Sept 4, 2010

Today marks the last Saturday at Gun Lake for the summer. Both of my sisters are here with their husbands and kids. For some reason neither of the brothers could make it up this weekend. After supper we made a fire and roasted some s'mores. The pictures for today are from around the campfire.

Sept 3, 2010

Today was my last full day at the office. It is hard to believe summer is coming to a close. I will admit I am ready for a new change of place and classes to start. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED working in the Housing Office for Residence Life this summer, but it is time for a new routine. I still can't believe that it was one year ago when my journey as an RA started. I learned so much in this last year about myself and about others. Although it was not always easy, I would not have traded it for the world. I am certainly going to miss things about being an RA, but I know that with the demand of senior year I would not have been able to do it. I am going to miss always having 200+ people around to talk with and do crazy things with. I am going to miss my floor and the community of BV. I lived there for 3 years, 2 years as a resident of 3rd Veenstra and 1 year as an RA of 2nd Veensta. BV was my home in every possible way and shaped so much of my Calvin experience. It is impossible for me to talk about college without talking about Beets-Veenstra. I am also going to miss my floor. They were great and crazy in every way and each and everyone of my 40 residents means the world to me. I learned something from each of them, even if they don't know it. Finally I am going to miss my staff. The 7 of us shared so many laughs, tears, memories, challenges, floods, fires, and much more in our time together. Each of them too mean the world to me and I can not imagine my year as an RA without them. We experience a lot together and because of that we truly understood what being an RA was all about.

Today's picture is also a flash back. Ya I know I am cheating, but I make the rules :) This picture if of my staff from the end of the year. I love them, no questions!
Today I got to talk with Rachel, one of the RAs from my staff, and it was absolutely lovely. I miss her lots since she has moved on and is now working as an Assistant Resident Director in Georgia. I am so thankful for phones and skype to keep in touch with her and so many other people that have graduated from Calvin.

Sept 2, 2010

Welcoming Corrine!
Our 4th housemate moved in this week. Corrine lived on 3rd Veenstra with Kendra and I our freshman year. She graduated from Calvin this past year and recently found a job in GR thus she needed a place to live. It is so much fun to have her around as it was hard to keep in touch last year while I was an RA and she was finishing up her senior year. We are now a duplex of 4 and for this I am thankful!

This picture is from Winter 2007. Crazy how time flies. I am so thankful for the wonderful friends I met while in BV. My time at Calvin would not have been the same without them.

Sept 1 2010

Friends,
So sorry it has been so long. It is time to start fresh now that I have my computer back and working.

This summer has been absolutely great. I have spent my summer working in the Housing Office at Calvin matching roommates, placing students into the dorms, helping with RA training, printed over 2500+ ID cards and bus passes, and other various odd jobs as needed. I am so glad to still be involved with Residence Life. After 3 years of living in the dorms, being and Activities Coordinator sophomore year, and then an RA junior year, had I not been involved at all I would have been having major with drawls from it all. Today was move-in day on campus for the Freshman. It is days like today that bring me back to Freshman year. At times it seems like just yesterday my roommate Kendra and I were moving into 358 Veenstra, however that was 3 years ago. Although a lot has changed, so much remains that same too. After working in housing I have a new appreciation for Kendra as we could have been matched with anyone! It is hard to believe that Senior year is about to start. AHH!!!! Lord willing at this time next year I will be starting a new teaching job somewhere in the world. I can't wait to see what crazy adventures await this year.

Today's picture was not taken today, but its a flashback to Freshman year. On this particular day that the picture was taken Kendra found $10 on the path as we were walking.