Life.

I got some really sad news from one of my closest friends today. My heart is so heavy for my friend - for what could have been, was going to be, and now just isn't. It is times like these that I struggle with God. I don't doubt that He IS and WILL BE, I don't even doubt that He is ultimately good and that good will come from this situation. But I struggle with the heartbreak. I struggle with the questions of "Why??" and "Where is the good right NOW?".

This friend is so dear to me. They are there for me when I need them and they make me laugh, understand my frustrations, and they give sound advice. They are loyal, trustworthy, fun, and I want to take away that heartache but I know that isn't possible; a lot of learning and healing and growth will happen here first. I am sure that this is something that gets carried with you for many years if not for always. But I hope that one day, they will be able to look up and see that it doesn't hurt so bad and there are glimmers of good hidden in that darkness.

June Birchbox!

After a no-good morning, I am super thankful to come home and find this beauty in my mailbox!

It's time for my June Birchbox opening and testing!

 

The theme this month is Wanderlust...

 

Birchbox re-branded this past month so this is their new little logo - not a big change but the little diamond at the end is new. However, as you will see below, the inside of the box is chevron so I am a big fan!

First opening but let's move on...no spoilers!

They are still a big fan of the inner folded box...guess it makes you think you got more stuff! Again, newly brand logo!

I got a Klorane brand dry shampoo which is pretty awesome because I read all about them but I haven't actually tried one. I am a "can't wear the hair the second day because it is too greasy" kind of gal so I am really looking forward to trying this!

This is a Suki brand exfoliating/foaming cleanser. I am pretty stickler about what I grind into my face because I have fairly sensitive skin sonI might actually try this on my feet!

I saw this on the Facebook teaser...LAQA & CO. brand lip duo - a lip pencil with a creamy finish, it touts. It was actually neat because Birchbox had around 50 of their staff try on this same color to show you that it might look bright but it could look good on many skin tones. Fun!

Birchbox also opened new outposts in Spain and France during their rebranding. This month, they did a special Color Club nail polish for all 4 of their countries. I sort of hoped that I didn't get the US color because it was this off-white - and the others were pretty pastels - but now that I got it, I am pretty excited about it. It is really a pale, pale pink that I think will look fun on toes with dots painted on them!

I also got another Twistband hair tie with seahorses on it so I am willing to give these a second try. I have VERY thick hair so the last one didn't make it through one ponytail before it gave out so crossing my fingers on this cutie!

 

My sister still rocks out with this gift!

Anticipation.

One of the trips I am looking forward to the most the summers is our annual trip to Biloxi. Mom, Dad, and I have been going to Biloxi the week of July 4th since I started working for the GS...so I guess this really does make it year 4! Dad does a great job of holding down the blackjack table while Mom and I do a great job of sitting by the pool, reading, drinking adult beverages, and tooling around Biloxi and Ocean Springs. There is a little art museum and a chocolate shop that we always find ourselves strolling by/through/in and I enjoy the time with my parents and not having to share.

But this year, we are adding my fun friend Jess to the mix! We haven't had anyone go with us in our 4 years so I think it will be fun to show her around our little vacation stomping ground! We've been travelling to Biloxi for YEARS now...I'm not even sure how many but I was either in late elementary school or middle school when we started heading there. We used to pull a 5th wheel trailer and camp at a great KOA campground in Ocean Springs and I have great memories of those trips. Somehow we never ended up there in the summer and I can even remember being there once when we ran out of propane in the middle of the night (our heat source!) and it being crazy cold - so much so that we worried about pipes freezing! We stay at the casino of Dad's choice now which is great - view of the bay, salt water pool, plenty of chairs for lounging. It'll be a great vacation - one I am very much looking forward to!

A Summer of Travel.

I shall reiterate again that I truly do love my job. There aren't many people I know who can say that (and most of them are my co-workers!) so I know I am among the highly blessed. However, my dedication to said job + my guy's work schedule keep us away from each other more than we would like. This has led us to make some changes to our lives, to be more intentional with our time together, changes that I would have liked to not have to make but are necessary. I schedule my flex time when I know he will be off work and we can spend some time together and I try to be available the weekends that he is off work. However, if you thought my 6 weekends in a row this spring were busy, this summer looks even busier (mostly because the travel is more extended with fewer nights in my own bed!).

