Honey, Nothin' Lasts Forever

"Honey, nothin' lasts forever."            

   -Big Mama, Fox and the Hound

     As of yesterday afternoon, I completed my 12th and final week of camp.  They were very stretching weeks, but filled with answered prayers and precious memories.  And precious pictures!
As I believe I have mentioned that I am planning on my senior art show to be based of camp, and that wish/dream has not changed.  I got permission to go through camp photos.  Again, Andy Ott has a big job on his hands! Kaleena did as well last year.
I've heard the argument from some that taking so many pictures at events or in life just takes away from living the moment itself, but I don't quite agree.  Some people become so focused on having pictures that they don't go out and have the fun experiences that make them photos.  I think there is a real difference between a picture and a photo.  A picture is just that, a picture of something, such as a rock or a sketch of a block.  A photo is a capture of a memory, like the expression after a face gets smacked with whipped cream. Or when 3 precious children are waving good-bye as you drive away.  And these photo memories are completely different.  They're capturing that moment so that later on you can look back and see how happy, or how fulfilling that moment was in your life.  I took, officially, 1,372 photos at camp this summer, and I LOVE them so very much.  I did not obsess over the taking of the photos.  I waited for those moments where life just made me go 'awe!' or laugh my head off, and dived for my camera! That's how I'm choosing my art show photos as well.  I wait for those photos that just made me stop, and I have this feeling of deep love in my heart of the experience or of the person.  I've got about 12 photos I've pulled out of the thousands I have from the past 3 summers, but some of those might also be removed.  But I know what is going to be my main painting.  It's going to be a big, wing-span size.  It's the silliest photo, and most people will look at it and just be confused, but it is just the best!

This is a photo of Autumn, Alison, me, and Katie, and it is tied as my favorite photo with the one of me and Philippine in Paris. It just shows our personalities so perfectly, and with the Village Creek sign in the background, it is the absolutely perfect centerpiece for my show. These are my very best friends, and without Village Creek I would have never gotten to meet three of the women that have changed my life so very much.  That may sound mushy to some, but it is also very very true.  This was the last weekend the three of us were together, and right now all four of us have it as our cover photo on Facebook.   We love each other.  

In other news, Pray! Shirt Fridays is hopefully going to be a nationwide thing! I made Beth Bender as a friend my first summer at camp, and her mother has heard much about me.  She was at camp with some kids from her youth, and she saw me and Katie's Pray! shirts, and she got this idea of turning it into a big movement across America and the world. She's taken off on the idea, and now has started a non-profit company to sell them and I've already bought my second Pray! shirt.  I'm so proud to be one of the catalysts of the movement and so is Katie.  God really turned our 'for fun' idea into something bigger than we could have ever imagined!  Her site is http://encouragement-ink.com/ 

Half of the people in this photo left after this, Junior 3.  And it changed the last weeks so much that they were unrecognizable from what it had been.   It was extremely sad, and Katie and Alison cried so much.  I managed not to cry the day they left, but the next couple days were hard, with no one to stop by my craft room to tell me about the silly things their campers were doing or to tell me about how they had done some sort of ridiculous thing.  Bri Turner showed up at camp though, and that helped me more than anything.  Bri is an amazing Christ-filled person that amazes me every time she speaks.  She's spoken into my life in so many occasions without even knowing it that I feel that God has her chosen as His instrument here in more ways than most people. She even helped me write up my resume, and gave me job advice for the next year!  It was amazing getting to spend those few days with her, and I look forward to getting to talk to her more the next year and to hear more of her theories on life and people.  She should write a book, I swear! That was the week of Hard Rock Family Camp, I believe, and I also got to meet a mother that just had a fascinating life story.  She was a step-mom, and I got to meet her step-daughter there at camp as well.  She would stand at my window and talk for an hour at a time about her family and how being a step-mom was going and about opinions on Disney and on Harry Potter and on camp and so many things! Family camps are great in that way. While I don't prefer being a family assistant, I do enjoy hearing about their families and getting to play with their kids.  Three through five will always be my favorite age group! 

