Cutesy, Comfy, Cozy Wilderness Retreat

So I imagined we were going to be roughing it a bit more than we were. It turned out to be this adorable little retreat center-park-thing. We stayed in the Windy Hill Farmhouse.
The stairs were super steep, no lie and some of the bunk beds were three high.
This was the "beach". Haha, we made it work, but we didn't swim much. Most of the time we went hiking or canoeing. And slept. We all slept a lot. Babs and Daddio most I think. Babs was knocked out for ten hours the first night we were there. The retreat's policy was to not bring electronics (I brought my phone, but no computer) and when there wasn't that to do, I think we realized how sleep-deprived we were. Personally, I loved to be able to take a nap right after breakfast and another one right before lunch. :)
Cheers for a semi-successful symmetrical family portrait! Daviey, Joseph and Jak couldn't make it because of work and they were missed.
Summer toes! I smushed on Electric Frost and then a sparkly blue-purple called Nail Junkie.
I love my siblings! Seriously! Andrew, Esther, Me, Babs and Stephen. We're pals!
Did I mention the icecream? Icecream was devoured every day we were there. Legit. Close enough for ya?
We did a lot of sitting around in the sun, reading, gathering around bonfires and generally trying to do as little as possible. It energized me to actually want to do something once I got back.

Here's my camping hair, washed under a [ice-cold] pump, all gloriously frizzy. You're welcome. =)

I feel so blessed! First to go, and then be back in my own environment. I definitely needed the break. While I was there, I took an afternoon and sat out on a picnic table and wrote out some goals for what I wanted to do in the end of July. I'll share them with you.

-sweat for an hour a day

-pray at two or four everyday, depending on work

-join CollegePlus! forums (so I can be social and meet people!)

-finish action points from Jana (my CollegePlus! coach)

-write notes to siblings, one each at least

-write picture, possibly poetic, posts every other day

-read Dug Down Deep (which I still have to buy, so I'd better get on it)

People who write down their goals and especially when they write specific attainable goals, are WAY more likely to reach them than those who don't write them down. I don't remember the statistics but it's a big difference!

R<3

Listening to Blue - All Rise

giving thanks with Ann... 435-459 of 1000

435 mummy making me coffee

436 education

437 sister giving me socks

438 the part-fear, part-faith feeling before a test

439 white peonies in a mason jar

440 meeting goals

441 witnessing to Elder Steel

442 Stephen's bike-fixing skills

443 meeting Stephen at a garage sale

444 perfect bookshelf for $3.99

445 Babs saying she loves my handwriting

446 big plush towels

447 Father-Son cooking shows on the Food Network

448 The Neeleys

449 biking with my brother as he plays the harmonica and bikes no hands

450 that God is a shield about me, my glory and lifter of my head

451 vacation packing

452 getting up from a nap to walk right out to a lovely woodsmokey campfire

453 a swallow's feathers turning all to gold as it takes off in the morning sunlight

454 taking a successful family portrait

455 sun-dappled anything

456 washing my hair under a pump

457 God as restorer

458 specialty cheeses

459 an easy-going Mum