It started with a 7 day work week this week - Sunday at a celebration for girls who have achieved the highest honors in Girl Scouting - the Gold and Silver Awards. 5 days of normal work including 2 days in Knoxville and this Saturday will be spend co-leading a training for most of the day. Next week I just have one day in Knoxville and the following week I will be in DC from Wednesday to Saturday. The last week of the month holds 2 days at camp and then 3 days - over the weekend - in Virginia at an event that another council does for older girls that we are going to chaperone/check out. July brings a week long trip to Columbus and Biloxi with my parents (our 3rd Annual...or is it 4th?), a couple events, and 2 more 2-day trips to camp.

As I said in an email to a friend, I'm tired just thinking about it.

Weekend doesn't equal no work.

One of the downers about Chad's job is that he has to work every other weekend. It is consistent so we can plan a few weekends out but knowing you are going to be stuck working every other one is such a downer; not that work is bad! We are thankful that we both have paying jobs that we feel fulfilled in doing. But knowing that we aren't going to get to spend that might time together is really the downside to all of it. I think we have both handled it well but on weekends like this one, it seems to just get to me a little more...

We got up yesterday and both worked out - he with a friend and bikes at the battlefield and me with a friend at the YMCA. I am glad we went but looking back, it just means more time away from each other when the time together is scarce. We came home and pretty much did chores until he had to leave for work - and I spend the rest of the afternoon doing the same. (Literally - all the laundry is done, grocery shopping done, lunches and dinners made for most of the week, kitchen cleaned, car cleaned out, sheets washed/changed, etc.) It was a long day that didn't end until midnight for me and then I got a text from my guy that he would have to stay at work all night and work a double shift. Ugh. Thus is life but sometimes it stinks. We had plans to hang out a few minutes together this morning before I have to leave town for Knoxville.

I'm not complaining - well maybe a little - but we are so very thankful for work and paychecks that it is hard to NOT be. I just wish our schedules were a little more synced so we could spend more time together. So, that being said, Chad just needs a little more time where he is to become vested in the retirement system. He can then start looking for work at other hospitals that might have a better schedule. Please say a prayer that something divinely designed will come along. :)

Work goodness.

I have spent a majority of this week making contacts at other councils to see what they are doing to retain teen girls in their programs. I know that there are some things that won't translate to our council for a number of reasons - we have a lot of rural areas, we cover a fairly large geographical area compared to the councils surrounding us, etc. - but I also know that there are some councils that are really "getting it right" and I want to learn from them. So, I have had a couple of really great hour long phone calls with some ladies from a variety of councils near us and they have some really cool ideas for events and activities that they are currently using for older girls. One is so awesome that I am going to try to head up to VA to see the weekend event in action to see if it is something we can replicate in our council.

It was such a pleasure to talk to ladies who are so passionate, excited, and driven to make sure that girls have the best GS experience possible. And that these girls stay in the program long enough to get the full benefits of our programming at the older grade levels. I absolutely love my job and on days like this when I can connect with other people who do something similar and love it just as much...well, that is icing on a very tasty cake.

Weekend livin'.

Sorry it has been all quiet here on the eastern front...life has just been mighty busy.

This week at work has - somehow - been especially busy as we are gearing up for summer and trying to finish as many things up prior to most people taking time off this summer. I went in late this morning after "sleeping in" with my guy (a.k.a. listening to the dog bark and my guy snore through it all) and I meant to leave mid-afternoon but just...didn't. I actually got tons done, as is the norm on Friday afternoons when most people have saved their flex time and aren't in the office. Working two positions and trying not to let either slip is tiresome but enjoyable - surprisingly.

I made a quick trip to Knoxville yesterday to interview and hire the final member of our Teen team and I couldn't be more thrilled with out how worked out. We have a great team of positive, energetic, passionate, team-players who believe in the mission and goals of keeping older girls in the program as long as possible. We are already big dreaming with some cool plans for international travel, local events, and fun weekends. Think....culinary arts weekends at camp and campus tours and NYC. It is going to rock. I had about an hour long chat with a staff member at another council in FL and they have some cool ideas that I hope we can incorporate too. I love it when we can share things that work and not reinvent the wheel, so to speak. I have not - thankfully - had any jobs that I truly disliked. Even working retail was entertaining and flexible during a time in my life when that was important. But this - this I love.

My guy is off this weekend - except for a half day of work at the pool finishing instructing a lifeguarding class. I am thrilled that we are going to get to hang out together some and I have been living for this weekend for a while. Family plans for some pool time and a cookout so I am pretty excited.

I'll leave you with this pic of my guy and his friend A at the race from last weekend. A good trail half-marathon and these two still look great at the end - how do they do it??

Photo credit: Mark McKnight (event photographer)