Camp Quality 2009

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On Friday, June 5, I drove to Kansas City to pick-up my good friend Winter (we both traveled as ELCs this past year) and we drove to Camp Quality, near Stewartsville, Missouri, to spend a fun emotional, inspiring and life-changing week with some of the most amazing kids I've ever met!

Camp Quality NWMO is a non-profit, all volunteer organization, affiliated with Camp Quality USA, Inc. Any child who has been diagnosed with cancer (any stage of treatment or remission) can attend Camp Quality, campers must be 6 to 16 years of age. Camp Quality funds the entire expense of camp and the year-round support program for every child. The goals of Camp Quality are to give the children a week of new experiences and friendships, and to give their families a break from the routine of taking care of a sick child. The goals and aims of Camp Quality NWMO are to allow children with cancer to be children again; to create a stress-free environment that offers exciting activities, fosters new friendships and helps give children courage, motivation and emotional strength; and to give children hope for the future in that the camping experience will be such fun they will look forward to and anticipate their next camp; and that the memories from their special week will sustain them in the weeks and months ahead as they continue their medical treatment. This year there was about 105 campers at camp and every camper is paired with their very own companion!

Winter and I met during our Educational Leadership Consultant training last summer, which is where we met Corey, who was also traveling as a Consultant for his fraternity. The three of us have become very great friends, and because both Winter and I are majored in education (Winter- Early Childhood and Me- Elementary) and we love kids, Corey recommended that we apply to be companions at Camp Quality. We were selected to serve as volunteer Companions and were paired with first time campers. My camper was a sweet little girl named Josephine and after our week together, I know we will continue to be friends! I had so much fun with Josephine and all of the amazing children I met at Camp Quality! These children are so inspiring, so brave, so kind and fun to be with- they truly each touched my heart forever.

I was in a cabin with 6 first time campers and 6 first time companions, and we had an amazing dorm mother, Gala! She took the time to get us organized before Camp and she came up with the theme Princess Power! We turned our room into a castle and put together goodie bags of princess prizes and gifts. They loved it!!

A typical day at camp starts around 8 a.m. with breakfast followed by morning activities consisting of horseback riding, swimming, archery, fishing, hair dressing, crafts, canoeing and paddle boating. Lunch starts around 11:30 a.m. and continues until nearly 350 people are fed. Afternoon activities include swimming, water games and inflatable games. Invited guests come by to entertain the children with puppets, storytelling, petting zoo, magic shows, music and so much more. Evening entertainment consists of the ever-popular dance, a talent show, scuba diving, hypnotist, campfire and fireworks. In addition to the daily happenings, our week of Princess Power consisted of make-over parties, nail painting, playing dress-up and having our own parade through Camp, singing songs and dancing, riding on the train, visiting the country store, giving the Camp Director- Tom a make-over during his nap, dancing in the Talent Show, blowing bubbles, plaiyng at the park, playing in the sand box, swinging on the swing and playing pretend. We had a blast!! It was an unforgettable week and it was very hard to say good-bye, but we are all looking forward to the reunion this fall!

Camp Quality NWMO holds an annual reunion in which campers receive memory-mate photos, camp logs and video tapes. This gives the camper an opportunity to share the "Camp Quality Family" with their individual families. Camp Quality is not just a five-day experience, but includes a year-round support system. Unfortunately, some children do not get to come back. So it is very important to make camp a happy experience they will never forget. We look forward to the day that Camp Quality will no longer need to exist, but until a cure for cancer is found, Camp Quality Northwest Missouri will continue to raise money for their annual camp.

To learn more about Camp Quality Northwest Missouri, to donate or get involved, please visit: http://www.campqualitynwmo.org/aboutus.php

May Madness!

So far the summer has been off to a great start!! I've been a busy lady, here's what I've been up to:

May 2, 2009- Alysa's Graduation Party was so much fun!

May 9, 2009- After LeAnna's graduation party on Friday, Tricia, LeAnna, Andy, Amanda, Matt and I kicked off the summer on Saturday and went to an Omaha Royals game. We had a blast!

May 14, 2009- My mom, brother (Ryan) and I went to see Wicked with a few of Ryan's friends. It was an awesome show and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who loves a great show!

May 16, 2009- My great friend LeAnna's Bachlorette Party was a blast with a 1980's party theme. We dressed up, dolled ourselves up with bright blue eye shadow and big curls and headed out for a night on the town. Totally a night to remember!

