More Like Family: Co-op

Omygosh, guys. It's almost June. We're a month away from 2013 being half over. How crazy is that?! However, I still have over 7 months of this year left and I plan to use them and enjoy them fully. That being said, summer has begun. Well, for me it has.

Monday marked the last day of co-op for the year. (Ah!!!) It was so exciting and so disappointing at the same time. No more homework? Yay! No more super early Monday mornings? Hallelujah. Plus, co-op being over means that summer plans get to come to being soon. (Summer camp, bonfires and crazy sleepovers, anyone?)

On the other hand, though, I'm really sad. I'm going to miss watching the little ones and trying to corral them. (Easier said than done, but hey!, they're worth it.) I'll miss singing with my worship team girls. I'm going to be depressed when I don't get to see my amazing friends. I'll miss my teachers. I'm going to miss the random conversations, (Journalism class. Enough said.) the crazy laughter, the occasional shocking moments, the weekly memory making... okay, you get the picture.

My co-op's more than an intense once a week class day, as I often describe it as. It's a family. It's a place to belong. It's a community.

I could list so many things I love about co-op, but I kind of already did that. I can't list all the crazy memories of the year- that would take all of summer break. (AND I am NOT spending all of summer break blogging photos and memories of the school year JUST to go back. I WILL enjoy this summer and it WILL be the best yet. (Seriously, though... it will be.)) But I can't leave this post without adding a few highlights from this year. It was truly amazing.

Twister Hobbit Movie night with my best friends, Mary, Bekah and Ky. Ky and Mary were talking the entire time: quoting the movie, speaking in whale, (thank you for serenading us, Mary. (-_-) ) and freaking out about Gollum. Of course, Bekah and I weren't much better... we talked a lot too. But, hey, at least WE didn't get locked out of the movie room!

Little kids. They're amazing. Most of my year was spent with little kids, believe it or not. They're a ton of fun! They're not really worried about making themselves look like idiots. They're more concerned with having fun. I think some adults (and teens) could learn a thing or two from the little ones around us.

The last day of co-op is always themed. This year was "Superhero day"! I dressed Thor inspired. (He is the BEST superhero, after all.) Before the morning started, I was helping watch the Z kids and I "borrowed" Cole's ninja mask so I could pose with the infamous "Nacho Libre" (Tommy)

The formal. I wish I had a decent photo of our whole group. Josh, Danielle, Lizzy, Bekah, Mary, Ky and I all went. It was a night to remember. We danced our feet off, we went a little crazy and when we were too tired to dance any more, we kept dancing. I saw some old friends and made some new ones. We danced and danced and danced and sang and made total fools of ourselves. So much fun!

Not sure why, but this photo makes me smile. Isaac got his hands on my camera and started snapping away while he was sitting in my car after co-op, talking to my sister and a couple friends. He got around 20 shots. This was definitely the funniest!

Omygoodness, don't get me started on how much I love this girl. She became like my little sister this year. She's super mature for her age and she's super fun to be around. From this year alone, we have a ton of memories and inside jokes.

The King Tut field trip was a blast! I love Ancient Egypt. The mystery and richness of the history... it makes me stand in awe (and shock) when I think of some the events that have taken place there. It was awesome to be able to see some of it in front of my very own eyes.

Oh, this picture makes me laugh, worry, (what WERE they doing?!) and tear up a little... Dani's not coming back next year and that... well, that's super sad. We've known each other for forever and she's not going to be in the area any more. (I'll probably post more on that later...)

This was taken on the last day of co-op this year. We always go to a park. I guess they were practicing their superhero moves? I don't know... still, so fun!

The Journalism team. This year was so much fun! Everyone brought something new and fresh to the table (literally... we had a round table...) and our articles were top-notch this year. Way to go, team!

Last day of co-op photo op with the girls! Next year just won't be the same without some of them. Each of them have impacted me in positive ways. Love these girls.

Meeting Hazel was a major highlight of my year. She's so precious and sweet. I love her so much already. I can't wait to watch her grow and follow God's plan for her life! She's going to do great things.

Well, I guess it's with that I say "I'll see you in my memories" to the co-op 2012-2013 school year.

And let's start summer off right with a fantastic quote.

