on the lake

With lake house season coming into view and Memorial Day Weekend even closer, I thought I would dedicate a blog post to those of us fortunate enough to spend our summers at a lake house. 

We all have different experiences at our lake houses, some may include all of your extended family, some may be a place you live all summer, and some may be a safe haven where you can just sit back and relax, but all of us understand these things:

You have traditions for the drive up.

Every time you drive up to your lake house, you have traditions that you have set to make the drive go by faster. Whether it is stopping at your favorite McDonald's with the best iced coffee you've ever had or driving through an area with the most gorgeous houses you've ever seen, or you always stop at the same dollar store for snacks to get you through the rest of the drive or if you're like me and my sister we always mute the radio and scream "I-N-D-I-A-N-A that's Indiana!" when we pass over the state line. You always have things to look forward to while driving up. 

You have lake friends that you can't wait to see all winter. 

There's nothing like having lake friends to look forward to the whole school year. While you don't talk 24/7, seeing them reminds you of summer, and you love it. Nothing beats a day out on the water with some of your favorite lake neighbors.

Your friends beg you to take them. 

You constantly have to hear your friends begging you to take them up to your lake house, and if you do, and it's 100 times more fun being able to show someone around and let them experience the fun that you get to have all summer.

You've been able to drive a boat since you were 10.

Or even before… Yeah, maybe you never officially got your boating license, but you've been driving boats like a pro since you were a kid.

Swimming with fish doesn't even phase you.

Unless you're my sister, then you still panic every single time seaweed or the smallest fish touches the bottom of your toes.

You've gotten your worst sunburn ever there.

You still remember that one time when your everyone told you to put on sunscreen, but instead you didn't listen and stayed in the pool for 4 hours with your friends. Somehow the UV rays were the strongest they've ever been that day, and you had to walk into the cookout that night in red-skinned shame and couldn't sleep that night. You didn't let anyone touch you at all, it hurt so bad.

There's nowhere else that relaxes you as much as your lake house. 

Whether it be a stressful week or not, coming to the lake house and sitting on the deck is an instant relaxer. Even just smelling the lake air gives you a calming feeling. There is nothing better than laying out, blasting music while on the boat or swimming around all day.

You get super close with your family. 

You get to spend quality time with your grandparents and sleep right next to your sister. A lake house is the perfect way to bring your family close together. 

You know all the best spots on the lake. 

You know where the fresh water stream is and it's always colder over there and with your eyes closed you could probably drive the boat to your favorite place to anchor the boat and jump off of. You even know your favorite houses to look at along the lake and the parts where you can see cool animals, like snapping turtles. You probably know the lake like the back of your hand and you know you could never get lost even if you tried.

The townies intrigue you. 

The people that live in town are always the absolute nicest group of people. They are always the first to say hello in passing and constantly have smiles on their faces; but who wouldn't when living in such a beautiful place near so many bodies of water? You're always jealous of their lives and wonder what it must be like to be on the lake whenever you want. 

Water activities are your favorite past time. 

Tubing, relaxing on the pontoon and even just jumping off the dock are the best times of the summer and have been your favorite activities since you were a kid. You'd do anything to be floating on the lake right now. Summer can't come soon enough while you imagine long days of being on the water.

You have your summer lake house "foods". 

Absolutely nothing beats fresh corn on the cob or a grilled cheeseburger with extra pickles, and I look forward to it all year. You love roasting hot dogs over the fire and the day wouldn't be complete if you didn't finish it with a s'more at the end of the night! Everyone has those summer lake house foods that you really only eat while up at the lake and that makes it even more enjoyable.

Nothing beats a campfire at the end of the day.

Friends gather around and bring chairs and treats and blankets and sit around the fire and we all just share stories and pictures and memories from the last time we saw each other. Those are some of the best times!

You know your favorite local restaurants whenever you want to eat out.

When you finally get to go to the restaurant famous for its potato salad, or the one with the awesome pretzels or the best chicken fajitas in town, you know this is what you have been waiting for all winter! You can't forget to get donuts in your pajamas the next morning! While at the lake, you try to only eat at local restaurants you can't get back home.

All your favorite memories are spending time at the lake. 

