I am utterly exhausted.

Ok so i havnt had ANY time to write an update, so here goes...

The past week has been CRAZY with the girls finally arriving and getting situated. I feel like I have spent months with them already. I don't know what all i have told you and what i havnt so i am just going to ramble about everything i can think of to tell you.

There are 11 girls in the cabin and at this point i have begun to see their true colors. One (sammi...purple shirt on the far left sitting down with BIG, BLACK hair) i originally kind of interpreted as a smart ass because she has been here 3 years and literally bosses the other girls around....disregards what we ask of her...and all around got under my skin the first couple of days. I have learned that she means well, though. She does have a hard time listening, but that is all little ones. I have finally gotten to a point where i can understand where she is coming from and work with her.

There was a little girl that was sick (shelby...the TEEEENY TINY one in the all white outfits picture)...probably the cutest little girl i have ever seen. She sleeps under my bunk and a few days ago i woke up at 5:30am to a small pitiful voice saying my name right underneath me. She had gotten sick all over her bed and was shaking. I got her cleaned up, got her to the health center and got her sheets and stuff together for laundry. The Health center is full of kids (ill elaborate on that) so they HAD to send her back down to the bunk where she continued to get sick. This little girl was attached to my hip and i swear, this little girl and i have a bond that is the closest thing i have had to a child without them being family. I felt horrible whenever i had to leave her side even for a second. Shelby is no longer sick though (thank GOD) and is back to her giggly, loud, jumpy little self. Mission accomplished!

Now, we already had the lice outbreak....now, we have swine flu. Over 50 campers/counselors have been secluded and the huge gym has now been turned into an extended infirmary. Technically, we do not have any confirmed cases of swine flu, but what we do have is over 50 girls that have been tested as positive for type A influenza which is a strong indicator of swine flu, especially in the summer. Most of the "specimens" were sent to the state on Wednesday and we were told that we would have results by Friday, but because Maine has so many camps and because it is a holiday weekend and staff is taking monday off also, we will not have the actual "swine flu" tests back until tuesday. We had a staff meeting tonight to discuss everything any we were told that we have all been exposed, so basically, the camp owners are prepared to cover any costs to keep us all healthy. He said if our insurance is not covering treatment, he will. I swear, its like we are in a bubble here and people are dropping like flies. At lunch i will be sitting with 10 girls assigned to my table...and by dinner i am down to 7, and breakfast down to 5. Kinda scary, but it sounds like the owner is doing the best he can to handle everything and the parents are all well informed. Basically, i am in the best bad situation possible.

On a lighter note, my first day off in....i don't know...uhh...forever???....is Tuesday! A couple of us are planning on getting off of camp as early as possible (i have been waking up by myself before 7am now) and just staying away!!! I think we will be going to Freeport which has a bunch of outlets and stuff (so i hear). Pray for good weather....

Today was "lazy sunday" which means we had the option of sleeping through breakfast (could sleep until 9 if we wanted). I found that it is physically impossible for me to sleep past 8am now. One amazing thing happened today, though. The sun actually came out! It was absolutely gorgeous!!!! One of the girls i hang out with, Lily, is head of fishing so during an hour of free time today she took a few of us out on the pontoon boat she uses for fishing and we just chilled and listened to music in the middle of the lake. That was honestly the most refreshing thing i have done since i have been here and I cannot wait for another sunny day so we can do it again!

The 4th of July was celebrated here with a little carnival which was fun for the girls. I was disappointed because i was told we would have fireworks and we did not :( so it didnt really feel like the 4th. I was really wishing i could have been home for red white and boom...and cook outs and stuff. That kinda made me a little homesick.....yes, I am 21 and was a bit homesick.

I think that is pretty much the basics. I am really starting to bond with everyone now....the campers and the counselors. It sounds lame but we really have kind of become like a family. With so many being sick we are all looking out for one another and doing all that we can. I am fortunate enough to have dodged the bullet for swine (so far) and lice (so far). The only bug i caught was a virus that causes a bit of a sore throat and my voice has been totally gone for a few days. Nothing big....lets hope it stays that way!!

Ok, i am sorry for all the spelling/grammar mistakes....but it is almost 1am and i am falling asleep!!!! Love and miss you guys....there is the update for now! Happy Anniversary mom and dad!!!! :)