Skiing with ‘The Gaggle’

Webster’s dictionary:  Gag-gle, n.  ” 1)  an often noisy or disorderly group or gathering;  2) a flock of geese.”

That’s what my group of hometown friends have been christened:  a flock of geese.  I have to agree that we are often noisy and disorderly, so being called ‘the gaggle’ makes perfect sense!  We have all been best buddies for about six years now, and every time we get together it’s the same good time.  This last week has been one big party at the ski lodge a few miles from the house.  Ella got a lot of great pictures I thought I would share with any readers:

Autumn, John, and Brandon on the Challenger Lift

Spencer executing a grab on blades

Phy jumping Funland

Tony carving on Heather

Brandon making us laugh in the Lodge

Kodi, Spencer, and Phy watching the others grinding on the rail

Saying Goodbyes

It really hits you that you are leaving when you hear that your friends are, too.  My friends Andrew, Dakotah, Kalico, and Rose are either heading to or returning to college.  A few weeks ago Andrew decided to set up a picnic for all of us — all the high school friends to get together before we leave.  Unfortunately a few couldn’t make it (and they were missed very much!) but the rest of us had a marvelous, relaxing time in the park on the bay.  Andrew cooked up hotdogs and everyone shared their cookies and chips… we played Rook, football, and catch, then Dakotah and I went for a walk on the pier.

Being homeschooled I never had those kinds of connections with friends that public schoolers have — athletic teams, teachers, reunions, class trips.  But because we grew up together in the same homeschool group, and spent at least five hours a week together year round, the bond among my group of friends is probably just as strong as public schoolers’ who spend all day together.  Perhaps it is even stronger, because for us, the love of Christ is the motivation for our friendships.  Everything we do is built on that foundation.

As I looked around at the group this afternoon, laughing and joking with each other, I knew I would miss them all so much.  I know there are many great friends to be made in Virginia, but the ones I have here have been with me for the years that I developed into who I am, and when they developed into the men and women that they are.  They are the springboard, along with my family, for me to dive into the world.

And I love them all!

L to R: John, Spencer, Willow, Kalico, Autumn, Phy, Dakotah, Brandon, Kodi, Hawken

This Is Home

As we near the end of July, the realization that I am leaving is becoming more and more exciting and nerve racking!  I am worried about packing everything right, arriving there alive, and getting Mom to her airport, as well as getting lost on the campus with my roommate, Lyndsey (we have decided to get lost together, so that when we find our way out we actually have our bearings).

As I have thought about leaving I have gotten all nostalgic again, looking at pictures, and thinking, “I’ll miss this!  And I won’t be here for that!”  Like cider-pressing time.  Or blackberry picking.  Or the first snowfall, on the first of October.  Not really on that last one…

I will even miss those big fellas in the picture above, with all their greedy hay gobbling and pushy ways.  So I had to post some home pictures for when I get homesick at LU.  I can just hop on my blog and look at them for a quick fix of home life in Michigan!

This was at my sister Ella’s graduation open house.  My sister Autumn is on the keyboard, and The Boys are scattered around all over, it seems…. Anthony in the front by Alex, Spencer on the guitar, John observing in the background and Andrew walking by the side.  Good times!

Here are my sisters and my cousin Livvy at the beach… I will definitely miss the water!  It’s beautiful.

The bay, early in the morning; the fog has obscured the water.

This is Petoskey… home.

Live Like You’re Leaving

Though I have been proceeding as if I were headed to LU since April, I haven’t had complete certainty that I was going there until a few weeks ago.  Since it was so sudden, all my shopping, preparing, registering (I hope) and goodbyes have to happen in July.  On August 2nd I will be living with a family on an estate as the nanny to a 12 year old girl.  As soon as I get back I have to leave.  This has made it hard to work out when and how to say goodbye to all my friends, and harder still, my family.

I love Michigan, really I do — the beaches, the water, the trees, the summer weather (notice I said summer!).  I know when I am gone I am going to miss it quite a bit.  I have spent the last few weeks realizing how much I have enjoyed living here.  I am not quite living like I’m dying (to quote dear Tim McGraw) but I am living like I’m leaving… and realizing how much I have been blessed.

Over the past weeks I have gotten a lot of advice, too.  It comes from many angles — from Christian friends or church-goers, co-workers, associates in the building industry, and family.  When I decided to try to make it through college with as little debt as possible I knew it wouldn’t be easy.  That is partly what motivated me to do it online the first couple years, along with a scholarship at the local college.  I thought being debt-free was a good idea, but to my surprise, it often wasn’t received that way.  One well meaning contractor told me to “go get in debt when you’re young, go broke while you can, because your parents will always take you in and bail you out.  Deal with the debt when you’re older and have to think about it.”  Another told me to get as many student loans as necessary because “everyone does it that way.”  I was told by another well-wisher that “school is about having a good time.  You can’t be too serious about it.”

Of course I know the intentions of their hearts are good.  However, I felt a bit like I was winnowing out the chaff from some of their arguments.  What if I don’t want to be 35 and paying on college debt, along with my husband?  What if I don’t think it right to burden my parents with my bail-outs?  What if I’m not like everyone else?  I will say that in the beginning going into debt has an appeal.  It feels like the consequences are way in the future, and I could go to school for that ‘good time’ with no concerns.  But that is not good stewardship, and I know the feeling of debt… a weight that keeps you down, always paying and never getting ahead.

Paying my own way, although my parents help me very much, does make me ‘serious’ about school.  I have found the basic principle of possession makes you appreciate things much more.  I didn’t care to vacuum the car until I bought my own, then suddenly having it clean gained a new appeal.  I think in the long run the serious approach to an education provides more opportunities and benefits than playing throughout.

Still, I am excited to go, study and make new friends.  But I still have a hard time saying goodbye to this place and these people, many of whom have been with me for all my life.  ”Living like I’m leaving” opens my eyes to many things I missed in years past.