See you later

See you later, instead of goodbye. That has been my motto for the past week. It has FINALLY hit me like a ton of bricks that this is it. I have 3 days of high school left, and one week until I am officially a high school graduate. Up until that amazing, sad, exciting, nerve-racking day...I have to think of how to deal with talking to people and writing in their yearbooks without saying goodbye..because I just refuse.

Monday night was one of the hardest nights I've had. It was my final Wyldlife club with some of the greatest middle schoolers that I've spent the past two years with, and it was my last ever Younglife club with the family that has shaped me the past 4 years. I can honestly say that I knew it would be hard...but not nearly as hard as it actually was. Wyldlife club was an emotional one to begin with because it was one of the more intense ones that we've done. We had a beyond amazing singer and friend come play guitar and sing a couple of worship songs...ah, she is just GREAT. :) (thanks Natalie!!) and we played the Everything skit, which is a few blogs down there...but it was just amazing to see the middle schoolers so captivated..God is doing awesome things in their lives and I can't wait to see where life takes them!

Then, we had a little leader dinner for the last time. Ryan and Aliah have been huge parts of my life within the last two years and they gave me a very special card and gift card and said something nice about each of us, which was just great. Finally...Younglife Club rolled around. It started out as a normal club, playing games and such. Until they played a slide show of all the clubs we've had this year..with graduation songs in it. That's when I began to feel every rush of emotion rolled into one. Hahah. It was senior night so the songs, and a lot of different things were all related to the seniors. Ryan called the seniors up to receive a Younglife pin to wear on our gowns and that's when we lost it. I then had to start giving hugs and say the word "goodbye, but we WILL see each other!" to many people who I absolutely adore.

I know I've talked about Younglife in nearly every single post..but I can't begin to explain what Younglife and the people in it, has done for me in the last 4 years. The words "it changed my life" is an understatement. I would NOT be the person I am today without it. So sitting there for the last time was the hardest thing I will probably have to say goodbye to this year. I am so so so blessed for the family it gave me and the things I learned. It will forever be the best part of my high school career and I can't believe it's all over. I can look back and truly know that God purposely put it and everyone in it in my life for a reason. So. Amazing.

Today, I had to say goodbye to my first grade class that I've been working with the past 12 weeks. Oh BOY are they great. One of the girls, Elyssa, got me a dog that had a graduation cap on and it was adorable. They also all wrote me letters and my teacher gave me a card/gift card. I was overwhelmed with love from each of them and I'm so thankful I got to have that experience and feel like I made a difference in their life. That will be one of my favorite memories from Senior year and my heart is just so happy :)

As I finish out these last 3 days strong, I will sign all the yearbooks as if I will be seeing them next year. It's going to be an emotional rollercoaster but I one hundred percent know that I am SO EXCITED to graduate from Chaparral High School on May 26th :) :) I will have a full report after that exciting, amazing day. Then, I will be officially college bound!

See you later :)

It's all beginning to end

Boy oh boy..I have never been more happier to be a senior than I am right now. These past two weeks have been nothing short of AMAZING. I am finally realizing that I may actually miss all this. I never thought I would actually want to turn back time while in high school, until now.

I will start with Prom. May 7, 2011. What a night to remember. I got to spend it with the best people ever and I couldn't have asked for anything better!

We started out taking goofy and crazy pictures at Ponte Winery then headed to Dana Point for dinner at Salt Creek Grille, which was RIGHT by the ocean and so beautiful.
Then, we headed towards the venue but before that, a firetruck picked us up. YES, a firetruck took all of us to our Senior Prom..legit? Oh you know it.

We all danced the night away and it was great..but one of my favorite parts about this dance was just relaxing by the firepit or dancing to the jazz band on the upper deck with all my friends and my wonderful date. We ended this fantastic night at a hotel where we talked, laughed, and hung out. I have the BEST friends ever and I'm so blessed :)

Next, was Disney Grad Night. May 12th-May 13th. I'm not going to lie, I was a little afraid that I was going to be WAY too tired, and end up not having that much fun. But it was the complete opposite. Haha.

Before we went to the school, Hannah, Amanda, and I went to Starbucks to get some caffeine. We each got drinks that had 4 shots of expresso in it..umm yeah. Then on our way we had some 5 hour energy drinks, so basically we were wired. Hahah. But this truly lasted me all night long. The bus ride was fun, happy, and so enthusiastic. Bus number 5 killed it. Just saying. My group that I was with all night was fantastic, and was all about 20 people. So going on rides was insane and fun..because we all managed to stay together. The first ride we decided to go on (which everyone else did too) was Space Mountain. We literally were trampled from all the people but was it worth it? Oh yeah. We also hit the dance floors through out the night which was also incredible. Never thought I would go dancing at 2 in the morning in Disneyland. BUT I did.
I was going strong until about 4:15 am..then I started to crash. I ended up taking a couple of twenty minute power naps and then finally headed back to the bus at about 5:15. You could say that after I showered and ate something, I crashed at about 8:00 am until 3:00 pm. Disney Grad Night=COMPLETE success. Thanks to my lovely group for making it so amazing :)

I have seven school days, and twelve full days until I graduate. I know I've posted how ready, and excited, and also about how I can't believe it..but at this very moment..those emotions are at and all time high. My brain literally can't wrap my brain around it. But I know that I will have these memories to look back on forever..and I'm so glad that they were amazing ones. :)

Just Be

I've been thinking about Work Crew a lot lately. It will be two years in July since I spent the hardest, most amazing three weeks of my life with the greatest people on earth. It doesn't seem real to me that THAT much time has gone by. I had just finished my Sophomore year when I left for Oregon and now I'm graduating. Too crazy for me to wrap my head around.

Anyway, the reason why I've been thinking about it is because every time I'm handed something painful, or a really hard situation when I feel my weakest, I remember how much I grew that summer and how hard I worked all for God's glory. I often times take for granted the people that I met and how they are continuing to help me grow..even from all over the United States.

Throughout that summer I learned how to be who I am, accept who I am, and really know what it's like to put my all in something that is so much bigger than myself. As a housekeeping team, our theme of the session was 'Just Be'..I think that I run around like a chicken with my head chopped off WAY too much. I let stress get the best of me and I honestly try to juggle way too many things at once. I really truly feel like I can do it all on my own and I keep getting signs saying that I can't. I know I can't. I sometimes will have to rely on others to keep me in check, and I will have to let go of what I cannot control.

I think this may be one of my biggest flaws. I let everything consume me to the point where I eventually break down. I can't do that anymore. I have to let it be. and just be. So that is my new thought process when I get way too overwhelmed for my own good. Haha.

Prom is this Saturday and we FINALLY have it all worked out. I'm going with every single one of my closest and dearest friends and I cannot wait. :) All this craziness will definitely pay off after this night I will never forget.

Don't forget to breathe...cause I kinda forget to every once in a while.