There are no better memories than the ones you've made while up at the lake. And so many of your memories growing up are at the lake. Life is truly better at the lake and that is where your happiness lies. Spending time  with your family is priceless, learning skills like swimming and boating are things that you'll keep with you forever, and all the laughs and time spent with your favorite people are ones you'll never forget. You hope that one day you can bring your own kids up to your lake house and give them the experiences that you valued your whole life up at the lake. I am extremely blessed to have grown up on such a beautiful lake, an awesome community and I have the best grandparents around! 

here's to freshman year!

well here I am sitting in rocket hall, and I just got done with my last exam of freshman year!

(and no I don't need to come next week!!!) 

as I look back on this past year, it's been full of highs & lows. full of new experiences, full of memories I will never forget. 

freshman year, you were hard. 

and sometimes, you were lonely. 

you were confusing. 

I sadly lost some friends but I've gained so many more. 

but freshman year, you were amazing. 

you were full of new friends. 

you were full of Gods love for me. 

ultimately, you were good.

this year has changed my life for the better. 

I got to go to places I would never imagine I would be at. and I got to become best friends with complete strangers & I now I couldn't see my life without them. 

I got to be on the PINK Toledo campus team all of my freshman year!!! what? that was a dream come true! I got to become friends with Judy & Lindsay, my awesome reps and honestly, they got me through a lot. I would be  lying if I said I won't cry when they graduate. I received campus team member of the month in March! 

I attended the first weekend of Freshman Camp 2016 and met friends that I have kept all year. They are honestly some of the best people ever! 

And a few months later, I had the awesome opportunity being a Freshman Camp counselor. and I also got awarded member of the month in February. this is organization is so amazing and I can't possibly wait to meet my campers this summer!! training since last September is going to pay off when I get to see them for the  very first time!! 

I got jimmy johns with Hanna, way too many times and I got to see Kaleigh get engaged! and I showed my friend, Saranlak, from Thailand, around my hometown.

I hung out with The Crew a bunch, I love spending time with them!! I am so thankful God put them in my life. I got to go to Washington DC with The best Crew around!! What the heck, God is so good!I am so glad they are pro-life and I loved taking the trip to The March for Life with them! While I was in DC, I got to visit with my friend Annie who goes to school out there. They love me like Jesus does. They assured me (many, many times) that nothing, no matter how embarrassing or stupid I am, nothing will ever change between us. They showed me that true friends will always be there for me, through the good and the bad.

I got to celebrate with Christy at her bridal shower and got to meet with Mike in the student union every week!

My family and I took an awesome trip to Dayton and while I was there I got to visit with my friend Lex. 

I became close with my twin in the UY, Betsy and we went to a concert together! she is such a great friend!!

I had the opportunity to give the witness talk at ignite and I am so glad I did!

I interviewed for a huge company that I have loved forever!

I took on an internship (for class credit) through Tribe21 as their social media editor!!!

don't let anyone tell you commuting doesn't suck. it does. a lot. 

This year, I drank too many smoothies and put a lot of miles on my car but I would so do this year over if I could! 

never would I have ever thought, my first year of college would play out like this. 

But, oh man! I am so thankful it did.

when I walked on to campus my first day, I was lost. I didn't know where to go. I didn't know how I was gonna get through all that was piled on me.  

but I'm so glad I did. I survived freshman year!

I have had new friends from here at UT and old friends from back home supporting me in amazing ways.

But this year I was sure of one thing, God is in Toledo and He totally moves in Toledo!!

I can't stop smiling because I never thought this day would come.

this year I have gotten so much more comfortable with Toledo and I love calling this place home💙🚀

here's to 3 more years of being a Rocket and man do I love it! 😊

happy summer! summer '17 please be good to me❤️

to my best guy friend…

To my Best Guy Friend,

I know I don’t say it a lot, because it’s soo much more fun to mess with you, but I do love you. Don’t freak out, I’m not talking like that. I mean that you’re my best friend, and I love you for sticking around for this long. Somehow you did through all the crap we've been through, and I couldn’t be luckier. You have been my friend since kindergarten and now we are a year out of high school. That's the longest friendship we both have had. After all these years, I feel like it’s time to finally let you know how blessed I am to have you. And I’m sorry that sometimes I don’t show it, but really, when all else fails, you’re the one I turn to. I want to let you know how thankful I am that you came into my life.

