More High Adventure....

Mills coming off the platform at the end. Check out that face! Both the kids just sat down and swung out to get down. Bryan and I had to jump for the trapeze.

bryan and mills celebrating!

noah's swing off the platform!

success!

high adventure!

Look at my amazing kids! Since we arrived Mills has been wanting to do the ropes course. We walked over to it the other day - the day it snowed- took a good look around and she decided she definitely wanted to do it. We found out we could fit in Tuesday at 1:30/2:00 and for 3 days she counted down the hours. She got a good night's sleep Monday to be ready, ate a good lunch...etc. She was so excited! Noah was not sure if he was really into it or not - but when your little sister is so fired up he really couldn't refuse. This is a partner course & Mills insisted she wanted to go with Bryan. So - She and Bryan set off first and Noah and I went next! What a gift to do this with them!. They were so brave. No hesitation - even as they admitted they were a little nervous. The summer staff running the course were blown away & I thought I would cry numerous times I was so proud! These are the pics I was able to take before we really got started and the summer staff girl took one of Noah and I at the end of the zipline. Thankfully my friend Elizabeth showed up just then with her amazing camera and took a whole bunch of us as we went through the course! I will post those up tonight! I have amazing kids!

getting ready

Climbing the hill to the start

at the top

thumbs up

getting ready to goshe's off!

the cargo net...Noah and me at the net after the zipline start!

the many faces of Hancock...

Bubba Nubbins - resident bad guy. Look at the bus driver in the back!

Svendle - from Norweigestanvakiabull. wears heelys and brings the oij!

note the shorts of svendle...

Rob (of Rob and Gib) - rapper and snack specialist

Caruso - playground monitor at the Cricket Daycare Center

Folks, How could you not love a man like this???

just pics...

wifle ball times!

Noah wrestling Shamu in front of 350 campers...Noah wins!

Hallie riding on Caruso's (Bryan's) back at the start of the Cricket Day care skit!

Hallie - in her cricket day care finest! the glasses were her idea...

snow on june 7th???

seriously...today it has hailed & snowed. The sun is out and it is 32 degrees with wind gusts of 15+ mph. I am not a winter person. I am freezing. Aaah North Carolina...i miss you!

Buses pulling in for week 2!!

To finish off what a week of camp looks like...
Wednesday - the night that never ends. The program finale (sort of) - the good guys save crooked creek ranch! Tablaeu (a frozen scene from the old west) where kids go back to their cabins and dress like what they see acted out in the scene. The highlight I must say was when Bryan and I got to ride into the tableau on a frontend loader in the bucket lifted up as high as it would go!!! So fun! Then we had an incredible dinner, followed by a carnival with games, food and cotton candy. With all the fake money you earn you can pie your leader in the face, send them to the dunking booth etc. Next we headed to the opera (the big show) where crooked creek is saved and bubba and i fall in love - Then the whole camp heads to the square dance! What a night! Kids laugh and sing and play and truly experience some full life! My kids love it too!

Thursday-Saturday - thing are still so fun but not so heavy on the program team. Thursday the whole camp hikes to the top of a nearby mountain! And they all make it to the top. We just walk with them and stick with kids - side by side until they suceed!

Friday & Saturday - kids still come to club, meet a few new characters, watch real life (a place where they hear some of our stories), Hang out with their leaders, swim, ride horses, go carts, ropes course, hot tub, frisbee golf ALL that stuff. Saturday Night at our last club we ask kids who decided to begin a relationship with jesus to stand up and say so. So we all stand and sing a song and the kids that have trusted Jesus this week for the first time remain standing while they rest of us sit down. WHAT A SWEET MOMENT for all of us! So many kids last night! Then they go around the room and say "My name is ________. And this week I gave my life to Jesus." Sweet Sweet! I cry every time! What an honor to partner in this with Jesus! You know He really doesn't need me but He invites me in to this amazing time!
After club the buses leave and we have about 20 hours to clean up and prepare to do it all over again!

the buses are here...let the fun begin...the cold fun...let the cold fun begin!!!!

Bubba & Shirley's FlashBack video

Showed this Wednesday night in the opera (skit finale)!!

Time to catch up!

OK so finally I can share with yall what a week of YL camp looks like. Basically kids arrive on Sunday afternoon and camp is really heavy on the program - the funny guys leading the kids through all kinds of activities and skits. Basically trying to break down walls and get kids laughing and to really just enjoy themselves and be kids for a while. As the week progresses - the program guys culminate their story line on Wednesday and by Thursday the program begins to take a back seat. There is more free time and opportunity for leaders to hang out with the kids they brought and really dive in relationally. It's so great to see them hanging out all over camp talking and really allowing kids to open up about their real life! So here is kinda a snapshot of our weeks at camp...

Sunday - arrival, welcome, club & obstacle course (a late night run through the woods getting wet and dirty - so Fun!)

Monday - cabin v. cabin volleyball tourney (each cabin comes up with a team uniform...), entertainment night
check out these cool uni's! helium balloons in pantyhose!

Caruso & Dietz - playground monitors at the Cricket Daycare center - running the tourney Mills handing out tokens to campers as they earn them for doing amazing feats!

Tuesday- swim meet, rodeo & hoedown

That is Frank Ivey the camp speaker - being raced down the pool on a turtle float. He thought it would be dry and easy....

Here he is after the race.....notice sweet Mills has on a winter coat and pants...air temp at the start of the swim meet - 45 degrees...

all of camp in the pool for the atomic swirly (everyone runs around the outside and makes a giant whirlpool - it is SOOOO fun)

Ok gotta go to lunch! Will tell you all about Wednesday's adventures when I get back!