What are we waiting for?

In today's society, many people make New Years Resolutions, wanting to make changes to their lives.  Sometimes we work to make those resolutions a reality, other times those resolutions go by the wayside.  Many times when we don't make good on our resolutions, we wonder why we weren't successful.  It is then that we often ask why we weren't successful.

What are we waiting for when we don't succeed?

Sometimes we're waiting for someone else to do it for us.  Sometimes we want it to be easier than it actually is.

What are we waiting for?  Why is it so hard for us to understand that nobody else can make what we want for ourselves happen?  Why do we like to blame others for our own failures?  Why do we want things to be easy?

It isn't always someone else's fault when you fail at something.  Most of the time it's your own fault when you fail.  Life isn't easy, and if life was easy, success wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable.  We're waiting for something better to come our way without working for it.

This past year I realized that there are times when life is hard, times when life is overwhelming, times when life is enjoyable, times when things come easily, and time when everything seems hard.  The times when things were tough made the good times better.  Being overwhelmed by a situation wasn't all bad--that's when I seemed to find that my creative streak would come out.

At some point we need to stop waiting, and start doing.  In starting to do, even when it is tough, we learn and grow.  It is then that we enjoy the good and the things that come easily.

What are we waiting for?

What I Noticed

I recently was re-reading my journal entries from my time at SpringHill this summer and noticed something.  Here's what I wrote in some of those journal entries.

7/20/15

You don't have to have it all together.  It's okay to be a mess and show it.  Let God work in you, cleaning your insides.

7/22/15

God waited to make me a crew chief until now for a reason.  He wanted me to be ready.

7/26/15

God wanted me with these two weekers for a reason.  He wants me to teach them, and wants them to teach and challenge me.  Go will speak through me to these kids.  I may be the planter.  I may be the one that harvests.

These two weeks will be memorable.  Go will work in and through me.

7/30/15

"I seek the work of your hands."

8/1/15

"Just take the first step."

8/3/15

"The Lord is my Shepard, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; He restores my should.  He leads me in right paths for his names sake."  Psalm 23:1-3

Do you see yourself as a new creation in God?

Are you paying more attention to how you look, or what is going on on the inside?

8/4/15

What's next will be very different.

8/9/15

Can you see God when you are in crisis?

8/21/15

Out of his anguish, he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.  The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.  Isaiah 53:11

What I noticed through all of my journal entries this summer was that I kept writing about how God was still working on me, and that even when I felt like a complete mess, it was okay.  After all, God had to be doing something in and through me when I was a mess.

Then I noticed that I also kept writing that God had planned to have me wait until the last couple of weeks of camp to be a crew chief for a reason, that that he had had a plan for me since before I was even born.

From there, I wrote about taking the first step forward and the fact that God wanted the work of my hands.  I also got to thinking about how before this past summer at SpringHill, I didn't think so much about what was going on internally and what God was telling me.

What I've come to realize is that God wanted me back at SpringHill this past summer for a reason.  He wanted to challenge me and show me a hint of some of the skills He had given me.  I still remember hearing God tell me that whatever was next was going to be very different.  The thing about thinking about hearing God say that to me, I now am beginning to understand why what was next for me was so different.  Going from camp to working for an after school programing to cooking for a bunch of people in an assisted living facility has been a big change.  Cooking at an assisted living facility had been so different, yet very rewarding.  God has challenged me in this new position, and has continued teaching me.

Getting to know the residents I work with five days a week has been so rewarding, especially when I've been able to get to know a resident and solve a problem or help that resident in some way.  There have been the rough days at work, but the great thing about those rough days is that I've been able to trust God to get me through those days and see Him at work in me so that these residents can see him through me.

SpringHill High

If there is one thing that so many people talk about when they talk about SpringHill is the SpringHill high.  The SpringHill high is real.  So many people I know have experienced it.  The thing about the SpringHill high is that when you experience it, you don't want it to end.

It was during my first summer working at SpringHill that I experienced the SpringHill high and experienced what it was like to loose that high.  So many times I heard the high school campers say that they wanted to have this thing called the SpringHill high continue on after they returned home.

Here's the thing about the SpringHill high: when you go off to SpringHill and spend so much time worshiping, praying, and reading the Bible something amazing happens.  You realize just how great that relationship that you can have with God can be.  It is when you go back home, and have to keep all of that up without the culture of spending time in prayer and in the word, that you realize just how hard it can be do do these things in a world where doing these things isn't something that everyone does.  I know that after the summer of 2014 I found myself struggling as much time in prayer or in the word.

It was during the beginning of August 2015, I took another step forward.  I was baptized at SpringHill, which was a big thing for me.  Being re-born--being made new--felt so good.  The thing that I still remember Todd saying to me was that in being baptized you are made new but that you also are giving all of your talents over to God and allowing him to work through you and your talents.

In coming home from SpringHill this past summer, I had learned to trust God's plan for me.  It wasn't long before God was working in my life again.  This time God was throwing me into a new job where I would get to work with middle and high schoolers after school.  I had no idea that I wouldn't work in that position for very long due to a better job offer from an assisted living facility.  The crazy thing about the things that I have experienced since returning home from camp is that it became clear to me that the SpringHill high would continue for longer than it did last year.

It's not always easy finding the time or the discipline to spend time in prayer or in the word.  But when you do, that sense of belonging, the relationship with God, continues to grow.

What Really Matters

At some point in life, many people ask something along the lines of "Does what I am doing really matter?".  I got to thinking about this today at church and thought that I would share some of those thoughts.

Many times, the smallest things change our lives in ways we never thought our life would change having experienced that simple moment.

Looking back at my life, there are those simple things that I can point to as things that changed my life.  There was a whole series of simple things that happened during a single week at Stony Lake Lutheran Camp during the summer of 2002 that changed my life quite a bit.  If it hadn't been for that week, I don't think I would have the relationship with God that I now have, or would have ever considered working at a summer camp.  If not for that week I might not have spent two summers working at Wisconsin Badger Camp or two summers working at SpringHill camps Michigan overnight location.

Ordinary people are serving in Jesus' name and most of us never notice people doing it.

I know I don't always notice it when someone is doing their job, not because it's their job, but because it's something that they hear Jesus calling them to do.  What would happen if we all did this?  What could the world achieve if we did this?

So many times we get caught up in what our denomination of Christianity says about certain acts, certain people, about what the world wants out of us.

