5" (above and to the right). Some of the best friends I have, I found at kamp! Michelle Tull (Kitchie at k2!) Katie Bailey, Grace Olson (k2 counselor), and Kelly Fant :)









Staff training 2010 with Avery and Abbie...

 Taylor Beth, Abbie, me, and Brittany on the last day of staff training while welcoming 1st term kids to kamp at the doc! Can't wait to be at this place again tomorrow :)

Well that's a little sneak peak into kamper life and a little bit of the counselor life I vaguely know. I can't wait to be used as a tiny part of what God's got planned for His huge, perfectly created and thought out picture! I hope you'll joining me in praying for patience, energy, and a continuous passion for a good work to be done in kids' lives while they're at kamp. Please pray that I have the right things to say with words not my own, but from no where else but the Lord. AHH I know I can NOT do it on my own, so it's a good thing I'm not trying to! Can't wait to update you hooligans on kamp life, and lots of funny stories!! Oh I forgot, one more thing....please pray for these girls about to be in my cabin...they have no idea what they are getting themselves into. They are about to be under the supervision of this hot mess right here...yours truly :) Oh bless their poor, poor normal person souls....Until next time!.......I'm off to kamp, dear readers.

Ok so last night I went out to Frisco to take a contemporary dance class at the new Power House in Frisco (yes, the studio has a location in Dallas, and having one in Frisco as well officially makes the studio FRANCHISE...isn't that odd and so cool at the same time?!)

So back in my company days, I danced for the Centre for Dance, a studio that broke off from Power House. For as long as they competed against each other, the two studios were huge rivals. Now, I came in not knowing any of this, but of course I took to the rivalry and had a bitter taste in my mouth over it along with a BIG something against Power House!... for no good reason- c'mon I was a team player, ok? Anyway, since my days in company, starting last December I believe, the studios joined forces again as the Centre girls humbly stepped out of their CFD sweats and waltzed on over to the Frisco location to compete as a new, combined team...a force to be reckoned with, I have no doubt. (where I'm confident there were some red, black, and white, top of the line sweats to jump back into in exchange for the CFD ones they previously stepped out of...sorry for leaving them pant-less for a while)

So I took a class there last night, like I said, because a girl who I used to dance with at CFD (she was a few years older) sent out a text to the masses about the class. Now I have never had a problem trying a new studio, and I didn't even have a problem trying a class at Power House, of all places, but for the first time in a long time, I got kinda nervous about class. I decided to suck it up and go though....I'll explain the weird feelers.....

So when I started at the Centre in 9th grade, I swear to you that it was by the grace of God alone that I made that team. I was a hot MESS and the most special of special treats! The worst one- like....bad, y'all. (The first thing you need to know is that the dance environment can be REALLY catty, as I'm sure you can imagine, and it's highly competitive in lots of ways- ability, strength, flexibility, style, body image, technique...it goes on.) We danced 6-7 days a week so I was there a LOT. We used to do combinations (short dances we learned in an hour) in class, and break up in groups and dance in front of each other at the end. We didn't count off into our groups though....no...we were chosen by how well we were dancing. The first group was the best dancers, and then down from there. Every week, without fail, I was in the very last group. I left dance crying on multiple occassions. Don't feel bad for me though! I remember my break through class where I was, yet again, called to the last group, but after I went, she had me do it by myself, but made me take my hair down to do it...I thought it was because of how bad it was, but after I did it, she told me it was the best I had ever danced. I cried. It was like music to my ears.  Anyway, I'm so thankful for how hard I was pushed and the opportunities I got as a young dancer to be in class and taught from some of the best dancers I have ever seen! By my junior year, I was an "older girl" and I had definitely earned my place on the team.

So getting back into a class that was SO similar to the ones I used to be accustomed to going to and being the very worst in was SCARY! We were stretching and conditioning before we started dancing and I seriously felt like a 9th grader about to pee my pants because I couldn't hold my leg up any longer ("you hit the ground before you drop your leg") or I one point I was about to slip on my own puddle of sweat. But anyway we got to dancing, and it felt just right again....at the end we did groups (remember from way back when) and I was called to be in the first group and then asked to stay after class to video the choreography. I honestly felt like, I was in that class again from 5 years ago, and was sitting on top of the world because she thought I was good.......Oh jeez......it was a weird, weird feeling haha.

