Cake, Campfire fun, and Kickin' Back

Don't you just love it when you week totally runs off with your schedule, calling over its shoulder, "Ha, ha! Catch me if you can!".

That's what I felt like last week.  It was Girls' Adventure week at camp, and yes, I made a cake.  My commitment for the week grew from bringing a cake and helping to lifeguard while at the lake on Thursday to being at the camp everyday for one thing or another.  Monday and Tuesday nights the twins sang and I played piano, then Wednesday I substituted while one of the counselors had to run for a doctor's appointment in the morning.  Thursday was lunch at beautiful Rim Rock, then swimming in Kinzua Lake.  Friday I was also called upon to help out while another counselor, who is also a pastor's wife, had to go help with a funeral they were having at their church.  I ended up staying all day and for the bonfire at night.  Saturday the girls and I helped clean the cabins, church, and kitchen. Whew.  Oh, I also had schoolwork all week and a paper due on Sunday.  I decided the Lord was teaching me to trust HIM with my schedule, and not rely on my own understanding of time management.  In the end, I got everything done, with a day to spare.

(Notice how shiny the fondant is.  That means that it was wicked humid.  The edible marker I used was quite unhappy performing on such a slippery and damp platform. ) 

Overlook at Rim Rock, PA

(I put little dots around the cake for fun.  I think it looks cute.)

                                            

In that spare day, Sunday, I took everyone who wanted to go to Lyman Lake between church services.  It was a lazy afternoon.  Absolutely wonderful.  

EPP project while chillaxin' a the lake.  Hey, sometimes you have to quilt when and where you can!

Chicken fight!

Practicing Japanese

Yummy!  Fresh, piping-hot fries.

Hi Mom!

We had a youth activity the first Saturday in July up at the pavilion.  The campfire was cozy, and we roasted marshmallows and the kids ate a lot of junk food.  Dale did devotions.  During the devotions the sky opened up and rain down, pelting the tin roof on the pavilion so vigorously that we could barely hear what Dale was saying.  The sky right before the rain hit was gorgeous.  My dinky little camera doesn't handle such shots well, but I did make an effort. 

Random pic of my hastas, finally blooming.

 There is much more to show and tell, but that will have to be another post.  I will say that I have a new quilting project I'm starting, so I'll be posting pics of that.

Have blessed day,
Lisa

End of Summer Vacation

Well, in just a couple of days we will be embarking on our new school year.  New school, new routines, new everything!

Since my last post we have been, predictably, very busy.  We had VBS the last week of July, going into August.  We were cordially invited by the Greene's at God's Adventure Camp to take the VBS kids up riding.

We had this cute little cut out to take pics of the kids with.  Everyone had a turn, even Dale, but this one was super cute I think!

Benjamin was in charge of the games with some help from a few others.  I don't really know who had more fun: Benjamin or the wee ones!

Josiah trying to tag me during one game.

A couple of afternoons it got pretty hot, and I took the kids down to the swimming hole where we swam with some friends.  I think the water was FREEZING but that didn't stop them from enjoying the time!

The county fair was the same week as our VBS but we set aside a few hours on Friday to check it out.  It was a lot of fun!  Crafting shows, the Horse shows, rides, and animal contests.  So much fun!  I wish we could have stayed longer, but we had VBS that night and had to get back to get ready for it.

While I was off at a Horse show, Dale let Jerusha and Caleb ride this thing.  See those cars?  They go around, and around, like all the way upside down!  My BABIES were in that death trap!  (Oh yeah, they LOVED every moment of it!  Crazy kids...... )

Isaac was too small to ride some of the rides but Dale went on some of the more age appropriate ones with him.  Whadda ham.  

Jerusha and Caleb rode this one solo.   Later the twins and I rode it too.  

August 3rd was the annual birthday bash for friend's of ours, and we went and enjoyed ourselves. After the busyness of the summer, and VBS, we were glad to kick back and watch the kiddoes haves some good, clean, if somewhat we fun.

This was a water balloon slingshot.  Anyone who wanted to try got a turn.

The traditional water fight.  Hehehehehehe!

Me:  "Smile Isaac!  I'm taking your picture!"

Isaac:  "No.  I all wet."

Forget the little bitty squirt guns and water balloons.  Moving on to bottles and buckets!

Sisterly love, eh?

"Ohhhhh mother!"

 After a point, it just doesn't matter if you get all wet anymore!  I have no clue if Jerusha was trying to fill a bottle, or go for a swim.

And this, my friend, is what happens when you go after Mom in a water fight when she is still holding the camera and doesn't want to get wet.

End of part one.  :)

Home Sweet Home!

Well now, it has been a month since my last post.  So much for my goals of catching up on the weekends!  I cannot describe how very busy every got for a few weeks.  And I won't get into all the details, but hit the highlights of each week of camp.

First of all, the week I had home during Boys' Adventure camp was put to good use in getting some more culottes made for the girls and I.

