Small Town Saturday Night

Tory singing with the windows down. "I had a barbaque stain on my white t-shirt. You were killin' me in that mini skirt..."

Natalie toughed it out in the back seat with all the wind! What a happy camper!

Who's driving???

We missed the beautiful sunset photo by like 30 seconds. Man oh man... but we still got the beautiful smiles!

Sometimes I am amazed at the moments of wonder God let's me experience. Wow! And my camara phone took this picture!

Here's the band that made it all happen in Lockhard: "The Fossils." What a fun night of dancing with the locals in a small town.

Halloween Style Preview

So I found out some sad news Tuesday night. The party I am hitting up Saturday is not... I repeat... NOT a Halloween costume party. I totally thought it was and had planned to show up in my majorly hot butterfly costume. I was totally unaware that no one else would be dressed up. It could have been a total retake of the seen of Legally Blond where Reese shows up to the Harvard house party as a hot bunny. But hey, Reese did end up nabbing Luke Wilson, so maybe it wouldn't have been that bad had I fluttered around the dance floor batting my eyelashes and my wings.

So tonight I put on my wings and flower headband (that the product developers obviously thought looked butterfly-ish) and danced around my house, speaking in an English accent (because if butterflies could talk, they'd definitely be British) and terrifying my dog, Murphy.

This summer a friend of mine told me that he thought some costumes transform us. When we slip into them, we naturally slip into that character. And certain costumes just seem made for certain individuals. This summer my favorite costume was one I stumbled upon on opening day of 6th camper term. Randi and I had been putting on new outfits every 10 minutes to add excitement and surprise to the awkward platform introduction scene. We had been on a roll of wearing monochromatic outfits compiled of all one color. We visited Blue, Pink, Green, and Gold before arriving at PURPLE. Normally not my favorite color. AND oh my goodness... we were transformed! We became "Purple." I felt this amazing phenomena of taking on the persona of the color. And tonight I felt that same sensation of becoming the butterfly. Let me tell you that I am STILL wearing the costume as I type and I am LOVING it! I just wish that someone was here to enjoy the character I have become. My parents marveled at my graceful leaps and jumps around the living room earlier, but now they lie in bed probably dreaming of little mariposas flying over a field of wild flowers. I wish that I had a partner in crime like TBone or Randi here to share in the festivities. unfortunately I will soon have to remove the costume and become my former self before slipping into a long slumber. Saturday night awaits. And who knows... maybe I will defy the social norm and show up as a butterfly anyways. I would be so much more fun as "Julie, the Hot Butterfly" than as just plain old "Hot Julie."

Missing My Kimberlaaaay!

She just left for Columbus, Ohio this morning, but I already miss her. That girl is an absolute bundle of fun. For those of you who don't know Kimberly, you are missing out. She inspires impromptu dance parties outside people's houses with the car radio blaring... She often speaks in a British accent to strangers and friends alike... She goes shopping almost everyday... She commutes half-way across the country for work... She likes to wrap herself in toilet paper for fun... She is currently addicted to coffee... As seen above, she likes to ride statues in public... She has crushes on foreign, metro guys... She loves to read... And the lists of fun qualities goes on and on and on and on... Let's just say, I can't wait to see you Thursday, Kimbo! We are going to make the most of our weekends!!!

Auntie Money

Thursday night I finally got to meet Little Miss Reilly "Agget" Dean Newman! It was such an amazing experience because I really felt like I already knew her. Every day this summer I had multiple conversations with Katie Newman's belly. As many of you know, the Newman's (like the Federlines) did not release the name of their baby until the time of her birth, so they had all of us guessing! I decided early on that her name was to be Agget... the name of a precious jewel and she could go by Ag or Aggie for short! Perfect... huh? Katie said I could now refer to her as Reilly Agget Dean Newman which would make her initials spell RAD... Ha... anyways... Last semester I learned in my Cognitive Psychology class that the first sense a human baby develops is that of being able to hear... so I think that when I finally met Reilly outside of her mamma's womb, she really did recognize my voice. It was so fun to get to hold her and listen to her coo. My favorite part of the night was when Katie asked me to burp her since she was on the phone and it needed to be done. Of course, I have never burped a baby and don't know how hard you have to tap her back. I went at it timidly and as a result, got spit up on 3 times! Ha... so gross but so funny too. Despite the projectile vomiting, I really liked getting to burp her because I got to hold her sweet little head up next to my shoulder and kiss her on her forehead. She is definitely the cutest baby in the world. Just check out those cheeks... okay wow... I definitely have baby fever!