Then we had this final week, which was Family 4.  God answered the prayers for more staff, and we had just enough to cover our needs.  It was so hard, and I wanted to go home so badly.  I felt I had been there too long and I wanted to be with my family, but I also knew they needed me.  But then when I was told I could go just a few hours earlier than I had planned, I almost decided to stay, just because I couldn't imagine not staying for the King's Feast, which I dislike, or staying to watch the Staff Comedy, which I've seen loads of times.  It's like I couldn't imagine it not continuing on for forever and ever.  It was supposed to be unending.  Yesterday was one of the saddest days I can remember.  I can also never remember feeling so loved in my entire life.  I got to have a one-on-one chat with Camie, which I felt was long overdue.  I'm one of those people that can look at someone and think of how they're feeling or what they're dealing with and be completely understanding.  I've found out over the summer that not many can do that.  But despite Camie being one of the busiest people at camp, I could not pass up the opportunity for her to speak into my life, and I feel that she did just that.  I feel better about what I'm going into this next year, and I was reminded of many things that I knew once, but had forgotten were so very important.  Camie is such a blessing to the world, and I will always hold her extremely high as a role model.  After our talk I had an Instruction Hour of crafts, and my helper, a volunteer mother that was WONDERFUL, had cleaned off all my counters and I had a green crate from home waiting for it's contents to be replenished. I walked around the room I have always considered as mine and got all of my art supplies and packed it all up, and all the crafts I had fiddled with.  It was so weird.  I felt like I was a newly graduated high schooler leaving for college for the first time.  Leaving everything dear and familiar for the unknown.  To this hour I keep remembering things I had forgotten to tell Sue about pottery or to tell Camie we needed more puffy paint and porcelain markers.  I had made sure to tell Toby, Sam, and Danny, the 'camp kids', that I was leaving, and Toby couldn't quite understand that two weeks was not the same as two months.  While I was running around finding my stuff, however, Patrick, Daniel, Elizabeth, and Anne TIED my van to a RAILROAD TIE, and wrote "Don't Go!" and "Stay with us!" all over my dusty windows! Then Patrick had parked the camp gator behind my van as well! I went to turn something into the third office, and Luke Schipper and Dave laughed at my predicament, and suggested that next time they should take the tractor and lift my van up on bricks or even on the roof! They were all so ridiculous! Sam, Danny, and Toby overheard, and had to come see the van tied up.  I untied one, and then Danny was determined to tie it back up again.  Then Elizabeth and Anne convinced the boys that if they filled up my van with enough big rocks it would weigh it down enough to make me stay! I can't believe I didn't cry.  Toby was saying "Wait! Wait!" and throwing more and more rocks into my window!! They all waved as I backed up and Toby even did the little heart symbol with his hands.  I just managed to get a picture of it.

I drove up to the lake to say goodbye to a few more people, and I just couldn't get past how loved I felt! Andrew Vik told me how well I did this summer and said that if I ever needed anything to let him know. Rachel said she'd like to come up to Sioux Falls and take me out to lunch when she's visiting a friend.  Gwen was trying not to cry.  I felt as I should be crying, but I wasn't. I didn't cry the whole way home.  Late last night though, there was just a brief misunderstanding that made me snap.  My family couldn't understand why I was bawling so hard and for so long! It was absolutely heartbreaking. I realized that the most beautiful season of my life was forever over.  I can't remember ever having a better summer, or a more fulfilling one.  It was so very beautiful, and never again will that group of people ever be 100% back together.  I've seen two other summer staffs before, and did not feel near the amount of sadness of their ending.  This summer was so special, and I know a great number that agree with me.  It was so much more special to me after the friend-less school year I endured. I cried so very hard, and when I went out to my van for my pillow and blankets, the "Don't Go!" on my window stood out in the street light, and made me cry even harder, if that was possible.  

Even though this season is over, I'm still looking to make the next one as one that God still has control.  He may have in mind a good season, or it may be a not so good one, but it just matters that I let Him hold the reins.  Things are really looking up for me at Sioux Falls, and I'm looking forward to a year of road trips and adventures with camp staff and with new friends I plan to make.  This is also the end of this blog.  It may be revamped next summer, or I may even update on camp when I return for 4 State, but it is still the end.  Don't worry, if you still would like to know what I'm up to, I have another blog that I started in January that I keep about my life, and about my hopeful journey to the Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA.  It's at http://forgivenlu.blogspot.com/

I want to leave you with the words of my favorite camp song:

My God is so BIG

 so strong and so mighty

there's nothing my God cannot do

FOR YOU!

Stay Forever!

It seems like every summer there's a staff competition to see who's name Toby Treptau can remember.  I would like to say that I believe I have been successful! I went down to breakfast, and Toby met me on the way there and asked if I was going to be in the craft room.  I told him that I would, and he proceeded to tell me that I have to be in the craft room and that I can never leave! It completely made my day!! While he was eating I asked him if I had to stay in the craft room or if I could go other places, and he said that I just have to stay at camp forever! I'd love to, Toby!

