Back in California

I have been back in California for a few weeks now. I didn't think to post anything on the blog about it because I have been assuming that everyone who reads my blog knows me, either from California or New Jersey. However while I have been here I have found out that people who I don't know or have never met has been reading my blog. This is a total surprise to me! So, I figured I should come on and say hi to everyone who has been tracking my story who I haven't met before. I also wanted to make sure that everyone knows that I won't be posting anything until after the New Year. I am returning to New Jersey the first week of January and will start the blog up then.

I hope everyone has a great holiday season :)  

Durchak Home Update

In my last post I mentioned that we were going to be starting Barbara Durchak's house and that I was really excited about it! So, here is an update. A large group came the first day of demolition and did an amazing job! At the end of the day, Crew Leader Joe told us that the amount of work that the group had done in that one day was equivalent to what groups have done in three days on past demolition jobs! That blew my mind, but I believe it. They had filled up an entire 30 foot dumpster and that dumpster was the most organized, beautiful dumpster I have ever seen (which is good because the more organized a dumpster is, the more stuff you can fit in it)!

The kitchen of the house before demolition

What the kitchen looks like after demolition 

We also found some cool crate lids which were used as the flooring in the attic of the house (which is thought to be over 100 years old). The label found on the crate (as seen directly above) reads, "Perishable, No Delay" and is dated 3/29/46!

Work on the house has been consistent even since that first demolition day. The highlights for me have been smashing up the chimney and taking it down with nothing more than a hammer (which was SO fun!), and pulling down an extension of the house that had to come down so that the house can be raised.

Me and my hammer taking down the chimney 

The mess I made while taking down the chimney!

What the little side room looked
like after I was done with it :) 

I love this entire family. They are the most lovely, kind and grateful people I have ever met. I love going to their house to work for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons is that I get to see them and spend some time with them, which always brightens my day! I am looking forward to continuing this journey with them. 

     

Morris Home Dedication

A moment of reflection on the Morris home dedication:

The Morris Home: Beginning to End

It took place last week. It was a gorgeous day- not a cloud in the sky. I arrive to the house early to help set up the festivities. As I was driving to the house, I realized that it would probably be the last time I took that drive, which has become a drive that I really enjoy. The majority of the drive is on a small curvy road that follows the river. The road is full of large trees, little ponds, and extravagant houses to gawk at. I had the realization that it would be the last time making the drive when I was going over the large bridge where the seagulls hang out and I instantly regretted that I hadn't driven a little slower and enjoyed the ride.

The event went smoothly. Everyone had a great time, the home looked beautiful, the speeches were moving and there were these really delicious brownies with cherries on them at the reception. It was an amazing feeling standing on the front lawn of the home with all of the guys who I had shared weeks building the home with. The best part of the day and the one thing that I know I will never forget is Leslie Morris coming up to me at the end of it all and giving me a big hug and personally thanking me for all of the work I did building her home. The feeling of that moment is indescribable. All that I can say is that it felt good and so so right.

The Morris Home

Tomorrow I am going to the demolition of the Durchak home. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of spending a few hours with Barbara Durchak whom I felt connected to by the end of our time together. The demolition tomorrow is going to be exciting because it is the start to the new beginning that Barbara and her family so deserve. A new beginning is a beautiful thing which everyone deserves. I was reminded of it's beauty when Leslie gave me that hug at the dedication. I am so lucky to be able to enter these amazing people's lives and be apart of their journey and new beginnings.

1 Kings 19: 21

I'm pretty sure that I have mentioned in a previous blog post that I tell my story of why I am in New Jersey often. There are always new volunteers on site and people at church for me to recite, "I'm from California and I took a year off from school so that I could come here and work for Habitat to help with Sandy re-build." There are always follow up questions... "What school did you go to?", "What grade are you in?", "What part of California are you from?" (I swear I have said the word "Sacramento" a couple hundred times since I have been here) and then I clarify that, yes, that is Northern California. Sometimes I get, "Where are you living?", "Who are you living with?", "Wait... so are you here with your family or are they still in California?" I answer their questions and at the end of it all I am faced with a myriad of responses. 

A lot more than I would have ever expected I have people tell me that I am very brave for doing what I am doing. That at my age, they wouldn't have been able to do what I have done. Hearing this repeatedly has taught me something about myself that I didn't expect to learn about myself. I now see that I am a much stronger and braver person than I thought I was. I probably never would have seen it if so many people hadn't told me it with such confidence and sureness. 

