Week 3's photos

June 29/Teen week

Teen week was tough at times.  The fact that I made it through teen week with only one major behavior issue from one of the campers that I was working with was great.  I was glad that I made it through teen week--I knew that if there was going to be a week that was going to be hard, it was going to be teen week.

Last weekend a group of us went bowling, which was quite relaxing.  This weekend was a trip to Madison.  I originally didn't know if I wanted to go, but by the end of the week I knew that I wanted to go.  I knew that I just wanted to get away from camp, which would help me recharge my batteries for the upcoming week.

While in Madison I got to see the Capital building and spend some time with grandparents.  The chance to sit with Mom's parents for a while, and tell them a little about camp was nice--they seemed to enjoy hearing about camp.  It was also fun to get to have lunch with them.  As for seeing Wisconsin's capitol building--it was SO BEAUTIFUL!  I really liked seeing it, especially now that I have taken a couple of criminal justice classes.  The part that blew me away was being able to see Wisconsin's constitution.

Tonight we are planning on doing a movie night.  I don't know what movie we are seeing.  All I know is that we are going to be watching a movie.

Hopefully it won't rain anymore after today...we've had a few showers, and I am officially tired of rain at the moment.

Running during noon rest

I didn't actually go for a run during noon rest.  But I ran part way across the lawn.

Let me put it this way.  There were three other people that the four or five of us in the music pavilion saw running towards the barn/kitchen/camping and fishing.  So several of us got up and started running thinking that something was wrong and that we needed to go help.  We then found out that some of the barn animals had escaped, and that they had enough people to deal with it.

It was once of those moments that I will probably never forget because of how everyone started running together to go solve whatever problem was happening.

I also thought that there was a spider that drank fire this afternoon.

Teen week at camp!

It's teen week!  And that means lots of energy.  It rained this evening and has been raining on and off since.  SO, the family (two counselors and a group of campers) I am with this week and I didn't get to go camping. I'm not to bummed about it in some ways, but in others ways I am a little bummed.  I love sleeping outside of a tent door and under the stars, so I miss that part.  I won't go into the rest...sometimes you just want life to be a little easier.

Meanwhile, I am finding myself doing things that make me wonder if I ever had a conversation with someone similar to the ones I have been having the past couple of weeks with campers.  Sometimes I feel like I am being the mother who is telling a child what to do and how to do it.  Other times I feel like I am hanging out with a few friends, not my campers.

I've been singing a lot of camp songs lately to campers.  It's always fun to sing them songs since it usually makes them smile, laugh, or helps them to relax.  Time to go to bed so I can get enough sleep for another full day of fun stuff!

Week 2 of camp

Week two went well.  There were times when I didn't know how I was going to make it with the small amount of sleep I was getting a night.  I kept getting woken up at five or six in the morning, and quite often one other time in the night.  Sometimes campers have a way of making you work on not enough sleep.  I am so glad that I got to hang out with the three campers that I did this past week.  I really loved how they would challenge me, but also how they reminded me to laugh and would make me laugh.

One of the campers and I were having a conversation one day.  We had a good laugh because we had been talking about sunburns and I thought she had said something about burned eyeballs.  There was another camper in my group this past week who had an easier time falling asleep if I sang You Are My Sunshine to her.  Some nights singing that song helped me remember that it is things like that these campers will remember for years to come.

Megan's Wedding

Preperation for the wedding:

The Reception:

My plate of food:

Allise's plate:

Post Dinner/pre cake cutting:

Dancing:

Th Cake:

More Dancing

Midland's Chippewa Nature Center

These were taken in May while I was still home at Midland's Chippewa Nature Center.

Week One

Sunday
I got to camp.  Check in was a little chaotic with it being the first week.  We knew what was supposed to be happening but didn't have it completely worked out just yet so that it goes smoothly.  We had our counselor meeting to schedule our activities and such.

Monday
It was our first full day with campers.  My three lovley campers enjoyed music, arts and crafts, and the pool. They also had fun doing evening activities.

Tuesday
More arts and crafts and music today.  My three campers and I also went camping.  The campers enjoyed it quite a bit.  Once campers were in bed both at the campsites, on main camp, and at primitive, the campsites got a radio call asking what type of ice cream we wanted.    The other two counselors and I all were so excited for chocolate ice cream before we went to bed.  All three of us had somewhat rough days with our campers, and so we were glad to have chocolate to eat.  After enjoying ice cream the three of us went to bed.  I didn't sleep all that well because I was sleeping outside and the bugs were bugging me.  I did eventually fall asleep right outside of the tent door so that none of my campers could get out and wander away, so an hour or so after going to bed I woke up to lightning.  We ended up being radiod to pack up our personal belongings, and be ready for the bus to come pick us up and bring us back to our dorm on main camp.  I was so gratefull to my three ladies being so good about this whole thing in the middle of the night.  The next day I was quite tired, after having slept about 4 hours.