Dust That Dirt of Your Shoulders!

So today I sat in the mall food court with my mom and her friend Denise. I ate the lunch that I had packed this morning... including a sandwich, soda, cheese its, and m&m's (no cookies... sad!). My mom and Denise shared a plate of rice and suspicious chicken from some chinese restaurant. Our conversation consisted mainly of me complaining (like only you can do with your mom) about a personality conflict with a girl I see almost everyday. This girl frustrates me like crazy and really gets under my skin. My mom listened, inserting the proper back-channeling cues such as "uh huh... yeah... interesting" to let me know she was taking it all in. Then when I paused, signaling that I was ready for some real feedback, she responded with, "Julie, when she irritates you just brush it off... just brush it off." As she said this she demonstrated how to brush it off by dusting the dirt off of both of her shoulders. I couldn't help but laugh out loud and ask her to pose for a blog shot. Can't you just see my mom dancing in a music video, singing "Julie, dust that dirt off your shoulders!"

FYI

Many of you are probably very disappointed in my recent blogging hiatus. You may be thinking... Julie's life really must have somehow lost its luster and become "lame-o" because she hasn't been blogging at all lately. Well... Don't you worry... I may not have blogged recently but that is just because I have been out living a life worthy of blogging about... Living so much that I didn't have time to blog! How fun is that!?!?! I greatly apologize for not blogging about many events that I intended to... I've had so many blog ideas run through my head, but by the time I get home I'm all tuckered out and only have enough energy to check Rachel Lundeen's blog and then hit the sack. By the way, I am blown away by the quality of her blog... I mean today alone she blogged like a ba-gillion times! Now that's dedication to her public! Anyways, please accept my apologies for my cyber-absence.

Hot Ladies of Austin Dinner Partaaaaaaaay!

A New Sorority has arisen! And the Charter Class of Alpha Delta Chi (Austin Dinner Club) is H-O-T-T... HOTT! Don't you wish you could join? Well... Tonight was our first meeting and a great success! It was funny how much it resembled a rush party without all the singing when we entered and exited. Plus, there was no re-application of make-up every 30 minutes. Everyone was adorable and so sweet. We all had some sort of relation to one another and had "heard so much about" everyone else. The food was delic and the fellowship, fab! The meeting was led by our newly appointed president, Lindsey Droms and the unofficial minutes are being related in this very blog. We discussed future meetings, socials, themes, and food. We all took on the role of Party Pics and have a ton of glamour shots as a result. Finally, the meeting was adjourned by the watching of the OC. Next week will be initiation. Below is one of our pledges (Rosanna), very nervous about what to expect during the rite of passage.

The Parallel Universe... aka The Mall

I feel obliged to share my experiences from work because the things I see at the mall amaze me. I wonder many times a day, "Is this really happening? Am I really seeing this?" Here are the "Top 10 Weirdest Things I Have Noticed at the Mall":

10. A ton of people don't know what size they wear.

9. It's surprising how many people come in looking for a gift for someone else and end up buying hundreds of dollars of clothes for themselves.

8. Women shop with their friends on the weekends and spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on clothes and jewelry and then return most if not all of it during the week.

7. There are some random characters that just hang out at the mall all the time and walk around stores. The other day we had a guy come in and spray every cologne a few times and then proceeded to rub his favorite fragrance all over his face and neck.

6. A lot of customers don't realize that they are always being watched by eager sales associates. The other day I watched a man feel our fake topiary (tree) to see if it was real and then lean in and sniff it for about 10 seconds to try to come to a conclusion.

5. I walk faster through the mall than the mall walkers do. Eeeee! Daniel Fells was right... I am a Speed Walker! PS I miss you, Daniel!

4. The other day we had 3 naked manikins posing on a platform at the entrance to our store and no one said anything about it being weird or acted shocked. Don't you think that if statues of naked people with correct body parts randomly presented to the general public (including small children) it would throw someone for a loop?

3. While "greeting" at the entrance to my store I noticed that some people just plain don't treat you like a human being when you say "Hi, how are you today?"or "Bye, have a wonderful afternoon!" and flat out ignore you as if you were some sort of rude solicitor calling their house during dinner. Some even tilt their head away from you and avoid eye contact. Anyways... WAY RUDE!

