Cave Run Storytelling Festival

For the past ten years or so my family has traveled to Cave Run State Park for a storytelling festival that is held every year at the end of September. I am not certain how we first heard about this storytelling festival or what possessed my family to go down and check it out but I am very thankful they did.

It probably started with my Grandmother who is a very creative, whimsical person who finds the beauty in everything. (She is the perfect example of how a artist should be) My Grandmother was probably the one who started us towards our first experience of storytelling.

For this particular storytelling festival the state park loans out the grounds on one side of the lake where the people who run the festival set up tents and venders set up their carts. During this festival different storytellers from different parts of the country come and tell their stories to a receptive crowd who is hungry for their tales.

The storytellers will tell stories from their childhood or will tell fairytales or fables lighting up the stage and taking the audience on a journey through the imagination. Through their animated gestures and hilarious sound effects these storytellers entertain not only little children with their stories but the adults as well.

Whether they are from Africa or they live up in the mountains of Colorado, these storytellers entertain a wide audience from young children to adults who are graying and wrinkled. This experience is one that I will cherish for years and I hope to go again every year until they decide not to do it anymore. This is probably the reason I enjoy stories so much and why I want to be a part of making a story that touches lives through animation.

(my grandparents are actually in this film, guy in front row in a hat and blue shirt) ;)

Presentations

I thoroughly enjoyed hearing each presentation last Thursday in class. All of them were very interesting and I learned something new, or at least made me think about a new concept, that I didn't know or had considered before.

The most interesting to me, though I liked them all, would have to be Olivia's presentation on cult  movies. (I think that is right) I did not realize that some films were purposely trying to make a really cheesy movie or a movie with terrible graphics. This makes me wonder which movies that I watch are cult movies.

Some of the movies I watch, especially ones on Netflix, are poorly made, with terrible acting or poorly made animation. It is hard to tell, however, if the directors are purposely trying to make the film bad or that is just how it turned out due to a low budget. Or is that the very definition of a cult film.


I don't know if this is considered a cult film but the acting is a little cheesy, but that is due  to the fact that this is their first film. I'm certain that since this is their first film that they would have a smaller budget and were probably still figuring out the equipment, and that is why it is a little cheesy. (still a good movie however).

Hate Me If You Want To

Personally I do not think the new Star Wars movie is going to be all that great. To me, the trailer doesn't look that good. It looks cheesy and overdramatized, and if it is anything like episodes 1-3 (the new ones not the old) then they will not be very good.

Although the newer star wars movies have "better graphics" and probably have more action in them my favorites still remain episodes 4-6 (the older ones). I actually liked the graphics in the old movies. Though most of the time you could tell exactly how they got a certain effect in the movies those effects gave it a real look and gave it charm that the newer ones do not have.

Episode VII The Force Awakens looks like every other movie that has been coming out lately. The whole feel of the movie (based on the trailer of course) feels like another disaster strikes earth (though of course that is not the planet they are on) and the hero, or heroine as the case is for this movie, comes in and saves the world.

Which brings me to my next point (one in which I know others will disagree on) that this movie looks like another woman-is-stronger-than-man-and-can-do-anything-man-can-do kind of movie. Though I am all in favor of a woman being the main character of a movie I do not, however, like the way hollywood twists them into another symbol of infinite power. Put a woman as the main character of a movie and suddenly she becomes great at everything and she can't do any wrong and nothing is her fault. (Also a dangerous topic, I know).

Though I have not given very good points on the matter, I still don't think that the new Star Wars movie will be any good. Of course I want to see it, but the only reason right now for me to go see it is so I can say that I've seen it.

I am, however, excited to see the parts Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher play as well as some of the other actor from the very first Star Wars movies.

Loose Ends

Though I didn't quite understand the ending I did enjoy the clip Loose Ends. I was funny to me that these two friends were having a heated debate over whether or not E.T. should be in a star wars movie. The argument kept going back and forth with one of the guys saying he liked E.T. in star wars and the other guy was strongly against E.T. in the movie.

I had to laugh at how they defended their case about E.T. They discussed when E.T. went back home to space and on when the E.T movie came out or what time period that movie was in and whether or not it fit in with the new star wars movie. Both o them were logically trying to explain why George Lucas decided to put in the background some aliens that looked a lot like E.T.

I loved how when they picked up a hitchhiker later in the film they brought him in on the conversation by asking him if he had seen the movie. I also loved that because of a restroom stop and some fighting during the stop that the hitchhiker drove off with their car, leaving  them to hitchhike themselves.