Thank you for letting me pick up all your broken pieces. And picking up mine. Thank you for texting me when you knew I was walking alone at night and keeping me up late sending me a million emojis.You’ve kept me sane and I’ve kept you honest. We have a weird language between each other and we always call each other old people.  We just "wing it" together and that's my favorite memories of us.

I know we get crap from everyone we know for being friends for so long but they just don’t understand how we could care about each other as best friends.

Sometimes I wonder why I keep you around because honestly, you’re kind of a jerk. But you're my jerk. And while I’ll admit that it’s not exactly easy putting up with me, I also know that I have to put up with you, so that pretty much makes us even. Like when you don't text back for hours on end!!

Thank you for endless laughter. Whenever I’m in a bad mood, rather than having me talk it out, you try to make me feel better- usually with your stupid jokes. You always know the right thing to say to put a smile on my face and to make my stomach hurt from laughter. You are the only person I have ever had a snapchat streak with (no matter now many times we loose it). 

Thanks for making me feel like my advice and opinion matter. That girl is gross, by the way, you should stop talking to her, is what I always said to you in high school. Thank you for being my go-to when I feel like no one else would listen about my problems, and for listening to me even though I’m really really repetitive. Thanks for agreeing to sit in rocking chairs with me when we're 80. Thanks for being so alike. We know a lot about each other and I wouldn't want to change it. And thank you for keeping -all my secrets…you were the one I texted when I was crying after getting made fun of in school, & it really is very much appreciated.

Thank you for being there at all hours of the day. Sometimes when it seems like no one cares, you always make a point to show that you do. I’m afraid to bother other people with my problems, but you’re always more than willing to talk to me. You rationalize everything I say and talk sense into me when I’m being ridiculous. 

Thank you for your constant positivity. You’ve never had a terrible outlook on life, even when nothing is going your way. It’s a reminder for me to stay strong when things aren’t looking too great because the storm will always pass. We’ve been through so many holidays, life events and bumps in the road as best friends but you have always been there for me. 

So here’s to you: my best guy friend. I truly do value our friendship. Here’s to many more years of calling each other out on the crap we get in to but not wanting to get in it with anyone else and proving that there is a way for guys and girls to truly be best friends.

From,

Your Best Girl Friend

a year ago my life changed… #gorockets

{ one year ago today I made the best decision of my life… to become a Rocket at The University of Toledo!!💙🚀

this year has been messy, really hard, stressful and super confusing, 

but this year has also been great, full of joy and laughter and amazing memories. 

it's been a year of learning how to be the best me I can be. I have grown tremendously and became a better person in college. 

I have made friends with brand new people who I have had the awesome privilege to meet, in this crazy year of my life.

these past 365 days have been jam packed with mistakes made, planning for college before the school year started, working, commuting 35 minutes to campus, walking too far to get to class, becoming a freshman camp counselor, creating PINK campus events, spending a lot on food and homework to the max.

But through all that, this is home & I don't think I would change my decision to attend UT!💙🚀💙🚀 }

my secret to being a Freshman Camp Counselor

Hey you.

If you opened this to read it, chances are that you are probably one of the following:

1. A UT Freshman Camp Counselor/ Coordinator 
2. An incoming Freshman to The University Of Toledo 
3. Or maybe you just wanted to read about secrets... who knows.

But, here we go. I have a secret. 

Freshman Camp has changed me drastically since July 2016 and now being in college as a Counselor. 

Ever since my cousin went to FC, a few years ago and loved it, I knew I was going to go as well. 

I knew that my counselors were on campus, at camp and in the cabins. 

I knew that my counselors wanted to hang out with me and learn more about me. 

That weekend, I knew that my counselors cared for me already and didn't even know me that well. 

Heres the thing though - I didn't know a lot about my counselors or even Freshman Camp, in general. 

I didn't know they prepared a year in advance for their campers. 

I didn't know that they had a group chat that was only for important messages and a group chat that was more for fun where anyone could text in. 

I didn't know they had meals all the time together. 

I didn't know that The University YMCA house was basically a home away from home and they could hang out there whenever they wanted to. 