2. There are a lot of people who care a lot about buying the classiest clothes, but seem to care nothing about the fact that they have such extreme B.O. that the salesperson gags when they spray down the dressing room with Febreeze after their exit. BLUHHH! I think I threw up in my mouth 2 days ago.

1. Some people have no modesty in the dressing room area. I work back there a lot, and I am always surprised how comfortable people feel opening the door to me... uh... in between outfits. You know, only in the mall would this be semi-normal to the point that I wouldn't scream, "Whoa... you aren't wearing clothes, " or "Uh uh... your flies undone, sir." I mean really... its weird to talk to a total stranger who's half-dressed or just plain in their underwear. CRAZY!

Make New Friends But Keep the Old...

Tonight was fun. Five of us went to dinner at Hula Hut on Lake Austin and ate until we could eat no more... okay I did have enough room for a piece of chocolate pound cake later, but I mean come on... I hadn't had a cookie all day so my special reserve was empty! The restaurant was fun and festive. We laughed a lot and really enjoyed one another. The weather was just right with a breeze blowing through and a beautiful, clear, star-filled sky above. The night would have been close to ideal had the bugs not decided to dive-bomb me and had Joanna not spilled her entire water on both of our laps. Ha! Goodtimes.

The Music-Making Machine!

So I am thinking I might just start a band or try to find one to join! So don't be taken aback when you turn on VH1 and see "Behind the Music: The Julie Penuel Band" or flip to MTV and see "Driven: Julie Penuel." It all started last night when I got home from San Marcas and my dad had left a little "sus" (that's what my family calls a surprise) for me on my bed. It was a little plastic egg filled with seeds or something mysterious. And when you shake it, it produces a wonderful rain-like, rhythmical sound! This morning I grabbed the green egg on my way out the door for work. As I drove the 25 minutes to work, I shook and I shook and I shook that little egg to the radio. Then when I drove from work to Community group I practiced yet again. And by the time I was headed home, I was pretty much a professional. So now I am just waiting to be discovered. Here is the first photograph of me with my instrument! Just think... one day you will be able to say "I knew Julie when she was first embarking on her road to fame!"

Sisterhood of the Moonlight Drive

Want to join?Tonight I felt a lot like Bridget in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (which by the way was one of my favorite reads this summer). Many of you might be thinking, "Oh Julie... You WOULD love that book and the movie to boot!" And well... you know what, I DO! I have come to find that one of my very favorite words in the entire English language is pants. I think it is a wonderful word and it makes me giggle at its every utterance, especially when it is spoken with a British accent. This summer I laughed out loud during FOB as I voraciously read through the intro to this tale of sorority. Here is an inspiring excerpt from that very segment...

They were noble pants, but unassuming. you could glance over them and just

think, "Okay, pants," or you could stop and really look at the beautiful

complexity of colors and seams. They don't force you to admire them. They are

happy just doing their basic job of covering your butt without making it

look fatter than it actually is.

Now if that doesn't light your fire, then your wood must be wet! Well, anyways now that I have gone off on how much I loved the cheesiest book on earth, back to my original point... Tonight I felt a lot like Bridget! She was the one with the rebellious free spirit who went to soccer camp in Mexico. She could not be kept indoors, escaping her cabin every night to sleep on the beach under the starry sky.

As I drove home tonight with my sunroof (or should I call it my moon roof) open, the light of the beautiful full moon flooded my car and lit the open country road so that one could possibly drive without headlights. The moon rays tickled my cheeks as I sang at the top of my lungs to the blaring country music. It was a true experience of wonder as Austin Sailsbury would explain it. The music and the light made me drunk with wonder, soaking up every last bit. Yet, as much as I was enjoying myself, I began to dread pulling into the driveway and having to go inside. I wanted to spend the night on the hood of my car basking in the magical glow. But here I am inside, sitting in front of the humming, mechanical computer about to sleep in my own bed. I crave to live the life of adventure that Bridget did. And one day I will!

I LOVE 7-YEAR OLDS!

