fun family photos

i love my family! it's true. i have been blessed in a huge way with a family that loves! my parents and sister were able to fly out and see me this past week...and it was such a great time! (we missed you chad, cara, and mike!) i actually just dropped them off at the airport today...and i drove away with tears in my eyes because sometimes God just overwhelms me with the good things that he pours out on me. as good as it is out here in california and i believe that this is where God has me for this time, it's still hard to say goodbye to family. this week i was able to show them where i've been and what i've been up to for the past six months. the mountains to the island...and more in between. for those of ya'll back in rockford, make sure to ask my fam about the lovely boat ride back from the catalina. haha, it was a memorable time. :) oh...and let me just tell the whole world right now and any that's reading this blog...my sister makes the cutest pregnant woman ever! you can't get away from it, kari...you're simply beautiful!

until next time,

brooke.

p.s. i just realized that the hippo picture is kinda random....but come on, they're pretty sweet creatures!

one kid's perspective on being grown up...

so i was talking with one of the campers today...and she was asking me about where i live and whether or not i still live with my parents. i could tell that her little brain was thinking real hard about what it all meant and what that would be like. then she says to me, in her cute little six-year-old voice..."you're so lucky. you get to make all your own decisions, and you get to have candy whenever you want!" she made me laugh outloud! sometimes i think about how easy it is to be a kid...the respsonsibility is at a minimum...you've got the rest of your life ahead of you, but she helped me realize that one of the perks of being a twenty-something is that i can eat sour patch kids and twizzlers for breakfast, if i so choose. :)

hey...

hi friends! i fully realize that little river hasn't kept ya'll updated on her adventures lately, but hey...thanks for hanging with me. :)

first of all...this precious little girl is one of my favs. her name is olivia, and i have had the joy to spend last week and this week with her here at camp in newport beach. she's awesome...that smile tells it all.

summer camp is wrapping up pretty soon, and i'm finishing it up here on the mainland. island living is certainly fun, but i'm not gonna lie, i like having a dairy queen down the road and a church that i can go to. i'm here for a few more weeks and i'm going to soak it up before i head back to emerald bay for the fall season.

unfortunately, adventures aren't always happy-jump-for-joy ones...last week i had to say a goodbye to an awesome friend. somewhat suddenly, sharayah left to go back home to pennslyvania. our friendship has been one of my great california adventures...and i'm so thankful for it. but i miss her a lot.

on a brighter note, my wonderful parents and my lovely pregnant sister (yes...for those of you that may not know...kari is pregnant!!!) are flying out to california in exactly ten days. that's right. :) i'm going to enjoy playing tour guide as i show them a piece of life here. it's gonna be so good to see them once again!

alright...i gotta run. the sunshine is calling my name.

love,

b.