We don't always think about what God would say to us when we judge people because they are gay, because they got divorced, because they are transgender, because they cheated on their spouse, because they had an abortion, or because they are aiming to get things that are worldly and not what God would want us to aim for.

You might find it hard to believe that Jesus loves us all, despite our sins, our shortcomings, and all the things we do that he would rather us not do even when we don't realize we are doing those things.

You might find it hard to believe that God loves each and every one of us.

So what matters the most to you?  Why do the thing(s) that you say matter the most to you matter to you?

You are Loved

Looking back at this past summer at SpringHill, I can believe the number of things that I came to realize during those eight weeks.  Looking back at what I wrote here, on this blog, during the summer there are several things that stick out to me.

On July 6 I wrote about something that I had experienced during that day.  I had come to realize that God was working on me.  I was beginning to let go of a few things and allow God to turn me into the person that he wants me to be.

What I now realize was that, during that week, I was learning to love myself in the state that I am in as God loves me in this state.  Realizing that God loves you in such a unique way, and beginning to see yourself the way God sees you makes a huge difference in your life.

On July 25 I wrote: 

I have no idea who my kids will be, or what they will be like these next two weeks, but I do know that whatever happens, it will be an amazing experience that I will never forget.  I am also certain that God waited until now to make me a crew chief for a reason.  Whatever the reason, I'm sure that I will learn so much.

During those two weeks I began to understand God's love for us through falling in love with the campers I worked with.  I loved them as a parent would, even when they got on my nerves or tested me.  Looking back on my time as a counselor I can now tell that God was teaching me more about love during the experience of being a counselor.  During that time, I got a small taste of what it means to love a group of kids the way a parent does.  I realized just how much I can personally love a group of kids that I looked at as my own.

Throughout quite a bit of the summer, this is what my left wrist looked like:

Since the summer ended, I took the bracelet off, turned it around, and put it back on.  Through my time at SpringHill, I looked at that bracelet and was reminded that God loves more than I can ever understand.  Now when I look down at the bracelet, I remember that, but I also remember the campers that I came into contact with this summer, and I remember that I need to pass the love that I have experienced and am experiencing on to others.

There is one last thing that I wrote during the summer that I shared in an earlier post here, but wanted to share again.  On July 26 I wrote something in my journal that still sticks out to me.  I wrote:

God wants me to be...

Caring
Compassionate
Loving
Present
Listening
Loving
Trusting
Giving
Joyful in all I do

...during these next two weeks.

What I now realize is that when I wrote this in my journal, I was thinking about the time that I was going to spend as a crew chief.  I hadn't realized that these were things that I could do throughout the rest of my life, even after camp is over and I am working a job or two and living on my own.

The amazing thing is that I have already found myself doing some of the things on that list from my journal in my job at The Rock here in Midland.

I may not know if I'll be going back to work at a summer camp again, but I know that wherever I end up in the next several years, I want to continue writing about what life throws at me here.  It's fun to look back at previous posts and remember what I was feeling, experiencing, and thinking about at that time.  From what I've heard from one good friend of mine, this past summer I seemed to write things that stuck out to her mother when she read my latest post(s).

Maybe this is one of several ways God planned for me to reach out and touch other peoples lives.

Moving On

Heading back to the real world after camp isn't always easy.  You've just spent two plus months working hard at our job where you gave a bunch of children an amazing week at camp, and now you're back in the real world.  You might be heading back to school.  You might be looking for a new job.  You might be going back to a school year type position, like teaching or an after school program job.  It is then that you realize just how hard you worked, but how much you loved your job at camp.

As someone who has worked at summer camps for four summers straight, I know what this is like.  After my second summer of working at camp, I can remember asking myself two questions that I think many people who work summers at a camp have asked themselves at some point.

How do you pick up the threads of an old life?  How do you go on?

How does a person pick up like in the real world after having spent a summer working at camp?  How does one process what they experienced at camp, and find themselves okay with not being at camp and with their camp family?

What I've realized since asking myself those questions is that change is what challenges us and helps us become better people.  Looking back at some of the things I wrote shortly after getting home from camp in 2013, I found something that I wrote that sticks out to me now, as I start a new job, post camp.

I wrote:

"We don't know how strong we are until being strong is the only choice we have."

This sticks out to me as I look back on this summer spent working at SpringHill.  I hadn't realized just how much strength the people I worked with at SpringHill, or I for that matter, had until I thought about it on my way home.  We dealt with homesick, and emotionally draining campers.  We made thousands of meals.  We ran so many activities.  We built countless campfires, sang so many camp songs.  We loved each other and our campers, even when it was hard.  We gave of ourselves to give the campers a week or two that they would never forget.  Sometimes we dealt with injuries.  We made a difference in childrens lives.  We all experienced ups and downs.  That's what made the staff a family who loved and supported each other, even when we got on each others nerves.

If you're one of those people who have finished a summer working at a camp, don't forget what you learned or experienced this summer.  Always keep those things with you.  You never know when you'll be interviewed for a job after college by someone that worked at the same camp as you did, but was there a couple years before you were.  You never know when you'll run into a camper that will recognize you and be so excited to see a face that they remember from camp.

I hope that people employers recognize that working at camp for a summer IS a real job.  We mange behavior, feed kids, make kids smile, help kids see their own potential.  I hope they see that people who have worked at camp see people with a considerable number of skills, and the ability to pick new skills up in a moment.  People who have worked at camps will look back at their time working at camp as a time when they grew, learned, and had a blast growing and learning.  I hope that employees seriously consider former camp staff as new employees.

I hope that all you camp people are adjusting to life away from camp, yet are staying in contact with their camp friends.

Final Hours at Camp

I've been home for just over one week, and am finally adjusted to being around the real world again.  I'm still trying to figure out the whole job situation, but have already had a few interviews.  Hopefully one of these interviews will lead to a job of some sort.

I was thinking back to my final hours on camp, and the things that I experienced there during that time.  I wanted to share some of those experiences now.

Those of us that stayed on Friday night and through Saturday morning enjoyed dinner at burger island.  It was fun to just hang out and not have to worry about anything other than enjoying each others company.  I still remember standing with one of the TST Ads named Madison.  Both of us were a bit worn out and considering going back to the cabins that we would be staying in that night.  Neither of us really felt like going to the water slide that night with a bunch of people.  I still remember walking back to our cabins together, and feeling right at home not having to say a single word.