Before I left California, one of my favorite teachers from high school told Avonlee and me that a lot of times he worries for our generation but that we gave him faith in our generation and hope for the future. I was so taken a back when he told me this because it is such a strong statement and honestly I thought it was a silly thing of him to say. Don't get me wrong, I was flattered, but I also didn't really think I fit the bill. I am just some girl who likes church, art and cats... not someone who gives people hope for the future. More recently I have heard something that gave me I similar feeling. Last week I was walking past two people talking on a construction site and I over heard,  "It's not everyday you meet someone like her." I look up at the man who said it and he smiled at me and said, "It's true sweetheart." 

I stated in my blog back when it was on Tumblr that regret scares the crap out of me. Maybe I didn't say it quite like that, but I did say that I had the idea of doing this trip and that I didn't want to have regrets and that I knew that if I didn't do it I would regret it. So, I did everything in my power to make it happen. But how exactly did this happen. Why did I actually decided to ditch school for a year and move to New Jersey away from my family and friends who I love so very much? I never would have thought that I was brave enough. 

Last Sunday, one of the scripture verses was 1 Kings 19:21 which reads:

21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.

Elisha literally slaughtered and burned his life without second guessing and he just left it all to follow Elijah. I was sitting there in church and I was having one of those moments where things in my brain were clicking together and I got goosebumps and suddenly things made sense. Strength and bravery come from God, duh, I've heard that a million times. BUT OH MY GOODNESS IT'S SO TRUE! He gives you the power to do things that you didn't think you would be able to do and He makes you into someone you didn't think you could be! 

If anything, this blog post is for future Lilly. In the future I will be looking back at this year and THIS SPECIFIC POST will be here to remind me of who I am and what I am able to do (WHICH IS EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING BECAUSE GOD IS SO TOTALLY AWESOME!) and to remind me of the people and moments where God was literally sitting there and telling me to chill out because he's got my back and can make me into whoever I need to be to do his will. 

Anyways, if you actually read all of this, thanks for hanging in there and I hope you are having a good day :) 
The Morris family is moving into their home in Sea Bright in a few days so I am going to have an amazing week even though I am sick with a cold. 

Update for the Newsletter

I have been in New Jersey for over two months now and I could not be happier. I have fallen into a routine with Habitat for Humanity and it feels like home. I am in the office Mondays and Tuesdays and out on the construction sites Wednesdays through Fridays.

In the office, I do everything from filing and entering data to working on our new website and database. I am also in charge of some special projects which, at the moment, include setting up a fundraising page on the internet to raise money for a family who are in need of some serious home repairs. I have also become involved in developing Habitat’s social media sites. I am always busy posting photos and I am also working hard to get a YouTube channel up and running for our affiliate. So many exciting things are happening and it will be awesome to show it to the world! 

While on the construction sites, I am in charge of signing the volunteers in and then I jump in there with them to help on whatever task we are tackling that day. I have learned a lot about building a house. I have done a little of everything from laying the foundation to hammering down the roof sheathing. I am always meeting new people, telling my story of how I got here, and building relationships with them as we learn together the new skill that is needed for the day.

Recently, a group came from Habitat International which is located in Georgia. While they were here, we gave them a tour of one of the towns that was affected most by super storm Sandy. While there, we showed them the home that we are in the middle of building now and we took them to a home that we recently finished and one that we have started but still has significant damage visible in the home. 

The woman who lives there with her daughter told us all about the night of the storm and the days after. She and her daughter were there through it all. She described in detail what it was like when the near-by sewage plant overflowed, what it was like to have to try to sleep when gun shots are going off from people trying to protect themselves from looters, and what it was like to live in a home where the mold is so severe that you wake up and can’t open your eyes because they are swollen shut. She told us that when Habitat came into their lives it gave her hope, which was something that she had lost. She then said, “You are healing my heart. You touch me profoundly.” 

This is what it is all about; being able to be in community with people, learning new things, and touching people’s hearts. I am so grateful to be here and to have the opportunity to do these things. Thank you all for your support and prayers. 

Two Months with Habitat!

Today I celebrate the 2 month mark of the day that I started working for Habitat for Humanity in Monmouth County! I have learned a lot in the two months that I have worked here. I have learned how to work in an office environment. I have learned a lot about the art of conversation, which is needed when you meet a ton of new people each day, which I do each week when new volunteers come. Among other things, I also know how to build and put up headers, successfully cut in when painting, and what the difference is between J channel and  F channel. I know how to put up siding, soffit and facia. I have also learned that you can't breath or talk near a generator. This is a great deal more than I knew when I first started.