The part I  don't understand is the part where the two guys get picked up in a car and are later forced to hitchhike again. Once one of the drivers of the car asks them both if they saw Chewbacca in the new Star Wars movie he kicks them out. What's up with that?

Bad Messiah, yeah right

No! No! NO! E. J. Park, is completely wrong. A Messiah who kicks butt is not the kind of Messiah this world needs, in fact it is quite the opposite. Parks thinks that to get the job down heads need to be knocked together and someone needs to come down and rain wrath on evildoers.

I do not think that Neo from the Matrix would be a very good Messiah. First of all he is a human who makes mistakes and would probably kill or hurt the wrong guys or would handle the situation wrong. Secondly his approach to a situation is kicking  people around (which is also the approach of the agent in the train station). He starts fighting the guy without even asking why the agent has come. Thirdly his fighting skills are very poor and I agree with
Jemimah that she could do a better job.
(these are pretty poor arguments)

Anyway, the way that Jesus approached the world, the way that He was born into this world was exactly the way He should've done it. He had to prove to the world that even though He had all this power that He could humble Himself enough to put Himself in our shoes. Jesus had to experience the suffering, hardships, and temptations that each one of us has to experience so He could better understand how to sympathize with us.

Because of the way that He came down He was able to help people suffering from illness and disability instead of becoming to busy with conquering the Romans. Bashing people's heads together to form a point is not the answer and Jesus knew that. Through His kind words and through His parables He was able to accomplish way more and win over the hearts of many because He took the kinder approach.

Plus by taking the kinder, more humble approach He gave each of us a choice as to whether or not we want to follow Him. If He had really used His power on the Romans or any other enemy it would not be fair because He has all the power. How would you feel if you weren't on Jesus' side and He just came in all of a sudden and started killing off all those who did not believe in Him or who were persecuting the Jews? It wouldn't be fair because, whether you like it or not, you would have to bow to His will because He has more power than you.

(I shall now step down from my soap box)

In conclusion I shall reinstate my earlier point that "knocking heads together is not the answer, but a kinder, more humble approach is."

Ok Go

Ok Go

How can you not love the intricately thought out, gorgeous music videos of the band Ok Go. Their videos have so much thought behind them and are so well done the pieces work together like clockwork. You can tell just from how in-sync they are and from what they chose as props that they put a lot of work into the video and practiced for hours on end to get it that good.

I had never seen the music group Ok Go until we watched their videos in class, but now that I've seen it I've fallen in love with it.  I especially loved the music video with the Rube Goldberg contraption that wove its way around the warehouse they were shooting in. It was very colorful and captured your attention as a bunch of household items fell in such a way that triggered even more reactions.

Not only was they music good but they also presented their music video as another art form instead of presenting their video as some sleazy cheap looking video that wasn't worth much.

(I went and watched some more of their videos and really liked this one)

Passing Hearts

I thoroughly enjoyed the short video called Passing Hearts. It brought me nearly to tears through it's beauty as we followed a boy and his story. I loved the mystery to the film. I was slow and didn't realize until the letter was read that the boy was the recipient of a heart the son of the couple had donated.

It was a vey touching film that brought more and more tears to my eyes as the boy continued his journey. At first I thought that the boy was visiting his real parents and I figured he had been adopted by the first lady in the film. I thought that perhaps they had given him up because they could not afford to take care of him although they still loved him.

 However, when he came to visit, when the man and woman first saw him they did not rush over to him and embrace him as you would expect loving parents to do. Also, the conversation in the kitchen seemed slightly awkward instead of warm and inviting, so this gave me a clue that they couldn't be his parents.

Then, later in the film, the boy was given a tour of a little boy's room which I thought to be his. However, it didn't make much sense that he would be given a tour of his own room if he was their son and there were pictures of a boy that looked nothing like the first boy.

At this point in the film I was baffled as to why he had visited these people and who he was to them. I started getting more of a clue when the wife bent down to listen to the boy's heart. That was a strange gesture even if he was their son, but the boy didn't seem bothered by it and didn't look awkward when was listening.

Finally, the note was read and it made sense and all my questions were answered. Passing Hearts is one of my favorite films that have been shown in class. Even though I just about cried because of it, this film is one of my favorites because it is so touching. I love the mystery to the film, how they didn't tell you straight away what was going on and why he was visiting these people. It kept me intrigued and interesting in finding out why this was happening.

