Family Camp '09

Boy, did that week go by fast!


We just got home from family camp. It seemed like as soon as we unpacked, it was time to pack it all up again and head home. We love going there! This year was our 7th year. The first year we went, Mikey was a chubby, bouncy baby in a stroller. Now, he's a string bean, riding his two-wheeler all over camp, shooting the girls that went by.




It was wonderful to reunite with our friends and catch up on stories.


I think I've mentioned this before, but our family grew up with these girls....excuse me, "ladies." As a matter of fact, when we were little, my parents took us to family camp. We have such great memories of our childhood. Now, we're the moms, and our children are playing together.


Here is little Enzo, Mariano and Becky's baby. Hasn't he grown up so much? His mommy and daddy are speaking to him in English and Spanish, because they are headed to the mission field of Uruguay. It's amazing how much he knows already. The girls LOVED spending time with him. One afternoon, Emma took him for a little walk. I think she enjoyed pushing a real baby in a stroller, instead of her dollies.

We sat together at meal time, and every time, Mary came close to Enzo's highchair, he would lean over for a hug. -such a loveable little guy!



Mary and her friend were the "camp babysitters." They loved it....so did the moms!



Joel and I had the privilege of heading up the teen program at camp. These kids were 8, 9 and 10 years old when we first came to camp. Now, here they are...all grown up!


We really enjoyed our time with them. Joel went through some rough teenage years. He turned his back on God and thought he'd try life without Him. Those were some of the darkest and lonliest years of his life. Because of that, anytime he can use his testimony to bring glory to God, he is ready and willing. We're thankful that this ministry gave him the opportunity to share with these kids some of his struggles and give them hope from the Word of God.



For Matt, this week was more than just "a fun vacation." His dream became a reality...My little "pilot wanna-be" got to fly.

My friend's husband flew in one day to visit her, and offered to take Matt up in his plane. If only you could have seen his face! His eyes were twinkling. Every day, he flies planes on his computer, but this was the real deal!
He even let Matt fly the plane for a bit.


As Brent took off for home, Matt stood there in amazement and watched until the plane disappeared into the sky.


On our way back to camp, he said, "Mom, that was the happiest day of my life."


And now, onto my dare-devil...See this little girly-girl in the black and white dress?


Do NOT dare her to do anything! Emma decided to take a trip down the water slide. This isn't just any water slide. It's a crazy, "I think I'm gonna die" waterslide. Last year, I went down once and only once! When I was asked, "Are you going to go down again?" I said, "I would rather have five more children." -and I meant it! When you first get on the slide, it seems slow. Usually, you need to nudge yourself along to get going. THEN, you hit a steep part, and that's when you think you're gonna die. I took several short videos of Emma going down and giggled my head off. Here they are:

Sorry about my constant giggles, but I simply could not help myself. She went down that slide four times and it just got funnier each time.

We had a wonderful vacation! Dreams were fulfilled, fears were conquered, and lives were changed...you can't get much more action packed than that!