Superheroes: A Heart For The World

As you can probably tell, I've got Superheroes on the brain. Avengers is coming out in a week and my sister and I have been counting down the days till it comes out since the trailer at the end of Captain America. As I'm watching these movies, questions popped into my head: What does it take to be a superhero? How do superheroes become superheroes? What does it take to be "superhero" for Jesus? How can I become one? Let's tackle these questions.

First of all, we need to know what a superhero is. Dictionary.com defines a superhero like this:

a hero, especially in children's comic books and television cartoons, possessing extraordinary, often magical powers.


Okay, there's one definition of superhero. How would I define a superhero?
 
A person/superhuman who is willing to lay their life down for all of humanity in a time of crisis.
 
Notice that I put "person/superhuman".
 
In the movie Thor, a god, Thor, is banished from his home in Asgard and stripped of his powers. He becomes a mere mortal and lays down his life in order to save the world and the human race from his evil brother, Loki.
 
Can a human be a superhero? I believe so, but they have to have a mighty power behind them. (And I personally don't think that human superheroes fly... I could be wrong.)  :)
 
How does one become a superhero? There are many ways according to the many movies and comic strips out there. One can be born to a superhero family (like the Incredibles or Thor) or a superhero can be made. (Like spider man or Iron man.)
 
How is a superhero made? It usually happens when there's a need for a hero or savior. When the world is about to be invaded by an alien race or something of the sort. In some cases, superheroes are made by a  special event in their life, a turning point of sorts. Sometimes they are forced to step up to the plate. Sometimes, they volunteer.
 
What makes a superhero? Superheroes need a  heart of gold. They need a will to save the world. They need a way to save the world. Superheroes must be brave. They need to follow their conscience.  They have to be willing to lay down their lives. Special armor can make a superhero. Take Captain America for example.
 
Steven, a small guy that had many health problems and was super small had tried and tried to get into the army. He wanted to be a soldier and had tried a million times. (Slight exaggeration there!) He wasn't about to give up though. One time, at a fair, a Dr. approached him and was impressed at the man's determination. Steven was chosen to be part of a test to create a new breed of soldiers. After many tests, Steven was selected. He went through many trials and proved himself a worthy soldier. After a while, he had a shield made for him. Steven became Captain America and saved the world... all because he proved that he had the heart for it.
 
That's the one thing one NEEDS to have to be a superhero: A heart for the world.

Thor: A Lesson in Friendship

Thor: one of the best movies ever made, in my opinion. Love, adventure, drama... this movie has it all. It's entertaining and fairly clean. There are a few swear words and some violence, but this is one of my favorites. It's right up there with "Joyful Noise", "The Chronicles of Narnia", "October Baby" and "Captain America". The storyline is simple, easy to follow and fun. Not only in this story well made, but it has good morals as well.

Thor shows what true friendship is. Dictionary.com defines friendship as this:

1. the state of being a friend; association as friends: to value a person's friendship.

2. a friendly relation or intimacy.

3. friendly feeling or disposition.

What does the Bible say friendship is? After looking on Biblequestions.org, I found the following:
 
"Some general teaching about friendship. In the first place, the Bible says, "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly" (Prov. 18: 24). Some are too distant to form friendships. There is great value in friendship. "Two are better than one," wrote the wise man (Eccl. 4: 9). A true friend will stand by, even in times of trouble. "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity," the Bible says (Prov. 17: 17). To the converse, the Bible speaks of false friends when it warns, "Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint" (Prov. 25: 19). There are some people that are not desired to be friends. For instance, "Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go" (Prov. 22: 24). A true friend will tell us when we are wrong. Hear the Bible, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov. 27: 6). Genuine friends must be cherished and not forsaken (Prov. 27: 10)."
 
While I knew these most of these verses, I found it very helpful to have them listed all together, as I hope you will, too. Being a friend also means sacrificing oneself for the another. John 15:13 says " Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." In the movie Thor Lady Syth and "The Warriors Three", as they introduce themselves to Thor's mortal friends, show true friendship. They risk it all to save their friend. Thor also risks his life for his friends in the end of the movie.
 
At the moment, it's quite late, so I'm going to continue my superhero posts tomorrow. Enjoy!