#138 & 139. I love closing programs and the staff song!

I love the first day, and I love the last day! Yesterday I told Ben, “I’m so excited about the parents’ program!” And he gave me a weird look and said, “Why are you excited??” I’m excited because I love seeing the chapel that full of people who care about what happened at camp this week. And I’m a big fan of camp videos. (I love them so much, they’ll have to become their own separate blog post!) And I also really love it when all the staff go up to the front to sing the staff song. There’s just something about everybody being up there together, in our matching t-shirts, singing our song – it’s very unifying. I always feel proud to be up there, and to be part of such an amazing group of staff working in such an amazing place!

#137. I love having my birthday at camp!

When I was a little kid, I hated having my birthday in the summer, because I wanted to be in school on my birthday. Birthday kids at school got lots of attention, and their birthdays were announced during the morning announcements, and all their little friends went to their birthday parties after school. Everybody was on vacation when it was my birthday, so my parties were very, very small. But now that I’m at camp, birthdays are much more exciting. And now that there’s a new rule that no one can get thrown into the lake on their birthday, everyone with a summer birthday can enjoy their special day that much more!

#136. I love camp family pictures!

On the mantel over the fireplace in the dining room, pictures of all the full time staff have been on display for as long as I can remember. When I was on summer staff, dreaming of being on full time staff, I used to imagine what kind of picture I would put up there! And in more recent years, I have often imagined what our family would look like as a family of four….So here’s our most recent camp family picture, as a family of four, headed for the mantel!

It has been a mixed bag as far as weather today. We torrents of rain in the morning, a beautiful, sunny afternoon and an amazing sunset.

#135. I love new camp T-shirts!

It’s always exciting when the new staff shirts get handed out and everybody gets to see them for the first time. Our designer, Garry Blatz, does such an amazing job!

#134. I love the first day the campers arrive!

I feel this rush every time the buses pull up! We’ve been here for 2 summers already, but I still always try to get to the parking lot to see the buses come in on the first day of camp. I love seeing how excited the kids are. I love it that the first day means a whole new week stretching out before us, and it’s just the beginning of all the fun!

#133. I love staff camp!

Today is the last day, and it seems to have gone really well. It’s always exciting to start things off with this time of training, and seeing everybody getting the chance to work together and prepare for the summer. It’s great to have only staff here, but yesterday as I walked into the chapel for a session, I felt really excited about seeing that building full of campers! Tomorrow should be a great day!

#132. I love the first day that the summer staff arrive!

Friday was such a great day. It just feels so right when the summer staff finally get here. It’s kind of what we wait for all year! There’s so much energy in the air, and it feels like now summer can really start.

Staff Training Camp is off to a good start. We anticipate the arrival of our first campers in four days, so we have a lot to do. Here are a few pictures of our staff getting to know each other.

#131. I love getting to know the spring staff, like…Jill! Jill is a very sweet girl. She is so gentle, kind, thoughtful and sensitive. One of the things I admire about her the most is her desire for purity and living her life in a way that is pleasing to God. She is not a flashy kind of person who will be the life of the party, but rather, the quiet, loyal, steady person who is always there when you need her, ready to listen and be supportive in any way that she can. She notices the little things, and is always checking up on people, making sure that they’re doing okay. Her joy, and love for others, is always shining through in her beautiful smile.

#130. I love getting to know the spring staff, like…Devon!

Devon is the kind of person that you notice because of his energy, his eagerness to help out, his willingness to get involved in…anything! At lunch a week ago, Ben asked Devon to help out with some archery equipment. Devon said, “Sure!” without the slightest hesitation. I think you could ask him to do almost anything, and he would say, “Sure!” He’s friendly, fun, and entertaining. One of my favorite Devon memories was watching him act out “skydiving” in Matt’s living room for a game we were playing at our last staff reunion. I would never have thought that it was possible to act that out so well – it was the highlight of my evening, along with Dave’s runway model impression.

#129. I love spring staff wind-ups!

And there’s one happening right now, as I write this, at Assiniboine Park. But I am home taking care of my little baby. (Feeling a little sad about missing it, but very happy about Baby, so we will be content, and look forward to next year!) The plan is to hang out at the park for the afternoon, watch the fireworks, and be back at camp tomorrow to get ready for summer staff arriving!! We’ll get some pictures from the wind-up on here soon!

#128. I love the view out my window. Very green. It sure beats looking at the houses across the street in Niverville…But Niverville has it’s charms, too!

#127. I love getting to know the spring staff, like…Dominik!

So when I first met Dom, I made the silly mistake of thinking that he was quiet and shy. Um, not at all! He is funny, great with kids, and seems to have boundless energy. He and Mark chase the kids around everywhere, causing more screaming (the playful kind!) than I have heard in a year. Every time Natasha sees him, you can hear her little voice saying, “Dom! Dom!” I think that all of the summer staff will have fun getting to know Dominik. We will soon all be shouting “Dom! Dom!” whenever we see him!

#126. I love how helpful and supportive everyone at camp is!

This is a picture of my beautiful, clean sink after Kelsey and Sadie washed all of my dishes for me. I had forgotten exactly how much work it is to have a new baby, and everyone has been so amazing with helping out – bringing my food over from the lodge when I can’t make it for a meal, playing with Anika, checking in to see how I’m doing. We really appreciate all of it!