That night, after having had some down time, a bunch of the TST staff went to the fireplace under the New Frontiers dinning hall to make s'mores and do breaking bread.  For a long time, we all just hung out there sharing the things we appreciated about each other.  I hadn't realized that my joy had touched so much of the TST staffs lives.  It was good to know that, even though I didn't get to spend much time with the kids most of the summer, that the TST crew chiefs (aka counselors) appreciated.

On Saturday morning before leaving camp, I took another step in my own faith.  As a child I was baptized, and in middle school I went through confirmation.  Through both of those things, I didn't consider what either of those milestones was something I wanted to do because I believed in God.  I did it because I thought it's what my parents would want.  In the past eight months, plus the two months at SpringHill last summer, I came to a place where I wanted to be re-baptized as a way of symbolizing the way that I have become new in Christ since my arrival at SpringHill in June 2014.

Here's a couple photos from my baptism:

Journals at Camp

I've done a good job of writing in my journal here at camp.  As I looked back at my journal and read what I had written just this summer, I realized just how much I've begun to understand this summer.  I wanted to share some of what I wrote in my journal.

On July 20 I wrote:

Am I good enough to lead  these twelve girls in a small group on my own?  Yes.  God put me in this position for a reason.  These girls need to hear something God will say through ME.  I may be planting a seed.  I may be watering a plant.  I may be the harvester.  THIS is where god needs me.

You don't have to have it all together.  It's okay to be a mess and show it.  Let God work in you.

On July 25 I wrote:

Sometimes God sends someone who is still learning and growing to teach others.  In teaching others, these people grow and show God to others through their pain, growth, joy, and understanding of Him.  In challenging those who are still learning, we become more than we could ever expect or hope to become.

On July 26 I wrote;

God wants me to be...

Caring
Compassionate
Loving
Present
Listening
Loving
Trusting
Giving
Joyful in all I do

...during these next two weeks.

On July 30 I wrote something that I heard God saying to me:

"I seek the work of your hands."

It's so hard not to love camp when you have so many moments of feeling loved by campers and staff, getting to love on campers and staff, and hearing about how various campers came to accept God during their time here.

Two summers at SpringHill

These two summers of working at SpringHill there have been a lot of things that I've been exposed to and have learned.

Last summer was the summer that I learned what God's voice sounded like to me.  It was then I learned to listen to Him and what he was telling me.  It was at the end of the summer that I began to trust God's plan for me, and that he will provide what I need and when I need it.

This summer, I've come to realize that since the last two weeks of last summer, God has been working on getting me to trust his plan and the fact that he will provide jobs and everything else I need when I need it.  This has been evident in the way he has sent me from ice cream shop to Khol's to Minnesota to SpringHill in the past year.  There's no way I could have planned that.  There is also no way that I could have predicted that this was how things would happen.

I still may not know what's next after all the kids leave SpringHill.  Whatever God's plan is for me will make sense as these next two weeks come to a close.

Last summer I loved every minute spent with campers.  This summer, I've been doing the same.  What I didn't expect this summer was that I would realize that I would start to realize that I wanted to give being a TST Crew Chief a try until I was asked by one of the TST assistant directors if I wanted to fill in when they were short handed on female crew chiefs.  So, for the next two weeks I'll be crew chief Erin instead of CoCo's cookie monster.  I have no idea who my kids will be, or what they will be like these next two weeks, but I do know that whatever happens, it will be an amazing experience that I will never forget.  I am also certain that God waited until now to make me a crew chief for a reason.  Whatever the reason, I'm sure that I will learn so much.

And Then It Hits You

These past two weeks have been rough at times, but rewarding in so many ways.  Before I get to far, if you haven't read my previous post here, go read it now.



Now that you've read it, or maybe even re-read it, the story continues.

Last week I wasn't operating at 100%  because I was dealing with a cold.  If you've ever dealt with a cold while working at camp when you don't get enough sleep, you know that it isn't fun at all.  Besides a lack of sleep and a cold, I spent much of the week feeling useless with the cabin I was assigned to and struggling with understanding my worth.  All of this after handing the struggle of understanding my worth over to God on Monday afternoon.

Fast forward to July 9.  During worship night with the high schoolers, I stood in the back, worshiping and praying about this whole struggle with my self worth.  I still remember crying a little during "Oceans".  It was just one of those moments where I realized that God was allowing me to learn to let go of those feelings of worthlessness that bubble to the surface at times.

By Friday morning I was okay with letting God and everyone else love me and had come to a place where I felt like I had taken another step forward.  Sometimes just a few hours of sleep combined with another member of the summer staff handing you a heart shaped pancake with chocolate chips makes a world of difference.  The moment that I was handed that pancake, I realized that God was speaking through a co-worker.

By Friday night my family had arrived for family weekend, and I was feeling good about the weekend to come.  Being able to share a note that a camper had written me before she left with my parents was great, and so was re-reading it.  Realizing that God had spoken through me to her was something that meant so much.  And in re-reading that note, I remembered that sometimes we don't realize that God is working through us.

This past week was one of stark contrast to the week before.  Not only did I have a good week in the kitchen, I also had realized that there will still be days when I feel worthless, but that in those days God is willing to take that from me and love me for who he created me to be.

This morning, I woke up to realize that it had rained, and was still drizzling out.  Friday's are the relaxed day in the Copper Country Kitchen, and so I was looking forward to the relaxed feeling, getting work done, and getting time with the rest of the summer kitchen staff.  It was as I was in the Copper Country kitchen that I talked with one of the cooks who I get along with well and with the summer staff.  It was during a conversation with the summer staff that I found out that one of the guys is going to be a counselor this next week.  This was after another one of the male summer kitchen staff spent half the week being a counselor for half weekers.  This got me a little down simply because it meant that I wouldn't see as much of him, and the kitchen staff that is going to be a counselor this next week is someone that I get along with well.

Before I knew it, one of the annual kitchen staff had called the Copper Country kitchen from the New Frontiers kitchen to ask me if I was willing to come down to New Frontiers to fill in for the annual baker that only bakes for New Frontiers.  Of course I was willing, so I grabbed my clipboard and waited for my ride down to the New Frontiers kitchen after having said goodbye to the Copper Country kitchen staff for the day.

It was in me heading down to the New Frontiers kitchen that I set off a chain of events that I couldn't have predicted or stopped if I had wanted to.

