These are a few of my favorite things..

The hills are really alive in Austria. 
My sister and my good friend and I spent a month in Austria this summer helping at an English camp/Christian camp outside of Salzburg. My sister and I cooked and my friend was a camp counselor ( I counseled the last week I was there.) It was exhausting and excited and frustrating and wonderful. We met some really great people and even learned a tiny bit of German.

I felt like I went back in time and inside a picturesque calender, the evening was just right after a rain as my friend and I went for a walk in the woods . we emerged in a clearing and this was the view that met us. The cows made me feel at home. There is just something so friendly about a cow pasture.

My sister April and I really enjoyed cooking for everybody it was fulfilling for us to love everybody through service and through food! April worked hard planning all the meals and I was her right hand helper . We made sure we planned the meals around the activities with all the campers, and were even able to participate in the counselor hunt in the old town of Salzburg. We ran around in crazy costumes on the very spots where the sound of music was filmed. Crazy!

What really made this trip great was the staff and leaders. everyone had a different personality but we all worked toward the same goal reaching out to the kids and loving them for Christ. Some of my fondest moments happened in the staff room especially when Rum Coco's and extreme tiredness are involved.

Okay I included this picture because April and I pretty much spent most of our time in the kitchen and one of my favorite parts of the kitchen was this magnetic knife holder. It really is the little things, some day I will have one of these in my kitchen.

My Cabin: Caro,Fili, Me, Meli, Jana and Eston?

I learned that I can be a Camp counselor even though I said I never would. That I can speak in front of a crowd telling my personal story ( I talked through the tears). That I can make new friends, that I love cooking for about 30-50 people with April (we never got too stressed out and always worked ahead.) And that the world is smaller than I thought.

A Summer to remember.

So last time I wrote a post (quite awhile ago...) Summer was just beginning and now it's basically over. Fall crispness is in the air and I feel like I need to catch you up.  I am gonna give you my summer highlights ( whether you want them or not!)
So here goes:

1. Hard work and fun with my red headed brother cleaning up the junk on the farm ,and painting the garage and grainery.

2. Florida,  yes I know it's such a typical vacation/retirement place, but when you go for a good friends wedding and get to enjoy a nice rental house you can't help but enjoy it.   Ahhhh a good place to relax. Congratulations Mr and Mrs H!

 3. Being an Aunt . It's so fun when that little face lights up when you walk into the room. Nothing like a hug and kiss from a 18 month old. Along with chasing chickens and being a human amusement ride.

 4. Garden fresh food.  A fresh juicy tomato right from the garden or fresh corn on the cob.
Someday in heaven there is gonna be the best fresh food with not an ounce of guilt. Good food really makes me happy!

 And to add to that theme, sitting down to a simple fresh meal after a satisfying morning of work, taking as long as it takes to eat , laying down on the grass and taking a nap before getting back to work. As Martha says "it's a good thing".

5. Well now this next highlight needs more space. I'll let you guess why in the world am I sitting in a window from a castle ruin??? .........