If I figure out how to get the video on here I will.....but it's good to be back to being almost 20 again after having spent last night as a 14 year old...well, ironically enough, I'm off to teach some other little hot messes who remind me of myself. *sigh*...oh life..................I'll be nice to them though, maybe :) Bye for now, dear readers

Sarah Stimson's shout AT

What Sarah wants, Sarah gets. She asked me via facebook for a "real talkin' to", so here I go

What's up, Sarah?
How are things going?
Anthropologie?- still lovin' it?! still lettin it keep you from antique-ing with me?

Ok, I'm really just joking with all this conversational nonsense to appease Ms. Stimson. BUT I will give her an official feature by posting some of the cool/artsy pictures and things that she does that I check out when I frequent her facebook page to admire her artzy ways. (if you read that out loud, I would imagine you're panting, because that's a run-on sentence if I ever saw one)

This is a shirt pocket Sarah stitched that I commented on once it was on facebook. I say it's an aTm shirt done right

What? Sarah, you're insane. Do you know that people pay $100 for this where you work?? thisissocoolllllll.










She puts 3rd graders to shame with her sidewalk-chalk drawings

Y'all this girl even makes lady Gaga proud

I was under the impression that face-painting wasn't cool anymore until I saw this album with her and Lauren Barry......attention bloggers- face painting is cool...but only if Sarah Stimson is painting your face.














Well, I've officially proved myself an avid stalker of Sarah, but she deserves the publicity because one day she will be a famous creator of all things artzy. Maybe Anthropologie will wake up and smell the coffee. Mmmmmkayyyyy, do something creative that I can drool over soon!

People who needed or requested to be featured, in no particular order

Don't worry, if I think of something to blog about tomorrow, I'll just hit you with a double- whammy

1) Audrey- she was/is the temporary owner of the "devilish young pup" from a few blogs ago. Pshyco...I'm sure you recall. She's very beautiful and the loyalest of loyal friends. We make a good team :)

2) Blerina- She texted me and told me that she had read all my entries. I love Blevina. She's exotic because she was born in Europe. Doesn't that make her intriguing? Doesn't that make me cool for having exotic friends? I creepily picked this picture for Rina because I've always secretly loved it of her

3) Maribeth, Whitley, and Carley- Campbell's sisters, but more importantly just really cool people. I like Maribeth for putting me in her profile picture. I like Whitley for wanting me to teach her dance moves. And I like Carley for being a younglife counselor at Frontier. Those aren't the only reasons I like them, of course, but probably the most recent reasons.

4) Campbell- He's marrying my sister and belongs to those 3 above. I've talked a lot about him, so here's some photo documentation. Ya know...put a face with a name...Oh, wait sorry this one won't help because he's not 2 anymore. But I do especially like this picture. It was my phone's background for quite some time.

4) Allie- We go way back. We used to go home after elementary school and write down ways for our friends to be cooler. I think we told them the things they could do to be cooler. I also think we genuinely thought we were helping them out. I'm judging myself...we've grown out of that, I promise.

5) Heidi- "Shardtz", the girl I'm meant for. She also texted me to tell me that she's been reading. Whatta pal! Shardtz is currently vacationing in Jersey Shore with the family...she swears it's not trashy...(this picture was the first time I was honored to be in her facebook profile picture. Aren't I a vision?)

6) Caroline- "Carrie", "Eppy", "Floddr Toddr". Caroline is one of my weirdest friends, which is why we get along so well, and for sure the reason we hit it off from the beginning. She is an official "follower". This picture is framed in her room :)

7) Carlie- She wrote this on my facebook wall, "you blogging is an all around good idea. seeing this today made me happy!" I've always loved the way Carlie phrases things. She makes me laugh with her wording. Carlie's a stud soccer player, and she thanks I'm really sassy.

8) Marshall- I am much more comfortable calling him "Mardsh", but I've called him Marshall before. He's been talked about in the blog's past as well. He's the one from Houston's forest, better known as "Kingwood". His mother is a professional puzzle-er, and he is bringing "lol" back.