Having arrived in NewFro, I got to work on the rice crispies.  While I was working away, one of the annual staff came over to let the high school camper helping me know that it was time to eat.  Of course the annual kitchen staff saw me and asked me if I was a TST (aka high school camper).  My answer was, "Nope.  I have a name badge." and kept working.  Somehow during that time I managed to miss my chance to eat breakfast.  By the time I realized I had missed my chance to eat, it was to late, and I was feeling a bit frustrated and grouchy.  Not being recognized as a member of the staff and missing breakfast after not having gotten enough sleep was not a good combination.

Post rice crispies I started working on the cupcakes for this weekend.  It was then that frustration with the fact that I was watching other summer kitchen staff get the chance to be a counselor while I wanted to get the chance to be a counselor but wasn't getting the chance started to get to me.

On top of it all, I didn't have any of the summer kitchen staff there to talk to.  I felt a bit lonely because everyone else knew each other and were having fun with each other, but I felt like a fish out of water.

What happened next was something I didn't expect.  A couple of activity staff came in to help in the kitchen, and a couple of them were told to help me.  The kitchen director brought them over and let me know that they were here to help me, and of course tired, grouchy, annoyed, hungry, lonely Erin had a melt down.  Tears came out and I couldn't help it.

Of course Michelle, the kitchen director, grabbed me and gave me a giant hug that helped.  She also got me out behind the kitchen for a while so I could just get away from the chaos of the NewFro kitchen.  [If you're reading this Michelle, THANK YOU!]  After all that I went back into the kitchen and got back to work.  Having mixed the brownies and put them into the oven, I realized that I was thirsty and headed out to the dinning hall to get something to drink.  It was there that one of the special needs (not from TST) counselors who my family already knew appeared and asked me how I was doing, which set off another bout of tears.  This was fifteen minutes before I would sit down to eat lunch.  Of course she gave me a hug and loved on me, which I needed at that moment.  By the time I was done eating, it was time for me to leave the kitchen for the day.

By the middle of this afternoon/early evening, I realized that through all of today I was just struggling to figure out what God was trying to show me.

That's when I realized that the call from Heather that took me to NewFro was a reminder that I might not be good at everything, but I know how to do something well enough that Heather thought to call me.  She called ME.

It was then that I realized that God was trying to remind me that I'm not perfect, but he still loves me and calls me to be his child.

Sure, there were things today that annoyed me.  Yes, I was tired.  And I felt out of my element in the NewFro kitchen.  But there was something about the experience that made me want to keep working here.  It reminded me of just how much God loves me and how he'll use me in ways that I don't expect.

It was as I sat doing laundry with co-workers and reading the love is patient passage of the Bible, that I realized that in the last two weeks God has been breaking me down to build me back up in ways that I may never understand.  Not only has he been breaking me down just to build me back up, he is also so patient when I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to find him, and that he loves me more that I'll probably ever understand.

I'm sure that I'll still have the bad days.  Knowing that even on those bad days I have an amazing God to turn to and co-workers who care enough to nearly force me to sit down and eat, hug me, and tell me that I am loved, is enough to get me to a point when I can sit down and just be with God.

Under Construction

Discipleship is something that I was so unsure of last summer.  I wasn't sure how to disciple the girls that I was working with.  I wasn't always sure if I was having an impact on the kids during the times where we didn't have planned activities.

Discipleship is something that I don't always know how to do with each of the campers I spend time with.

The past two weeks I loved spending time with the girls I worked with.  I didn't always know how I could help them see God in their lives.  But I kept on spending time with them, knowing that the time I would spend with them could be the time that they might remember later in life as a time that they saw God at work.

Discipleship isn't always about teaching others--sometimes it's about spending time with God.

It was tonight during discipleship with my cabin that we walked over to the Storybrook.  For a time we sat in the woods with sharpies and rocks, writing the things that get in the way of our relationship with God.  I didn't have the largest rock with me, but I still managed to put several things on that rock.  Having walked to the dock of the Storybrook pond, and the girls had sat down, I walked towards the shore.  It was there that I stood for a moment, asking God to take those things on that rock from me, before I chucked the rock into the pond.

At the same time there was machinery working on something at adventure tower, which was right behind where I sat, listening to God speak.  It was then that I realized that God was telling me that I was still "under construction", but that in being "under construction", he was working through me to show these girls to God.

Discipleship isn't all about being perfect, having the right words, or knowing exactly what to do in every situation.

Discipleship is about being who you were meant to be and showing the kids who God is through your own personal struggles.

The Unsung Heroes

During the past week at camp, I was sitting with the summer kitchen staff on the deck of the Copper Country dinning hall, and we had a conversation that not everyone would ever think about having.  We talked about the unsung heroes of camp.

When you think of camp, you probably think of the fun activities, the counselors that take care of and live with the kids, bunk beds, not so hot mattresses, not getting enough sleep, and lots of grilled/fried food.  You might think about the people who run activities like boating/water sports, wall climbing, swimming/life guards, and other activities that could be dangerous no matter how well trained the staff is.  My question is how often do you think of the kitchen staff, the nurses/infirmary staff, the office staff, the grounds crew, the staff that work the camp store, those who sort and get the mail to campers, or the office staff?

Think about camp staff this way:

Without the infirmary staff/nurses, who would make sure that your child's meds were safe and that they got their meds when they needed them?  What would happen if your child had an allergic reaction, broke a bone, or got sick?

What would happen without the office staff?  Who would answer any and all phone calls?  Who would answer all the e-mails?  Who would do all the paper work that has to happen?

If there was no grounds crew, grass would not be mowed, no weed whacking would happen,  no weeding would be done, no one would fix buildings.

Without accommodations, no building would be cleaned.

Without a kitchen staff, what would campers and staff eat?  How would they have the energy to run around having fun at camp?

Without the camp store staff, no one could buy stuff from the camp store.

Without people to sort and pass out mail, you couldn't send a letter to the person you knew that is a camper or a member of the camp staff.

When it comes to camp staff, no one position is better than another.

Here at SpringHill, there isn't one member of the staff who is better than another.  As a staff, each of us have a different role.  Some of us bake cookies.  Some of us fry stuff.  Some of us serve food.  some of us do office work.  Some of us work on the grounds.  Some of us take care of campers.  Some of us deal with sickness, broken bones, allergies, and medications.  Some of us run activities.  We all play an important role in campers lives.