Boys' week was the last thing I mentioned, I believe in my "Horsing Around" post.  Caleb and Josiah went, had a blast, and came home with minor sunburns, and a few bruises, and overflowing with high praise for their week.  To say they had a good time, would be like saying "the sun in kinda warm".

Girls' week was SO busy!  We had over 40 girls at the camp, ages 8 to 18.  Our activities that week ranged from trail rides, a day at Lake Kinzua, bonfires, go carting, canoeing, swimming,archery, and listening to our special speaker, Steve Piggot.  If you have never had opportunity to hear him, please try to find one!  A wonderful preacher, and was SO funny! I felt like I was basically on high alert all week.  I was once again given a group of teenage girls, which was fine.  All the teen girls got put up in the mountain cabin.  It was approximately about a quarter mile up from the main camp, yup, in the mountain.  There was no electricity,and no running water, but it was gorgeous and the view was lovely.  We were graced with one of those blue portapotties.  Using those is always kind of .... interesting.

The cabin was two levels, and my group was in the upper level, and Mrs. P's group was in the downstairs part.  It had a partial wrap around style deck. One night we all just hung out on the deck, star gazed, and sang quietly and chatted.  It was a sweet time, and one of my favorite memories of that week.

 

This was the view from the top of the trail at Rim Rock.  We had a picnic lunch there on our way to Kinzua.  It was very pretty!  

My cabin girls and I on the trail at Rim Rock.  

This pic is the epitome of our cabin.  We had to pick out cabin names at the beginning of the week.  Ours was "Accident Prone".  You can guess why.  

After a day of swimming, tubing, and splashing around, we had a BBQ supper with hamburgers, hot dogs, and every side dish you can imagine.  The girls made this braiding line after they had changed out of their swimsuits and were getting ready for the bonfire that night.

During the devotions at the bonfire, a few of the smaller girls (pictured here, Jerusha and another camper ) succumbed to the comforts of the warm bonfire, and the busyness of the week.

Okay, if you look in the right corner, you'll see a girl who just flipped over in her chair.  I was just snapping the picture when that happened.  It looks staged, but I assure you, it was a very humorous mishap!

 Saturday morning we gathered our stuff, then went home.  I spent another weekend trying to catch up on laundry, repack for the next week, which was Volleyball camp week, and maybe get in a nap on Sunday afternoon.

Volleyball camp was probably my favorite.  Although I did love Horse camp, too.  We had "Doc" Elaine Brown as our special speaker and clinician.  I cannot give high enough praise for her wonderful insights, both spiritually and physically.  Being immersed in the sport of volleyball for a week was so demanding, but I have to admit I loved every single second of it, and wish the one week could have gone on to two.  I saw marked improvement too in Esther and Elizabeth's budding skills.

Doc Elaine Brown and Me  

Volleyball!!!!!

At camp, there is a wonderfully fun tradition:  if you receive a letter, you have to ride the moose.  If you receive a package, you have to KISS the moose.  I couldn't keep this fabulous information to myself, and let it , um, "slip", to certain grandparents.  So guess who had to kiss the moose ?  Mwhahahahahaha!

Sadly, after Volleyball camp was over, I had to go from being a kid to being an adult.  I had A.C.E. supervisor training in Batavia, NY last week.  I was able to bring Elizabeth with me.  She is quiet, can take care of herself, and was a great moral support and companion for me for the week.  At any rate, I graduated Friday afternoon, and am now certifiable... er, certified.  Ahem.  Here I am, getting my official certificate from my trainer, Phil Floyd.  He did a great job!

The whole class!

While I was in Batavia, I stopped at the P.W. Minor outlet store.  I know I needed some good shoes for being on my feet all day while at school.  These are the best American made shoes you'll ever find. Phil told us about the outlet, and Thursday afternoon, since I got out early, we went to the store.  

Okay, they aren't high fashion, but I managed to find two pairs that I could live with.  I spent a total of $52, and the two pairs of shoes would have been around $300 together, retail.  Oh yeah, I'm happy about that deal!

Now I am HOME and I don't have to worry about packing up again for a couple weeks.  We'll be taking a short vacation in August.  For now, we are getting ready for our VBS next week, and I'm gearing up for school.  Also, I've been getting back into the sewing groove.

This nightgown was started before I left for Volleyball camp.  Jerusha picked out the fabric herself a little while back.  

I've got a couple of quilts going.  Here, I'm playing around with some nine patches for a D9P.  

That's it for now!  It is good to be home.  I've been enjoying family time, and getting back into home routines.  Our pool still isn't up yet (somehow Dale has been busy while I've been gallivanting around all summer) so I've been taking kids down to the swimming hole not far from us.  They've had fun splashing around and swimming in the river.  Everyone except Isaac, who stays with Daddy (neither one of them can swim).  Jerusha doesn't really swim, she wades, and I've been trying to teach her some while we are down at the swimming hole.

Have a blessed evening!