"Y"ou make me feel...

a guy was recently singing this...I honestly don't know who. It actually may have been Teddy....so that was almost 2 weeks ago. HOLY moly, it's already been 2 weeks without Teddy. that's nuts. Time is flying, but it's sure a lot of fun here.

that's right....i'm in Branson. I drove here last monday & it's been lots of fun from the moment that I arrived. We have a team of 16 people that we are working with here. (10 singles, and 3 couples) The students arrive this Tuesday.

What have I done so far:
-spent one day on the lake with the staff girls
-ate lots of GOOD food
-played games & gone for a late night swim with the singles
-went on the Branson Belle Showboat...such a good time!
-made one walmart trip
-went to First Baptist church this morning....my church I was assigned too
-Found out what my staff job is (socials/banquets) & found out who is is my growth group (5 girls...UT, OSU, OSU, Saginaw Valley State, SFA)
-adjusted to living in a hotel room with my roommate who ALSO graduated from Tech!
-laughed so much with my staff team, they are WONDERFUL.
-found out I'm giving a talk about something I'm very passionate about (to all the girls)
-did soul to soul with 9 staff girls...=starting 8:45am-7:45pm.

I love everything about this so far. The hills make my car struggle....but she survives. She was named Kiwi by one of the staff girls. I'm hoping to get tan this summer, because I will be spending LOTS of time by the pool. We have an indoor & outdoor pool, plus a hottub. We got the hoook up. :)

Tomorrow is work day. We move in all the bunk beds & take out all the hotel beds. It should be fun....for the guys. The ladies baked 200 cookies last night, so we will be organizign that for all the students. Oh I forgot to mention that I got a lime green fleece that says Ozarks Lake-Campus Crusade on it...super nice. AND my project boss (carolyn) made all hte girls INCREDIBLY cute purses. She loves sewing & baking...and we get to be the receivers of that. :)

I will try to not forget about this for another week. It is about to be crazy on Tuesday when students come...

-Kells

"X"cuse me

yes yes...i realize that excuse me starts with an E...but whatever...it works

This has been a phrase ("excuse me?") that has come out of my mouth on multiple occasions while i've been here in Iowa. Granted, this is my 3 time here....but it still manages to amaze me how country & crazy these people are. It's truly a whole other world here....but i love dena, so i can manage. We were going to go on her cart behind the horses today...but it's chilly outside & REALLY windy. We have been just hanging out with family & going around Marble Rock. (pronounced: "Marb roock) You should look up this tiny town...they have 300 people that live here.
















yesterday Teddy and I had our first skype date. it was SO good to see him! I spent the first 5-10 mins just smiling non-stop. Because I've been so busy up here hanging out & doing things & being with my best friend...it really had not set in that we haven't seen each other 5 days. As soon as I got a chance to talk to him & see him at the same time I was overwhelmed with feelings of missing that CRAP out of him. So much that we skyped again later on last night. :) so yes, the feelings of missing him finally set in...even though I'm with one of my bestfriends. But we are also almost a week in...it's going to fly.

it was a beautiful day two days ago & now i'm laying in Dena's bed under 3 blankets...in sweatpants & fleece jacket...oh and I have an electric blanket underneath me on high. it's COLD...well really only 50ish...but there isn't any heat up stairs in her room & it's so stinkin WINDY outside. Because Dena is moving to California in 3 weeks her mom is making her clean out her entire room & throw away all her crap she has. She has been going down memory lane & showing me all sorts of pictures....it's fun.

i can't believe i'm leaving here in 1 1/2 days already....and heading to summer project. Project is going to be a blast. the first week will be only staff, so we will bond a lot. I'm pumped! :)

i'm going to continue writing thank you notes now...well maybe...i wrote 9 yesterday!