So, back at camp for another 2 and a half-ish weeks.  We have Junior Camp 3 this week, and then I think the next week is a family camp, and then after that is Family Camp 4.  The sad part is watching all the staff leave.  My friend Bethany left and several others that I'm going to miss!  This is also the last week of my two best friends (that are here) Alison and Katie Strupp.  The next two weeks are going to be so sad without them!!

This week I'm on bathroom duty in the morning, then craft room all afternoon, and dinner dishes.  It's quite similar to the last week I worked, but I may have more time to have a quiet time and fill out some school paperwork.  And blog!

Prayer Requests:

* That the staff of the next couple weeks, new and old, are reminded that camp is for the campers, and we are to serve rather than ignore rules.

* Staff that are going through rough times here, whether it be school or family stuff.

* Val has her wisdom teeth out this week.  Pray for healing and peace.

* Mom got sick over vacation.  Please pray that she would heal quickly.  I know she has so much to get ready for the next school year.

* We need staff for the next couple of weeks yet.  Please pray for people to come, and for those people to be ready to serve.  If you yourself can even spare half a week it would be welcome!

My God is so BIG!

Hello friends! How's life?

Grace Family Camp last week was an absolute blast!! There was tension between staff, but as far as campers go, it was really great.  To give you an idea, this is how busy I was.

8:30- be at breakfast (love this!)
9:00- work with Nursery
10:30- Staff Meeting
11:00- Crafts
12:30- Lunch
1:30- Crafts
2:30- Free Time Crafts
5:30- Supper
Dishes til... 8 or 9
Then a race to put of my math homework or taking care of the pottery or even night assignment!

It was crazy, but I like being busy.  I'm excited to go back and have the ability to actually have a quiet time.  My math homework and test, plus my final on Friday, took up all of my spare time.


This last weekend I got to let loose and have some fun.  Katie talked Luke into asking the head of the horse area if we could take a few horses up to Look Out Point.  It's on top of a bluff surrounding camp, and while I wasn't exactly pumped, it turned out to be a blast.  Luke is one of the funniest people I've ever met! We goofed off and talked for almost 2 hours! After that Alison, Katie, Autumn and I went to The Skinny Dip for our traditional cheese ball stop.  We got to chat and take pictures.  It was much needed best friends time.  I love those girls so much!! Those three are my best friends in the whole world (+Philippine) and I can never express how much they mean to me!

Autumn, Alison, me, and Katie

*The US just won the gold in gymnastics!!!

The next day, Sunday, at 6 in the morning me and my family left for vacation!! We are currently in Wyoming in an absolutely beautiful cabin.  We have a rented van that's a 2012 and has a DVD player, and this fantastic cabin, and the combination makes me feel like a rich person! No joke!! It took two days to get here, and our first night me and Val ended up getting our own room at the hotel because they screwed up what month we had booked it for for the price of one room.  SCORE!! I went right to sleep.  After staying up til 12:30 for night assignment, 12-ish for a math test, and then 1am finishing packing, you are going to be VERY tired!

Yesterday we reached our cabin, and when you see this picture you're going to understand my love of it.

Look at that mountain view!! The mountain you partially see on the right is Mount Teton, and we've been seeing it up close all day today.  We took a ski lift this morning and took a trai along a cliff face.  I posed in the Lion King pose on a rock face that looked like Pride Rock, and the entire time I'm walking around I'm singing the camp song, "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty.  There's nothing my God can not do!"  You can't look at mountains and valleys and not see God's artistic hand at work.  They're incredible!! The Teton mountains are the youngest mountains in the Rockys at 9000 years old.  It's so SO SO SO SO cool to 'live' in a valley where I can wake up and the first sight I see is the mountain out my window.  MY GOD IS SO BIG!!! We are touring Yellowstone tomorrow, and then Thursday we're going horseback riding and white river rafting.  Crazy fun!! Me and Val are having the most fun just telling Dad to pull over on random roads and let us take pictures.  I wadded into a mountain stream and it was absolutely FREEZING! We are having such a great time.  But I miss camp and I think my family is going to get sick of me talking about it!  I got two more weeks of camp as soon as I get back from vacation, and then I have yet to talk to my family about staying for Family 4.  It shouldn't be a problem.  Hopefully tomorrow I'll let you know if we spot a bear!!
  Cause we're going on a bear hunt!!!!!!!

