Black #35

At our last Small Group meeting, each of us wrote an affirmation or something we liked/appreciated about each other member of our group. Not an easy thing to do because we had 22 people in our group. Either I misplaced 3 of them or someone didn't complete the assignment (it was pretty daunting)...but here are mine:

1. You kept me interested and awake this week which is a great accomplishment on
your part...seriously...you rock!

2. An AH-MAZE-ING Small group leader. Thanks so much I had a ton of fun!

3. You were a good leader. I am blessed to have met you.

4. Great leader and inspiration.

5. Teaches well.

6. Thanks for inspiring me.

7. Great leader. Brought everyone together.

8. Funny ( me: who knew??)

9. You are such a great small group leader, I'm glad you were mine.

10. Nice

11. You have been an awesome leader.

12. Easy Going

13. You're a great small group leader.

14. Thanks for being our leader! Great personality.

15. BEST. GROUP. LEADER. EVER.

16. Thank you for your time and energy.

17. Great leader. Fun.

18. You were an amazing leader and a great friend. Thank you for a great week.

I think what surprises me the most about all of this was that I had no clue all week. Last PYT I had a great feel for what I was doing and how the kids were tracking and pretty much what they thought of me. This time...not so much. So, yeah...I post this because I don't want to forget what was said and I know I'll lose 18 little slips of paper!

From Sabercats, to PYT to Sanjaya...

Sabercats will WIN the Arena Bowl on Sunday! I worked the final game on a concourse aisle!

Small Group Leader Orientation

We don't ask the kids to do anything we won't do! Wish I had a picture of ours...we got the biggest laughs. It is Peter walking on water and three of us were the waves and so we stood there and waved. :)

We were learning a new energizer so at least 200 knew what we were doing. "salsa, salsa,

Getting ready to enter the Elliott Hall of Music for opening worship!

Energizers as seen from the balcony!

I worked the AI concert last night. Not sure if this was from SJ or LA. Need I say more?

More PYT stuff to come!

LOL!

I mention pain 4 times and death once and I am rated PG...sigh...

ht to marko

But Wait...Here's a Few More!

These were taken by one of my awesome Crew Leaders!

One day we had a "3 in 1" bounce house with a cool slide!

After watching the episode of "Chadder," the kids left the theater for the "cabin" to work in their Bible Books.

Drew rocks! I will lose him to summer school next year, but he has been a great "Chadder" Station Leader for two years!

This day they made cool little blackboards!

There will be more as soon as I get the overall pix from my photographer. He followed a crew around each day and that will be really cool to see. I don't have many from opening/closing because he got caught up in it...which is a GOOD thing!

Time for More VBS Pix!

Making Buddy Bags at Cowpoke Crafts and Missions

Because we didn't have our playground back...we were given a new bounce house each day!

Saddle Crew talking about a Daily Challenge

Part of the Radix Monti Crew!

Seven Years Part 2

The whole seven years since I went to RR has really been on my mind. The anniversary date comes each year and the last few years I have noted it and then gone on with my life. This year has been very different.

I am not sure if it is partially because of the loss of Amy last October, where I am ED wise, where I am therapy wise (which is a good yet very scary place) or even just reconnecting with one of the Equine Therapy team. That was a true blessing last week!

It wasn't truly my intention to go there in therapy yesterday because Rob and I already knew what the agenda was for the day. However, I am truly thankful that he didn't force the issue and let me talk about this. I told him that obviously it was not all fun and games, but when most of my memories have to do with the truly fun/good times that we had there. Rob said it made sense and it really makes sense because during that time the people there were probably more of a family than I ever had.

I still miss Paula and am sorry my move to West Lafayette forever ago meant the end of our friendship. That was so sad because she originally wanted me to move near her and her husband, but the reality of it was something she couldn't handle I guess. The odd thing is, if she ever wanted to email me...my email addy hasn't changed.

Lately I want to know what happened to the women I was there with in 2000. Did we lose more than Amy? Who is doing really well? Who is doing not so well? There are still those I do have contact with or have just reconnected with...but I want to know MORE!

Seeing Miss Annie post on MySpace was awesome! When I first got there I didn't want to ride a horse. Each time before RR was a bit of a mess. As time went on (okay, as soon as I rode for the first time) I really took to it and Annie was a big part of that. Faith, the Equine therapist, and Brad (who taught me to saddle a horse) were also a huge part of it all...but Annie was the first person I worked with because Faith was on vacation.

RR has changed a TON over the last seven years and I hope I never have to go back so this isn't a I am dying to go back to RR and will do anything I can to get there type thing. I think some of it is missing that connection and community. I think some of it is heading to PYT and being 100% alone this time around. Last time I knew one SGL and one Adult Advisor and then another friend me up with us for dinner one night. This year I am going into it 100% alone. I know, I know...not really alone...but alone from the humans I know standpoint! I am more introverted than I appear and some of my childhood shyness (before I became a Theater Geek) still pops up. I know I will be fine when I am with all 200+ leaders at orientation, but I am a little nervous.

One of my friends that I have been in pretty solid contact (minus a few patches here and there) with, Jessica, said to me before I left for RLP that the times she saw me most happy and most relaxed was on the back of a horse. When I look back she was 100% correct. I can't, even now, truly describe how re;axed I felt talking to friends on a trail ride or how free I felt with Sam cantering around the ring when we did a much slower version of a barrel race.