This past week, the rest of the summer kitchen staff and I talked about how without any single one of us, without the rest of the staff here at SpringHill, nothing would run as well as it does.  As a group, we agreed that there are certain "departments" at camp that tend to be forgotten on a regular basis.  We called the people that work in these areas the unsung heroes.  These are the people that are rarely thanked for their hard work, who are forgotten about, and who aren't always seen as equal to the counselors.  These are those who work in mail, who work at the camp store, who work in the office, who work in the infirmary, and those who work in the kitchen.

Last summer, I rarely heard a thank you from anyone for the hard work that I put in in the kitchen, and I was okay with it most of the time.  There were times when I'd look around on closing day, and see all these parents saying thank you to the counselors.  I never heard a thank you from a parent last summer.  The highlight last summer was a Friday morning when I was sweeping the dinning hall floor, and a group of boys came over to say thank you, and one of them proceeded to shake my hand and give me a hug.

This summer, I've been lucky enough to get to go out into the dinning hall most every day during lunch to hand out dessert to the campers and counselors.  Seeing the faces of fourth through sixth graders light up when they saw the dessert I was delivering to their table has already been more than enough of a thanks for the number of hours I put in on a daily and weekly basis.  Just yesterday, as I said goodbye to the girls I had worked with for the past two weeks, one of the girls handed me a note she had written.  She told me to wait to read it until later.  After the girls were gone, and I was standing around waiting for the high school staff end of week meeting to happen, I read the note, and began crying.  She had written a note just to thank me and tell me how I had helped her in her faith walk.  Reading that note was a reminder that even when I don't get thanked by campers and/or parents, I still can have an impact on the people around me by showing up and being myself.

The next time you pick a child up from any camp, or are at a camp for any reason, say thank you to the staff.  Be sure to thank all of the staff.  Most of all, be sure to thank the unsung heroes.  After all, these are the people who make the parts of camp that no one thinks of as just important as the counselors.

The gift of a stick

"God has given us each gifts, even if that gift is only a stick, it is still a stick--how will you use to it to glorify him?" Unknown

I happened upon this quote today during my training cabins small group today and wanted to share it here, with you.

Today, during our morning meeting/small group, each member of my training cabin wrote a letter.  None of us knew who would get the letter we wrote.  All we knew was that we were writing a single letter that someone else in our cabin would get.  We did it last year with all of the TST female staff at an all female campfire.  Last year the letter I got said so much about what I was going to experience and learn in the pat year and the growth that would happen.

And so, as I wrote this years letter, I thought of my faith walk and of all the new staff that were sitting in that circle.  I won't say what I wrote because I don't remember much of what I did.  But I remember saying that there were going to be ups and downs and that those experiences would change their life.

As I read the letter sent to me, I saw words of encouragement and words that I need to remember on a daily basis.  I saw a reminder of the fact that I am beautiful, even when I don't feel it.

There are times when I've looked around only to see people that I think are more talented, are better at everything that they do, who are more popular.  That's when I need to remember that quote that I started this post off with.

"God has given us each gifts, even if that gift is only a stick, it is still a stick--how will you use to it to glorify him?" Unknown

Remembering that I have my own unique gifts hasn't always been easy.  Remembering that my sticks aren't someone else's sticks isn't always easy.  Yet, as I sit here at SpringHill's Michigan overnight location, I can't help but remember that my gifts are being used here.  I might not always use all of my gifts while I am here, but I use many of them.

This year, with a majority of the summer kitchen staff being new to being kitchen staff, I've found myself thrown into a situation where I can mentor the new staff and help them learn what I did last year in the kitchen while still learning from them.

I can't wait to see what this summer brings, and what I learn.

Training, learning, and life

There are a lot of things that I've begun to realize being back here at Spring Hill.

While I was here at Spring Hill last summer, I had to learn my way about a giant camp and meet so many people I had never known before.  I still remember how several people took me under their wing to show me their way around, teaching me about Spring Hill, and the people I worked with began to pull me out of my shell.

This year, as I arrived at at Spring Hill ready for another adventure at camp.  I knew that there were going to be returning.  I also knew that there would be a lot of new staff.  I wondered if I would get along with the new staff.  All I knew was that I knew what to expect out of my job, where to find things and that I would love my time at Spring Hill.

On Tuesday night as all of the kitchen staff (hourly/year round and summer) were at the blobs and gusher, I found myself talking with two of the new members of the kitchen staff and telling them about what a normal day was like for the summer kitchen staff.

What I continue to find myself working on is learning to open up.

Last year I was nowhere as open about where I've been in life or where I am at with my relationship with God.  This year I've already shown my testimony with my training cabin and our brother cabin.  What I later found out was that when I shared my testimony this summer, I actually included just the right amount of humor to keep it from being too depressing.

I've finally begun to really trust that God will take me where I need to be.

Training

I've been at Spring Hill since Tuesday and I've been busy ever since.  This is my first update here since my arrival at SpringHill.

On June 9, I arrived along with the TST counselors.  We spent the afternoon moving in, playing GWAPS (games with a purpose), and at campfire with our specialty staff groups.  For me this meant doing campfire with the summer kitchen staff.  It was fun seeing all the returners, and meeting all the new people to TST.  The thing that stuck out to me was that after dinner, the summer kitchen staff joined the year round people for fun at the blobs, water zip line, and the gusher.  It was my first time blobing, which I enjoyed.

On Wensday and Thursday, the summer kitchen staff had fun doing dishes, sweeping the dining hall, and making sack lunches.  We've already had conversations about a rabbit, dead animals, and being unable to speak English.  On Wensday night we even got to go to the water slide which was fun to do again.

Yesterday afternoon the rest of the staff arrived, and we did an introduction to camp and campfires with everyone.  Today was SH history, mission, gospel essentials and why we do what we do.  All of that was is the aud, which meant we sat still most of the day.  We'll be sitting still tomorrow too.

I will get back on in the near future to write another post about the things that I've realized since I returned to SH, but for now I need to go get ready for campfire with TST.  I'm sure I'll have more to include in that post once I get the chance to sit down and think about writing it.

Hopefully everyone's lives are treating them well and everyone reading this has a good several days!

Life Continues

Life goes on, even when it seems like things have stopped.

For the past four plus months (since January 4), I worked at Camp Pillsbury.  I regularly would get up at 6:30 to make breakfast on school days for campers and staff, and would be up until 9 or 10 pm.  Then, at the beginning of May, I made a decision that would change so much.

I decided to put in my resignation, and leave Pillsbury on Memorial day weekend to move back to Michigan and spend the summer working at SpringHill.