Have I Told You Lately...?

I bet my mom can figure out the rest of that sentence.  I sing that song to her all the time, and I sing it to the girl staff when they need to be cheered up.  Or to be silly! I don't even know who sings it!

It's been a while, so a quick synopsis on what's happened the previous week.  I had a week off offered to me, and I felt I should take it before the crazy part of the summer took hold! I had a few days off for my follow-up ear appointment in Iowa City, and then I took the opportunity to also go to the chiropractor and the eye doctor.  I needed a new prescription for my contacts to be replaced, and carrying a 9 year old on your shoulders while he's carrying your back pack is not a good idea at all! The ear appointment went well by the way.  I took a picture of what they pulled out of my ear, and it was roughly the size of a AAA battery, but skinnier.  NASTY.  But I should be good for 6-months to a year.  Yay! I also saw my sister show her rabbits at the Franklin County Fair.  She got reserve champion, a blue, and the showmanship trophy.  I was pretty proud!  We also went to the demolition derby at the Hardin County Fair.  It is extremely sketchy.  Franklin is much better.  I told some kids off for throwing rocks at each other like I would at camp, and they looked pretty freaked out.  It cracked me up :D.  We cleaned out Dad's garage, went on our pontoon boat, made a massive Craft Room donation collection, and I got stung by a wasp! Very eventful week.

So this week is Grace Family camp and I came back to some great surprises.  These come mainly in the  form of Katie Riley.  Katie Riley is a organizational genius, and I think she was meant to be in the craft room.  Seriously, it is ridiculous how she has managed to fix more placement problems in one day than I have in three years of working in that crazy room!! In all honestly, I'm partially ashamed of myself, seeing what she can do compared to what I have done, but she's just gifted in that area.  She still asks me if things are alright in how she's doing them, so I still got my facilitator authority. :) It takes someone who lives and breathes in there to know if something will work or not, so I'm happy that that's me.  I at least know how to run it the best.  Maybe that's why I'm an Art Ed major.  My best friend Katie Strupp worked in the craft room last week, and she left me a whole written out sheet with what happened every day in the craft room, and each day ended with "No mice." The funny thing is, I think yesterday, the lady we have for the pottery asked me for a 5 gallon bucket, and I knew exactly where one was.  My dad had told me to put peanut butter at the bottom of that size of a bucket to catch mice, cause they wouldn't be able to scramble back out.  I hadn't caught one in the 3 weeks I had done it, so I just grabbed the bucket and was going to take out the peanut butter packets, until I looked and saw the dead mouse.  It reached!! It had been there several days!!  You can bet I teased Katie Jean Strupp about that surprise!! My mom also gave me, on my return to camp, a turning organizer that you would see in card stores.  She had had it for her leveled books and she no longer needed it, so she handed it over.  It has been an instant success, and it's always a treat to see Camie and Andrew come in and say "Hey! When did we get this? It's great!" My mom just has the best ideas!

I really wish I could write all that has been happening, but that will have to wait for another night.  Me and several of the other staff that I have talked to aren't sleeping well.  Weird dreams too.  I had sorted stamps for several hours on Monday, and then I ended up dreaming of Batman stamps the next night. Weird.  I also need to dedicate more time to my Math class.  It took me 6 hours yesterday to finish my math homework and to take my test twice.  I had to improve my score.  My final is on Friday, and I don't know if I'll even be able to remember anything! Good thing I took some notes! 

The biggest disappointment of my week though is going to be this weekend.  My family is leaving for our family vacation to Yellowstone at 5 Sunday morning, so I have to get home and pack.  But they're going to have "Open Mic Night" at camp at 9.  And then I have a 3 hour drive home.  This hits hard for me personally because at camp, when they find you have a talent, you are instantly put in that category forever.  My camp talent is anything art related.  Very few know that I'm also a vocal music minor, and was a music major until this January.  I'd like to show people what I can do, and why my voice teacher says I have one of the best voices at my college. Dreams die hard, but I still may be able to work something out with my family.  They understand where I'm coming from.  At least at camp they could care less what I'm wearing! My old church wouldn't let me on the worship team because they didn't like my clothes.  Explain that one to Jesus! 