The odd thing is, it's not like I don't have a community. But, with the exception of PK, it is all online and I have pretty much made myself scarce. PK is online as well...but at least we talk every now and then AND we have known one another for over 7 years. My RT needs work. I am single, I am 37 and have NOTHING much in common with the women here at church that are married and have kids. During VBS a group of us were talking and I was able to share some kind of painful stuff and it was received well (it wasn't about me...it was my mom's suicide stuff and can't remember how we even got to that topic) and it felt amazing, but that was a pocket in time.

Not that community is easy. There was one young woman, Noelle, that drove me nuts. I am not sure what got to me. I think some of it was her fairly open rebelliousness and the fact that she had no qualms in teaching others how to be non-compliant and not get caught. She was 19...I was 30. It bugged the heck out of me that she would allow her parents to pay a "zillion" dollars for treatment and yet do these things. We went head to head a lot. We would almost race to new admits to get them to our "side." It was a huge motivator for me to be in charge of Big Sisters/Little Sisters when Amy K. went home. But, I absolutely loved her. Noelle was (still is I am sure) Mormon, but was really open to hear from those of us who were not. She fell in love with the worship music (which her friends didn't understand when she got home) and learned to play stuff on the guitar. I finally got her though! She applied to move up a level and my challenge to her was to no longer have a plastic cup on the table at meals. This is where she hid her butter and bits of food here and there. I have to hand it to her...she hated it, but she came through!

I wrote a letter to her during my family week explaining why I did what I did and it wasn't because I didn't like her...it was because I did. I can't find the letter she wrote me back, but she got it. She understood why and said she was even glad there was someone pushing her. I lost contact with her about 5 years ago.

I could go on and on and on, but I need to get stuff done before I leave for Indiana on Sunday!

Tag Again

Len tagged me and I didn't know it...so I told him I would get to this ASAP.

1. Those Tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus.

2. Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers.

So, here goes. 5 things I dig about Jesus:

1) No matter what a screw up I think I am...He loves me anyway

2) A "steal" from Max Lucado....if Jesus had a fridge...my pic would be on it!

3) Jesus truly does understand EVERYTHING we go through.

4) Jesus died for me...I mean not just me...but if that were to be the case He would have!

5) Jesus loved people no matter who they were...I try but I know I fail a lot!

Okay...since I just had to tag 8 people...if ya want to do this consider yourself tagged!

I Got Tagged...

I was tagged by renee...

Here we go:

rules to play

1. players start with 8 random facts about themselves.
2. those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.
3. players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

1. I graduated from high school at 16

2. I am a huge Disney fan...not the geek I thought I was at one time...but I love Disney/Disneyland

3. At 17 I swore off youth ministry after working as a volunteer JH Director for a summer

4. When I was 18 I got hit by a car crossing the street

5. I have a Bambi tattoo

6. I have never held a job in retail/fast food. My first "real" job was a recreation aide for San Jose Parks and Recreation

7. The community theater where one of "my" kids does plays was my former elementary school and where I was the first Wicked Witch in their community center's very first production

8. I love pink!

I tag:

PK
Mel
Len
Gman
Jeff
Ryan
Brian
Todd

Friend Wheelie Thingy

When I saw this (I think of Marko's blog) I put one on my Facebook and as I have looked at it, it's "interesting." But, it also proves how much I kinda do compartmentalize my life. My wheel is broken up into YS/YMX/YM friends, ED/Treatment/RR friends, Youth Group/Church friends, HP co-workers and then a group of people I know who are not connected to any of the other groups though they could be (some of them anyway).

Not quite sure what to make of it exactly, but it's kins of "weird."

I (Heart) Facebook!

On this 4th of July...I wish I was at work. It is just another for me. One that I have to figure out what to eat/not eat. Although, I did eat oatmeal this morning.

Anyway, I had a friend request on Facebook. Another ado from when I was at RLP. Okay, she is 20 years old now, but back then she was 16!

Lately it has been important to connect with the girls I was at RR with...both times. Not for any particular reason...but right now I just like to be connected with them. The fact that any of the ados remember me is actually kind of cool and amazing.

Triennium is only 11 days away (well...until I leave anyway) and I am really excited about it. This week and next week will be getting to know my material and figuring out what to pack. I don't want to over pack this time. I also want to get a more functional bag for my laptop. Oh...I also need to load stuff onto iTunes to get ready.

I come back and Rob is on vacation which stinks. I dunno...maybe and almost 3 week break will be good.

Mobile Shark Tank

If I wasn't an usher at the HP I wouldn't have "camped out" on the SJ Sharks web site and wouldn't have learned that SVSE comes out with the "Mobile Shark Tank" and sets up street hockey. It was a great end to VBS! They brought the MST, Sharkie and ice cream! What else do we need?!?

All set up and giving instructions

Now if they would just listen to ME this intently! :)

Future Sharks???

Sharkie paid us a visit and played with the kids!

Some VBS Set Up Pix

We somewhat turned Cowpoke Crafts and Missions into a barn.

This is where we held Sing and Play Stampede and Showtime Round Up

This was part of Chadder's Wild West Theater Room

I had this "paneling" for our snack area...it lasted a day, but the "Wanted" signs were up all week!

This was our Day 1 Wild Bible Adventures set up...Rahab's roof!