Here is a heartwarming movie that brought me to tears as well:

(a little sad but very wonderful)

Documentaries must be genuine

The day we watched the documentary about "Capturing Reality" was especially interesting to me. I liked what Richan said about what one is capturing when one films a documentary. She said that she believes a documentary to be about filming reality instead of filming what you want to film, creating a set and showing what you think reality should look like.

I personally like documentaries to be genuine and capture what the world is really like. Documentaries are a window into the world, capturing the essence of a place most people will never get to visit or getting to know an incredible person they mightn't have ever known before. These films tell a story about a place or person or thing that most people would not have the opportunity to experience.

Documentaries, whatever form they come in (though I prefer live action), must capture reality, they must be genuine. People will be genuine and will talk to you if you give them a chance, it is the documentarist's job to capture that genuineness not for the money but for the opportunity to represent someone else's story. The documentarists in "Capturing Reality" stated that people are willing to speak into the camera not for the fame but for the opportunity to tell their story to an unbiased listener, namely the camera.

I believe that is the whole charm of a documentary, and why I love watching them so much, is because they are genuine, telling it like it is.

One of my favorite documentaries is about cuttlefish (National Geographic's Kings of Camouflage) and here are some pictures of cuttlefish from that documentary:

 Here is the smallest and most deadly, (it is called Metasepia and it lives on the bottom of the ocean and is on 6-8cm long):

Do you want to Super Size?

I had never heard of the documentary "Super Size Me" until the reading we did before Thanksgiving break. How could I have missed out on this wonderfully, intriguing, disgusting, funny documentary. Apparently this is a thing they show in schools to educate children about good health ethics and EVERYONE has seen it. Being homeschooled I had never been exposed to such a thing, but never mind about that.

Anyway, I looked up the video and watched this hour or so long video about eating healthy. Just reading about Morgan Spurlock's decision to eat only McDonalds for a month piqued my interest and made me want to watch the documentary. I already consider McDonald's food to be very greasy and unappealing, so the idea of eating that kind of fattening food for an entire month was kind of disgusting.

It was interesting to me that he both performed the experiment upon his own body and directed the documentary. It was interesting that Spurlock directed the documentary, came up with the idea himself, and put himself in the film which gave it a personal touch as you would imagine. To be willing to go through with something like that, putting so much strain on your own body when you know what you have to do to stop your body from hurting, is either very noble or very stupid. (Probably just stupid)

Towards the end of the month of eating only McDonalds his body was fighting against him because of all the fat and sugars he had consumed. I admired him for sticking to his goal of one month but I also thought him stupid because from what the doctors were telling him he could have lost the use of his liver if he continued to eat unhealthily.
It was well filmed, although the video quality looked old, it was filmed in such a way that captured your attention and kept the audience interested.

This video inspired me to eat healthier and to question a little more in depth what it is that I am shoving down my gullet.

Art? Is it really?

Though there is artwork that goes into a video game it never occurred to me that video games are a kind of art. Though it does have art in it, drawings and paintings and the like, I never considered it art. When I think of art my mind goes to the traditional paintings, drawings, and sculptures that are normally found in art museums. I must be very narrow minded to have a cookie cutter idea of what art is since the whole purpose of art is to move people, to express ideas, through unexpected mediums or art forms. (Leeper probably has something to say about that).

How is one to determine what is art and what is not? Is there some perfect art form, or at least some aspects of a piece that makes it art? Or is art just anything that you make with your hands? If the latter is true then what constitutes good art or bad art?

Then there poses the question of, "if there is a difference between good and bad art then who gets to decide what makes it good and what makes it bad?" Is there really a truly perfect art form, or is good art due to interpretation? If it is due to interpretation does that mean good art is relative to a person? If that is so, then why is some art considered better quality than others? Is this just based on popular opinion? (can you tell I had a philosophy class today?)

I can recognize art when I see it, but do others consider the same things I consider art to be art? Who is to say that a drawing I create is not just a load of crap and not a master piece in the making? Who gets to decide what is art and what is not? Or rather, who gets to decide what is good art and what is not?

These are my questions that will either be answered very soon or I will have to ponder them for quite awhile before they get answered.

