Camp Days

On the IPOD "California Girls" By: Katy Perry

So this weekend was amazing! We left Dallas on Friday night after work and got to Waco at about 11:30. My Israel trip "Garin Greene" all had met at a local bar and we were the last to arrive. There is truly nothing better than seeing faces that changed your life. Some I have not seen in 15 years, but I can honestly say that we just picked up where we had left off. There was no fakeness or power struggle, it was just old friends hanging out and talking about their lives. After about an hour at the bar we moved to the hotel and everyone came to hang out in our room. We talked and laughed till 3 in the morning!

The next morning a group of us met for breakfast at IHOP. This might have been my favorite part of the trip, we were loud and funny and real. We gave updates from friends who weren't able to get to camp. Not much has really changed except that we all grew up and most have real jobs now, some are married, some are divorced, some are still looking... a few have kids, a few are pregnant, and some are still growing up themselves. We had at least a 10 minutes discussion about the "Shake Weight" that included demonstrations. We talked about our Israel trip and who we hooked up with. We touched on politics and the real world. And we promised to meet as much as possible! At the end of breakfast we lost a couple, who had to get back and we said our goodbyes and headed to camp.

Not much has changed in Bruceville, Texas. There hasn't been any massive growth, the houses look older but pretty much the same. Camp on the other hand has changed. There are new buildings and a new courtyard, what we used to call the shortcut, which was a steep valley through the middle of camp that was covered in loose rocks and I'm sure sent a few to the infirmary, is now paved and much less steep. There is a new zip line and new lake activities and there is even a zoo! I ran around with everyone about half of the day and then I retired to the arts and crafts room to make lanyards while my husband, along with the rest of the group, went to canoe, which let me assure you was completely fine. We ate dinner and had song session and by that point I was exhausted and although I didn't want to leave everyone and I definitely didn't want to leave camp, I knew we had a long drive home. So we hugged and said our goodbyes and walked to the car while my all time favorite camp song was playing in the background. It was the perfect day!

Of course yesterday I was beat, I think I slept most of the day and only really got up to go over to my friend Amy's house for one final hang out with her and her sister Debbie, who had come in town for the reunion.

It is amazing how much one place changed my life...It is also incredible to have such a strong group of friends who are able to just pick up where they have left off. No explenations, no hard feeling, no harsh expectations, just true friendship that has lasted more than half of our lives. I hope that my kids will be able to have the opportunity to spend their summers at this amazing place in the middle of Texas. And I hope to be back in 5 years so that my four year old can experience it for the first of many times.

To all of my camp friends who have changed my life forever, there is really no way to thank you for the impact you have had in my life other than just to say that I would not be the person I am today without your friendship and I never could have asked for a better group of friends.

xoxo chef a

Camp, Snacks, and Airplanes

On the IPOD "Leaving On A Jet Plane" By: Peter, Paul, and Mary

So the big day has come, as soon as Mike gets off work tonight we are off to the Greene Family Camp Reunion. The best part about it is that tonight a group of kids that I spent an amazing 5 weeks in Europe and Israel with in 1995 are meeting up to talk and reminisce and drink, well that is except for me! I just can't wait for Mike to experience the wonderful place where I truly grew up. Yay!!!!!

Yesterday was the first day that while driving home from work I felt the most intense hungry wave come over me. It was not like my normal, "oh I'm bored maybe I'm hungry..." It was more of a, "Dude, pull over this minute and get a freaking cracker before I hurt you!" And I did...I pulled into the closest gas station and got a bag of crackers. I guess the time has come for me to carry around a stash in my purse!

I finally booked my airfare for the chef convention at the end of July that I'm speaking at! It honestly kills me to pay for airfare... I guess it's the thought that I'm paying $400 for 2 hours (which really ends up being 4 hours because you have to get there so early) of being utterly uncomfortable. I'm all about upgrading but not for a 2 hour work flight! Anyways it should be an interesting trip considering I'll be pregnant and I'll be at a higher altitude, let's all pray that I'm over this sick feeling by then...

I can't wait to get done with work and be on the road to Bruceville, Texas. I'm even more excited to tell you all about it when I get back...even the camp food which by the way, I'm totally looking forward to!! And then two short days after I get back and we will know if we will be seeing blue or pink. What an exciting week that will change everything...

xoxo chef a