I Love My Dogs!

I have the two best dogs in the whole world! One is a german shepherd named Leyna who is 5 years old. My other  dog is a (super fat) beagle named Presley who is 3 years old. They each have very distinct and crazy personalities. For example, Presley is obsessed with food and I mean literally obsessed. She would do anything and everything for the smallest crumb of any type of food. She loves bananas, strawberries, broccoli, and even june bugs! I know it's so gross! But besides her strange eating habits, Presley loves to cuddle, snuggle, and be as warm as possible. If I'm laying on the couch, she'll come jump into the crook of my legs and curl up into a little ball. She is also a huge people person. She loves to meet new people and have them pet her and love on her (she's a little spoiled!).

My other dog, Leyna, is completely different than Presley. Leyna likes food, but isn't obsessed with it like Presley. However, she is obsessed with tennis balls and rocks. Our whole back yard is filled with river rocks and she loves them. She holds them in her mouth and wants us to throw them for her all the time! Other than rocks, Leyna is a very loyal, family oriented, and protective. She would do anything for her family and loves when we come home to see her.

My favorite thing about coming home is finally getting to see my dogs! It's the best feeling walking inside and seeing how happy they are that we're there. I truly do believe that a dog is a man's best friend as my dogs are two of my best friends! I can't imagine life without them. They make everything so much more fun, interesting, and exciting!

Camp Wartburg

Every summer since 6th grade, I have been going to a Lutheran summer camp out near Waterloo, Illinois called Camp Wartburg. My brother and I have always looked forward to the week we get to spend at camp! They offer different camps such as caving, horseback riding, high ropes, and tons of other options. However, when I got to high school, I wanted something a little more challenging. Every year, Wartburg sends a group of older kids to Colorado to climb a mountain, go white water rafting, hiking, and camping. I went on this trip for three years in a row and had a blast each time. After three years, it was my little brother's turn to experience this amazing trip.  

My junior year of high school, I decided I wanted to try my skills as a counselor. They put me in the "summer camp" kids group. These kids come to Wartburg every day of the summer whereas the kids in the specialty camps only come for a week. Having the summer camp kids is way more difficult because they get bored very easily. Most of the time the kids already know each other and they've done everything there is to do at Wartburg. It was difficult trying to entertain them and come up with new and fun things to do, but I still had a great time being their counselor. 

The past two years at Wartburg, I have been involved in something a little different called Shepherding Week. During this week, the camp is open to people of all ages with physical and mental disabilities. At first, I was a little apprehensive about being a counselor during this week because I have never been exposed to a large group of people with disabilities. I really had no idea what to expect, but it turned out that Shepherding Week was even more rewarding and gratifying than climbing a mountain in Colorado! For the past two years, I have been with the same group. All of the ladies in my group are physically disabled, but that sure doesn't stop them from having a great time at camp! We go swimming, make crafts, play games, read stories, and act in a talent show. I am going back for my third year as a counselor for Shepherding Week and am really hoping they put me in the same group again! 

Being able to meet and interact with these wonderful people gave me such a different outlook on life. Even though they aren't the same as everyone else, they have so much joy and happiness to give and are always up for a new adventure. I would encourage everyone to experience this at least once in your life because it truly does make you see things differently. I am now much more comfortable around people with disabilities and look forward to going to Shepherding Week all year. 

Grey's Anatomy

At Thanksgivng, my aunt started talking about this show she absolutely loved, Grey's Anatomy. My mom and I never heard of it, so we looked it up on Netflix when we got home. Luckily, they had seasons 1-7 (yay!). At first, I wasn't interested, but after I watched a few episodes with my mom, I was hooked - and I mean hooked! Literally, for the past two months, all I have been doing is watching Grey's! It's about a group of surgical interns, residents, and their mentors struggling and dealing with their medical training and personal lives. It incorporates drama, thrill, comedy, and romance. Since I want to be a nurse, this show definitely hits home. However, I do realize that it is a made-up and the stuff that happens in the show hardly every happens in real life, but I still can't get enough of it! I finally finished all the seasons and am all caught up which means I have to wait until the new episode comes out on Thursday (boo!). If you have Netflix, you should totally check out Grey's Anatomy!

Volleyball

Growing up, I tried about every sport there is to try: basketball, softball, gymnastics, band, and soccer. But it wasn’t until I started playing volleyball that I finally felt something click. My mom signed me up to play in a league outside of school because our elementary school didn’t have sports teams (not until 6^th-8^th grade anyway). I started playing in 4^th grade and found I was a natural at being the setter, which is ironic because it’s the same position my mom played all her life! Even though at the beginning I wasn’t very good, I had my own personal coach at home, which was awesome. She always helped me practice and gave me great tips and advice on how to be a better player.

Once I got older, I got more serious about playing. When I was 12, I joined a select team called Southwestern Illinois Volleyball Club. They were way more serious and disciplined than my school volleyball team. As I started playing more and more, the more I loved the game. I played during our school season (August – November) then went right into select (December – April) then went to different summer camps around the area (May – July). So for 7 years, I lived and breathed volleyball. My mom came to every one of my games and tournaments and I really appreciate her always being there for me, cheering me on.

Being part of a group sport really teaches you a lot of things about life. For example, since I made a commitment to my coach and team at the beginning of each season, volleyball became my number one priority (next to school of course). But that meant that I couldn’t always go to my friends’ house on the weekends because I had to be up for a 6am tournament on Sunday. Or I couldn’t just stay home and relax after a long day at school because I had a 3-hour practice that night. I learned what it meant to sacrifice and be dedicated to something greater than yourself. Another thing volleyball taught me was how to be a team player and a leader. As the setter, you are the brain of the team; you have to make decisions on where the set will go, you have to be constantly talking and keeping everyone’s energy up, you are the one everyone turns too. Being a setter is a lot of pressure, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Overall, volleyball was a very influential and important part of my life. It taught me to be a better person, to always give my best effort 100% of the time, and know what it means to be committed and dedicated. Since I began college, I haven’t had the time to play as much as I would like, but I’m hoping to join a sand volleyball team with my mom this summer. Volleyball is a fun, fast-paced, and challenging sport and I’m so glad it was part of my life.