Essay Quiz #2

My favorite film that was screened in class was the one on the "Two Sisters" by Caroline Leaf. It was interesting to see the animation scratched out onto multiple film strips. How much work went into the making of this film took my breath away. It took her about a year to create such a beautiful 14min film, you could tell just by watching the film and seeing all the little details. The story itself brought about deeper questions, both about myself and how I viewed beauty. When Viola was seen for who she truly was, a woman with beauty and not a monster, it made me question beauty in general. Society has so twisted our outlook on beauty that when we see I person like Viola we immediately cringe at how ugly we think she is, we do not realize that she has beauty even though it is not what society considers beauty. The man in the film was able to love her in spite of her blemishes because her knew her heart through her stories. He considered he all the more beautiful because he got to know her heart first before he even laid eyes on her. That of course is not the only reason she is beautiful, but women, myself included, forget that the true beauty lies within and not without. We should spend more time perfecting our hearts and making sure we are genuine in our kindness rather than spending time on the frivolous outside appearance which will not last as long.

Feminism AGAIN

How to say this while being fair to both genders? Hmm... Well, I am stumped. I don't know if I  can say what I have to say while being fair to both genders.

Though I do not consider myself to be a feminist, and even gag a little at those who are extreme feminists, my viewpoints may come across to some as feminist.

First of all, I do not think women can accomplish certain things as well as men. Some things are best left for the men. Some women have come close to beating men in a certain activity, but training at great length to come even close. Men were made by God to be the stronger, dominant, spiritual head of the household and women were created to help at his side.

Women were created to be the man's emotions and sometimes even his conscious. We were not created to push ahead of men in certain categories, but to aid them along their journey.

It is very similar to having a certain ability or talent. Some people will be better then you at volleyball, art, football, science, math, music, etc. no matter their gender. It just depends on how much natural ability you have and how dedicated you are in your training.

There are some cases where women have surpassed men, but that is because they were just born with the talent while the males in this case do not. This can also be the case with males, men have surpassed women in a certain activity because of their natural ability while women do not have the ability.

In some ways we can look at this equally (whether you agree or not) but in others women must admit they are not dominant, not having the abilities of men, and men must admit that women have some abilities that they themselves will not posses.  

(Random picture I'm sure we can all relate to)

Beauty. Not What You Think

The films we watched on Tuesday made by Caroline Leaf were very interesting and really grabbed my attention, both the story and in how she made the film.  I particularly enjoyed the one about the two sisters. It struck me that after the man came in and treated her like a real human being even though she was deformed she stayed the same.

Now I know what you may be thinking. You think I cannot accept someone for who they are, even if they seem ugly to us, but I assure you that is not the case. I thought that, like some of the films we have already watched, that she would transform into to something beautiful after she was seen for who she really was.

Apparently my mind has been brainwashed by today's media into thinking that everyone has to be beautiful to be loved. Because every heroine or hero in today's films are either beautiful of handsome it is almost hard to accept someone less tan beautiful to be the hero. I found myself struggling with the fact that Viola was not the ideal vision of beauty that everyone expects of a heroine. Not until the man came into the house and reached out to take her by the hand did I realize that if he could accept her for the way she was, then why couldn't I?

Needless to say, the fact that she stayed her so-called "ugly" self enhanced the fact that she was beautiful. She was still a person even though she didn't meet the very high standard that society calls "beautiful."

Puff the Magic Dragon

I was so excited when I read the Masters of Animation: The International Panorama because on the very first page was Puff the Magic Dragon. Immediately after I read about Puff, I looked up the video online and watched it all the way through. (that song is still stuck in my head. Very catchy)

Sometimes, when my siblings and I were younger, we would go over to my grandparents house where they had some older movies, Puff being one of them. I have fond memories of watching Puff at Grandmother's house and of the story it told.

Looking back over the piece I realize that as a child I didn't fully understand Puff and what was happening to Jackie Draper. I do, however, remember the feelings and emotions that were stirred in me through watching this movie.

Here is a long explanation of the movie (I'm not very good at summaries):

In the movie there is this little boy, Jackie Draper, who looks very sad. His mother and father bring in these doctors who examine him and tell his parents, who already know, that Johnny will not speak. They tell them to keep him safe and to keep him away from danger, then they leave without another word or any advice as to how to make the boy speak.

Later Jackie is in his room by himself looking downcast where he is met by Puff. Puff sees what is wrong and tells Jackie that they are going on an adventure, but Jackie doesn't respond nor does he seem to care. So Puff proceeds to cut out a drawing of Jackie calling it Jackie Paper (clever, no?). Puff brings Jackie Paper to life and they begin to build a boat to sail to the dragon's land Honali.

They meet some dangers on their quest and Jackie becomes frightened every time. With the help of Puff, Jackie overcomes his fears and even ends up helping the dragon face his fears. They both wind up back in Jackie's room where they started. Puff says goodbye and Jackie is reunited with his parents who ecstatic to hear their boy speak.