Wensday
We did even more arts and crafts and music.  We went fishing in the afternoon, which was quite relaxing.  After dinner was badger olympics which my campers enjoyed.  We even got to watch Badger Bill (camps "mascot") accidently run into a door while we were waiting for snack.  One of my campers got a kick out Badger Bill doing so, and laughed.  The campers laugh made my night quite a bit easier.  During noon rest (after lunch and before afternoon activities), I tried to skype my Mom, but she had completley forgotten, so I had to wait until Thursday since I had to hang out with campers until 11pm.

Thursday
We did more arts and crafts, stopped by music for a while, did some recreation, and even made it to a nature activity.  After our activities, we headed off to get ready for the dance and our nice dinner.  All three of my campers enjoyed our meal of peas, mashed potatos, turkey, and stuffing.  We also enjoyed dancing during the dance.  I wish I could post my pictures of campers here, but I can't because of privacy.  During the dance one of my camping buddies (one of the campers from the other group of campers that camped with my campers), gave me a hug and I also got to dance with two of my three campers.  It all made my week all the better.  It also reminded me that the simple things can be thie things that you miss and enjoy the most.

Friday
We got up and got ready for the talent show.  My three awesome campers enjoyed breakfast, and also enjoyed the talent show.  After lunch all three were picked up, and I said my first goodbyes.  I didn't tear up or cry at goodbye this time.  Yet, it was bittersweet saying goodbye to all three.  They will stick with me for quite some time.

One of my three campers that came to camp last year remembered coming to music and spending time with me there since I was the music director here last year.  That made me smile and glad that there has been at least one camper that has enjoyed their time with me.

That's all folks.  I'm off to get more sleep and enjoy my day off.  I shall be back at some point to post a few pictures from around camp that I am sure you will enjoy seeing (NO CAMPER PICTURES! but pictures of the camp in general).

First day at camp

Today has been my first day at camp.  I have been enjoying every minute of it so far.  When I arrived yesterday afternoon two of my three lovely campers had arrived.  The moment I got here, I felt like I had come home.  I felt like I had come home to a bunch of friends (staff and campers) old and new, and to a place that I now know my way around without a problem.

I didn't know what to expect out of my first group of campers.  I can now say this: my first group of wonderful women are amazing.  They've made me smile, and reminded me of how much fun the simplest things like laughing at things that I don't and won't remember.

Early this morning, as I slept for the last few minutes I would get today, a camper in the travel program and their counselor came walking into Sunshine, where I am sleeping this week with my three campers.  As they opened the door to the dorm room, the didn't realize that we had the cans up.  These cans are two large metal cans connected together with some space between them by string.  There is a length of string that then is thrown over the top of the door at night before the last counselor into the dorm goes to bed, and the door is then closed.  When this happens and someone opens the door not realizing the the cans or there, or not knowing how to remove the cans silently, the cans crash to the floor creating a racket.  When the cans crashed this morning, I sat straight up, and looked towards the door.  As it turns out, it was a camper and counselor from the Travel program that were coming in to use the bathroom having forgotten about the cans. Thankfully those cans crashing to the floor this morning did not mean a camper that has gone running out of the dorm when they shouldn't have been.

I am now off to take a shower and bed.  I should have some time this weekend to get pictures up from Megan's Wedding, so keep your eyes open!

First week of June

The first week of June is almost over.  Tonight is the rehearsal dinner for my friend's (Megan) wedding.  I've been antsy all week out of excitement for leaving for camp (and for Megan's wedding).  I keep reminding myself to soak up as much of the fun related to the wedding as possible so that I don't forget it.  I also keep reminding myself that I will be at camp sooner than I realize, so there's no need to want it to come sooner than needed.

On Sunday morning, I spent my last Sunday morning in town at church with the contemporary praise team.  After the contemporary service was over, I was bombarded with hugs, which got me to tear up.  Last summer I missed making music with the contemporary praise team.  In my own way, I was trying to remember those last couple hours with the praise team before leaving for camp.

It's going to be another great summer for me.  I'm sure that I'll make it back to Midland with lots of stories about campers and many more memories.