 9) Kelly- My beloved roommate, whom I miss very much :( She is probably one of the nicest girls you'll meet. I love laughing with her

9) Cheryl- My cousin who lives in RUSSIA! She's not officially exotic because she was born in regular ol' America, but she's officially COOL because she's a missionary there! Cheryl sent me a facebook message telling me she thought I was a good writer. That kind of thing DEFINITELY deserves a feature!...that, and the fact that she's just neato. (picture from way back when...way back when she resided in America and I had a chili bowl with bangs)

So, seriously, I'm sure I missed someone epically important . Don't be shy- request a feature! I'm sure I have great things to say about you. But really- no sarcasm intended. This was kinda fun writing about everyone :) It's late...go to bed!

As much as this uncomfortable situation was well, uncomfortable, I couldn't help to think, in the midst of it all, "Uncomfortable? yes. Bloggable? Indubitably."

This morning I had a doctor's appt at 9:00. (Waking up before noon was the first uncomfortable thing) Anyway, I roll out of bed, throw on shoes and a head band, and head to the office. Everyone in that office thinks I'm this little rat-looking hoodlum because I never have an appt there at a reasonable hour, forcing me to look the way I do every time without fail.

I woke up at 8:45 (my alarm had been going off since 8:10...whoops) and I couldn't leave without eating some cheerios. I scarfed them down this time because last time I spilt them all over myself in the car. (I'm worthless without breakfast) Haha speaking of last time...that reminds me of last time...So I had just gotten back from staff training so I had ALL my kamp stuff in the car. I mean I was sitting in the driver's seat and had to lean closer than normal to my window because my temprapetic bed topper was sitting in the passenger seat, but touching my ear. When I got into the office that day...looking nasty as always, they needed me to get my insurance card- I knew right where it was!....in the glove compartment underneath my massive bed topper and all the miscellaneous crap from kamp that I threw in last minute...you know what I'm talking about. So I marched out to the car to get that card. I think I started sweating. (Mixture of the labor it took to maneuver that situation, and the stressfulness of it all...like...what if after all that it wasn't there?) Anyway, I got it out and tried to shut the door, but it wouldn't shut. How the heck had it been shut in the first place?? (Mind you I'm not that strong) It was like a movie scene....all that that I did before, and then there is this little weakling girl just slamming her car door over and over and over and over hoping for it to just latch...I think it did, because I went inside eventually (looking a little rattier than when I entered).

All that doesn't have much to do with today's office visit. So first of all the 2 reasons for my visit were pathetic in the first place. 1) my mom keeps reminding me that I need to get into the dermatologist. The pathetic part of that is that I KNOW the reason she keeps remembering to remind me is the current zitty status of my face. 2) I'm going to kamp on Saturday and I will have run out of my adderall prescription in the middle of the term. (Have I mentioned that I'm REALLY ADD?) I'm aware that this could sound very druggy of me, but I'm trusting that my readers know me better than that. I'll be a counselor, as you know, so my doctor wants me on it while I'm there, but the funny thing is that if I run out of it there and didn't get a fill, I would like go narcoleptic. Seriously, when it's out of your system you can't stay awake. I've fallen asleep in really random places. Anyway, I got my fill of both my "smart pills" as I like to refer to them, and my "zitty face pills", as I decided to refer to them for the first time just now.

That's not all. As the doctor was leaving the room and I was preparing to leave myself, she mentioned that the nurse would be back in shortly to give me an EKG test to make sure my heart hasn't been effected by any of my medication...I said, "Ok, will I feel it?" She said no, so I was compliant (unlike every time she tries to force a flu shot on me! I KNOW those hurt and I'll have none of that) So the nurse comes in and tells me to take off my shirt and bra...(have I said too much? am I crossing a line? do you think differently of me? please don't.) I chuckled to myself as if to say "ha...silly nurse...it's 9 in the morning and you think I'm wearing a sports bra under this tall T"...anyway she left the room for me to take off my shirt and "bra" and cover myself with an oversized paper towel-vest that I was instructed to put on "open to the front".  She came back in and stuck these sticky things all over me that she then connected to these cords that were plugged into a laptop. When she was maneuvering the stickers on me I tried to ease the awkward tension she might have been feeling by pointing out the fact that I was peeling. I peeled a little piece and she laughed as if to say, "this girl has a body of a 12 year old little boy and she just peeled part of it off" Haha I wonder if she was scared to take the stickers off after because with one wrong move and she might have completely removed a layer of my skin! Ok, probably not, but Gray's Anatomy would have eaten that potential scenario up!