-Kells
listening to: Chris August

"W"ay country...

well i'm here! We are headed to Dena's farm right now...

that should explain my title perfectly clear. :)

"V"ery far

I'm about to be very far from home. I'm in Oklahoma right now with one of my summer project friends Taylor. We have kept our friendship pretty consistent throughout the last 3 years! :) I got to be a bridesmaid for her & she is a great friend! We have just been chilling around her & Nathan's new house they bought and ate some food! she's so stylish. Even though she lives in Oklahoma we have seen each other 9 times since Summer 2006! I'd like to think that's pretty impressive :)

yesterday I drove to ft.worth from Lubbock...yep I left my love in good ole' west texas to embark on this journey to iowa & ultimately landing in Missouri for 7 weeks. It was hard leaving him & just weird to say bye...but we did it. It REALLY hasn't hit me yet that I'm gone because it's been only one day...haha...that sounds pathetic. whatever. The longest we've gone is about 2 1/2 weeks...9 is a whole notha scale of missing. I think it will hit me in about a week that I'm not returning home. Yes, this is my vacation right now...but I'm not going home right after. Anyways, got to hang out with my momma Monday evening. That was fun...she joined Facebook & was having a ball finding old students & tons of her "older" friends on there. It's cute (most of the time) when she is learning a new technology. i love her & will miss my parents this summer. My dad wasn't around because he was at state. His mixed double team lost in the semi's of state...still impressive. They are planning on coming to visit me while i'm in Branson---i'm PUMPED!

tomorrow I'm heading to iowa. It's a 10 hour drive, which really isn't that bad. shoot..it takes that long to get to Houston from Lubbock. I plan on catching up with friends on the phone, spending time with the Lord (of course not reading...but praying & singing), and then just rocking out and not thinking about anything. Teddy said that my gps can keep me company because she talks to me here & there...ha! I'm really excited to see Dena & Danielle. Dena is one of my best friends from summer project also. I haven't seen these girls for almost a year & half. I went up there for thanksgiving 2007. I have also been fortunate to have seen them multiple times since summer project. This will be my 3th time up to Iowa. I'm so grateful for the friendships I made from summer project...such a blessing. The Lord knew I would walk away with close friends from Iowa, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Indiana. :)

Oh...my race. I ran it. DANG RIGHT! it was only a 2 mile race, but that is amazing for me. I'm not a runner..at all. I did the couch to 5K earlier this year & lasted 6 out of the 9 weeks. I haven't ran in almost 2 weeks. But I had promised my sister that I would do a race with her before I left for the summer....and I did it. My first mile I walked quite a bit...it was mostly uphill/incline. The second mile I only walked once for maybe 30 seconds...i was proud of my self. I don't put many pictures on this thing now-a-days...but I gotta for the proof. I'm glad I did it. Granted...i was up at 6:30am...but oh well. I can certainly manage that every once in a while. After the race I got the chance to spend the rest of the day with Lori. We had a fun time together & connecting. I really value that time with her. It can become really hard for two best friends to stay at the same closeness when one is on the way to the chapel soon & the other is in a serious relationship...just the reality. I love her & will be talking to her weekly this summer. :)

That night a group of us attended a surprise graduation party for Matt. That was a lot of fun to have us all together. We ate some good food & set by a fire for a while. Later that night we decided to go bowling...I did GREAT. I scored 100 & 104...i can't tell you the last time I did that. I beat Lori once & even beat Teddy in my second game!!! :) I will miss these times & hanging out with these people.

alright...I really need to go to bed! I got a 10 hour drive ahead of me & I'm so excited!! :) sad my stay in OK isn't longer...but I've gotta keep on a drivin!

if you just read this...say a prayer for my safety driving, thanks!
-Kells

currently watching: Rockets completely blow this game...even though they whooped the Lakers last night...boo Lakers...