I didn't know that they gave up quality time with her friends or time to do homework, so that they could come to meeting on Thursday nights at 8PM in the union. 

I didn't know that being a "broke college student" was a real thing - and that she really spent her last $5 on me when I wanted to hang out on campus. 

I didn't know when I was walking through Rocket Hall, a counselor was there and was ready to say "Hi!" to me.

I didn't know that I would meet some of my best friends through Freshman Camp. 

I didn't know they had to stand out in the cold for 2 hours to get trained in lthe ow ropes course at camp. 

I didn't know that when I wanted to get ice cream, a counselor would drive me there.

I didn't know when I dropped my water bottle on campus on the sidewalk, she would just come out of nowhere and kindly pick it up for me. 

I didn't know that I was constantly on their minds before I even knew!! I was going to Freshman Camp. 

I didn't know that they came to the Rocket Launchs over the summer, in hopes of getting incoming freshman to learn about Freshman Camp. 

I didn't know that going far past your goal of registrations on Rocket Launch day would give you so much joy and happiness, we felt on top of the world!

I didn't know that I would talk to a person for nearly ten minutes really hoping they'd want to go to camp and they would come back around to our registration table and sign up. 

I didn't know that, that counselor would make me 10 times more excited for camp!

I didn't know that after camp, they wanted me to be a counselor so bad - so they did whatever it took for me to get there. 

I didn't know that they gave up so much social time to plan, organize, facilitate and run every meeting, main event, retreat and every little behind the scenes detail that the campers would never see. 

 

I didn't know that they saw me as & welcomed me into their FC family.

I didn't know that they were actually putting themselves aside, just so we could enjoy ourselves at camp. 

I didn't know the counselors had to wake up at 6AM at camp after just going to bed just a few short hours before. 

I didn't know they showered at 4AM at camp before everyone else woke up.

I didn't know that every single activity had a hidden meaning behind it… for team work, communication, leadership and adjusting to college. 

I didn't know they would sacrifice having a dead phone just so we could charge ours. 

I didn't know that they memorized a million songs and dance moves just to get us involved.

I didn't know they screamed TOL just to get us to say EDO or yelled the UT fight song at the top of their lungs, just to get us to memorize it. 

Now that I’ve been a counselor for a year I totally didn’t know that every time I heard someone say TOL without even thinking about it I would say EDO. 

Also since I’ve been a counselor for a year, I didn’t know that I would have to introduce myself as “Hey guys I’m Lauren” and I didn’t know when someone introduced themselves I would say “Hi ______!” and I mean everywhere. In the grocery store. On TV. Everywhere!! It’s so funny!

I didn't know they had a Plan B, C or D just in case their Plan A didn't turn out the right way. 

Purple is a no go and circles are our favorite shape!

& the funny thing is - I never would have known this if I hadn't become a counselor myself.

I have seen my friends, who are also counselors, cry over how hard it really is. I have seen them rejoice over their prayers being answered - that the friends they prayed to be at camp actually showed up. I have seen them leave their studies and lives behind and lead their friends in a cabin at camp.

I have seen how hard it is being a counselor.

I have seen how rewarding it is being a counselor.

I have seen how much thought, time, effort, and prayer is put into being a counselor.

Counselors & Coordinators, I hope this encouraged you. I hope that you know amidst all of the chaos of maybe not doing as well in a class as you wish, it is worth it. The campers are worth it. I hope that you know that one day all of your behind the scenes actions will make sense and will begin to unfold. I hope that you know that you are making a difference. You are changing lives. It is hard. It is insane. It is time consuming. It is a commitment. But, It is worth rejoicing. It is impacting lives. It is worth every single emotion.

To my fellow counselors & coordinators - thank you. There are no words that could ever explain how thankful I am for you and everything you do. It is so cool to remember everything you do for us, in hopes that I can create the same chain reaction.

To my friends who are high school seniors and are coming to Toledo- go to Freshman Camp. Hang out with your counselors. They love you & they want to be friends with you. They are really cool, I promise. 

He can see through it all…

I highly suggest you to find a person like Mrs. Ruetz, She is incredible. She loves God with all her heart, mind and soul. She can always lift me up when I'm in a bad place and a text from her makes my whole day a lot better! Her advice helps me more than she will ever know. Mrs. Ruetz believes in me and shows me God's love especially when I need it the most. She is a spitting image of God and she inspires me all the time to be a better person and to know our Lord better.

