Spice of life

A spirit day where the girls dressed up like little kids

Trying to get the birthday girl in the van so they can dunk her in a fountain!

Cupcakes on a shopping day over the weekend- the first cupcake shop I've seen in Germany!

Typical look from Luke as he puts up with crazy girls on a daily basis

Yet another week has come and gone. This was one of the more eventful weeks due to the fact that our seniors left for their class trips to Rome on Thursdays and our juniors left for Normandy as well. It was a weekend with our 11 sophomores and freshmen which was a welcomed time to connect one on one and in small groups with them. Here is the week at a glance:

• Tuesday we started our tradition of a senior snack in the dorm parent apartment. We wanted to touch base with them before they left for a week and it was a needed break in their night of papers, studying for tests and packing for their trip. 
• Wednesday we brought McFlurries from McDonald's to their lunch for room check rewards. Their rooms get checked off 3 times a week and we had 11 out of 20 girls get the reward this time. I think it was good incentive for those who didn't get it this time!
• Seniors and juniors left with goody bags in hand Thursday night. Last year we had only 2 girls here after they left, so this year it was wonderful to have 11 girls stay behind for the weekend.
• On Friday we invited the middle school dorm over for dinner, a digital scavenger hunt and a movie on the big screen. The girls were amazing with their "little brothers and sisters" for the night. The scavenger hunt was a hit, which Bonnie created. They had to run around Kandern and take photos of specific things like a group member and a cow or three people next to a garden gnome. We judged the pictures and handed out prizes. After that they watched the Emperor's New Groove and called it a night. Our girls slept in the hallway as is the tradition passed down to them by their upperclassmen for the first night of them being gone.
• Saturday we had waffles and cartoons. We gave them a free pass on cleaning their rooms since they are covering for all the upperclassmen's gratis' while they are gone. In the afternoon we took two vans to Lorrach and went shopping and walking around. It was unseasonably warm this weekend (finally!) so they enjoyed being outside and getting out of the dorm. For dinner we all made pizzas together and everyone got their own half. At night the freshman were invited to a cafe masquerade at a sister dorm and our sophomores went on a late night "torch" walk with some friends and a couple staff. Corey from upstairs spent all night making homemade torches for it and they really enjoyed it.
• Today has been a wonderfully peaceful day. We started having a family style breakfast on Sunday mornings which has been a welcomed addition to the weekend. We make a yummy breakfast and all the girls come to the set table dressed and ready for church at 9am. We have a family sit down meal with name tags and the whole deal. It puts us all in a better frame of mind for the morning and going to church. Nobody is racing around frantically trying to get dressed. We all walked there together in the morning sunshine and back. In the afternoon the girls worked on getting their homework done so they could hang out. The sophomores all went to HBR, a brother dorm. They played soccer, volleyball and football and I have not seen the girls have that much fun with another dorm ever! It was a great day for it and a release of energy! Tonight for dorm fellowship we made encouragement cards. We're listening to jazz and being creative. It has been a great feel of a day going into the week.
• Tomorrow the freshman and sophomores have a field trip for the day. The juniors get back around 10:30am and we'll make them sleep for as long as they can!