"U"nbelievable.

i'm at 100%!! From the first day that I started making calls until NOW is exactly 5 weeks....which was my goal. i cried. :)

i'm heading off to my first "race"...out in slaton. I'm only running 2 miles...but it's STILL going to kill me. i haven't been running, but i knew i couldn't back out on my sister. It's a first that's for sure. i'm going to feel it tomorrow....but oh well.

oh did i mention that i woke up at 6:30am for this race...sick.

-Kells

"T"ackling this...

I'm starting the process of packing...well tackling my room that is. I have my last load of laundry in the washer. I'm not taking all of my clothes by any means....but a lot. I mean really...how do you pack for NINE weeks. I remember vividly packing for summer project having no clue what i was doing. I feel more prepared this time around.

So far here is what I have:
12 pairs of shoes
3 dresses
9 solid colored cute shirts
8 patterned cute shirts
6 tank tops
4 pairs of shorts
3 pairs of athletic shorts
3 long sleeves tshirts
15 regualr tshirts
2 pairs of cut off sweat pants
2 pairs of regular sweat pants
3 skirts

I know you are probably thinking...GOOD LORD. Yea basically I could probably get close to not wearing the same thing all 9 weeks. But really, i know there are things i'm packing that I could possibly not wear. I think i'm going to travel in my car with all my shoes in my dirty clothes hamper. I will probably have 2 LARGE suitcases & one smaller one.

I'm lucky because I'm sharing a hotel room with ONE other girl. We will have PLENTY of space. When i was a student going on project...they said you only had 6 inches of hanging space (i laughed out loud). We definitely ended up having more than that...but still. I feel more freedom now that I'm staff. I know it will be ok that i bring this stuff. Plus i will have my car...if my 12 pairs of shoes is too much i will leave some in my trunk :)

tonight Teddy and I are going out to celebrate my birthday. It's not until May 30th. I joke with everyone that its my birthday month because I've ALWAYS had to celebrate my birthday throughout the month of May because people leave early...or i'm gone. When I go home on Monday I'm getting my bday present (GPS!!) from my parents. When i'm in Iowa next week we will celebrate my birthday early....you get the picture. Anyways, tonight is my last night with Teddy all to myself. I'm really happy to be able to spend time with him just us.

Tomorrow night Teddy & I are going on a double date with our new married friends: Calder & Ceri! I'm pumped because we are going to Red Lobster (we said we would go before I left) I love this couple & they truly model a christian couple! I will miss hanging out with them this summer. Calder disciple's Teddy...so i'm sure they will be kickin it this summer! :)

Kim left this morning. Cotter's family arrived today for graduation. i'm hanging out with my sister in the morning, Lori in the afternoon, shelley in early evening, then graduationg party in the evening. It's crazy how busy I am. I'm just trying to cram everything in & make sure I have seen the people I really want to see.

Now that I've successfully kept from packing & getting ready...i'm gonna go. Teddy should be here in about 30 mins! :) can't wait to see my love.

-Kells
Listening to: Dave Barnes-Fancy

"S"tinks...

four full days left.

today was the first day since sunday that I haven't cried. :)

i'm going to miss him so freakin much.

"R"eally fast...

support has been coming in SO quickly. I am now at 91% & I still have multiple decisions to receive from people. :) i'm praying to be finished by sunday...well at 100% by then. I won't be finished until August. I still have people to follow up with throughout the summer. People that said get back to me later....so I will do exactly that.

today started the multiple times of crying in a day kinda thing....about me leaving Teddy. I literally will start thinking about the fact that I'm leaving in 10 days & the tears start rolling. I will probably be a little bawl bag for the next 10 days. pretty positive about it. every time i hug him goodbye it's genuinely hard for me to let go. i will freakin miss him SO much when I'm gone. urgh.

enough. i'm tired & have staff meeting in the morning, followed by a phone appointment with my support coach. this weekend will be chill...so i'm happy about that. we are throwing a going away party this saturday at my partment. i'm sad about it being our LAST party in the 411.

-Kells

listening to recently: Gavin Degraw-Free