Saturday, August 23, 2008

My fantastic summer!!!

Boy, it has been a while since I was last on here! (I say that is every post don't I?)
Well, my summer has been lots of fun and quite full.

In April my family started to build a huge retaining wall on my Grandma's bank where she owns a lake cottage. (scroll down for a picture...)

May....hmmm I think I just finished up school :) And I cut my hair, here is a picture of Haley and I :

Then in June I started to train for a 300 mile bike trip. We rode from Indy to Grand Rapids Michigan in 4 days, but that wasn't until July.... I was able to lease (or "rent") a horse this summer so I could show in 4-H. So about three times a week I went and cleaned stalls, and worked with Ruby. Here is a picture of us at our show :) We won Reserve Grand in one of our classes :)

In July I did some doubley (mm, that may not be a word, but now it is :)) hard training with Dad, Addie and Haley, who went on the trip with me, for the bike trip and then on the 16th I was off. :) I had lots of fun and I was able to walk away with only a scraped knee and elbow and a bug gash out of my hand :) But at least nothing too bad. We were going up to Grand Rapids to attend our denominations International Conference which began the day we arrived and ended the following week. The conference was sooooo much fun!!!! I got to meet and get to know lots of other people. Including some from other countries. :) The conferees were divided into their age groups for class, which took place every morning. These were all focused around the theme of Meeting Christ in Life. I really enjoyed that part of the Conference. :)
This is a picture of the Kokomo Group before we left for the trip :)


And finally....August. This month has been a nice, slow month, which I am very thankful, seeing as though school starts in two weeks. ::A big sigh::
We are almost done with the retaining wall, ::huge smile:: of which I am very thankful as well :) Also this month Me, Abby, Emory, Sidney and Rachel became communicant members, which was really exciting. Tomorrow is our first communion, and next week I have to read my testimony in front of the Church...which is not the most exciting thing...:)
Here is a picture of the bank and one wall, we now have two walls on that side and two on the other, and we are working on finishing up the third one on that side.
Also in August we had YSSP (youth summer service project) at our church, where we spent three days doing odd jobs around the church. Pastor York led the days off with a devotion about serving which was really good, and then the rest of the day we worked. One day we were able to serve some widows by cleaning for them, I think that was the most fun, other than getting to go in a lift with Abby :) Here is a group picture:

And here is a picture of Abby and I on the lift:

Last night My friends and I had a goodbye party for Sidney, who is moving to Pennsylvania for the school year, cause her Dad is attending seminary there. We had lots of fun putting together photo albums and quoting movies.

(I'll try to get our group picture up here soon)

Well, thus ends my post.
Have a wonderful day all!!!

Until next time,

RYa