Family Camp 2014

This year's theme at Family Camp was Be Still & Know.  We went up on Thursday, which happened to be Leah's birthday.  Arriving at camp and so very excited.....

 The girls helped me get the tent and camp set up before they headed over for the start of Teen Camp. 

After they left, Leah and I had a few hours to ourselves.  Actually, we were waiting for my parents to call since they were with friends at lake just south of us....only five miles away!  The women came to our campground so Leah and I could follow them back to their lake cottage.  We visited for a while, then when they left to go on a boat ride, Leah and I headed back to our site.  It was great to see Dad and Mom even if it was just for a little bit, especially on Leah's birthday!

 She opened her gift from them and received an outfit for her doll. 

 Her birthday dinner consisted of walking tacos (yummy leftovers from serving church lunch a few weeks back!)

After dinner we rode our bikes around the campground and surrounding area of Quaker Haven.  She received her birthday phone call from Daddy while we were out.

 When Joey and Holly returned to camp, Lee and Lily were so excited to sing "Happy Birthday" to Leah!  It was so cute!

 We spent the rest of the evening in their company.  We love camping, and with them, it is an added bonus! 

 Leah enjoyed having playmates!  She does such a great job with them both and they love her!

 We went down and let the kids play in the sand (and water since you just can't resist when you're on the beach!).

 On the way back up to camp, the sunset was just beautiful.

 Joey built a fire and we made birthday smores!

 Friday afternoon the kids went swimming again.

 This was a great way to spend time before Family Camp actually started.

Family Camp starts on Friday.  The first big event is the Friday night cookout.  We always go to that, but do our own food the rest of the weekend.  When we walked down to the beach front for the cookout, these four girls were sitting there together.  This is the first I had seen them since Teen Camp started.  It touched my heart because every time Megan saw me throughout the weekend, she excitedly said, "Hi, Mom!" :) (This probably comes after all the times I've lamented that if there is anything I don't like about Family Camp, it is that you see your teens only in short bursts! This was one of those bursts!)

After Chapel on Friday night, there are snacks around the campfire, then free time.  Everyone spreads out all over camp.  About 10 p.m., Megan texted me and said they were heading over to the gym.  Since we were just sitting around our campfire, we decided to go see them too.  Grace and her friends were playing basketball.

Leah and Ana

Holly and I

 Late-night volleyball.  Here is where we said Good Night to the girls and headed back.

Saturday morning after Chapel, all ages break off into groups and have a "Sunday School" hour.  I had the privilege of spending this hour with all the 8 and 9 year olds at camp.  We read Matthew 6:25-34, then walked back to the campground to look for and consider ways that God takes care of each one of us, as well as the rest of His creation. We gave each of the kids a planter to decorate, some soil, and their choice of seeds to plant in it.

 Their decorated planters.

 Family games begin out on the field at 1:30.  Everyone is split into several different teams, and this year we were sent on a giant scavenger hunt all over camp to complete a list of tasks.  Here we are unscrambling Psalm 46:10: Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

 Our team was the Purple People Eaters.

 All team members had to participate in a game of leap frog.

 Free time follows the games.  Most of the younger kids take in the swimming, while the older kids are all up at the field playing soccer or Frisbee, or in the gym playing volleyball.

 Quaker Haven sets up this giant slip and slide for our group to use throughout the weekend, which obviously provides hours of entertainment.

 The entire group joined in singing The Star Spangled Banner to help kick off this year's Variety Show Saturday night.

One of my most favorite people! 

Family Camp wraps up after worship on Sunday.  But, before we all go, through tears and lots of emotions, we all join in singing the annual family prayer song.  Husbands sing to their wives; wives sing to their husbands; parents sing to their children; children sing to their parents:
(chorus)
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
We will serve the Lord.

Then it's the camp prayer song:
Bind us together, Lord.
Bind us together with cords that cannot be broken.
Bind us together, Lord.
Bind us together.
Bind us together with love.

There is only one God.
There is only one King.
There is only one Body.
That is why we sing.

Can't wait for next year!
~Wee

Taiko

Yesterday while we were at the Library for the girls' embroidery class, a summer library program overlapped our time there.  We were able to participate in a Taiko class, a form of drum playing.

Here the kids are learning to play different rhythms with their sticks.

 After Megan and Grace were done, they joined in the fun.  It was right at the time that the Taiko master was preparing to teach them a song.  She taught them one stanza of a song, which consisted of four lines, each with its own number of beats. 

The beat of the song went to the following words:

Look. at. me. play.
I can play a great big drum.
I can play the Tai. Ko.
I can play it -X- Oh yeah!

Along with the words, she also taught them to listen to the beat to keep themselves on, the proper stance for playing a Taiko drum, and the proper way to hold and play the sticks. It was fascinating and a new experience!

~Wee

Church Lunch

Today was our turn in serving church lunch, along with Andy and Suzy.  We had lots of willing hands to do the work and are thankful it is behind us for another year. 

 

Andy slices the cucumbers.

 Preparing meat, cheese, and veggies plates and the fruit/veggie bowls.

 Suzy and I and our girls spent a couple hours yesterday washing, slicing, preparing and grouping food items, which made everything run so smoothly this morning.  It was worth the time....

 Alex and Beau sliced all the buns and now begins the process of filling the trays.

 Like I said, lots of willing helping hands putting all the sweets on the trays.  (Megan, Sierra, Bethany, Beth, Beri, Mary, Moriah and Alex)

 My aunts washing and drying dishes at the sink.

 I have lots of fond memories with A. Elaine, so it was so fun having her here when we served!  Visiting with her this weekend felt like I was with Grandma Broquard in the room again!

Thanks to all who helped!!!  Until next year.......

~Wee

Another Summer Project

Since our chicken coop was built in the vicinity of where our fire ring is and not wishing to smoke them out every time we wanted a fire or had to burn something, we decided (a vision I've had for quite awhile) to put in a fire pit as an extension off our patio.  We started about 4 p.m., Saturday afternoon and were adding the river pebbles around the stepping stones around 10 p.m.~~ 6 hours from start to finish - not too bad!

 

We had to dig up and remove all the sod first......

 ....then decide the width of the pit and the placement of the stepping stones around it.  Alex worked to get the first row of the pit level while the girls and I dug out more and more and more sod......

 Between bouts of rain about every day thereafter, we attempted to enjoy the warmth of a fire. 

 So happy with the finished project!  Now we can enjoy a campfire setting anytime we want without smoking out our chickens!

Come on over and we'll roast marshmallows together!

~Wee