I remember my first day on the work site. It was a cloudy, rainy day in Sea Bright. I was told to arrive at the work site and find Dave Hinton who would lead me that day. I had heard Dave's name many times before because Dave is a Habitat crew leader, board member AND he goes to the same church that I go to. I was SO excited that I was going to be on the work site and meet some of the construction guys that I had been hearing about. Plus, it was my first day on site! This was something that I had been looking forward to for a long time.

I ended up being on the Sea Bright Site for only half an hour while they attached the last of the roof truces. I remember feeling totally useless as I tried to remove a nail from a board with no luck. This was obviously a task I was given to keep me busy and I couldn't even do it! Honestly, it was a little dis-heartening. I knew that I wouldn't be a construction pro my first day, but I hoped that I would be able to take out a stupid nail! After they finished with the truces, I went with Dave to a house in Leonardo where I met Jack and Norm. I could not have known that these two guys would become friends that I would work with every week. Thankfully, at that house we were painting. I knew I could do that; I regained confidence of my abilities.

At that point, the house in Sea Bright was just bare bones. You could see right through it with nothing in your way, not even the walls were framed out yet. Since I have been here, I have been to sites in Sea Bright, Leonardo, Port Monmouth and Union Beach. Of all of these places I have spent the most time in Sea Bright. I love the Sea Bright site. It is my happy place.

A little bit of history for you:

Sea Bright was one of the towns that was greatly impacted by super storm Sandy. Below are a few images that come up if you Google "Sea Bright, New Jersey".

Ocean Ave. (the main street in Sea Bright)

I go to this Dunkin' Donuts everyday before work

The supermarket in the background is where I often go to get lunch

Damage to a home in Sea Bright

The Sea Bright site we have been working on is right between the ocean and a river, so when the storm hit, it was hit on both sides. The house was demolished because it was not structurally sound after the storm due to severe water damage and sand damage. The house was completely covered in sand and there was a 5 ft high dune of sand in the owner's living room. The home belonged to Leslie Morris who lived in the home for 17 years and raised her kids there.

Lowe's is a big donor to Habitat for Humanity's and for their anniversary together, Lowe's decided to partner with Habitat and build a house in the middle of Times Square. The house that was built was Leslie's. Once it was constructed, it was then taken back down and brought back to New Jersey to be built on her property and on a raised foundation.

The house in Times Square!

Today we finished putting insulation in the house. Looking back at old pictures from my first couple of days at the Sea Bright site, I get a little emotional. It has come so far. Now it looks like a home. You can walk through it and see what is a room and what is a closet and a bathroom. You can see where the plumbing is for the sink in the kitchen and the washing machine in the mud room. You can stand in the dining room where their dining room table will be and look out of the sliding glass doors and see the ocean and imagine them sitting there together at dinner enjoying the view. Little by little the house came together and it will soon be a home. I get chills when I think about it.

The Sea Bright home 2 months ago. 

The Sea Bright home today. 

I am so proud to be apart of the building of this home. Every header I put in and piece of siding I nail up and every nail I remove (which I am now an expert at and can teach volunteers the easiest way to do it) gives me joy.

Friends Are Everywhere

I am not going to lie to you, it was a little scary moving to a place I had never been before, where I knew no one at all. But I have learned something that is a really amazing thing: friends are everywhere. What I mean by that is that 1) anyone that you meet has the ability to become your friend, 2) that friendships can form instantly and, 3) friendships can mean a great deal to you and change you, even if they don't last for very long.

The first friend that I made while here is Lauren. Lauren is my NJ sister. I had never spoken to her until the day that I was standing in her home ready to unpack my bags and move in. It is amazing to think about that considering that we are now incredibly close in just 5 weeks time. We love to joke about being real sisters and we have sucessfully (with the help of her mom) tricked a car sales man into thinking we are sisters! Last night, while observing us together, one of her friends even said, "Are you sure you two aren't sisters?" We always have a good time together, whether we are at home playing Jenga or out getting Slurpees. I know that Lauren and I will be lifelong friends. 

Us on 7/11/14

On site, my BFF is Ron. Ron is the crew leader at the Sea Bright site (which is the site that I am at most often). Ron loves to randomly burst into song and yells, "LILLY! LILLY! LILLY!" whenever he sees me. He is kind of a dork but that is what makes him so awesome! He is very good at his job which is very hard and stressful. He is always joking about cutting me a check for being his therapist because I always listen to him talk about whatever problem has occurred that day while we eat lunch. All of the guys on site are good friends to have. I know that they are all looking out for me and have my back- especially Kerwin who literally had my back when I fainted due to heat exhaustion last week.

