July.

Goodbye, July.

You have been wonderful, and a little bit terrible, too.

But mostly wonderful.

This will be a bittersweet farewell.

{image via papertissue}

"Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit."

-Henry David Thoreau

Perspective.

Last night, I talked to a best friend about how every person's life

is changing so rapidly in our little Provo world.

So many 'see you later's and 'nice to meet you's.

In some ways, it is more overwhelming than in others.

Another best friend, who I was corresponding with over Facebook,

said this to me in a completely unrelated conversation:

"Friendship at this age is interesting and lovely to me. We all go different ways and have different plans, but we support each other and love each other through it all."

What a brilliant way to look at it.

{image via fffound}

Especially.

for Youth.

I usually do not have this much energy after a week and a half of sleepless nights.

But this is how I felt for both weeks of EFY!

Excuse the hair, please.

And the ridiculous salmon-colored polo.

I didn't get to pick that out either.

Note to Self:

Try to be this excited/happy about daily life all the time.

For those of you who are confused, I spent two weeks of my wonderfully two-month-long-summer being a counselor for a church camp that is Especially for Youth (aka EFY). It is probably the most wonderful camp in the world. What church was it? Please go {here}.

This is what EFY is made of:

games where you run around like a crazy person, a good 5 hours of sleep every night (unless you are a counselor, in which case you get about 3), dances full of attractive young people, pizza/party night, really hyper counselors so everyone is always laughing, cheers and yelling, swimming, free time, awesome classes, COWs (crush of the week, oh drama), firesides, devotionals, YW/YM activites, service activities, standard lessons, testimony meetings, musical program. You have no idea.

First week: ten 14-15 year old girls were my biggest responsibility. we woke up at 6 together, had devotionals together, ate together, played together, learned together, cried together. they came to me for advice, cried to me about problems at home, asked me for answers to normal teenage questions. "why are boys so mean/dumb?" honey, i still don't know the answer to that. but that was not as deep as it goes. "Breanna, when did you get a real testimony? I believe, but I want to KNOW for SURE." wow, what a growing experience. a 14 year old with such a desire.

Second week: eight 16-18 year old girls. what smart young women. their examples strengthened me more than i could have helped them. it is my responsibility to be all i can be for them that week, so that they can see an older girl with a happy life who is doing all the right things. i tried my hardest. miracles happened this week. so many miracles. i can't even begin to describe the experiences that we had together. also, water came out of my nose this week.

Best team of counselors ever:

i love my life.

i have never laughed so hard.

more pictures to come.