Camp 2008 Week 2: A review of the week!

The second week of camp was another great one! We had a full camp which is always exciting...the downside being that the second week is always hotter and busier than the first. This week we had lots of kids from rough and broken homes which is harder to deal with as well.

With many of these kids they have never heard the Gospel (which is why we are so pleased they come to camp to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ) and need to know just basic principles, even in just being nice and kind to one another.

I taught the youngest group of campers; second and third grade which was a real treat for me! I just love that age group and my class of kids. I had 21 in my class, so it was a full bunch and I challenge for me at times to keep their attention.

In the gym where I taught both weeks, we had an unlikely visitor almost every morning: a frog. That was the first thing the kids would spot when they came in, so I would have one of the boys put it outside, which was a real treat for them.

Not too long after I would get started teaching, I would see pairs of eyes and little hands pointing to something behind me...our little visitor was back. Therefore I taught them a new rule for our Bible class: Don't watch the frog! Which then I was bombarded with from one of the boys, "It's not a frog, it's a toad." And then one of the other boys, "No, it's not. It's a frog." And then one of the girls, "I think it's a frog."

I came to the conclusion, "It's a reptile. Just remember that you're are not to watch the reptile...frog...toad...whatever it may be....that thing hopping on four legs." That made our Bible class....well...a little more exciting than others, I guess. :) I never knew I would be incorporating this reptile into the story of Ruth, but that I did! :)

I always look forward to the two weeks of camp and being able to make an impact on the lives of the campers that are there. Not only do they learn many things during the week, but it never fails that God has something to teach me as well. It's a wonderful opportunity that God allows me to minister and be a witness for Him those two weeks.

As the second week draws to a close, it's always a little sad to see the two weeks go by, knowing that it will be another year until we are back. But the prospect of being able to sleep in my own bed, not swamped in heat and sweat for most of the day and a little quieter of a day never sounds so good by the time Friday rolls around. And once I've had a few weeks break from camp, I'm ready to go back again! :)

Here's a review of the week and you can see more photos here.

teaching in the gym

The oldest girls had a massive shaving cream fight! :)

Jena and her girls played with balloons and shaving cream!

One of my little tag-a-longs for the week - Luke!

memory verse prizes and footprints

Shannon and I

What's been going on?!?!

I know it's been a while since I've posted anything here, but these last couple of weeks have been rather crazy. It's always a little hectic trying to get caught back up on things after being gone for two weeks at camp. And then I caught some kind of cold or flu going around which decided to stay around for a week and still hasn't left completely.

Over the last couple of weeks since posting anything, I've been catching up from camp for my business, cleaning house and catching up with things in the kitchen after being gone, typing and taping quilt lessons for August's lesson, quilting my pink MJE quilt, taking care of Skittles' kittens (she finally had them; I'll post pics soon!), embroidering shirts for an August deadline, sewing alterations and whatever else that needed attention.

In addition to that, sneezing, coughing, feeling terrible, lack of energy, taking naps and everything else that goes along with being sick. I thought colds were not supposed to be around in the summer, but I guess I found out otherwise. Thankfully Jena and Dad have not caught it for which I am truly grateful.

God is trying to teach me something, if not anything but patience. As I reflect over the last couple of weeks, which in my opinion would be one of the worst times out of the entire year to be sick and unable to do anything, I kept thinking that God knows the situation I'm in. He knows my to-do list. He knows my business and sewing deadlines. He knows how terrible I felt and impatient to be feeling better. He knows, understands, cares and allowed this to happen. Why? I'm not entirely sure, but I can see areas of my life that I need to change and sometime it takes something dramatic before I can really see those things.

So in a few short words...it's been a long, hectic and exhausting couple of weeks! But I'm on the mend (hopefully!!) and am trying to get back into a full schedule this week! I'll be catching up with some posts I had written a while back and am just now posting...