I don't know what's next for me after this summer.

All I know is that I am back in Midland through June 9, when I'll head off to SpringHill.

Back at it

It's been almost a month since I posted here.  If you've ever worked at a boarding school or camp, you'll understand the chaos of how many hours you work in a single day chasing kids down, helping with homework, doing facility upkeep, and just trying to keep your sanity.

There have been moments where I've wondered what I got myself into, especially in the past two weeks.  There have defiantly been days when I felt like I was running around with my head cut off, and days when things were going well.

In the last week or so, I've come to the realization that I don't want kids in the near future.  Right now, I just want to enjoy being single, and the whole dating thing (WHEN IT HAPPENS, which it isn't happening just yet).  I may be learning a lot about children and different things that sometimes work and sometimes don't, but I'm sure that if I ever become a parent, I'll make my fair share of mistakes.

Lessons Learned at Camp

When you work at a summer camp, you learn a lot about yourself and others.  I thought I'd share some of what I've learned since arriving at Pillsbury in this post.

• Once one begins to appreciate the small things, it's easier to appreciate life in general.
• Working with kids can wear one out physically and mentally.
• There are moments when a kid starts to cry and you just don't want to deal with crying kid(s), but you do only to see a smile that brightens your day just a little.
• Some days, when it's peaceful on camp, you love the time to be quiet and be alone.  On other peaceful days at camp, you actually miss the chaos of kids everywhere.
• Sometimes a kid tries to throw you a ball, and it hits you in the face, and a week later the same kid gets whacked in the face by a ball.  Having experienced getting hit in the face with a ball then allows you to understand how the kid feels when it happens to them.
• Sometimes the kids are the reason you get through those rough days where you're worn out and all you want to do is sleep.  They smile, laugh, tell jokes, and are often better at being themselves without censoring what they think, feel and say than we as adults are.  Maybe as adults, we need to learn how to be child-like, and be the person that doesn't hide their rough edges.

Life

I've been finding myself spending a little less time in the kitchen cooking lately.  We have a new here staff member who started here at Pillsbury in mid-February and who has been sharing the cooking duties with me.  This is nice for both of us since neither one has to do all of the cooking.

We've also developed a schedule of who has which day off, who is with the after school kids, who does homework with boarders, and who needs to work on cleaning what.  As a group, we all have been working on the information about different areas of camp that will be put together into the policies and procedures.

Today it actually got up to 61 degrees here, which was great especially since it was my day off.  I spent some time outside with a book reading, which felt great.  It was nice to have that time to get away and be alone while also knowing that everything else was being taken care of.

I'm glad to know that I'll have every Tuesday off until the summer begins, when my schedule will be more scrambled.

Pillsbury Updates

Life here at Camp Pillsbury has been a bit chaotic at times since my last post here.  Between getting the owner to and from the airport as she goes on the various work trips, getting another member of the staff to the airport for a recruiting trip, painting, cleaning, cooking, and doing after school activities with the after school kids.

The thing that I've loved about this job is the time spent with the kids.  Of course, I've also enjoyed my time in the kitchen cooking for the staff and kids.  It is thanks to my time in the kitchen that I have some time to myself.  I've also enjoyed the time spent in the kitchen while the Mindful Fork people are there cooking.  Not only are they friendly, but don't mind if I come in to see what they're making and get ideas from them.

Of course there are days that a bit rough, but that's to be expected with a new camp that is in it's first year.

Looking back

Today, as I helped a boarder with their religion homework, I thought back to my time at Spring Hill this past summer and remembered the times when campers would ask questions of myself and fellow staff members.

Being here at Camp Pillsbury, I can't force religion on anyone.  But, being able to share with a kid who is struggling with their religion homework, and explain what they are reading about in a way that the kid understands it, could make all the difference in their life.

I still remember realizing that, at camp, the smallest things make the biggest difference with so many people.  That's what I've continued to tell myself when one of the boarders is having a rough day.  I keep reminding myself that, if I keep giving of myself, then the kids I work with will be able to look back at the time spent with me as a time that they had fun, learned, and as a time in their lives that means a lot to them.

And that's part of what keeps me going on my longest days when all I really want to do is curl up in bed and sleep.  Those are the days that I remember to grin, laugh, and do things with the kids that will benefit them, but will also help them to also have fun.

Looking back at it, my time at Wisconsin Badger Camp and at Spring Hill were both experiences that I enjoyed, but also experiences that informs the way that I handle many of the situations I deal with on a regular basis here.

Camp Food--Corn tortillas

Recently on a trip to Walmart, I cam across corn flour,which was an awesome find since we have a staff member who is gluten free.  The next night, I tried making corn tortillas.  The may have ended up a bit thick, but they were edible, and quite tasty.  Here are the photos from bag to dough, to frying.

Snow

The view from my window as it snowed out recently.  It was quite a cook sight to see if gently fall from the sky to the ground,especially as I planned the meals for the next two months.

A little later, I ventured out to get ready for our after school kids arrival.  The snow was still falling, and as I walked, I had fun kicking snow into the air, and watching this fluffy white stuff fall.

Camp Food-Potatoes

Recently I made potato wedges as part of dinner.  Here's the process (just add oil, salt and pepper):

Post Spring Hill

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudging, and it will be given to you."  James 1:5

I've never had all of the answers to the questions I've asked myself and others.  Yet this past summer and more recently I've realized that there are so many times when I don't need to know the full answer, but just part of it.

This past summer, as I worked at Spring Hill, there were times when I didn't have all the answers even though I really wanted all the answers.

That last weekend on camp was one of the roughest couple days I had had in a long time.  For once those were rough days, not because of something I had said or done, but because I didn't have or know the answers to the questions I was asking.  At the beginning of the summer, I was beginning to spend time wondering and asking when that first "romantic" relationship would happen.  By the last weekend at camp, I was asking what was next for me when it came to a job, when I would finally gain independence, and why it was taking me so long to figure out where I belonged.

Early in the summer, one of the campers wrote something on my paper plate award about having wisdom, which is part of why I put the quote from James as a part of this post.

Looking back at that paper plate award and the week leading up to it, I realized that throughout that week, God was working through me without me even realizing it.

There were other weeks that I found myself frequently asking God for the knowledge of how to help a camper, or what to say to a camper.  I frequently found myself giving of myself whenever I could.

