Chapter 4: Full Bloom

Get a cup of coffee and settle down for a bit. This one could take a while.

Well, the first week of the legendary summer has past, and week two is in full bloom. Last Monday thru Friday I was a counselor at Byron Bible Camp. As people have asked me how it went, my response normally goes, "Well, exhausting yet inspiring all at once." And it's true. While the jr high girls that I had in my cabin were full of wishful pranks and never once went to bed before midnight, their hearts were tender and compassionate. The days were long- being outside for most of the day, but during those moments of solitude I realized how fortunate I was to have the opportunity to be where I was. I often felt like I was learning more from the kids than they were learning from me, which I think happens a lot in these situations.





























On Saturday, my long-time friend Laura Brosnan was wed to Jon Furer. It was a beautiful wedding, and the bride was glowing. Possibly the most touching part of the wedding was the ceremony itself. Laura and Jon really seemed to want to have an impact on their family and be a vessel to show Christ’s love through their big day. Needless to say, I was full of tears over and over again. After stuffing myself with steak and potatoes at the reception, me and a bunch of old friends danced the night away. We just had a blast!















On Sunday I packed up and headed out to the Hills to finally re-unite with my love, dad, and Reed. I think I truly forgot how beautiful South Dakota really is. There are so many different types of terrain in this state, that I wonder what I was thinking when I would tell people that SD isn’t really that interesting. Anywho, when I stepped out of the vehicle, I hardly recognized Steffen at first glance! I’ve never seen him this tan, and he was sporting his contacts as well- which gave him the most handsome look! It was great to see dad and Reed and catch up with them all. We pulled up to the KOA, which is where the three guys are staying for the month of June, and dad was pretty excited to show me his latest RV purchase “The Superchief.” Pretty awesome indeed.

Yesterday Reed, Steffen, and I went over to Wind Cave National Park. Pretty cool- and we got in free since it was the first day of summer! Score. Around noon we headed over to the land to work for the rest of the day. Well, let me correct myself- the guys worked for the rest of the day. I bummed around taking pictures, exploring, and picking wildflowers the whole afternoon. But man! Dad’s property is spectacular! A naked eye can see for miles and miles out. Dad has 11 acres and it’s all at the top of a steep hill. Three weeks have passed and they’ve already made some ground. Ha. Literally. Dad has to create a plateau for the house to rest on, which takes a lot of time, I guess. It was pretty cool to see them all at hard work. Dad just smiles from ear to ear as he tells me all about where his land is and what will go where. I’m pretty excited to see the results.

WIND CAVE:





HOME ON THE RANGE:

































Welp, that’s about it for now. I’m fairly happy about this summer so far. I’ve been able to spend some quality time with my immediate family, and I am super glad I got the opportunity to counsel at BBC. I hope that the rest of this week I can continue to spend more time in the Word and finish up the book I’m reading, A Severe Mercy. Off to reading- ta ta for now, folks!