BrianandLibby.com

This one word can pretty much summarize the past few days…at work, at home…and right now, as I am setting myself up to be late for “the bus” that will take me to Elevate winter camp for the weekend (it’s a real bus, not sure why I used quotes). I love Elevate. I don’t have enough time off every year to go with the students of Northway church to either of our Summer Camps, but Elevate is on a weekend - yay for me. There’s something about a group of people huddling in from the cold (and occasionally playing outside in the cold) for a weekend that is inherently fun and somehow, after the fact, unifying. I always have a blast acting like a kid with few responsibilities (except for the students I am responsible for) for 2 whole days, and I love getting to know the students better.

I’m especially excited for Elevate 2007 year for the following reasons:

1. Scott Anderson is speaking. Scott is one of Brian’s friends from college. He is hilarious, he is a great speaker, and he now has a girlfriend who I have never met but will meet this weekend. The students don’t know anything about him but I would bet money that they will all love him by the end of the weekend.
2. Our leaders rock. We have the coolest, most passionate, most excellent group of leaders. And consistent with their excellent-ness, most of them  are coming this weekend. Not only are they stellar leaders, I personally like them…all…a lot. They are fun, and enthusiastic, and I’m psyched to serve alongside them. A lot of them are good friends of Brian’s and mine too which is an added bonus.
3. Food. Food was, er, an issue last year. Camp of the Woods has a good cafeteria. I love food. This matters to me.
4. Tubing. Although I only get to ski once a year these days, and we’re not going this year (and that of course makes me kind of sad), tubing rocks, and everybody loves it, and everybody will get to do it this weekend (rather than some tubing, some chillin in the lodge, some skiing, some snowboarding…you get the picture).
5. Not as coldness. I cannot be happier that we are at the end of a cold streak, rather than in the middle of it. It seems like every year at Elevate we are experiencing some kind of record cold, and are incidentally in a somewhat drafty hotel. I get cranky when I’m cold. So I’m glad I won’t be.
6. Benjamin. The two month old son of 2 of our above-mentioned awesome leaders is coming to Elevate this year (he’s a little below the age limit but we made an exception). I’m a girl, and I like (most) babies. I must pause to say that Jon and Nic are some of the coolest parents I know for not missing a beat even during the birth of their first child - they are committed, stellar volunteers and I truly believe that Benjamin will be better for their commitment to lead regular lives with him! Also, he is in that phase where he’s just starting to make noises and facial expressions and really react to things, and considering all that there will be for him to interact with at Elevate…well let’s just say it should be fun for all of us

Ok, bus leaves at 4:30, gotta run!