I still remember sitting at a campfire pit that last Saturday night at camp, praying, and trying to understand what was next.  I still remember not getting a response from God that was obvious until a doe and her two children walked past me.  Those deer stopped for a moment to check me out, and continued walking along their way.  I still remember realizing in that moment that God was trying to tell me to be at peace with where I was in life at that moment.

That same day, a co-worker had told me that sometimes God remains silent so that we take the first step before he starts working in our lives.

Since starting work here at Camp Pillsbury, I've discovered that I don't always have the answers, even when the kids I work with really want them.  Sometimes the kids do try pushing my buttons, as well as my co-workers just to see how far we'll let them go.  On Friday afternoon several of the kids tried pushing my buttons, and learned that not only do I have a Mom voice and won't let them get away with certain things.  One of the kids even asked me why I smile and laugh so much.  It's harder than you'd expect to explain that smiling and laughing is a good way to remind yourself that even when you do have to be serious about certain things,that it's also okay to have fun.

Every few days I find myself stopping for a moment, looking up, then carrying on with dealing with a situation where I do need wisdom from God to get a kid to react to a situation in a positive way or do what they are supposed to do.

Summer Camp food

When you work in a camp kitchen, you're bound to find a food that you just can't stomach, that you won't eat for months after working at summer camp, or you might just discover a whole new combination that you love.

At Wisconsin Badger camp, I realized that I really do enjoy milk in moderation.  I also discovered that I'm not a fan of oatmeal.

At Spring Hill, I came to see scrambled eggs in a whole new way, and knew which meals meant that I would be having a rather large salad instead of the hot offering.

During my first week here I ventured into inventing my own stir fry for dinner one night.  The kids like the homemade chicken noodle soup better.

Camp food--Chicken Cornbread Pie

I am now expanding what I'll be blogging about here to include the food that we eat, and this will be the first "official" installment.

We did Chicken Cornbread Pie recently for dinner along with leftover mac and cheese, and leftover shepherds pie.  Here are the photos of the cornbread pie.

Thoughts from a laundromat

Written on 1/24/15

Today I took a boarders  cloths to the laundromat so that I could wash them.  My co-workers were back at camp, cleaning the girls dorms as i sat there, waiting for the laundry to be washed and dried.  In a way I was glad to be away--to be around civilization--for a time.  Yet I wondered if there was more to life than cleaning dorms, cleaning laundry, cooking meals, and doing activities with kids.  That's when I remembered that I would much rather be doing this than flipping burgers at a fast food place.

As I sat there, waiting at the laundromat, I knew that the variety of things I do on a daily basis combined with the routine is part of why I like what I do.  I don't just paint, just wash cloths, just cook, just do activities with kids.  I get to do it all.  And I know exactly what's coming net.

Last night one of the girls decided that she wanted to do cooking while one of the boys wanted to do improv games.  We had planned on doing both so that the kids could choose which one they wanted to do.  As it turned out, the time I spent doing cooking was a great chance to talk with the kids, and to create something that they will hopefully remember when they get older.

Camp food

Pork Chops--not the kids favorite, but they did get eaten.

Homemade chicken noodle soup--this is one of the favorites thus far. I keep getting asked when I'm making more chicken noodle soup.  I even used the gluten free noodles!

Hamburgers and cheeseburgers--not only tasty, but also gluten free!

Shepard's pie--obviously it was eaten.  Onions, ground beef, potatoes, and tomatoes.  Next time I think I'll attempt making meatloaf to see how kids like that.  After all, they didn't mind this meal too much.

On cold winter days, as I walk from one place to the next, looking up at views like this remind me of how much I appreciate the spring, summer, and fall, and the colors that those seasons bring.

There are mornings when I wake up and look out my window to see this.  The picture doesn't do the view of that sunrise justice.

On other days, when it is sunny and I can see the blue sky, a view like this is also quite the sight.  Seeing that blue sky is a reminder of the perfect days of spring and summer.

I ventured out earlier in the week to play the piano, make a snack, and help with a tour for a new perspective boarder.  We had just had a dusting of snow the night before, so the snow looked fresh, even if it did crunch under ones feet a bit.

I don't venture off of camp very often.  But when I do it is usually with other staff and/or campers.  We'll be getting another staff member in under a month, so at that point we'll get a lot more done in less time, and will have an easier time scheduling time off for everyone.  At that point I'll likely venture off camp during my time off to go to the local library which is about three block away.

I've already found the local family dollar, the Walmart, the Target, the library, the fairgrounds, and the Salvation Army.  I'm sure that the longer that I'm here, the better chance there is that I will find myself knowing where to go to find things that I might need.  The nice thing is that I don't have to worry about grocery shopping, so when I do venture out to find something it'll be necessities or to spend some time hanging out with co-workers.

This past week the weather has been really nice.  It's been in the twenties most of the time, and last weekend we even got up into the upper thirties.

More to come later!

What Camp Counselors Make

If you've ever thought that the camp counselors had it made, think again.

Camp counselors make sure they know as much as they possibly can about the kids that they care for.  They don't want these kids to be homesick, worry, feel un-wanted or worthless.  They want to know what the kids they work like and don't like.  They remember these things so that the can make a group of kids time at camp the best days of their young lives.

Whenever I had a camper who was homesick, worried, or just needed a positive role model in their life, I knew something about them that I could use to help them grow  and to see that things might be tough at times and that they could come out of the situation a stronger and better person.  There was one camper from my time at Spring Hill who I was able to create a connection with.  It was thanks to that connection that we made early in their two weeks at camp that allowed to this camper know that they could pull me aside at anytime to talk.  There were several times when we had one on one, and that they like having me there to listen and give advice was helpful.

Camp counselors make sure that the parents of the kids they care for know that their kids will be just fine. Never doubt the ability of your child's camp counselor.

During my time at Wisconsin Badger Camp, I had to pay a lot of attention to what caregivers were telling me about my campers because these were campers with disabilities.  I knew that the more information I got from the caregivers about my campers, the easier it would be when I found the campers needed someone who had an understanding of their situation.

Camp Counselors are always learning new things, and making trying new things something that their campers want to do.

During my time at Spring Hill, I decided to start overcoming my fear of heights by going down the zip lines.  The kids I was working with those two weeks knew that I was (and still am) scared of heights.  So they were glad to see me trying new things.  Here at Camp Pillsbury, I've already learned how to use a paint roller (I had never used one in my life), how to remove acrylic paint from walls, and how to make stir fry without a recipe.  I'm certain that I'll learn even more the longer that I am here.