Ron
(it is hard to get a good picture of Ron because he is always SO busy)

Kerwin

I also make new friends every week with the volunteers. It is the volunteers who taught me that you can be friends with someone and that they can impact you a great deal even when you don't know them for very long. Some volunteers that come to Habitat work for a week. These are often youth groups or college groups from different churches. It is these groups that I get to know on a deeper level than those volunteers who are on site for a day. I will probably end up knowing what is their favorite toppings on a pizza, what type of music they listen too, or what the name of their dog is more than the volunteers that I know for the 6 hours that we are on site together. They are all equally awesome and I love each and every one of them.

With Danielle in Union Beach

Katherine, Amy and Diana

However, I have been changed and learned so many lessons from the daily volunteers that I meet. Maritza, for example, is the most positive person I have ever met. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious and makes you feel like there is truly no obstacle in life that you couldn't overcome. She has such a love for life and loves to try new things and learn new things. She had never been on a tall ladder before and was a little apprehensive of going up on one. She decided she should try it once before she decided whether or not it would be a fear that she wouldn't be able to face that day. But once she was up that ladder there was no getting her down. She loved it up there. One of the lessons that Maritza taught me is that you don't know what really scares you until you do it. 

Maritza

Another example of someone who I only knew for a day but really had an impact on me was Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn is 26 years old and she is a nurse here in NJ. When she was in college she started getting involved with Habitat and it has taken her all over the world. Every year she goes on a 10 day international trip with Habitat; she has built houses in the USA and tons of other countries. Now, she is leading these trips and taking other people from all over the world on trips with Habitat to build houses for people in need. Talking to her about all of the places she had been, people she had met, and lives she had touched made me realize that I want to do what she does. In the future I fully intend on spending my spring breaks or vacation days in a foreign country building houses with Kaitlyn as my leader.

Kaitlyn

I had always thought of true friendship as being something that is hard to come by. It took me being thrown completely out of my comfort zone and being surrounded by people who I didn't know to realize that friendship is something that you can have with anyone. You can know them your entire life or just for a day and they can do everything from teaching you lessons, to making you laugh, to making you feel safe and loved. All that you need to do is be open to it and amazing people will come into your life and bless you.

Things Lilly Doesn't Know

A man named Todd who was in one of the volunteer groups a few weeks ago asked me what the high and the low of my trip has been so far. I laughed and told him that at my church we called them sparkles and farkles. Then he laughed and said that he loved that and would start using it! I then went on to tell him that the sparkles so far had been being on work sites and knowing that I am able to help build a home for someone. My other sparkles were being blessed with such an amazing family to live with and seeing a fire fly. My farkles were saying goodbye to my family and not knowing how to get around. This is something that I didn't expect to be such a difficulty. Coming here, I was so stoked about being in a new place that I didn't think about how upsetting it would be not know which way to turn out of the drive way to get to the essential places of my day. Places like church, work, the bank, Taco Bell, etc. Back home, I didn't have to think twice about which way to turn to get somewhere; it was just engrained in me. But here, I have to use my GPS for everything. It is such a weird and terrible feeling not knowing how to get around.

There have been so many new things that I have had to learn about while here. Each new discovery has been fun and interesting. Lauren has been keeping a list of all of the discoveries I've made and things I had never tried before coming here. The list is entitled "Things Lilly Doesn't Know". The list includes jug handles (New Jersey's alternative to left hand turn lanes), italian ice (yes it is different than ice cream), Wawa (a gas station that has the best chocolate milk), pork roll (yummy meat. Just google it), Diner (it's an awesome restaurant that is everywhere), Poland Springs (bottled water that is so popular here), not pumping gas (because here an attendant does it for you), fire flies (the most magical things on earth), 3-6 ft subs (they are real, and they are really huge).

I will keep you posted as this list grows!

Here are some highlights of my week:

Deep Cut Gardens with Lauren

Sea Bright Site Getting Siding

Fun at St. Mary's Fair

Exploring Tatum Park

Beautiful Sun Set in Sea Bright

First Week at Work

On the Sunday before my first day of work at Habitat for Humanity we went to church, grabbed a bite to eat, and then headed to Lauren's swim meet at Rutgers University! Lauren is a nationally ranked swimmer and going to swim meets is a regular family activity. Having never been to a swim meet before, going to my first one was really exciting.

At the Swim Meet!