Even though I was a kid I still felt when the characters were sad or felt when they were frightened. I did not fully understand the message back then, but I did know that something was wrong with Jackie and at the end he was happy again, though I did not fully understand why.




There are many movies like this that kids could and should be exposed to, so as to make them think and feel along with the characters.

How dare you!

How could you be so insensitive? Why would you show such a compromising image o little children like that? You shouldn't show such images to kids? Do you not care what this will do to their minds?

These are just a few of the thoughts that Christian moms probably think when watching a show or movie that they consider less than fitting for their child to see. As soon as they see that kind of media, they immediately say how our society is going downhill and asking what are they showing kids nowadays. As soon as there is a difficult image on the screen or a little too much language in a movie, the begin complaining how horrific it is.

I have met many a homeschool mom (and some moms who have their kids in public school) who shelter their kids and hide them away from the world's corruption. A think a little shelter is good when they are young (you wouldn't want your 7yr old watching a PG13 movie), but as they grow older it is ok to expose them to difficult concepts. Children can handle tough concepts better than you think they could. If you sit in a movie theater of a disney movie you will hear the kids laugh when it is funny and become serious when it becomes sad.

I know that when I was a kid I watched movies, especially disney, because of the actions and the jokes the characters said. However, I do remember the feelings I had when baloo the bear from the jungle book was thought to be dead or when Cinderella was trapped in the tower by her stepmother or when Simba's father Mufasa died or even when the Beast was dying and Belle told him she loved him. Children are capable of feeling and grasping what heartbreaking emotions are, we just need to give them a chance to experience that and to grow because of it.

                                                  ( I did not draw this by the way)

Child-likeness

And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."   -Matthew 18:3

In Matthew, we see God calling the little children to himself saying that their faith is stronger than the faith of the disciples or other adults. The faith of a child is strong and undaunted by the world's view. To have childlike faith is to believe, no matter the situation. They are willing to listen and obey because they realize that there is a higher power over them.

So often we "grownups" get caught up in our knowledge, wisdom, and pride in ourselves. We can't see past our own accomplishments and our own abilities to realize that we need to submit to God because he is stronger and more powerful. Adults have trouble learning new things because they have gained a sense of "I'm smart enough, so I know everything" kind of attitude.

That is why it is easier, in my opinion, to reach out to children (and sometimes adults) through children's media because their eyes are open and ready to receive whatever comes at them. The children are most likely going to be geared towards an exciting movie with a great story, rather than towards a story with a good message. However, since they are so open minded and willing to ask the questions we consider obvious, they end up learning way more from the film than they thought they would. It's that fresh inquisitive mind that reaches deeper than the mind of a hardhearted scholar who has a know-it-all attitude.

What's in a name?

We all have one. We all were given one at the time of our birth. Some are fond of this gift, but others are not. It is a gift that can be shared; yet you still posses it entirely. It is the door to getting to know someone for who they truly are. It holds power over someone else once you posses it.You may be wondering, "What is the answer?" and I would say the answer is a "name."

A name can hold power. It can penetrate the barrier of uncertainty and mystery of a human being just through a tiny word. Once you know someone's name you hold a certain kind of power over them. You can pick them out in a crowd and no one will be confused as to who you're referring to. You can also command an individual to do what you want (unless they are stubborn or bigger than you) by calling them by name. You can also bring comfort and peace to someone just by saying their name. In many other cases a name can be very powerful.

In my experience, if someone remembers my name it gives me a sense of connection to that person, wether or not I remember their name or not. I feel as if I am needed or wanted, and I could care less why they called my name whether out of need or just as a greeting as you pass by. Just the fact that they called out MY name gives me a warm feeing, a feeling that makes me feel like I matter and am important.

It has been said that the sweetest sound someone can hear is the sound of their own name. It is somehow sweet when you hear your name on the tip of someone else's tongue as if it brings a new meaning to your whole being. Maybe that is why Jesus likes it when we say his various names in our prayers. Or how even when you don't know what to say, Jesus' name is all that need be said. He already knows our needs before we say it; so even when we just speak his name he will still provide.

It is interesting to think that when we are reborn, God gives us a new name written on a white stone. Only you and God know that name, making it all the more precious. It is also interesting to think that Jesus has another name, a name in that no human can speak. Knowing a name is power, so it makes sense that Jesus would keep this name from mere humans, otherwise we would hold a certain power over him.

Names hold more power than I can express and when you know someone's name you have opened that door that was blocking you from digging deeper the complexity of that person's story.

