op: v

july july has come and gone!

i am a bit overdue in sharing the joy from a few weeks ago. 

At it again.

I was a counselor at Barbara Barrington Jones' camp for girls, Be the Best You Camp, a couple weeks ago. tm 101. My ten gals were 14 years old from all over the nation. They are some of the most amazing teens I've ever met; I was (and am) consistently astounded by their goodness, purity, and spunk. Barb talked about how each girl at camp was saved for this day because of her strength; after spending the week with my girls, I know that Barb was right on. Ah. I cannot summarize. Just looking at this picture of them below gives me goosebumps and slowing of speech. They are inspiring. Period. The week was surely more for me than for them. What angels.

We went to the soweeeeetest classes, participated in the neatest service projects, and had a grundle of fun. :) Enjoy these pictures--are these girls not gorgeous?

Top row, L-->R: Caitlin, Mikayla, Nonny, Megan, Brooke, Cady.

Bottom row, L-->R: Chantelle, Anna, Cristin, Ariana.

Princess party with Andrea!

movie night. inspirational film 101.

The final product.

Miracle 101. 

When does primary children's NOT have blankets?

Barb called to offer blankets, feeling like it was a futile proposal, only to find they were 

fresh out.

fresh out, and awfully needy.

In came 300+ girls,  fleece ready, volunteering to donate right when there was a need.

r&b and ali, some stand-up amigas.

I stepped over an air vent unknowingly, and my girls laughed laughed laughed like they had never seen something funny before. This reenactment was begged for for documentation purposes.

How generous Stampin' Up was in letting us be ultra crafty!

silly

Our group name was Operation: Peace. We peaced it up all the time.

They were loving it.

Spa night/pj bonanza outcome. What babes.

Us in our classy oversized dress-ish things. Alliance.

Testimony night; aren't they beautiful?

The counselors. A ridiculously remarkable bunch of girls.

(Be the Best You)

that's us.

cafeteria grub.

SO RAD! Look at them! Patriotic party.

"I am born to be great, I am born to be great, I am born to be born born to be great Father Father up in Heaven, help me know from up above, I am born to be great, oh, Father, show me the Love!..."

Peacing.

Legitimately.

That was a sad parting, indeed.

There you have it.

Our American Idol. 

The girls loved it. 

While they were counting up the ballots, "Simon" and... the other guy... performed. This was legitimate and it was soweet. He just rapped this rap from three words shouted out from the aud. America's got talent.

This is tragically short, but here is a brief demonstration of how rad these girls are. They're doing our swanky chant and loving every minute of it.

______________

I look back and honestly cannot believe what a week of prayer, growth, prayer, laughter, exhaustion, prayer, insight, prayer, and enlightenment it was. Heavenly Father is so smart. He somehow knows just what we need, when we need it, and how we can learn it. 

1972

"The fact is that gossip, rumors, mythmaking, and news stories are not appropriate vehicles for the communication of nuances of truth, those subtle tonalities that are often the truly crucial elements in a causal chain. So it is time for the defense, for a long session in demythology. But I will not apologize. It is absurd to apologize for a mystery." -Chaim Potok, My Name is Asher Lev.

lah-di-dah

Is an explanation necessary?

"And that's a wrap," they say. 

Goodbye, life, and mahalo to you!

After the semester in polynesia, i made use of the freedom within my reach by a solo and spontaneous drive for my first saint george slash paramount Zion's experience. Dreams. Thank you to natasha for your generous accommodations. 

Post therapeutic drive to utah valley i found myself making it again less than 24 hours later with the plentiful family to the sacred lake of powell for a dream weekend there. what a privilege! thank you, grandparents! a most memorable occasion! 

And now, on to it. 

School. Eighth consecutive semester. 9 credits. I joke with myself, "It will never end. I cannot get enough of it. Who wants to graduate anyway?" Someday it will end, though I am having too much fun enjoying the endless possibilities to learn, grow, and acquire new, insightful knowledge from such an unmatched university to dwell on the endless "credits needed" blares.

A recent, commonly-referred to favorite:

"Things will work out.

Keep trying.

Be believing.

Be happy.

Don't get discouraged.

Things will work out."

-Gordon Bitner Hinckley

Ensign, June, 1995

the comings and the goings. 

a whole boat load of them.

artist's touch

my heart and soul are floating in this lake.

late-night swims left me shivering but exhilarated.

thank you. 

zest is his motto.

you know what they say about dog being a man's best friend.

amen.

meet stein and steffi--recent additions to the christensen clan.

to all inquiries: yes. that is indeed an owl.

switchbacks are stairs

tender mercy tash

unbelievable vista

one-time-chaco-twinner mandi christensen (non-related relative)

rainfall was considered dangerous to some, but heavenly to me.

how dare my mother send me with these to cloud the way of our presupposed healthful ideologies.

first santa jorge experience was marked with "completion" by this addition.

good to see you again sweetness.

Dear 55-109 Naupaka Street Laie, HI, 96762, 

I will never forget you. 

I will not miss the cockroaches, spiders, sand-clogged-ankle-flooded showers,

nor the ghastly sewage explosions.

No, oh no!

I will, however, miss your panarama,

your cooler stocked with Mal's overpriced Häagen-Dazs, our frozen Oreos, 

or my "italian squash".

I will miss Ken, the semi-sightless Landlord, and his sweet family,

even the sporadic friends who forgot to implement the term "timeless" into our relationship.

The mail was slow, the AC low, the burner a-blow.

Sunday meals,

"THE HILL"

Rain-showers,

nearby baptism and bikini beaches, 

Marie, Zell, Jess, Danielle, Chris, Keola, Carla, Ariel, Natalie, Kim, Hollie, Brady many more, who made my stay here me adore!

You were good to me 55-109, Quiet House, bottom Left. I say:

"Aloha. You are my aloha. I aloha you. Aloha!"

love, tawny.

What is that 26 doing there?

Makeshift local grocer. Harmon's, I embrace your low prices.

Please, step into my office and study with me. 

gladly.

Thank you, Aloha Center, for your guidance, post office, and Seasiders-- We did love your cinnamon bread!

"That's the end of that." -Logan

From a recent excursion with kp. 

I asked her what she wanted to do with our bountiful freizeit (free time), and she said she'd always wanted to write her testimony in a balloon and send it off for a soul to find. What an angel with such pure intentions! I am blessed with such great influences. thanks kels, love you!