After the next week as a family vacation, I have two more weeks of fun in the sun.  I might give them a couple extra days, but I can't do another week.  If you want something to do during Labor Day weekend, feel free to bring your family to volunteer.  I would love to be here if I could!  It's only a weekend, and it's a great way to start of the coming school year or the fall by dedicating a couple of days to serving Jesus.  School starts the 5th of September, and I need to get ready, personally.  Plus I have a janitorial job up at school that they'll be wanting me back for, and finding another job when I get there.  Oh the joys of college living! 

"Have I told you lately that I love you?

Have I told you there's nothing else above you?

You fill my heart with gladness

Take away all my sadness

Ease my troubles that's what you do!"

Heart of Worship

This has been a great great week.  I've probably said it before, but it has.  I have felt God move more in this last week than any other week.  I could see God moving in the senior high kids' lives, but not my own.  This week has both brought me to terms with things, and has opened doors and sights that I never seen before.

I began this summer in hopes that I could get better spiritually.  I was so lost after the lonely school year that I thought going to camp and hearing the Word on a day to day basis would fix me of my problem, like I was one of my dad's tractors.  Obviously that wasn't the case.  I came to lots of conclusions over the past couple weeks, and these last two weeks have been rock shakers.  This last night I realized how wrong my whole reason for coming to camp was.  I was not coming to this camp to lead others to Christ and to serve His people.  I was coming here for me.  I needed to be fixed.  I needed to know how not to fall into the trap I know was waiting for me back in Sioux Falls.  Everything I seemed to do was for me, somehow, someway.  I heard in a message last week that you can hear many fabulous speakers that rock your life, but if you don't apply any of it, it means nothing. That's what I'd been doing.  I was trying to fix me, but I wasn't putting into practice what could help me.  You can buy paint to paint a house, but it doesn't change it's color til you actually apply the paint.  I can buy the books, but until I apply the words to my life, they mean nothing.  I started yesterday on a promise to myself and to God that the rest of the summer was going to be different.  I was going to have a servants heart, and I was going to make the changes I knew I had to made, but 'didn't have the time' or I was scared.  I can't even tell you how chapel that evening brought me to that conclusion, because it wasn't even that related!  But God can move in anything.  I also feel called to stay here a bit longer than planned.  But of course that's a family discussion, despite being 21.  I love my family too much to do something against their wishes.  God does call you to obey your parents, ya know!

Tonight was also an amazing message.  I have lots of points that Micah made both for myself, and others I know written out to show when I come home.  I had always felt out of touch in my campus's prayer group and in the surrounding churches.  I didn't fit, and they didn't try all that hard to fit me in.  So I didn't go.  But God told me very clearly tonight using Micah's message that I need to go.  We all have the Spirit in us, so we are all united.  It doesn't matter if your personalities are different.  I instantly thought of how I never felt welcome there and then Micah said that sometimes you have to initiate.  Ha! Dad's right! He's been telling me that all year!!  Micah encouraged everyone to call up those people, whether it be your pastor, youth pastor, or friend, and have that community that God created us to have.

On a more newsy note, Bryce showed up here at camp today, and I was completely unprepared! I looked up and I was saying hey and greeting him before I even realized who it was! Talk about VCBC hospitality! I'm also attempting to finish up some math homework for tomorrow as well tonight.  Test tomorrow! Yay Math!! (Please catch the sarcasm in that!)  I'm also trying to finish a painting before Philippine's birthday, and another one for Sue of her first dog, and to start one of Andi and Toby that will be just PRECIOUS! What can I say? I like being busy!

You wanna hear a funny God story from today?  So I'm living in the bottom portion of Tom and Camie's house this week, and I set my alarm for 7:30 this morning so I could shower.  I wake up, walk out to use the internet and check the weather, to realize it was 8:37! WHAT?! We're supposed to be at breakfast! I go back to the room and McKayla was still sleeping too! We race to change clothes and run down to camp.  I had grabbed my make-up bag to bring down for when I'd have time for such things.  We had Guy/Girl talks today, which I spoke a little at that.  It was a good talk for everyone.  After this, one of my friends was upset, and we were sitting together in the craft room.  Now, I've been missing my amazing camera since July 4th, and I was freaking out that I would not have it upon my return home.  Return to story.  This friend was really upset, and I lean down to give her a hug.  I look down, and sticking out of the side pocket of this make-up bag is my camera!!!! Goodness I flipped!! So me and McKayla came to the realization that we were late for breakfast so I could find my camera!! God is funny.  And He cares about silly things too, not just the big stuff.

Now I am a little past in cabins I believe, so I'll be ending this.  Feel free to ask me questions on other aspects of camp! I'd be happy to answer them!