May 22-26, 2009- I took a trip to Chicago with two of my great friends Beth & Dana to visit my friend Amanda. We had a great time going out, shopping, seeing the sights, hanging out with her Chicago friends and going to a Cubs baseball game. I now love that city! It was so great to spend a weekend with a few of my great friends!

May 29- May 31, 2009- LeAnna & Andy Brown's wedding weekend consisted of a beautiful ceremony on Friday, a rocking reception and a fabulous day after lunch/gift opening party. LeAnna's been one of my best friends since high school we were in choir and theatre together. My group of high school friends is still very close, and like my friend Teri's wedding reception, we often broke out into choreographed dance routines from high school and sang at the top of our lungs. It was so much fun! After spending a few hours at Andy and LeAnna's house on Saturday, Lauren, Tricia, Alysa, Carrie and I went back to my parents' house for Pink Lemonade margaritas, LaCasa's pizza, hot tubing and marshmallow roasting around our fire pit. Talk about some quality girl time! On Sunday we had my aunt, uncle and cousins over for a grill out and a fire! Nights like that are what summer time is all about!

This Tuesday was my day working at the Cooper YMCA. I am headed to Camp Quality tomorrow to be a volunteer for a week and when I return I will start my job as the Youth, Teen & Family Director. It was a bittersweet last day at Cooper, sad because I know I won't be working at Cooper anymore, but exciting because I know I will still be working with Kim, and she will continue to be a great mentor and friend!

Wednesday was craft day because I spent most of the day sanding and repainting a dresser I bought from my aunt. It turned out great! You'll have to check out my crafty page, The Crafty Ladybug, to see photos of the project. Today, my great friend Corey came from Blue Springs, MO to visit me in Omaha. Corey spent this last year traveling as a consultant for Theta Chi Fraternity, which is headquartered right next to Alpha Xi Delta's Headquarters. Corey will be traveling a second year and had a few weeks off, so he came up to check out Omaha. He will also be volunteering with me and our other great friend Winter at Camp Quality for the next week.

Well I need to get packing! Check in next week for a post about my week at Camp Quality!

E

Change is Great!!

I am trying to get better at updating my blog. Since coming off the road as an ELC I find I am not online as often as I was, and when I do get on I am checking emails and facebook, but Kim has been helping me and my goal is to redo my layout by the end of the week and then update my blog once a week about the exciting new changes in my life!

After a few weeks of searching, applying and interviewing I am happy to announce I’ve got a job!! Starting June 15, 2009, I will be the Youth, Teen & Family Director for the Fallbrook YMCA, a new Lincoln YMCA branch opening on September 1, 2009!

As the Youth, Teen & Family Director, I will be responsible for writing the curriculum, planning activities, hiring the staff and overseeing the YMCA Adventure Club Before and After School Program at Kooser Elementary School and the YMCA Teen Time After School Program at Schoo Middle School. The Fallbrook YMCA will be one of the only YMCA branches in the country to be physically connected to a middle school. I will also oversee the Child Watch Care Center at the branch. This will be a challenging, but exciting position in which I will use my education degree, my past experiences at the YMCA and the skills I developed as an Educational Leadership Consultant this past year. I am looking forward to this exciting experience and I appreciate all of your love and support, which is why I wanted to share this information with you!

I will be moving to Lincoln into a place all on my own. If you, or someone you know is getting rid of or selling furniture, dishes or appliances please let me know, I’d love to take a look! As I also mentioned, this will be an exciting but challenging experience and I would also appreciate continued prayers and positive thoughts!

Thanks for all of your love and support!!

Look for an all new layout coming soon!!!

E

It's Been Way Too Long!

Wow!! It's been way too long since my last post on March 4! A lot has happened. Here is a little play-by-play….

I spent my last month as an ELC visiting many of my focus chapters from the past year. I visited the sisters of Iota Delta at the University of Central Oklahoma and had a wonderful time! They are a chapter of sweet and amazing women! I facilitated a developmental program and met with the chapter officers.

I also visited the sisters of Alpha Eta at Purdue for the last time as an ELC. I have enjoyed getting to know them and work with them this semester. I facilitated a developmental program and met with the chapter officers. My last visit to the chapter went great and I am excited to say I will be staying on Alpha Eta’s National Team as the Recruitment Director.

I also visited the sisters of Sigma Chapter at the University of Iowa. I have had a blast working with this chapter and helping them prepare for recruitment by facilitating their recruitment workshops this semester. They are a great group of women!

I also visited the Gamma Delta Chapter at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, which was cool to visit a chapter in my home state. It was so great to meet these women and spend a few days working with them. Their advisors took me to dinner at Jams, a restaurant I had never been to, and it was so nice to meet them and talk to them.