Favorite singtime songs from camp

Singtime has always been one of my favorite times at camp! When 5:00 rolls around, everyone heads into the chapel while music is greeting their ears! As I stand up at the front, holding up visuals and watching the audience, it's easy to notice those little campers up in front, slowly nodding off with their eyes closed. They've had a busy afternoon and once they finally sit down, their bodies just seem to be calling for sleep! Quite funny! :)

Crayon Box Song:

The Wonderful Word of God:

You know you are way too tired when...

...you get up in the morning, reach for the toothbrush and paste in the drawer (no contacts in or glasses on, not that it would really have mattered) and brush your teeth.

Only after you have finished and put your toothbrush away, do you realize you used the tube of Lanacane instead of toothpaste to brush your teeth. Not only is that really terrible, but the really horrible thing is that you didn't even taste or were aware of the difference in your mouth.

Yep, I definetly need more sleep than what I am getting!

Now, back to more multiple posts from the last two weeks of camp!

A new look to the camp chapel!

Year to year, most things at camp remain the same. A few changes to the building, grounds or schedule are tweaked and improved every year, but usually nothing too significant...until this year. I walked into the dinning room toward the chapel and discovered two sets of sliding glass doors instead of the stained plastic doors that have been there for years.

It's quite a change to walk by and be able to see directly into the chapel, see what is going on and see who's inside. At first I didn't really like it, but I have to say it does have it's advantages. I can walk by and see inside without having to open the door and disturb the class inside. And if I'm looking for someone, it's much easier to glance through the glass, rather then have to open the door as before to see inside.

Not only are the glass doors at the back of the chapel a change, but they also added a glass door on each side near the front which I just love! You can easily slip in and out of those side doors if needed rather than walking clear to the back of the chapel to get in or out. A big help when a group of kids is coming in. Plus they lengthened the chapel with a raised stage area at the front, so it will seat around 150...much more than before.

There's more room, especially since they removed the benches on the sides. Although I do miss those benches that let you sit a little higher than the campers, but I haven't missed them as much as I thought I would. They redid the floor and walls with wood, so that's new and improved, plus the air conditioning is much better and stays cooler longer.

The one disadvantage is since they lengthened the chapel, it eliminated the little bit of space behind the chapel which was my favorite place to teach my Bible class. Now there is only a little walkway back there...certainly no room for a class of campers.

It's taken some getting used to, but I can say now, that the change is for the better, although at first I was a little unsure. :)

Quiz questions now and 6 years ago...

During the first week of camp, Sharon, the camp director's wife, handed me my folder of info for the week consisting of the camper list of kids in my class, quiz questions and some other paperwork.

She told me to look at my quiz questions with a suspicious smile on her face. I looked inside and discovered a slightly used, stapled together book of pages of quiz questions with "Miss Serena" written on the front. I just had to laugh and think back to 6 years ago when I was a counselor instead of a teacher at camp. That was the last year I was a counselor and I always put my name on my quiz questions so when my girls took them to study, they hopefully would find their way back to my folder.

Sharon said when she dug out the Ruth lesson material from 6 years ago, that those questions just had to go in my folder. That just brings back fun memories of counseling. It would be hard to go back to counseling after teaching for the last 5 years, but it was certainly something I enjoyed doing. :)

Good News Camp Week 1: The week in review

Week 1 of Good News Camp is over and week 2 will soon begin. Jena and I arrived home late Friday evening and will be leaving tomorrow afternoon again for another week. We apparently were extremely tired since we both fell asleep in the family room around 1pm today and didn't wake up (or I should say force ourselves to get up) until about 4:30. But laundry is done, meals for Dad planned and after packing up a few things tomorrow, we'll be ready to go for another week!

We don't have a number yet of how many kids were saved last week, but I know personally of at least 6-7. It was a busy week and there were some kids that I wish we could have had another week since some go back to broken and rough homes.

And of course there some sweet little ones that I've seen for a couple of years and continue to return every year. There was one boy in particular that told Jena something that was just too funny! He had brought Benadryl with him for allergies if needed and Jena, being the nurse for the week, had the medicine with her and he could come get it when needed.

One day he came up to Jena and told him that his friend needed one of the Benadryl and he wanted to share one of them because his friend's eyes were watery, nose was running and he was sniffling. Jena just smiled to herself and told him that she would check on his friend and give one to him if he needed it.