It would probably be crossing a line to post a picture, huh? Haha, don't worry I didn't take any (that would be weird, and you would have all freedom to judge me at that point) But I hope you respect my vulnerability for the sake of a bloggy laugh at my expense...I don't mind, laugh away. So, dear readers, I'm off to get things done for kamp like laundry. Sorry if you ever have to run into me at the doctor's office...and I'm even more sorry if you ever find yourself as a nurse having to give me an EKG test...I default to awkward jokes for nervous laughter. Happy Tuesday....the most average day of the week as far as I'm concerned...Cheers!

Birthday Blog: Lindsy Young addition

Here you go, Lindsy Young...this one's for you

So even though the title and highlight of this evening's blog is in honor of Lindsy and her birthday, (which will be discussed in great detail) you needn't worry- I'll still fill you in on the rest of the weekend/Monday that took place after the wedding and my last entry. 

Lindsy (Hot blonde above)...*sigh*...what to say about Lindsy. Well I guess I'll start with when she came into my life. She came into my life one dancy night spent at Harry's with a massive group of cool people. Heidi (more commonly referred to as "Shardtz") told me that I needed to be friends with Lindsy because she is "just like us", said Heidi. [side note- speaking of that, it took me and Heidi entirely too long to be friends because we are the same and we were meant for each other] Anywho, Heidi can stop STEALING the spotlight...after all this is about Lindsy....jeez, Heidi. 

For her birthday, we all (Me, Heidi, Marshall, Jadams, Cole, and LINDSY) went to eat at Abuelo's, a nice Mexican restaurant in College Station. (I don't much like Mexican food, but I enjoyed my quesadillas...and so did Marshall. He also enjoyed every bite of what he got, probably three bowls of chips, and cake ((also, I think he stuffed Heidi's leftovers in his pocket on his way out, but I'm not sure))- what a champ!] Lindsy talked a lot about her fish camp and her boyfriends and the boys she loves. Haha she was kidding. of course...but she is in love. Everyone should ask her about it. She had a very long and, what sounded like, a stretching birthday weekend! She had lots of late nights and early mornings with some of her not-so-favorite activities mixed in between, but Lindsy's awesome and gets it done. 

Here's a picture of Lindsy, me, Heidi, and the cake that Heidi surprised everyone but Lindsy with (she saw it in the car)...surprise!

Lindsy had to get back to Dallas that night because she had VBS at 8 in the morning! (If yall thought for a second that Lindsy was attending VBS I would laugh at you- she's teaching special needs 3rd graders......at 8 in the morning....haha good luck, Lindsy!) Shardtz left because she has a rare disease that has to do with packing. It's called "longpackziphobia". It simply means that when she goes out of town, it takes her about ten times longer to pack than it would for a normal person. She's getting help, but would appreciate your prayers. So she had to go back to Katy and pack...I, however was a champ and stayed. The boys attempted to teach me how to play "42". I really did try for a while to understand it, but I just couldn't concentrate with the combination of all the illegal "table talk" mixed with Jadam's trash talking. I retreated to the computer where I studied, and was very impressed by, Jadams' iTunes. 

I headed home this morning and went straight to the studio to teach day 1 of week 2 of the summer intensive. This week I just have advanced girls and they were great today, so I'm really excited to see how the week unfolds! AFter I taught, I went straight to a 2 hour technique class...yeish! I'm exhausted! It was great though, and I love dancing with Lauren Turnbull again :) and dancing in general. I think I love it more every day. Anyway- I'm gonna get goin, dear readers...Everyone tell Lindsy Happy Birthday, even though it's late...But don't ask Marshall when her actual birthday is, because he never gets it right