summer in december.

Tonight I'm taking a break from all my Christmas present preparations and simply reminiscing over my summer.

What triggered this sentimental occasion, you might ask? Frozen lemonade. As you know, I worked at a camp in Iowa for a month this summer. During that time, one of the VERY important things I missed out on was my fair favorite - frozen lemonade. Recently we found it in the freezer section of a store in the Little Apple. I jumped up and down with excitement. Of course, it means a lot more to me than just lemonade. It's walking around the fairgrounds with flip-flips on and getting dust on your toes. It's the catchy annoying country music playing in the background & the small talk you make as you pass people you know. I did miss out on that and so much more. I can't get that back, but to make myself feel better.... I slipped on my usual summer style, pulled my hair into a messy bun, and I watched all the musical performances in High School Musical 2. Joyfully I am still working on my lemonade.

While at camp, my besties and I sang musicals whether we passed one another in the barn, were doing dishes together, or making the fun walk home after a long day on our feet. The one musical that we sang the most was High School Musical 2. We indeed needed to 'Work It Out' so here's what we often sang:

 



 

So, how was camp? Camp was exhausting and emotionally frustrating. While being on my feet from 6AM to 8PM everyday was not exactly my cup of tea, it was easy to rely on God so much more than I do in the comfort of my own home.  I cried homesick tears more times than I'd like to admit, but I know now that the Lord used it all for good. It was a blessing to have such a diverse camp family - no matter how crazy they drove me some days. It was a hard month, but I learned so much. I got to watch the Lord provide the perfect people for me at the perfect times. From a visiting mother of nine that stayed up late talking to me about my dreams of a large family to talking about a junior camper about Africa... from a shooting weekend with a close friend on staff to sitting at the picnic tables talking with my best pals... The Lord didn't send a single person to camp an hour early or an hour late. He gave me the cabin to myself when all my sweet roomies went home for the weekend and old friends to come visit... nights staying up way too late than I should have on the phone either talking or texting... memories of snow cones and movie nights with besties before my departure... It really was a good summer. Looking back, it takes my breath away. It was confusing, ironic, anxious - but it was also completely God-orchestrated and sincere. He truly can bring beauty out of everything.

 

There's my touch of summer in December, folks. Here's to sharing more precious camp memories in the future!

 

Until then... I need to go write a few stories and listen to those songs that bring me back to the Kansas heat, rocking my shades, and our windows rolled down cruising my favorite town.

 

For an extra smile, here's the link to Disney's new movie Frozen's snowman singing about his dreams of summer: In Summerrrrrrr.

 

Thankful for memories that continue to make me smile and the lessons & people that the Lord will never let me forget.

 

-Emilee

 

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