Country drives, cookouts, and campfires.

The past few weeks have been crazzaaayyy. It's been one of those things where a lot of little stuff happens, but you are never actually busy. It's been nice.
So summer is here. For me this means the smell of chlorine early in the morning, the coolness that comes with $5 sunglasses, a reading list a mile long, and the return of s'mores.

Summer means drives on country roads. Never really going anywhere but driving just to drive through fields and past barns and long forgotten cemeteries. The windows down, heat lightning in the distance, and Thrift Shop (you know you love that song too!) up as loud as it will go. If you live in a small town, you learn to appreciate these moments. They are some of the most beautiful.

Summer means cookouts and bonfires with friends. The smell of firewood that always manages to wind itself in my hair. Loud laughter around the circle and the comfortable silence that often follows. The quest for the perfectly roasted marshmallow. A quiet understanding between friends and the occasional game of badminton :)

Summer brings with it the return of sunburns, my overall shorts, and (my favorite part of summer) camp! The camp that I work with is run almost entirely by volunteers. We'll help with a couple of different camps, from the camp for elementary kids that only lasts a day or two to the ones for High Schoolers that last for a whole week. Last weekend, I was able to help with an overnight camp for second and third graders. I was so excited to be  a part of what was the very first camp experience for some of these kids!
Some funny quotes from the weekend:

"You guys have the same face... but especially the same chin!" -A quote from a little girl that was directed at my brother and I. If you know what we look like, you'd probably understand!
                              
"This is our chance to ask the girls to chase us!" -A third grade boy to his group of friends (too cute!)

So that pretty much covers the last couple of weeks! I'm off to a state park with the Jr. Highers from my church tomorrow. Hopefully they'll think I'm cool even though I wear overall shorts!


Song of the post: Baba O'Riley- The Who.