That's Done Now.

As I'm beginning to wrap up my time here at home, I'm becoming more and more nostalgic.  I'm going through old photos to get some printed up for college, laughing at the memories and sometimes telling inside jokes out loud to my computer screen.  I'm marveling in how much I have changed this year.  I have made some of the most amazing friends in the last ten months.  Some have become my best friends.  I have had some of the most mundane activities made amazing, just by having a friend with me.

 Keep in mind that I just met most of these people eight to ten months ago.  I have had friendships lasting over four years that have not been as close as the once I have made this year.  God is truly amazing like that.  I used to think I was never going to find friends like the old ones I had lost, just because there was so much history there that can't be replicated.  A certain comfort level which only time can obtain.

I was wrong.

Going Grocery Shopping

I used hate the term "Click." It felt shallow and meaningless.  A term I previously only used to describe small groups of preppy teen-aged girls in high school.

But it has now taken on a whole new meaning.

Now when I say "click" I'm talking about my friends Erika and Alan.  Two of my best friends.  Never in my life have I "clicked" with anyone the way I clicked with them.  Frankly I could fill and entire blog post talking about those two, and I  probably will, just at a later date.

Moving on!

The last five months have been some of the best that I have had ever.  The Summer of 2013 will be one I talk about for years and years to come.  My children will hear stories of all of the "adventures" I had in my wild and crazy youth.  Including burning couches, watching Disney movies, numerous beach sunsets (in the least romantic way possible), Wii parties, and hayloft chats.  My children will be so bored with me.

Sarah at Holland Beach

My camera was with me most of this summer, thankfully.  So I have been able to document some of my fondest memories.

Penny in the sunset

This one here for instance was my first bonfire of the year, at my friend Louis's house.  I did not know Louis previous to this get together, we met that night.  I spent the evening on his farm with a group of other friends, walking, talking, taking pictures of horses, shooting off fireworks, eating sweets, and discussing geeky TV shows.
This was one of my favorite bonfires of the whole year.

At my friend, Alan's, soccer game.  His sister, Erika, and a friend, Annie, and I sat on the side lines, cheering him on. We had an annoying line judge that would ruin all of our pictures because he was doing his job. Ugh.  So after half time (or what ever you call it in soccer) we started singing "Adelvice" from The Sound of Music.  The line judge stayed clear of us from then on! We also redid a Les Mis song to fit the game a bit better.  I don't even think I could sing the original lyrics anymore.

It's memories like this that I will have forever.  Not that they are anything special to anyone else, they are just precious to me.

Jon's Pond

The pond.  My entire group's summer summed up into one picture.  I can't believe all the adventures we have had here, all the jokes, the countless hours spent on the dock or shore, the pruned fingers and toes, the sunburn, the lost camera, and just the life that happened here.

Life has passed in these last few months. Lots of it.  It will continue to pass in the days to come, but not the same.  Not like it did this year.  I will miss this terribly, but I can't make it last forever as I want too.  We are all moving on now, on to the next section in our lives.  Summer 2013 is coming to a close.  I will wave goodbye with a tear of loss in my eye.  A loss which is so unexplainable.  I'm not loosing this summer, not really, I just can not add to it any more.

I can see great things in the future, for me and for all my friends. And I pray we all get to see each other achieve those great things.  That one day we can sit down and talk about "Summer 2013" as the launching pad to the rest of our lives.

I can't really come up with a way to close this post, much like I am not sure how to close out this year.  I hate endings, and beginnings, its the middle part that is my favorite, and that's done now.