Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Kamp is Finished!

It is bittersweet to close down camp at the end of the summer.  Collin and I feel like we have run a marathon and just crossed the finish line!  We hate saying goodbye to the kids and staff, but also look forward to getting back to just being a family.  Especially this year with baby on the way!
We really feel so thankful for so many things this summer.  Collin has said that this is his best year at kamp in 13 years, wow!   We see how the Lord provided in so many ways!  Safety, staff, great kids, a great leadership team, so many blessings!   It really felt like a smooth summer.  I wasn't sure what it would be like to go a whole summer being pregnant, but I did it and it wasn't so bad!  Don't know if I would like to do it again, but.....I'm glad I don't have to think about that now.   Once again I love getting to work with my husband and I am so proud of him.  He is really a great director and I love getting to be under him and a team with him.
Here are some more highlights of the summer:
1.  Great leadership team:  Our team was really united and looked for ways to help and serve everyone.  I loved the times that we laughed together, but then was great at getting things done.   I am so thankful that they support us as a family and freed us up many times to be married and be parents.  So thankful for all of you!
2.  Great kidsitters:  When my kids are happy, I feel so free to be able to be a better director.  Thank you Sarah and Ashlyn for loving on our kids.
3. Walks with my husband:  Every year we try to learn how to be married at kamp a little bit better.  We have set many goals, and sometimes they work and sometimes we fail.   This year we carved out a little time in the mornings to take a walk and it was glorious.  It made me move and get a little exercise along with taking our neglected dog for a walk (poor Izzy).   It was a great way to get on the same page and connect.  At the end of the summer, Izzy even started to be able to come with us and not have to be on a leash.  For Izzy this is huge!  She doesn't come very well, so it was so fun to have her fun and stay by our side.
4.  Tribal Night:  I've already posted about it, but it was so fun to see my kids enjoy tribal so much, especially Ella.
5.  Ella learning to swim:   I can hardly believe how fun it has been as a mom to see Ella accomplish such a great thing.  Hats off to James Grimmer, he for sure was the turn around in Ella's swimming.  She gained confidence and the skills needed to take off from there.   She is adventuresome and fearless, and I love to see how those qualities have gone into her swimming.  I am just so proud of her.
6.  Golf Cart Rides:  What would my kids do without a golf cart?  They love to take rides around camp.
7. Hearing Braden learn to talk more:  He is a non stop talker now.   He loves to talk and really wants to be heard.  He repeats things over and over until you repeat it back to him and he is sure that you have understood.  Sometimes a little annoying, but fun to hear him express his world.
8.  Seeing Kamp embrace our kids and our kids embrace kamp:   Ella and Braden are the king and queen on camp. They both walk around saying hi to everyone, and everyone knows them.   Sometimes this can be too much, as they both learned how to tell kids to go away, but they also love it at times.  They get loved on by everyone.
9.  Both kids birthday parties:  So fun, everyone helped to make both of them so special.
10. Having a garden at kamp:  I loved getting to have a garden for K-Kountry this summer.  We learned alot, and I will do many things different next year, but I loved having fresh herbs, tomatoes, and zucchini share with kamp.   There is something so gratifying about picking something that you have grown, and then being able to eat it.
11.  Ok, more to come but this is all I can think of now.   Feel free to add comments with any of your highlights!

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