TEAM BUILDING! :)

On Friday we had a team building day. It was from 9-4 outside. It was raining and cold, but it didn't stop us from having an awesome time! We were split up into groups and there were five different tasks we had to complete as a group. It was really fun to be able to work with everyone - it really is true that everyone has something different to add to the group. As you can tell from these pictures, my role on the group was always to be lifted, carrier, swung or thrown in order to complete the task. At every station there always seemed to be someone who had to be picked up or thrown across something and by the end of the day without even volunteering myself, I knew this was my job!

Our first task of the day was to create a spider web and we all had to get through a different hole in the web- we had to create 9 different holes and each hole could only be used once to get the person across. Since we only had 8 people, someone had to go twice, guess who that was- yup me! So I really had the easy job I just had to lay back and let my team lift me through the hole without touching any of the string. We were the first team done! :) 

Next, we get to a "bridge" that we have to get all of our members across without touching the ground. We have two platforms and one piece of wood. Well our first attempts were to see who would volunteer to just fling off one platform to the next with the tire. It seemed like it would work, but as you can see from the picture it didn't! After trying a few people and having them crash pretty badly, the GISMA staff told us we couldn’t do this anymore because someone is going to get hurt. 

So plan B- Emily and I decide that if we got two people on the tire one could stabilize the tire while the other person climbed off on the board. I thought it was a good idea! 

So I got on the top of the tire and held as tight as I could. Then Emily got in the middle of the tire. 

The plan was to then to slide the board under Emily while she is sitting on it and then I would walk off. Easier said than done! :) 

We have someone pulling me from one side by my shoe. Someone pushing the board into Emily trying to get it to the other side.

Well it didn't work out too well and Emily went down! Which left me swinging like a monkey on the tire. 

So they get the board through and I finally with help from the tree above and some gymnastics experience make it safely across the other side! :) 

Next stop- build a structure with broken plastic crates and climb as high as you can and then stand on top of the crates with no hands- Sounds fun huh! Well Brian went first and he got 14 crates (which at that time was the most anyone had done). We only had 15 crates total available to us. 

Well I went next. I was actually really excited about this one. There isn't a picture, but I got up 14 crates also! It was scary because your team had to hand you the boxes and once you got too tall they had to climb up the structure, which meant that it was swaying even more than before. But you just hold on tight and try to offset the extra weight! 

Next we had to build a car with wood, rope and wheels. They elected me to be the driver since I was the lightest and we had to race through the course with the other team members pushing us. Besides running into a tree / wall it was a great time! :) I was laughing SO hard I couldn't steer. This was hilarious to watch everyone!  


But that wasn't the end of team building! One of my classmates had us all over that night to celebrate finishing the first week of school! The team building continued- you bring the cups, I will bring the snacks, someone else bring the coke, lime, drinks.... you get the idea! See you really do use the things you use in class in the real world! :)

I was getting ready to go over to his place and was talking to Todd. My doorbell kept ringing. The bell is located down the hall through the locked door so that visitor can't just come in. Because of this I couldn't see who it was. I was running late so I was trying to just ignore the bell and finish getting ready. Well that wasn't possible it rang NON-STOP for about 2 minutes straight and it is the loudest most obnoxious ring ever. I figured it must be one of my classmates that really need something. So I grabbed my keys and walked to the door. I didn't see anyone there, but I saw a package sitting on the floor. I walked over and picked it up. I thought the mailman had FINALLY delivered my package that my parents sent me two weeks ago. Then I looked up and saw Todd standing there!! He surprised me!!!!!!!!!!!! :) It was so great!!!! 

When I was talking to him on the phone he was breathing heavily and I asked him what he was doing, he said just running around. Well really he had no idea what floor I was on so he ran up and down the 7 flights of stairs trying to figure out what room I was in. The only bad news was he only could stay for 4 hours and then he had to go back. He got the call on his way here that he had to be back at work at 4 AM! :( But I was SOOO surprised to see him! Long story short he got to meet all my classmates, which was so awesome! We had a great time! 

The rest of the weekend was FULL of studying! All day Saturday and Sunday! Since I will be out of town next week I want to make sure I am ahead of all the reading and assignments so I had a lot to do this weekend! I got it all finished though and actually tonight (monday) after my team assignments that ended at 6 I had NOTHING else to do! That is why I have time to write you!