 After the meet was over, we went out to eat at Harold's New York Deli which is an amazing restaurant where everything is super sized. The four of us split one sandwich and an order of fries and we still had leftovers! We also ordered a slice of cake which was so large that we were able to eat it throughout the week. We just finished the last bit of it yesterday! Harold's also had a pickle bar which was something I had never seen before. There were so many pickles... it was great!

Pickle Bar at Harold's

My first week at work was absolutely perfect. The first day I went to the office in Matawan. I did a lot of filing, signed into my official Habitat gmail account (!!!) and learned how to effectively use it, and made copies in the break room! All very cool. The next day I was in the Long Branch office and spent the day getting ready for the Women's Build Luncheon which was a big fundraiser happening the next day. The next day was the luncheon! It was a fashion show, auction, as well as a luncheon. It ended up being a phenomenal fund raiser and I was able to meet a lot of important, active people in the organization as well as hear an amazing testimony from one of the home owners and eat some really delicious food. 

Women's Build Luncheon

Thursday was my first day on build sites! I was first at a site in Sea Bright where I helped out the guys who were finishing putting up truces. Then I headed over to Leonardo and spent the rest of my day painting a room hot pink. I am not joking, it was the hottest, pinkest room I have ever seen in my life. I was then able to meet the home owner of the house. Suddenly, the hot pink seemed fitting. The home owner is such a vibrant and genuinely sweet lady and I just have a feeling that we will become friends over the course of me being there. 

Hot Pink Room 

Friday I went back to the site in Sea Bright where I did building as well as started to learn what the volunteer coordinator does every morning when the volunteers come (which basically consists of making sure they have their waivers, sign in, making sure they know where water is, and telling them some history on the house and family of the site that they are building).  That morning, the volunteers were a college group from a church in Massachusetts. I spent the morning with some of the girls from the group securing the truces down! I also learned how to use the circular saw and I am very proud to say that I am now a pro at using the circular saw!

Securing the Truces 

The Sea Bright Site

Saturday started with another trip out to the Sea Bright site to check in with the volunteers there, sign them in and make sure that they were set for the day. After that, I came home and we started getting ready for Drew's 56th birthday party! The party was amazing- the absolute best way the end the week. We played on the trampoline, ate a lot of really good food and I was able to meet more of the Homack's friends and family! 

Drew's Party!

Drew Blowing Out the Candles 

In other news, I got books from the library and have been reading about the best places to hike and explore in New Jersey! I have also been trying to befriend Snickers, who is the Homack's pet rabbit!

Feeding Snickers Parsly

Some other highlights include seeing my first fire fly! I first saw one while at youth group on Wednesday and then I saw/ caught one while at the party. I fully expect catching fire flies to become my new favorite past time. Another highlight: prepping for the party with Lauren and getting Drew's humongous truck stuck at a weird angle in the driveway and dropping half of the wine glasses while setting up the party and having to sweep and vacuum all the stairs and part of the patio shortly before people were supposed to arrive... haha. Good times. 

I am about to go to the college group at the church I have been attending!

Looking forward to seeing what the second week of work at Habitat has in store for me. 

Stay tuned to find out :)

First Week in New Jersey

To get to New Jersey, we flew from Sacramento to Phoenix and then from Phoenix to Newark, NJ. Our flight from Phoenix to Newark was delayed and kept getting delayed. When we finally got on the plane, Avonlee and I were able to sit together but mom had to sit in the next aisle and a couple rows back. Avonlee and I sat next to Elie, a young girl who we became friends with and who we now Snapchat daily. A little boy named Michael sat in front of us and I spent a lot of time talking about Angry Birds and looking out our adjoined window at the landscape below. The flight felt really long but was fun considering we had Elie to color pictures with and Michael to talk to.

When we started descending, there was a thick blanket of clouds below us. As we got closer and closer to breaking through the barrier of clouds, my heart started racing. We went down and down until we were in the clouds, and then we broke through and all I could see was green. Everything was green for as far as I could see.

It was so beautiful I started tearing up. I knew that I was going to be very happy here. The plane shifted a bit as it flew on and then we could see a large, tall city. I pointed it out to Michael and then turned to Avonlee to ask her if it was New York. I was in disbelief that it was right there in front of my eyes.

NYC

As we headed toward baggage claim, there was a tall man dancing with a sign that read "Janik" with our names under it. This was Drew Homack, the father of the family I will be staying with. We would be meeting Barb (his wife) and Lauren (his daughter) at home. We went to baggage claim, made sure that we had all 9 (yes 9!) of our bags and headed out. We had a lovely dinner with the Homacks and talked for most of the night.