In reality his friend was really homesick and therefore the tears, watery eyes and sniffles. Out of concern for his friend, he thought the Benadryl would help. Jena just chucked when she told me about it. :)

You can see more photos and video clips here...

Just a few pictures from camp...

Camp is in full swing...campers are all around, the weather is hot...yep, it's definitely camp time! :)

We have a full week of campers this week with over 90 kids which is wonderful. Although I have to admit that's it's been a few years since we've had to rotate tables at meal time, just barely finish eating before the bell rings, barely all squeeze in the chapel and always seeming to be running behind schedule. And not to mention that I have a class of 21 campers! It's been a couple of years since I've had that many in a class. :)

But I'm really excited to have so many kids attend! A challenge at times, sure, but exciting none the less! Jena's been busy giving out all her medications and thankfully nothing more than come scraps and cuts so far.

Here's a little glimpse from the last couple of days!

Hunter sits and talks with me during canteen
and memory verse prize time...

canteen pop drinkers - I just love this one! Too cute! :)

practicing quizzing

quiz time practice!

watching flag raising

a camp song favorite - the crayon song!

crazy canteen time!

Wednesday lunch...pizza and salad - delicious!

the parachute game during recreation!

These two little boys are sooo cute and
love to make funny faces!

the memory verse footprint trail getting started!

the renovated chapel - there's even a
raised stage area up front!!

What I need is a stuffed footprint!

Since my theme this year is footprints relating back to Naomi and Ruth and their journey, I decided that I needed a footprint to hold my candy that I give out in my Bible lesson time. Last year it was a brick wall since the lesson was on Nehemiah. The year before it was a stuffed lion because the lesson was on Daniel.

With the stuffed lion, every time one of the campers answered a question correctly, I threw the lion filled with candy to them to catch so they could get a piece. I honestly think they enjoyed catching the lion and throwing it back to me more than the actual candy.

So this year, I wanted to find a pillow or stuffed something in a shape of a footprint. I know I have seen something like that, so it has to exist, but do you think I could find something now when I need it? Nope! Certainly not! Not a chance!

I looked online, on eBay, at our local Dollar stores and even Wal-Mart and didn't find a thing that was shaped in a footprint or that would work! Hmmm....so I bought some fleece and decided to make my own which I was trying to avoid cause I really don't have time to do it. But I stitched a really quick footprint this afternoon.

And I know what you are going to say....it's a strange looking footprint, but it will work! :) This is the second one I made. I finished the first one and Jena wasn't too thrilled with it, but I thought it would work. And then Dad came downstairs and saw it and commented on it. Then I knew I had to redo it...and the second is much better than the first! There's Velcro on one side with a ziplock bag inside the hold the candy.

Btw....I walked through the toys aisles at Wal-Mart yesterday looking for the stuffed animal section and finally found a little spot filled only with a couple bears and dogs. Are stuffed animals not a popular children's toy anymore?! What happened to all those cute little colorful animals that used to fill a whole aisle?! I have to admit, I haven't been in the toy section at Wal-Mart for probably more than 10 years, but I thoughyt stuffed animals were a classic, never-to-end toy! And after all stuffed animals aren't just for little ones...I still have multiple ones in my room and even on my bed. :)

Yep, I've got lots of stuff for camp and it's all spread out!

After spending this last week working on memory verses, footprints and lessons for camp, my stuff I have been working on is everywhere. Yes, I mean everywhere.

my teaching supplies

I have a stack of prizes in the schoolroom and in the family room. Plus I have been camped out on the couch with my computers the past couple of days working on my Bible lesson and memory verses. Not to mention what my own room looks like!

Prizes to be packed into a large tote or box.

more prizes and storage bins plus candy!

I have less than 24 hours til Jena and I leave, not to mention that I do have to sleep some of those hours, teach SS in the morning and pack up all my teaching supplies, clothes and computer equipment and get a menu typed up for Dad this week.

Did I just say I have less than 24 hours? Yikes, I better get busy!

How many footprints will it take?

the footprint trail (smaller version!)

