where did 2012 go?

If you are familiar with Young Life camp life at all, you know that it is fast paced and crazy.  So May 2012 rolled around and the next thing I realize is that 2013 is here already.  It's been an eventful last few months full of exciting, difficult and lovely things.  Here are a few...

May, June, July & August | the camp season was in full effect.  Thousands of guests floated up and down the inlet, events were held, music blared, bellies laughed and people were loved.  Among many other things, my favorite part of the summer season is my Guest Services Intern Team.  They are critical to camp operations and make my life and job so much better.  On day 3 of the summer camp week, my interns come to my house for breakfast and bible study very early in the morning before we start the work day.  One particular day 3 morning, we ate, studied and prayed for the day and then in the 15 minutes before work started, they dragged out nap mats and slept on my floor.  It warmed my heart to find them like this, resting with full tummies and full hearts.

Late August & September | If you run in YL circles or know anyone connected to Malibu, you might have heard about one of our staff members suffering a massive aneurysm  in camp.  It was at the same time the most terrifying and unifying experience I've ever had.  Terri made a miraculous recovery over the days and weeks after August 27th.  The tears that were shed, the prayers prayed and the bonds that formed during those trying few weeks changed us all.

October & November | In October I turned 30.  In November our family took a trip to San Diego and monumentally took my niece and nephew on their first trip to Disneyland.  It was so much fun to walk through a Disney park looking through the lens of a child.

Then on Thanksgiving day, while helping my mom cook dinner, I lost a wrestling match with an acorn squash and brutally sliced open my finger.  I debated and even tried to convince my dad I didn't need to go to the ER, but the blood kept flowing and so I got my first ever stitches.  As it turns out it is the official injury of Thanksgiving.  I was greeted by nurse after nurse who said, "Oh you've cut yourself too huh?"

December | My little sister got married, we spent New Year's up @ Malibu with our interns.

January | I spent almost all of January interviewing intern candidates for our 2013 intern class.  It's possible other things occurred, but I was mostly on the phone for 2 hour increments interviewing some fine young folks.