After my final ELC visit, all of the ELC reunited in Indianapolis to finish up all of our reports and conclude our year of travels. It was so great to see everyone again and we were able to have a lot of fun on our last night together, but it was very bittersweet. Saying our goodbyes on Thursday was very hard, there was a lot of crying, hugging and sentimental moments.

Being an ELC was the most amazing experience of my life. The past 10 months have been life-changing and I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to be an ELC. I feel so blessed to have met all of the amazing sisters from all over the country, to have done the things I was able to do and to see the places I was able to see. “Some say friends pass through your lifetime and they touch you on their way,” my life has been truly impacted by those I met and worked with, my heart has been touched by the kindness and care of the sisters I visited. Every chapter I went to I was embraced by sisters who wanted to learn from me and who were open to letting me into their lives. In my 10 months as a consultant I never once got homesick- I never once felt lonely. I was always surrounded by sisters; I inspired them, and in turn they inspired me. I can honestly say because of the sisters I met, the experiences I had and the lessons I learned as an ELC, I am now a stronger, wiser, braver and more inspired woman than I was when I left Omaha on July 14, 2008. I owe much of that to Alpha Xi Delta. I will miss working those I worked with and I will miss visiting the chapters I’ve really made a connection with. Although I am excited to start the next chapter in my life, I am sad that this chapter has come to an end, it is definitely bittersweet, but I am looking forward to continuing on this amazing journey called life.

Since completing my travels as an ELC, I have been getting adjusted to life back in Nebraska- I bought my first car (Mom & Dad didn’t even have to sign on the line!), a red 2009 Nissan Sentra and I love it!!! It has a smart key that can stay in my purse while I unlock the doors and turn the car on and drive. It is connected to my phone through a Blue Tooth, so when I get a phone call or call someone it goes through my car speakers and I can keep my hands on the wheel. It’s pretty freaking sweet! It’s been nice to spend time with family and friends.

After my last day as an ELC, my family went on a vacation in Florida. We had an amazing time! We arrived on Thursday, April 9 and spent the evening in Downtown Disney then we went to dinner at the Hard Rock Café at Universal Studios. On Friday, we spent the day at Bush Gardens and had a blast riding the rides and just being together. My dad and brothers even convinced me and Stef to ride on this huge rollercoaster that literally went straight up and straight down and had an upside down loop. We went spent Saturday at Discovery Cove, an amazing place where guests can swim with dolphins, snorkel with string-rays (with their barbs removes) and other tropical fish and feed tropical birds (that are so friendly they would land on your hand to eat)- it was so awesome! They had also had fresh-water pool and lazy river. We spent the day swimming and relaxing in the sun, it was great! On Saturday night, we went to T-Rex, in Downtown Disney, for dinner. Colin had spotted the restaurant on Thursday night and really wanted to go there, and we all were open to checking it out. It was a pretty cool restaurant and we had a lot of fun! On Sunday, we celebrate Easter Sunday by attending mass at the Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine. The priest was awesome, the musicians sang beautifully and there were close to 2000 guests at mass. It was a moving and inspirational mass. After church we headed to Coco Beach on the Atlantic side of Florida. We visited Ron John Surf Shop, but then things got a little crazy. It took us a while to find a place to eat lunch, but in looking for a place we witnessed a stripper fight (in front of the strip club called Cheaters) and a few random people yell profanity at us as the drove by. We eventually made it to the Pier and found a great place to eat, right over the water. It was worth the crazy trip!! We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing on the beach and playing in the ocean. On Monday, we headed home. It was a great vacation and it was so nice to spend so much time with my family.

Since I’ve been back, I have been working for Kim doing a few projects at the Cooper YMCA in Lincoln and I have been staying with the Pair Family. It has been a lot of fun!! Kim and I are pretty close and I am so thankful she can let me work and stay with her!! I have also spent a few days working at the Sarpy YMCA, with my good friend Shaun, who is the director for the summer program. It’s been fun working with him too!

Last Friday, I hung out with a few of my good friends from my chapter. We went to dinner at Bison Whiches and then Anita and I spent the night at Beth’s. I spent much of the day on Saturday, April 18 with Rho Chapter Sisters celebrating Founder’s Day. I was the guest speaker! It was a great honor and I am happy to report with went great. Founder’s Day was well attended, well planned and went great. It was SO GREAT to see everyone and spend time saying hello and talking to everyone I’ve missed so much.