The next day was Avonlee's 17th birthday! So, we went to the train station, took the hour ride into the city and spent the next two days there. I had never been to New York before so it was so thrilling. We found our hotel, which was in Times Square and got everything checked in.

The view from out hotel room

The first day was spent shopping in Times Square and walking around the city. That night we went to Avonlee's birthday present which was Broadway tickets to Phantom of the Opera. We had eaten New York pizza for dinner and then after the show we got cheese cake! Yum.

Times Square

With Avonlee at Phantom of the Opera

Our second day in New York we took a bus tour around the entire city. We went from Times Square to Central Park, down to Soho and then back up to Times Square. We stayed on the bus and took it back to Central park and got off there. While in Central Park we ate hot dogs, watched all of the interesting people, and got horribly lost on a walk that never ended. Then I got dragged into a street performance near the entrance of the park. When they went after Avonlee she ran away and they grabbed me instead. We got food at Ellen's Stardust Diner which is a themed restaurant with singing waitresses and waiters.

On the bus tour

Central Park

Once we got back to New Jersey, our first main task for the week was getting me a car. Little did we know that it would take 4 days to get my car! The first day we found a car that seemed like the perfect one, but when we said we wanted to buy it we found out it had just been bought. The search continued and after test driving SO many Honda Accords from different dealerships, I found the perfect one.

My car!

Besides finding the car, I also spent the week unloading all of the suitcases, organizing my room and bathroom. I went to the Habitat office that I will be working at and met all of the lovely people that I have been talking to for months planning and I saw my desk which was really exciting!

We also drove around one of the towns that was impacted most by the storm. Seeing the homes of people who were impacted by the storm and how they were still in bad shape after all of this time really impacted us.

House in Union Beach

I just got home from dropping mom and Avonlee off at the airport and surprisingly we didn't have to use the entire Kleenex box that I brought in anticipation of a tearful goodbye. I know that I will miss them more than anything and that it will be hard to be away from them, but that we will be ok. Right now I feel blessed to have this opportunity and to be staying with such a supportive and loving family.

NEW BLOG SITE and GOING AWAY PARTY!

I have decided to switch my New Jersey blog to this address instead of the Tumblr address it was at previously because many people were having trouble viewing and commenting on Tumblr. If you would like to read what I have posted until now, here is the web address: http://www.tumblr.com/blog/thenjyearoff

Yesterday was my going away party! It was a night full of friends, laughter, and memories.
My cousins, Amanda and Anabelle, came from the Bay Area the day before the party so that we could have some special cousin time together before I leave. They also helped me do all of the decorating and most of the food prep for the party.

Decorating 

Cousin picture!

They are my cousins but also long time friends so spending time with them was so special.

I ended up inviting close to 50 people to the party, each and every one important to me in some way. There was family, my oldest, newest, and dearest friends of all ages there and I love each and every one of them. 

Julia and Avonlee

Opening my pillow from Tim!

Aly and Me
Photo by Aly

We sat and talked, swam in the pool and hot tub, had epic water gun fights, did henna, and ate a lot of fruit and hot dogs. 

Swimming

Once it was getting dark and everyone's hands were getting all prune-y, we made s'mores and stood around talking, reminiscing, and of course, telling jokes. 

S'mores!

Anabelle, Amanda, Me and Jaclyn 

I had been really excited getting ready for the party and it was so much fun being at the party. However, in the middle of it all I suddenly realized that I was a little sad. Sad that I was leaving all of these amazing friends who have been through so much with me. Then I realized that I shouldn't feel sad and I started to feel grateful. Grateful that I had so many loving people who took the time to come and say goodbye to me. Grateful that they have always and will always be there to support me in everything that I do. Grateful for their advice and that they love me so much. 

I felt this gratefulness this morning in church when Pastor Ivan un-expectantly stood up with tears in his eyes and said some words of support and a blessing for me. Mom and Avonlee were bawling and I was just trying my hardest not to. 

Sitting here, thinking about the love I feel from the people around me and how grateful I am for each and every one of my friends, I can't help but cry a little.

It is in these really emotional moments that I am thankful for the little (and large) moments of laughter that come at the most random moments. Just now my mom dropped a bowl in the kitchen and it broke and she said, "Good thing you are leaving Lilly because we are now down one bowl". We laughed and laughed. It was the most perfect thing that could have happened in this moment. 

I will leave you with that story and a large, heart-felt "Thank You" for all of your love and support.