Fifty-Two

Family 1 went by in a heat induced blur.  It was a fun week, and I met some fantastic families, and got to see ones that I had the privilege of working with two years ago.  Despite a small case of homesickness last week, I'm doing well.  All traces of the cold/allergy bug I had are gone, and I'm fit as a fiddle!

This weekend I decided that I needed a day to myself to examine my life and figure out how to make sure my next year away from camp was not going to turn out like the last one.  Last year I drew myself away from God because of a deep loneliness, and I'm determined to make sure that doesn't happen again.  So I decided to climb to Pulpit for the first time in my three summers here at VCBC.  Anyone who's worked here before is always shocked when I say that.  Pulpit is like a rite of passage here, in a way.  It's something that nearly everyone has done, and it gave me a huge sense of accomplishment to finally say I'd been there.  It wasn't too hard of a climb really, and I was surprised.  Katie and Alison thought I'd have to pace myself after working in the craft room all summer, but I could handle it.  Silly friends!  It was a great walk, and me and God had great conversation.  Figured out some things.  Or at least came to conclusions that nearly all came to "wait for God's timing."  I also got to eat at the Skinny Dip (a small restaurant like Gus and Docs in Ackley)  with Katie, Alison, and Luke.  Luke is one of the funniest people you will ever meet.  He's one of the horse wranglers and he is just so entertaining.  We laughed a lot.  

Now this week is Young Teen 2, and it started off to a funky start.  We had mysterious issues with the sound equipment, and worship was a bust.  The kids were very distracted from this, so the next morning Camie sent a team to pray over the outdoor chapel for protection over that time, and for open hearts.  Thank goodness that morning chapel went well.  For evening chapel I got to be on an evening worship team for the first time since 2010.  I was so excited I was shaking! It went wonderfully, and it was fun to have Jeremiah in charge and learning camp songs.  He did a descant on Mighty to Save and it was so amazing!

You might wonder why the title of this blog is 52. Katie Strupp, who I get all my best ideas from, showed me this deck of cards she has hooked together to write, week to week, what she's thankful for.  Fifty Two weeks in a year, 52 cards in a deck.  It's been really great to find that I have so much to be thankful for at the end of the day.  I'd encourage anyone to do it too! I haven't decided what I'm thankful for today, but last night was singing for the worship team :).

As for prayer requests, I have a couple.  First off, I found out about some inappropriate gossip today, and prayers for the staff, to stay on the straight and narrow, would be appreciated.  This is the time of the summer where we all get drained and when you're drained you don't think as clearly.  Second, prayers for the campers this week.   For a speaker we have Micah Labovitch, and he is such a fantastic speaker.  He understands this age so well! But the best speakers in the world are no match to a stone heart.  Pray for open hearts and open minds.  Third, we are still in desperate need of rain.  Camp is not supposed to look this brown in July.  That's for September.  Or October. Not July.

I'll be home next week for a week of relaxation and a check up on the ear.  Looking forward to some time with my family!! 

Orphan

Family Camp 1!!

I don't have a family this week, so I am officially an orphan for the week.  A camp orphan, specifically. I'm happy with that though.  It gives me so much more time in the craft room, and I need that time.  I'm fairly close to having it set up in a good way for the rest of the summer, and then it's just to basic organizing of all the random donated stuff.  A bunch of the boy staff are joking that they're going to apply for the craft room facilitator position next year and knock me from my post.  I would be scared that the room would explode if they were in there! They all mean it in good humor, but I'd like to see them try :D
                   

I made these little caddy's from bottle carriers for the craft room, and I just finished making a yellow one this afternoon.  They work so well for bringing kids everything they could possibly need.  As well as my craft room duties, I'm in a 4-5 year old chapel group.  While the parents are listening to a pastor, we have little lessons with the kids.  Last night we just went over the rules of camp, and of course, 4-5 year olds do not listen to that.  Little Toby Treptau started the kids in jumping on top of me.  Six of them just attacked me! I love little kids!! They are the best groups!! This week we also have a set of triplets, and they are so precious.  They like to try to push the big hanging swings, and two of them have already cut their lips when they've hit their faces on the wood.  We get them ice cubes, and then they're instantly quiet.  Smart kids!

Prayers for rain would be much appreciated.   Camp is having problems keeping water in the lake and with feeding the horses with the pasture grass.  They may have to use the hay set aside for winter, and that's not good.  Also prayers for staff health would be appreciated as well.  I'm better and doing great, but a lot of others are not.