July has been the craziest month of my life

July has been busy...lots of work, travel, adventure, love, and good old fashioned FUN

I feel like I've been afraid of so much and that fear is melting away...
afraid of really growing up, of dissapointing anyone, of standing up for my principles at work...but I;ve found a new strength through being faithful to God and have finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel...
It was a good idea to not go to peru, as much as it was bittersweet to miss the action, I know I can be parto fit again in the future and needed the breakt hat I took.

I met a great man and we started dating. If I had gone to Peru, I never would have really given James a chance because I would have been waaaaaayyyyy to busy...and that would not be good because he is so much fun, well that is an understatement...but yeah. He is amazingly funny, kind, smart and generous. I have never met anyone quite like him and I feel beyond blessed to have him in my life, and truly happy and looking forward to the future. Being with him makes everything more fun, and I never thought I'd meet someone who not only would be willing to go to daily mass with me and say the rosary, but enjoys it as well and wants to be there...and wants to just be with me, genuinely and honestly...so not going to Peru was a good thing!

I also have been very tired and recovering from Lyme's disease so that has been a rough road...I get so tired so easily...it can be frustrating when I want and need to do things and just can't seem to get it done...I'm not used to slowing down so it has been a lesson indeed.

Last weekend was the Steubenville conference. The chaperones were amazing, the kids were really good - innocent adn sweet for a change :) and it was just a refrshing thing to witness and be a part of. The music was absolutely incredible. I love Ben Walther...his band is so talented...This year the venue was changed from LaSalette Shrine in Attleboro, Ma to the University of RHode Island...I had my reservations chaperoning 27 kids on a college campus that I am unfamiliar with...my brothers may be eagle scouts but I could not read the map they gave us if my life depended on it...

But the dorms were a nice change from sleeping in circus tenst in the middle of thunderstorms and heat waves...and there can not be enough said about electric outlets and indoor showers!!! James got us a plug in cooler for the room so Joy Denyse, and MaryPat and I didn't have to eat the retreat food, and he also gave us little fans for our rooms...it was very thoughtful and much needed ad appreciated...

All in all the weekend was absolutely wonderful with some adventures... our bus was 2 hours late picking us up on Sunday and teh ac was broken and then we got stuck in traffic on I-95...not fun! but we endured adn arrived at St. Mary's at 4:45...just barely in time to set up the band for 5 pm mass!! after mass the parents had put together a pot luck and we had a lot of fun telling stories fromt he conference and plannning new escapades...

Steuebnville weekend is my favorite weekend of the year and a great time to be a youth minister...I feel reinvigorated in my spirit for the year to come...oh I'm physcially and emotionally exhausted but man was that weekend awesome!
Can;t wait fro what comes next!!!! Life is getting interesting :) :) :)