Hooray, I'm home!

One of the first things I always notice when I step inside the door at home after a week or two weeks of camp is the carpet. I know I'm strange, but one barefooted step on the soft, plush carpet after two weeks of flipflops, hardwood floors and cement floors, it just feels sooo good! And reminds me I'm home. Ahhhhh!!! ;)

And for those of you who don't believe me...tis true! Every year I come home, take off my shoes, feel the carpet and think, "Ahhhh....the wonderful feel of carpet beneath my feet!" You must keep in mind that I work from home and don't ever wear shoes in the house! ;) And yes, I did have carpet in my dorm room at camp, but that little, dirty, smashed down 4 foot piece of something does not count!

In the weeks leading up to camp, I was a little unsure if I wanted to do this two week thing again. Maybe perhaps it was because I was so crazily trying to get things caught up at home, get ready for camp, prepare things for VBS (this week!) or maybe the fact that Jena nor Krissa would be there made me think twice about going, but as I returned home on Friday, I was again reminded at just how much I love teaching, helping and serving at camp.

Sure, it's changed greatly in the last 14 years I've been there, but still I so greatly enjoy the opportunity God has given me every year! It's been so fun to see campers grow up, become counselors and teachers and then watch God bring in new staff to fill each role as needed year after year. But I have to admit seeing campers that I used to counsel or teach, now becoming counselors and moving on to college and marriage outside of camp life is quite a shock.

And then this year, seeing several 7th and 8th grade campers towering over me whom I taught when they were in 2nd and 3rd grade is quite unnerving! I recall getting down on my knees to be on their eye level to talk to them and now I have to look up at them! What happened?!?! And when Lauren beats me in height next year, I'm going to be in total despair...especially considering that she's been coming to camp since she was a baby. ;)

In a quick summary, camp was great! It was amazing to see God work in not only the lives of the campers who attended, but also the staff who were present each week. Here's a little recap of where I'm at right now:

- Two weeks of camp are over - I think I can breath a little now. Just a little.

- One week of VBS still to come - just keep thinking to myself...the energizer bunny, "It keeps going and going and going........"

- A pile of laundry still to do - on my to-do list for tomorrow!

- An inbox FULL of email to finish answering and filing - I will get to an empty inbox THIS week!

- Over 1600 photos to sort through, file and upload - the over 800 from week 1 are done! Whew!

- And those 3,000 people - Ummm...I have over half left over! Anybody need some 4" cutout paper dolls that look like people?? LOL!!!