So for four years I had 11-year old campers pretty much exclusively. I thought having the 7-year olds would be a nightmare. My friends even played a joke on me last year and told me that instead of Real Deal, Jill and I had Barn 1. I almost cried. This year, Katie Newman wanted to challenge me and see how I'd do with the youngest division. However, she didn't tell me this and I was shocked when I found out that I had been given the opposite of my pref sheet. I spent the last month of camp playing with 7-year olds and having my favorite term ever at camp. I LOVE THE LITTLE ONES. And I am so sad that I missed them all these years. Below are some pictures of the cutest little girls on earth. I just feel so blessed that God entrusted them to me and their counselors this summer.

Certified to Save Lives

As many of you know, I became a Certified Life Guard in May of 2005. It's a job and a title I take very seriously. This summer it allowed me to spend every single day patrolling both the slew and the pool almost every class period. You might be thinking "Julie, wasn't that distracting for the kuks for you to always be in a swimsuit???" And the answer is yes... yes it was, but kids' lives were at stake and that's what mattered. But don't worry, I made sure to cover up at co-ed freeswim and parties with my very attractive plastic shorts (which Katherine Ambrose admires so much) and/or my Israel track top. I always topped off the ensemble with the very stylish and practical Life Guard hat and floating device... both essential accessories. And don't forget the protective eyewear. I normally wore a mom-sized pair of sunglasses from the lost & found or if none could be found, I would just slip on a pair of tinted swimming goggles. Goodtimes. I was pretty much a major stumbling block to any kuks near the pool deck. Those poor guys!

WALK PLEASE!!!
Below are some pictures taken of me during a model/life guard/pool CO photo shoot during third term.

Above, I am pulling in the blob to test the pressure before the kiddos "blobbed on!"

I was always serious when wearing the hat. I wasn't about to break character for the camera... plus I am naturally photogenic in most candid situations.

Here I am recording the blog pressure with the accurate surrounding information.

Below I am putting the shallow-end rope out and taking down a closed sign. This job included many tedious and pertinent responsibilities!

Community Group Tonight

Sometimes I feel plagued with knowledge. Anybody else feel me?! I mean... All of the communications courses I took in college have made it where I can't help but analyze everyone's verbal and nonverbal communication. Tonight at Community Group I noticed a girl (she'll remain nameless) talking to a guy. I thought the way she was standing screamed "I like you. I am attracted to you. Date me!" Just thought I would see if ya'll agree, so I am re-enacting her stance below. What do you think?

Kanakuk This Summer

Hey blog readers! I am so sorry it has taken me forever to start writing about my summer. I am now using a different computer that won't let me download the program I used to use to publish pictures to my blog. However, I have discovered a new way to do it, so here I go...

Okay, so this summer was pretty much marvelous! God showed me sooooo much about Him and about how He could use me in ways I never thought possible. For those of you who I haven't talked to in awhile, I was at K-Kountry for three months learning, loving, and laughing A LOT! Right now I am wishing that I could have blogged all summer so that the hilarious situations I experienced could have been fresh on my mind, so I could share them with you. Instead I am going to give you all a brief overview with a few sporadic stories. The first month that I was there, I had Barn 7 which included two sets of one-weekers and one group of two-weekers. My co, Carrie Clousing, was from Wheaton, IL and was so much fun to work with. She definitely had that Chicago accent that made everyday entertaining.

At first I was not excited about having one-week campers because I just had preconceived ideas about how it would be. I thought I wouldn't really get to know my girls in that short time and they would all be homesick, first-time campers. BUT I ended up absolutely loving my one-week campers. It was amazing because I got to know twice as many campers that first two weeks and got to tell twice as many about the unconditional love of Christ! Carrie and I had sweet, sweet girls and saw a lot come to know the Lord for the first time and ring the bell (to the left is Betsy Battle ringing the bell with Carrie). Our girls also made great friends within the barn. They built friendships that will last throughout all their years at kamp, like Meg and Jenny to the right (after going on the zipline together).

My two weekers were so crazy and fun. They definitely kept Carrie and I on our toes because they were absolutely boy crazy and were always up to mischief. The stories they provided will last me a lifetime. Below are a few of these crazy cuties being themselves. They were absolutely ADDICTED to teatherball. They physically could not walk past the pole without hitting that ball. Whenever we were missing a girl at flag or lunch or soapies or best barn, we knew where to look first... the teatherball courts. They were intense and they were good. Little Mo Mo beat almost every counselor she played and they didn't let her win. Below is a picture of Jen and Mo doing what they did most...