Camp counselors know how to solve problems with little to no supervision, and no one telling them how to do everything that they have to do on a daily basis.

At WBC, I spent much of my days making sure that my campers were dressed, clean, well fed, and having fun in their activities.  Nobody told me how to get my campers to shower.  I had to figure out how to get them in and out of the shower, to get their meds, to meals and activities, and to bed without much of any direction.

Camp counselors can and will handle just about anything you can throw at them.

At Spring Hill, we had a head lice infestation one week.  What did we, as the staff, do?  We did a lice check of all the staff and campers so that we could treat those who had lice.  During the summer of 2013, I managed to get with a stomach bug in the middle of our two week session...while I had campers.  Thankfully the staff rallied to come up with a plan so I could sleep for a couple hours.  The moment that I woke up from my nap, I knew that I wasn't 100%, but was feeling more like myself.  So, I went to dinner, and spent the rest of the night with my campers.  It didn't matter that I was sick.  What I mattered that night was making the campers feel special despite being sick.

Late afternoon photos

This is the view from my window, taken on a Sunday afternoon that I had off.  It was quite a nice day out, so coming back to my room after a walk to see this was nice.  As you can probably tell, we had some rather warm weather (mid to upper thirties) the weekend I took this photo, so a lot of snow melted.  Last night we did get a little more snow, so you can't see the grass anymore.

This is the building called old main.  If you saw the pictures I posted earlier of the piano and the stained glass window--those are both in this building.  Eventually we'll have a wood shop set up in the basement of this building.

Long weekends and introversion

This weekend was a long one for the kids since they have today off.  This meant coming up with a variety of things for the kids to do.  When we did planning, it was decided that we would take one of the boarders who would be around the whole weekend rock climbing on Sunday.  We also took that boarder to Costco, Trader Joes, and the Salvation Army store on Saturday to get all of the grocery shopping for the rest of the month done, as well as let him pick something out with his disposable income.  Today, we took the kids that were here for the"School's out Camps in" program to the cities for lunch at Wendy's and to the I-max.

With all of this going on, none of us have had much of any time off, so we've all been taking small chunks (a few hours at a time) off so that nobody is on at all times.  I managed to get this afternoon (post I-max and lunch) off until it's time for me to go make dinner.  The moment we got back from the cities, I headed straight for my room to get ready for a few minutes before heading off for a walk.  I haven't spent much time off of camp, so it felt good to get away for a half an hour.  It also felt good to go for a walk in the sun, especially since it's in the high thirties here today.

The thing about being an introvert is that sometimes not having much time alone, or with only a couple of people is that you start to become worn out.  What I've discovered since arriving at Camp Pillsbury is that I've enjoyed the more one on one time with the boarders/campers, and that I've also enjoyed the fact that I work with three people.  This has allowed me to get to know the people I work with.  At one point last week, we had a staff meeting where the three of the four of us that have worked at camps for years made the same noise at the same moment  because we all had very specific and similar memories of moments that had happened at the camps we each had worked at pop into our heads at the same moment.  One of the things that I've discovered is that, while the after school kids are around, I spend a lot of time with three of them, and most of that is one on one or with two of them.  I'm hoping that that more individual attention from me with those three after school kids gives them a chance to get to know me, see that I care about them, and know that they can come to me any time that they need to talk.

This afternoon, as we were driving back from the cities, it hit me that my battery was on low, and that I HAD to take my time off this afternoon so that I could recharge.  The good thing about taking that walk once we got back, and now just hanging out in my room, is that I now am feeling like once I reconnect with the kids and the staff at dinner, I'll have a lot more energy to do things with the kids.

We're hoping to work on scheduling who has what day off each week in the next week or so that we aren't figuring out who has what time off at the last minute.  Once that happens, it will be so much easier to plan "Erin" time.

Questions that challenge

During the course of the last couple days one of the campers asked some questions that forced me to think, and had me talking about things I normally don't talk about.  The camper asked:

1.  Do you ever want kids?

2.  Are you married?

3.  Do you ever want to get married?

4.  Aren't you afraid of being alone?

The question about kids is something that I have thought about before, but never really had to explain to a kid.  It was hard to explain to the camper that the kids I work with here at Pillsbury are like my kids.  I love them and enjoy teaching them new things and helping them to grow.  It's hard to explain how much fun I have with them, how much I care about them, and that I also like having time when I don't have to worry or think about them.

The are you married question was much easier to handle.  Of course it brought up the whole dating and wanting to get married questions.  This was one of those moments that got me thinking about, if and when I do start dating, what qualities I'm looking for.  To explain that to a kids who hasn't entered the world of dating, marriage and how hard it is to just figure out what you're doing with your life is much harder than it seems.

The final question the camper asked was one I hadn't expected.  I wouldn't have ever thought about how to answer this one if the camper hadn't asked it.  As a child, most of us were afraid of the dark, of heights, of monsters under the bed, of being left behind, of not being loved or cared for, or of something else.  I can understand why some people might be scared of never being loved or cared for, or of being alone their whole life.  My answer to that final question was surprisingly simple.  I need my alone time.  I also get to spend most of my days working with people who I enjoy being around and working with.  I get to work with a group of kids who often surprise me, who enjoy the positive attention, who challenge me to push them to be better, and who remind me to smile and how to have fun.  It is because I have these kids and these co-workers that I'm not afraid of being alone.  I might start dating in two weeks, or it could be another twenty-six years, but as long as there are people around me who will care about me, and who I can care about, that is what matters.

Photos

I do get to play this somewhat regularly.  I'll be glad to play a little more often leading up to this summer!

This is found in the building we call old main.

First week at Camp Pillsbury

I am now in my second week working and living here in Owatonna Minnesota and Camp Pillsbury.  There's so much to be done, and always will be stuff to do.

The first week was a blur of learning my way around camp, figuring out who is who, scraping walls in dorm rooms, and painting.  I also have been involved in dinner and breakfast each day.  I feel like I've been doing this for at least a month right now, but know that I haven't been doing it for that long.  Instead I now have confirmation that one day at a camp is equal to one week in the real world.

Here's the link to a photo from Camp Pillsbury's Facebook page of one of our boarders and the staff with the boarders snowmen.

https://www.facebook.com/camppillsbury/photos/pcb.346667672207351/346667315540720/?type=1

I hope to post more of whats been going on in a week or two.