A little color

To be in a world where everything is in black and white, where nothing is bright and full, that is a sad place to be. As we saw in the clip from Pleasentville, everything and everyone was black and white and didn't catch the eye or bring any meaning to the dismal town of Pleasentville. Only when the couple went to a garden (aside from the works of art in the very beginning) did people and objects gain color.

Some of the people tried different things to gain that purpose or vibrant color they were seeking but never found it. Others, as we saw later on in the clip, gained color but it unclear as to why they gained color while others stayed plain old black and white. 

I think that one interpretation of this could be to say that those colorful people gained meaning or purpose in their lives unlike the gray people who are still searching. Looking at it through a christian perspective, I believe that this could mean that they gained a relationship with God. 

It's neat to think of God seeing us in such a way. He may see us in black and white, we who live in skepticism, denial or even we who are still searching for a purpose. He may also see others of us in color, those of us who have found meaning or purpose or who have gained a relationship with God. Since we have changed so drastically through our faith we are seen as changed or different or vibrant with color.

Gospel as Tragedy Session #1

I am first off all perturbed. I do not know which is more upsetting, the last video we watched or the fact that it didn't seem to affect anyone who watched. Still, an hour or two later I am upset and keep on playing the video through my mind like it's on a loop.

But then I analyze what I saw and heard and think, "Did I need to hear that? Am I not like those people at the dinner party who were more disturbed by the curse word than by the fact that 30,000 children have died from malnutrition? Was I really upset that those women and children died in that truck or by the fact that I had to see it, or rather a portraying of it?"

At first, and still even now, I wondered why Professor Leeper decided to show such a video to his class. Then I realized that not only was it a superb artistic portrayal of what we feel when we do something bad or even when we do not help those in trouble when we have the chance, but it was also a portrayal of how we ignore the fact that bad things happen all around us. This guy in the video was dealing with the fact that he had either helped or just witnessed the death of hundreds of women and children and did nothing to stop it from happening. As with the video called "fridge," don't all of us look at the chaos around us and think that it has nothing to do with us? Don't we all have those situations where we see where there is a person in need, whether drastic (like the boy in the fridge) or minor (like seeking someone who needs a friend) and fail to do something?

What also strikes me from the lesson today is where Professor Leeper was talking about how we sometimes don't express our feelings because of our not wanting to offend someone listening. We tend to hold back our feelings and just go with the decision made because we want to avoid confrontation or avoid offending others.

Since I myself struggle with not wanting to offend others or trying to make sure they are happy rather than express my feelings and thoughts on the subject this is a lesson I needed to hear. However, I agree with Professor Leeper's statement that there is a time to be blunt and express your feelings and there are times to just let it go (if I understood him correctly).

All in all, the lecture I heard today in the Intro to DMA class was very insightful and profound and though it was hard to hear, it needed to be heard. It is funny the way God decides to speak to each one of us. He has spoken to me in many different ways but it never occurred to me to be spoken to by God on such a deep level through one of my college classes.  (Not very insightful but it did penetrate my proud exterior and made me ask some hard questions).

An Excerpt From Kelsey Hunsberger's Story

Kelsey Hunsberger


You may call me an outdoor fanatic if you so desire but most would call me Kelsey. I absolutely adore spending time outside. Whether sunshine or cold winds, fall leaves or snow drifts, I enjoy being outside and breathing in the fresh air.

My love for the outdoors is probably due to the fact that my whole life I have gone camping every year, about nineteen years now. Most years we tend to go camping twice a year, especially recently due to busy schedules.

Our family owns a pop-up camper and have had this camper for over ten years; and before that we had a smaller camper before our family grew to five members. State parks are our favorite places to camp, but we have camped at other campgrounds as well.

At one campground in particular called the KOA, near Indianapolis, we stayed for almost four months due to job complications (long story). We ended up living there three months and at another campground one month (total 4 months) during the summer and lived in an apartment during the fall.

Long story short, I love the outdoors and I enjoy other outdoor activities such as kayaking, baseball, hiking, tossing a football around in the backyard, swimming(in or outdoor), biking, etc. There is more to me than meets the eye but I thought I would share just an excerpt from the story I call "my" life. (Quotes because it is not really MY life, it is God's and hopefully I express the love of God through my actions and the way I treat others as he calls us to do).

I have many stories to tell and I am sure all of you do too, so I look forward to swapping stories and getting to know each one of you.

*As you can see I also love some good ice cream. Gotta love ice cream. ;)