Footprints, footprints and more footprints! I had this really grand idea for a memory verse challenge at camp this year dealing with footprints! I always try to fit the memory verse challenge for the week to the Bible lessons. Since the lessons are on Ruth, footprints fit in with all the traveling with Naomi and her family moving from Bethlehem to Moab and then Naomi and Ruth from Moab to Bethlehem. And Ruth did lots of walking in the fields, gathering the leftover grain.

We will start the journey at Moab and stick footprints to the wall, creating the journey from Moab to Bethlehem. After each camper says so many verses they will be able to pick a prize, the value depending on how many verses they said. Plus they will also be able to write their name on a footprint and stick it to the wall.

I'm planning to make a trail of neon sticky dots around the dinning room at camp to mark the journey from Moab to Bethlehem. Then the campers can put their footprints on the dots to complete the journey. It should be fun and hopefully will encourage the campers to memorize verses.

Just ignore Skittles, she's not part of the plan.
She always has to be right beside me when I'm working! :)

I ordered a large die cut because there was no way I wanted to cut out billions of footprint the old-fashioned scissors way! Yesterday I spent almost 2 hours at the Learning Center (I could spend hours upon hours there creating posters and fun cut-outs for camp or my SS class!!) cutting out all the big and little footprints. I can cut out six footprints at one time, so it moves fairly quickly.

But I thought I was never going to be done and I just barely finished before they closed for the day and wouldn't reopen until Monday morning cause of the holiday weekend. Whew; that's done! As I was standing there folding paper, cutting the prints and feeling like my arm was going to fall off from all the pressing on the die cuts, I was calculating in my head just how many prints I really needed. It's hard to guess how many campers will be there and how many verses they will memorize.

We should have max 80 campers each week and if they say all sets of their verses to earn footprints, that would be 3-4 footprints each. So multiply 3-4 x 80 campers x 2 weeks = 480-640.

And since I could get 3 large prints out of one sheet of paper and I used 180 sheets, that would make 540 footprints! That's a lot of footprints! But hopefully 270 per week will be enough. If not, I may have to go back to the old-fashioned method of cutting prints while at camp. :)

Skittles: loyal, always there/ Lord Jesus Christ: loves me, never leaves me

my precious little kitty (rather plump in the tummy area right now!)

guarding her toys

always right beside me

wanting me to pay attention to her

wants to be in or on whatever I'm working on

Animals are loyal to their owners, just about no matter what! Skittles follows me around the house wherever I am working and sits right beside me, especially if I am doing something on the floor.

She is my constant companion, loving me no matter what I seem to do to her (unless it's squirting her with the water gun when she's in trouble - then she is on the run in the opposite direction of me in a flash!)!

When I ignore her, she meows, rubs against me, sits directly on keyboard, making it more than clear that she is being ignored and would like some of my attention.

It just reminds me of God's love for me. He's consistent, He loves me no matter what, He is always by my side. And even though I fail and disappoint Him daily, I KNOW without a doubt, He is waiting to forgive me and help me in the future.

When I ignore Him and push Him out of my life, He brings little reminders to not let me forget that He is always there and needs to be first and foremost in my life. At that time, in that moment, I may not appreciate that reminder or want to change that area of my life that I need to change, but I KNOW He has my best in mind.

Just as Skittles is always right beside me, trying to get my attention, so is my Lord and Savior! Never leaving me, always reminding me He is right there and I need to be listening to Him! What a comfort that is!

Happy 4th of July

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword;
His truth is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His day is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! His day is marching on.

I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel;
“As ye deal with My contemners, so with you My grace shall deal”;
Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Since God is marching on.

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat;
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat;
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him! be jubilant, my feet;
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us live to make men free;
[originally …let us die to make men free]
While God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! While God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, He is honor to the brave;
So the world shall be His footstool, and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on.
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah! Our God is marching on.

As I was driving home last night from my quilt guild meeting quite later than usual, I saw fireworks exploding in the air in various places. Although we haven't bought any fireworks in years, we used to enjoy doing that so much. And I even recall my sisters and I climbing up on top of the roof of our house to see the fireworks from Ensign or Dodge City.