First term, I also continued friendships that will last with fun friends like Laura Jarvis and Laura Murray. Let's just say "JuLaura... Together again... Forever" (in a monotone chanty voice). We had great times on 24's and NO's and laughing about our "I Spy's" and "gazelles." Laura Murray (known to most of your as TBone) and I spent tons of time painting banners and creating new names for colors we invented. I really think we could break into the naming-of- colors business. I mean "A Knight to Remember," "Heartthrob Thunder," "Sky Passion," and who can forget "Goldenrod Geronemo." You just get lost in the color!!! That girl really gets me and I love spending time with her. Here is an example of our hard work...

Second term I was a UC (Unit Coordinator) for Barns 9-12 and had so much fun getting to know all of the older girls at camp and living with Jarvis,Lori (LoHo), and Melissa "Payne Train". I built great relationships with all of my counselors (Sharpie, Jacks, Lauren, Jennifer, Shaley, Celeste, Blaire, and Maria) and enjoyed hanging out in all their barns. Some highlights were story telling in Barn 9 after taps (a camper gave me the funniest book of true stories ever. As I read the stories I would embellish them with a few of my own ideas to spice it up and keep the girls on their toes. Let's just say there was a great tale about a dwarf who wrote the song Survivor and sold it to Beyonce.), dance parties in Real Deal after Lights Out with flashlight strobe lights and c-walking, Rascal Flats during best barn in Barn 10, and one-on-ones with Barn 11 counselors at the pool during FOB. This was quite the term and I soaked up every minute! (Below are pictures of Paige receiving a BumbleBee on the Fourth of July and Blair and Addie after going on the zipline.)

Third term I was a UC (which stood for Ultimate Cutie this term according to Austi Pants) with "Random" RANDI "what can BROWN do for you?" and "One-eyed BLAIRsie." I had Barns 1-4 which was so different for me. I got to play with 7 year olds all the time and absolutely loved it. The two girls to the left are two of the sweetest little ones you will ever meet: Chastity and Triston both in Barn 1, Term 5. They gave the best hugs and were always either both in my lap or climbing all over me like I was a jungle gym... but no complaints here. I loved them to pieces. This last month was probably filled with the most laughter and smiles! Kids really do say the darndest things. Meals with division one were definitely different than with division three. We did a lot of serving, making of PB&J's, cleaning up, and getting massive koolaid mustaches. Some of my favorite things third term were hanging out in Barn 1, Term 6 for FOB. Those girls had me sufficiently tucked in on the floor of their barn with like 5 blankets, a pillow, 8 stuffed animals and all of them cuddling with me. It was so adorable how sweet they were being to me that I didnt' even mind the heat of the 115 degree weather until they started tickling me and all kissing my face atthe same time. I almost wet my pants! It's funny how kissable my face is... just ask Austin Sailsbury! Ha! Got Em!!!

Speaking of loveable campers... I can't go without introducing ya'll to Cassie (Below with Brittany Blum). She was the most affectionate camper by far. That girl had a death grip and one could not escape her hugs. Whenever I visited Barn 2, her counselors had to peel her off so I could leave. She was great and camp wouldn't have been the same without her.

Third term was probably my favorite. I had a blast with my roommates (Melissa, Randi, and Blaire), Austin (Austi Pants), Adam Greig (Belly Button!), Josh Bordas (Bordas!), Lesley (Albie), Jason Prince (JP), Jake Lacy (my FAVORITE), and all my D1 counselors (Kyra, Mary Jo, Kara, Brittany Blum, Sara, Morgan, Hannah, Kelly, Brittany M, and Liz). We had so many goodtimes and I have so many pictures that unfortunately I am unable to upload to this computer. You'll have to use your imagination! All in all, this summer ended on a bang. It was indeed MARVELOUS and I wouldn't trade the memories for anything! God is good and He continues to amaze me! I am sad to see the summer go, but I know He works even during the Fall, Winter, and Spring! Stay tuned for more blogs about more specific events!

NEW POSTS COMING SOON!

Don't worry ya'll. I didn't quit blogging! NEVER! I've just been at Kanakuk for 3 months without access to a USB cable to upload my pictures. I will soon catch you up with either a series of blogs or a mega-blog. Tonight, however, I am too bogged down with stuff to blog. So for now just know that there are many funny stories to be told and THEY WILL BE TOLD. I miss you all!