Leadership training week...so far

   I'm back at Calvin!  What a fun and interesting week this has been!  I thought you all might want to hear about it...
   I arrived in Grand Rapids Monday night after a full day of travel and got back to Calvin around 6:00 in the evening.  All the other Sophomore leaders were in a leadership chapel service, and the new freshman were doing orientation related things, so I felt very lonely.  But as soon as my friends got out of chapel, I joined them for dinner and didn't feel so alone any more.  After dinner, I unpacked (with my roommate as my moral support) and then we decorated our room together.
   Tuesday morning most of the student leadership for our dorm was in a meeting, but SET (Social Events Team) was not part of that, so I (a SET leader) went to my room and did various assorted things until lunch.  After lunch, the fun began.
   Calvin College has a traditional dorm-against-dorm competition at the beginning of every school year called Chaos Day.  It's like a giant field day, and the dorms get really into it.  Every dorm has a theme, which they decorate for and dress up for.  Ours this year is board games.  Part of SET team's job is to help decorate.  Tuesday afternoon our dorm executive team got out paints, paint brushes, cardboard, paper, and other craft supplies, and we all got to work.  The above picture is of some of the front windows.  Here are a few more pictures of our handiwork:

 This is a Candyland path into the happiest dorm!

 

Decorating was lots of fun.  Someone had the idea to make a photobooth kind of prop.  I got to help with that.

 





   The next day, Wednesday, was even more fun (and a lot more work).  All the rest of the Freshmen arrived, and we helped them move in!  We got to wear really great shirts.

One of the best parts about We-Haul is that Calvin faculty and staff help, too!  President LeRoy worked with the NVW team for a while, as did a few other professors and faculty members.  I love it - it's such a good example and sets a great precedent for the incoming class and the whole school!
   I think this is going to be a great year. I can't wait!  :D

 

Summer 2014 Highlights

   Well, Summer 2014 is fast drawing to a close!  It went by like the blink of an eye - a sort of "turbo summer".  Haha, oh, well, it was a pretty good summer, even if it was busy.  Here are my highlights, in no particular order.

• Hailey's visit in June!  This was sooo much fun!  (I wanna do it again.)  We went to Disneyland, the beach and In-n-Out, and San Juan Capistrano.  We ate good food and had a fire in the back yard and ate ice cream and enjoyed every minute!
• Summer Concerts with my Daddy!  My parents and I have been to several amazing summer concerts this year.  One of the really fun ones was when we went to see Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys.  I went up and talked to him at the break and told him I moved my last final in order to make it to his concert.  He was so pleased that he hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek! 
• Dance 4 Joy's Summer Conference!  This was an amazing 4 days!  I got to teach Creative Expression in the mornings, which was a new experience for me.  The kids were so great, and blessed me so much.  I also enjoyed being challenged by master teachers in the afternoon as I took Advanced Hip Hop, Advanced Street Jazz, and Advanced Tap and Lyrical classes.  I hope I get to do this again next summer!
• My Washington Vacation!  Obviously...  Haha, even with my unexpected roommate, I still had a beautiful time with my cousins, as I always do.
• Being in a Parade!  What?!  My sister and I were in the Huntington Beach 4th of July parade.  On a float.  Enough said...
• Knott's Berry Farm with the family!  So fun.  We were blessed with tickets through a friend, and enjoyed a great day at Knott's Berry Farms.  In the evening, we watched the Ghost Town Miners Bluegrass band play.  Part way through, they asked for volunteers to join the band and play washboard.  Three little tiny kids volunteered at once.  Then the band looked so sad that I did too.  It turned out to be really fun.  One of the musicians came up to me at the end and said "So you've played the washboard before?"  Haha, I guess if there's ever a dip in the Physical Therapy business, I have another money-making skill...maybe. 
• My lovely relaxing visit with Grandma!  It's always so quiet there...
• Swing dancing with friends at the Cypress summer concert!  That was a blast!  Thanks Michael and Eric and the Veals for joining us!  We should do it again sometime...

Thank you Lord for a great summer!