Today, Independence Day, Dad's birthday will be spent without any fireworks or getting up on the roof. Today will seem like another typical day (especially since we celebrated Dad's birthday earlier in the week) with Dad working out in the field, me working on camp Bible lessons, Jena working and Krissa in Alabama. But it still is the 4th of July!!

Krissa's in Alabama!

Krissa left with Clare on Wednesday, traveling to Alabama. Clare flew to Kansas this past weekend and spent the last few days with Krissa, helping her get packed and ready to go. It was so fun having Clare here and getting to know her more!

Krissa's car was loaded up with all her stuff when they left before 7 am, but at least the apartment she is living in with another girl is furnished. So furniture, kitchen supplies and such she won't need to get.

She starts her new job at Southern Accents on Monday, so she'll have a couple of days to settle in and figure out where Wal-Mart and a couple other places are. Her apartment is about 20-30 minutes away from where she is working, which doesn't seem to be too bad since she's in such a huge city as Birmingham. :)

They made the trip ok and were able to find out where her apartment is located without any trouble. Although when Krissa called me at 11:30 last night (she is supposed to call Jen or I when she got there since it was so late instead of Dad, cause you know who was sound asleep by that time!), she said they felt like robbers breaking in!

It was dark, 11:30 at night and they are hunting around for the key that was left outside the door so they could get it. Her roommate if on vacation until the middle of July, so she wasn't there when they got there last night. Then she said they had to climb over a fence or patio, which really made them feel like they were breaking in!

But she loves her apartment!! She is so excited about the walk-in closet that she has in her room!! I would be too!! Hint...hint...it would be nice to have one in my room!! (You think just maybe that my Dad will be reading this and perhaps get the hint that he could build a walk-in closet in my room?!?! Ummm....probably not!) She said there is everything in the apartment that she would need, even sheets on the bed!

Dad's Birthday!

We celebrated Dad's birthday a couple days early since Krissa left today. Krissa's friend, Clare from Georgia, has been here the last couple of days and she joined us. We made homemade ice cream and German chocolate cake, Dad's favorites!

We didn't have enough candles, so we improvised!

Krissa

Clare

Yep, that's Dad!!

me

Jena

wonderful Clare!!! :)

smiling at his birthday card!

this was funny, but you don't really want to know what happened!! :)

It only takes a couple of days being gone...

...for the packages to pile up downstairs:

...and Skittles to pack her toys on my bed:

After getting home from Colorado yesterday afternoon, I walked downstairs and discovered a table full of boxes to unpack and mail to sort through. It looked like UPS, FedEx and DSL have been here in my absense.

Then I walk through my sewing room to my room and discover that Skittles carried her toys and fabric scraps I left on the floor onto my bed. That is usually what happens when I'm gone. She drags those toys around looking for me and they wind up on my bed.

Adventures in Colorado!

This past week I spent several days in Colorado with Joanna. Guessing from all the laughing, talking, game playing and movie watching you could say we had a very wonderful, fun time together!

Wednesday, we went hiking at Glen Eyrie and I'm so glad I had my camera or Jena and Krissa would never believe I ACTUALLY climbed over all those rocks up to the waterfall. We even got a little wet, which actually felt good since it was a little warm. Well, let me correct that statement. I got a little wet, but Joanna was pretty much soaked! :)

It was a bit of a challenge climbing from rock to rock, trying not to fall into the water. We even saw a few certain animals along the trail that I could have rather done without such as a lizard, several snakes and lots of spider webs.

Thursday, we went to probably the greatest store in all of Denver - Denver Fabrics. I absolutely love that store! And as usual, some fabric I really did not need, but just could resist buying came home with me. Now if I can just find the time to sew it, instead of letting it sit for several months. :)

More photos are here...

Hmmm...which rocks would be the best to stay out of the water?

Now, which rock would be the best to step on???

This is a good place to sit...



...unless someone splashes you with water! :)

Finally...the waterfall!

Watching the waterfall before climbing back down the rocks...

Those rocks are most certainly not found in Kansas!