leader weekend

for years and years we have spent our memorial day weekend at a younglife camp with most of our favorite people, learning more about Christ & what it means to follow him, eating mounds of grub, adventuring & laying in the sun.  last year was our first year out of the habit and it just didn't feel right.  memorial day weekend = leader weekend for us.  this year we were back at it!  instead of virginia we travelled north to michigan.  it was cooler & a bit less sunny but it was still beautiful & had all the perks.

i loved:
-being challenged & taught.  i think everyone left the weekend feeling like God had refined them a little more.  it was really awesome to experience that with dear friends & really process truth.  awesome topics that struck me {and that i'd love to dig into later}:  proximity vs. intimacy with Christ, strategies we use to meet our needs apart from Christ, what it means to make disciples.
-the giant swing that made my stomach jump into my throat
-seeing dear old friends & hanging out with new-er ones.
-having three of our lhs students doing work crew.  i hope that they experienced the joy that it is to serve the Lord.
-being outside
-laughing my butt off:  our friends are funny, program was run by two of my favorites & yes, lexington put on a talent show / skit night.  absolute ridiculousness.
-other fun captured below...

benny driving us up in the suburban that the purdy's so generously let us borrow. its just about the best way to get 7 people somewhere.  we had all the time in the world so we made many stops.  we picked up the poston's at a gas station which is really funny to me, i don't know why.  just picking up people on sidewalk with a bunch of duffle bags is funny.  we also stopped to eat at skyline {woot woot!} and cracker barrell, pit stops at gas stations & even dropped by cabellas {strange for a road trip}.  there were stuffed animals everywhere at cabellas.  i don't mean fluffy toys.  i mean real live animals that are no longer 'live'.  does that make sense?  it was crazy to see all those things so close up.

ominous sky on our drive

once we got there our weekend was so full & good.  one of my favorite things was watching my friends do the ropes course.  heights aren't my favorite thing so i played photographer / cheerleader for the girls.

annie is on the far right. i really wish that i had a video instead of pictures of her. you would love it, undoubtedly love it.

ok...major highlight.  annie & ang decide that it would be great fun to race high up in the air through the trees, fearlessly.  they are both adults.  ang is a mom.  it was one of the most awesome things i've ever seen.  i could barely breathe the laughter was so intense. 

i wish i had a mid-fall pic but it all just happened so fast. baaaaaahahahahahha!  i love you both so much.

kels & mallory were equally exciting to cheer for.  i love these girls very much and was so blessed to spend the weekend with you.  highlight: kelsey singing "if i die young" and little mermaid songs while mallory cries.

the gorgeous property!

and some friend pics to top it off