After Founder’s Day, I headed back to Omaha and we celebrated Easter with the Padilla side of the family, which was so much fun, and again, it was so nice to just spend some time with my family!

Everything’s been going pretty well, I just am getting life reorganized and I’m getting caught up on everything. Tonight I hung out with Liz- we went to dinner and got manicures and pedicures! It’s just great to spend time with my friends too!

I think that’s pretty much it! Sorry it’s so long… I just had a lot to get caught up on! My next post will be pictures from events mentioned in this post! Keep an eye out for it!

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Emmalie

Can you believe it's already March?

First let me just say I can't believe it is already March 4!! In exactly one month I will head to Indianapolis until April 8 for my last week as an ELC :(! It is bittersweet to think about, because although I am excited to be reunited with my fellow ELCs, the LCs and the rest of the Alpha Xi Delta staff, I am sad because this experience is so close to being over. This has been the most incredible and life changing journey I've ever been on and I intend to make the most of the next month!!

On another note, The Celine Dion concert was so awesome!! Our seats we so close and she puts on the best show I've ever seen. She performed for an hour and 45 minutes, with two encores, ending with My Heart Will Go On. Omaha was her last stop on her World Tour (because it was rescheduled from November), so she talked to the audience at the beginning of the show and was so genuine and sincere. She also stopped several times curing the concert to accept gifts and cards from fans and gave them hugs and kisses on the cheek. She sang beautifully, danced with her amazing dancers, and interacted with the audience and the band- hands down the best show I’ve ever seen!!! She even cried at the end of my heart will go on and stayed on stage to hug her band, dancers and continue interacting with the audience. She also hugged and thanked fans on her way from the stage to the back stage. She is so inspiring and I will always remember that night! I am so glad I was able to share it with my mom and sister.

After the concert I headed to the University of Iowa. It was a short but successful visit. I facilitated a recruitment workshop on Saturday and had a full line up of meetings on Sunday and Monday. I also did a program on effective communication with the chapter in Monday night. It was a great visit. Right now I am sitting in the airport getting ready to head to our chapter at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world!

All my love,

E

Sitting in Panera...

As I write this, I am sitting in Panera Bread in State College, PA. I arrived at our chapter at Penn State yesterday, after a quick visit to West Chester University. Although Penn State is a huge, Big 10 school, they do not have wireless internet on campus, so this morning I trekked 20 blocks, in stiletto boots, while it was snowing, just to get on the internet! Pathetic, I know, but I can't really work without the internet... so here I sit, listening to jazz music, working in Panera. It's been a very productive day, but I decided to take a little break to update you all on the happenings of my life.

As I said, I just visited our chapter at West Chester University. I had a fantastic time during my visit and the women were so sweet! I had just visited our Alpha Eta Chapter at Purdue before that, so I had to fly from Indianapolis to Chicago, Chicago to Philadelphia. It was snowing in Chicago, so my flight was delayed an hour, which gave me some time to work on reports until my laptop died. I then pulled out Eclipse, the third book in the Twilight series, and started reading that. I finally boarded the plane and was on my way. The women at West Chester were prepared and knew my flight was delayed. Everything was going smoothly, until the Captain came over the speakers to announce that because of our delay we could not yet be cleared for landing. We had to "hang out" over Harrisburg for an hour before we could land in Philadelphia. The poor sisters had been waiting for me for almost two hours with all of the delays and such, but they still greeted me with welcome arms and smiling faces!! I was so thankful for that. We then drove the 45 minutes to West Chester to the house I would be staying at, where (despite the fact that it was almost 1:00 AM) the President met me to welcome me. She gave me a Bath & Body Works gift set, a welcome letter, a detailed outline of my visit, a campus visitor's guide and map and a list of all of the officers' phone numbers- all nicely organized in a cute purple folder! Mind you, because of a lat minute switch in my schedule, she only had three days notice before I arrived!! I was impressed!!

They even planned a sisterhood event in my honor for Friday night!! Twenty-two sisters took me to dinner at Chili's and then to the movie, Confessions of a Shopaholic, after taking me to The Christmas Tree Store. It was so much fun!! On Saturday, I facilitated a program with the chapter and then attended Sigma Phi Epsilon's philanthropy rock concert, which raised money for VH1's Save the Music.

So far my visit to Penn State is going well. I will be facilitating a sisterhood program tonight and I have been meeting with each of the officers. I will admit, I am excited to go home for the Celine Dion concert on Thursday- it should be a blast!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

On this Valentine's Day I am thankful for all of the love in my life!!

"I am everything I am
because you love me."
-Celine Dion-