Single digits and it feels so good!!

OK, I'll do my best to update on everything that's happened in the last month, well the things worth mentioning anyway. I last wrote when the kids were still here and we were in the heart of Summer of Service, but they've definitely left since then, so I have some updating to do for sure.

The week after my last entry we had local service projects around the Denver area all week with various activities planned for the evenings. It was great to be back in the dorms and to have all the Lightning teams back together. On Monday Lightning 2 was at Cherry Creek State Park removing invasive thistle in the blazing sun and although it was hard to keep the kids motivated, they did a great job and we finished in just a half day. The other half of the day was spent planning our Big ISP project for the following week. Tuesday we went to the Red Cross for some filing, Wednesday the team was at the Denver Rescue Mission while I was enjoying a day off with Katie Lynch and a few others at the pool Thursday we headed out for our last environmental project in Boulder, working with Kristin from Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks and Friday we finished up at the Broadway Assistance Center in the morning and the Habitat Home Restore Outlet for the afternoon. That week at night we had a college talk, a movie night, rollerskating and Thursday night was CL choice, so we had some of the teams watch a movie with popcorn and ice cream. That Friday night we had the talent show and then Saturday was a day at the pool and then in the evening we went to Skyline Park and watched a movie outdoors. ET was showing and it was such a great atmosphere and so fun to be out downtown with the kids watching such a classic movie under the stars. I was off that Sunday but the team headed to the Wildlife Museum and then had team time and structured free time.

Monday of their last week we had the all anticipated Big ISP project in which our team did a project with one of the local Boys and Girls Clubs. We were there for the entire morning and were interacting with the kids there in a variety of different activities. We were in the rec room, the gym, the arts and crafts room, upstairs in the reading room and we even got to supervise a movie watching; 13 Going on 30, it was great! One of my favorite movies and I was doing service as the same time. Afterwards we came back for lunch, did PT and then got together to plan our debrief for the following day. Monday night was an awesome gang talk, with Prodigal Sun, and then after structured free time we had our last official nightly team meeting at the fountain in Englewood, a team favorite. Tuesday was all about the paperwork and last minute things before graduation. We had our formal debrief in the morning which went over really well and then it was off to get everything else done. Patti and Ariel went off to finish some errands and I was left with the kids. We did baselines first and then after showering we headed to the offices to finish evaluations for AmeriCorps. For lunch we surprised our kids with a pizza party (they were not big fans of the cafeteria food) and then they were doing paper work all afternoon and we gave them our little gifts we had made for them. Room inspections for the kids and then dinner and afterwards we headed to Lakeside Amusement Park to celebrate the end of SOS. The kids had a great deal of freedom there and so did we, it was a great way to celebrate. Once we met up to head back, straight to their rooms on campus and their last night in the dorms. Wednesday was an early morning as usual. Final room inspections, key collecting, all the last minute running around and then before we knew it we were lined up for graduation in the Little Auditorium-they had made it. The graduation ceremony was very nice and although Sammi and Rachel had to leave before they received their certificates, the rest of the team finished strong, got their paychecks and were saying their final goodbyes. After 3.5 of the hardest most challenging and exhausting weeks of my life, the greatest reward was seeing the 6 amazing kids of Lightning 2 walk across the stage and graduate from the Summer of Service Program.

After lunch that day we were off the hook. We went and celebrated in a variety of ways, but I hung out with just a couple of the girls, had a nice little picnic in the park with a few drinks and celebrated the most rewarding part of our AmeriCorps experience. Thursday of that week we had to work half day, cleaning up after Summer of Service and getting our parts assigned for the formal debrief. Katie and I headed to Mega Wraps with Caitlin and then later that evening we took her to the airport. Friday, Katie and I went to the Coors Factory for the free tour and then after our wonderful free beers at the end we walked around in Golden, CO a bit and got ice cream before heading back. That night I was still just so tired and so far behind on sleep that I found that my bed was my best friend that weekend. The 4th and 5th were fairly uneventful for me but I did a few things and even started packing

That next week we were back to work. Monday morning we went over the SOS debrief and then we were off, so I headed to the pool with a few peeps and then that night Katie, Caitlin and I went to see My Sister's Keeper and went out to dinner. Tuesday we had our formal debrief in front of all the staff and important NCCC people and then that afternoon we were going to start our service project for the week. As exhausted and run down as we may have been, each team had one last project to complete as a team, just a short 3.5 day project. Our team was a lucky one and didn't get an environmental project or one that was outdoors as we were painting at the Senior Support Services Agency. I didn't actually go to work Tuesday afternoon or Wednesday because I had webinars with the University of Michigan for both my field instruction and for class registration. Tuesday night I did go to a Rockies game though, and afterwards we headed to SING SING, a dueling piano bar and I sang along all night long. Thursday and Friday I headed to work though, and we were so efficient that we finished by lunch on Friday. Alan took the team out for ice cream in the afternoon and then myself, as well as three other friends made cow costumes (masks, spots, utters and signs for our back, while wearing black and white of course) and headed to Chick-Fil-A for a free meal. It was so much fun and we laughed the afternoon and evening away. That Saturday was the long anticipated arrival of the rest of the Corps, which for me was mainly Leeann and Paul. Earlier that day I headed out with Caitlin and Katie to do a little shopping and then that afternoon I was finally reunited and it was GREAT!! We had team dinner and then I just got to hang out with them again, so overdue. Leeann and I watched a movie that night and just hung out and talked, so glad to have her back in my everyday life. Sunday was another big day, as Paul, Leeann and I headed out around 11, got some Subway for lunch and then the anticipated trip to That Scary Place. I fulfilled a deal I made with Leeann back in October and after our full day excursion, the three of us had our Brewery Nachos at Rock Bottom for the last time and then back to campus for an early night.

Transition week officially began that following Monday and although not too much was going on everyday, we managed to make it to the weekend pretty fast and are about to enter graduation week. We had our last debrief, returned to our old/original teams, community meeting, unit meeting, flight info, other meetings and then of course a trip to the bowling alley, one last rendezvous a SING SING downtown, hanging out with Leeann and movie nights with Paulie. Friday the unit was off campus and spent our day at Mount Evans, a 14,260 ft mountain and we summitted it, it was incredible. It has the longest paved road in North America, so we drove the vans as far as we could, with goats crossing and everything and then once we parked we hiked up to the top and it was breath-taking, absolutely amazing!! Lots of pics and great times for sure. Lunch on the mountain and then headed back. Friday night I was extremely exhausted and needless to say it was a pretty quiet night. Saturday we had our last ever Service Project in AmeriCorps. We were helping out at Barr Lake State Park and although we were helping them out, they weren't exactly prepared for all of us and didn't have enough work for all of us and the time allotted to do the project. We finished early, got t-shirts and lunch provided and then headed back to campus for a much needed nap. Saturday after I napped, I cleaned and packed almost everything up, then dinner and eventually went to get ice cream with Paul and watched a movie.

Today was pretty low key. I slept in, which was amazing and something I hadn't done in awhile, then brunch and after some lounging Paul, Leeann and I headed to Englewood for a bit, then back here for dinner and more hangin' out. Tomorrow is the official start of graduation week, so we have a few meetings this week, as well as other planned activites, then graduation rehearsal on Wednesday and then Thursday will finally be here. I will get up at the crack of dawn (not my choice at all), graduate, and then on a place HOME!!!

4 days and I just cannot wait. I'll be back in Michigan this week!!!!!

Smiles and love, Nichole