Mrs. Ruetz wants to know how I'm doing and what I'm up to, she wants to love me and guide me closer to Jesus. She is there for me when no one else is. She sees me at the end of the day, when I'm tired and when I'm too worried about everything else around me. But she doesn't go running away as fast as she can in the other direction, she checks on me and makes sure I'm still smiling through it all. That is just simply awesome to me.

We had our monthly Ignite service tonight at church and she is always there volunteering with a smiling face. She doesn't let anything get in her way of loving and pursuing her relationship with her God. It is breathtaking to me. 

Tonight, after I got home from Ignite, I sent her this message: 

"Thanks for tonight, thanks for giving your time to God and the community! You are so special to Him and for sure us! It's amazing how God can show us such amazing love in a million ways… through song, prayer, quiet times and especially other people!! 

My freshman camp director, Jill, says at every weekly meeting on Thursday nights:

'there's an imaginary shelf at the door, put down everything you came with, don't remember it during the time you have here, enjoy others company and enjoy being with God…' she goes on to say, 'If you must, pick it up on the way out. if not leave it on that imaginary shelf…'

How cool is it that God can see our brokenness, He can see right through our messiness. 

Mrs. Adair always said, to get us to understand the lesson we are learning, "Is your windshield dirty or crystal clear?" 

God can see right through your dirty windshield and all the bad things you pile on top of it. He makes my dirty windshield crystal clear. That blows my mind every time I think about it. 

He can see through my messy backpack and my messy room and He can see through my failures. 

He can see what we carried into church, He can see what we had to pick up on the way out and that He loves us anyways.

How stinking cool is that?!? 

I read a quote somewhere that said "don't pick up what you have already laid down at His feet."

I don't really know where I was going with this but I do know that God is good, so good to us and I'm forever thankful for you guys, this community and every other great opportunity that I get to have"

I pray that who ever is reading this tonight will push to love God as much as Mrs. Ruetz does. I promise you will not regret it. Your life will change. I aspire to be as kind as she is one day. She is a gift from God and I can't thank Him enough for her!! 

An Open Letter to My Ex-Best Friend:

Hi…

I don't even know what to say. 

We haven't talked in almost 2 years.

The last day we talked you started screaming at me saying that I wasn't supportive of you and your on again off again boyfriend. You said how bad of a person I was and wasn't going to get anywhere in life. 

There wasn’t room in our hearts to forgive at that time, and now too much time has passed. It’s too late.

Just letting you know, I'm doing great. So much has happened. I have found my true friends, people that will always be there for me.

You didn't share the same love for life that I did. 

Slowly, I stopped honking when I went by your house and one day it just stopped completely.

I heard you aren't with the guy that caused all this anymore. You had to come back to our school because you weren't allowed to be around him anymore. 

I heard you went to counseling to get help. I hope it did help.

I hope you have a better outlook on life now.

I hear you're with a new guy, does he know what happened between us? Does he know what all you put me through? Does he know about the first guy?

Soon, I just blocked your number from my phone and I still have you blocked on all social media.

I swear I could have seen you sitting front row at my wedding, not at all anymore. 

I still have to answer questions as to how you are doing and I shrug my shoulders saying I have no idea. Because I honestly don't. You probably don't even tell people about me when they ask do you? 

I’ll never forget the moments that we shared together. We ranted about boys and watched movies together. You are a part of my past; a part of my teenage years. Not apart of who I am anymore. At that time, you really didn't know who you were or what you were going to do in life but I sure did and I still do.

But now, we’re strangers. And it’s hard to believe that people could turn away from each other so abruptly and never look back. But, I guess that’s just how life works and that's exactly what you did. I hope this was worth it to you. I hope you realize everything you put me through. I didn't deserve that, any of it. You changed me for the better. I learned to let go, grow up and stop being friends with you. We couldn't find a way to work out our problems we were so immature and you were so quick to jump into an argument. 

Although we’ve done some very hurtful things to each other, I know that this had to happen. I had to grow up and I had to better myself.

From, 

Your ex-best friend