Two kids at Trout Creek Bible Camp

Kari and Joel both went to Trout Creek this year and were able to go the same week. It was Joel's first camp experience and Kari's second. Both were SO excited to go.  There were no tears for any of us when we said our good-byes. They were ready, and I guess I was, too! It helped that I knew neither of them were nervous or scared and that they both had friends with them.

It was strange without them here at home (and so quiet!), but we kept busy while they were gone. We wrote letters to Kari and Joel every morning so they'd have mail. We visited Great Grandpa and Grandma Andy on Monday and took a walk that night and visited some friends, had a birthday pool party for Grant with his little friends on Tuesday, went to the zoo on Wednesday, ventured to Skate World on Thursday, and then had a whole day at home Friday. We did some things that the older kids wouldn't have enjoyed as much, and we had a good time together. It took about a day for Aubrey and Grant to figure out what to do with themselves without their older brother and sister. Aubrey quickly took on the role of the oldest, and Grant allowed her to be in charge, for the most part. :)

The camp posts hundreds of photos on their Facebook page for parents to see throughout the week. It's fun to scour the photos for a glimpse of your kid(s) each day. Here are a few of the good ones that showed us they truly were having fun. They were in quite a few photos. The camp photographers do a great job!

Our reunion was sweet this morning. Both kids had a blast and loved their time at camp. They were happy and excited to tell us about it.  When I asked if they got homesick, Kari said she missed us on Monday because that night her friend was missing her parents, which made her think about us and miss us. Joel said he missed us on Thursday before he went to sleep but when he woke up the next morning, he forgot about us again. :) We asked lots of questions to hear as much as we could about their time at camp. I asked Joel if he liked his cabin, and he said, "Oh, yeah! It was really big!" I clarified that I meant, did he like the people in his cabin, and we all had a good laugh. :)  It's good to have our family together again.

Birthday

Grant went to birthday breakfast with Grandpa bright and early the morning of his real birthday. 

Later that afternoon Grant got to have his first "friend" party. We invited five little five-year-old boys over to swim at Grandpa and Grandma M.'s pool. The boys got along great and were so cute together! I did have to jump in and rescue one little guy who didn't want to wear his floatie and got in too deep, but thankfully, his mom was there to comfort him and make sure he was ok.  Other than that, the party went great! :) Grant was one happy birthday boy.

Grant's Birthday

Grant turned five years old this week. Can hardly believe it!  He thoroughly enjoyed his birthday and all the attention. He turned it into his birthday week and milked it for all it was worth, because he was "the birthday boy." The family gathered at the pool to celebrate early with him on Sunday since Kari and Joel were leaving for camp the next day and wouldn't be there on his real birthday. The weather was kinda odd that day, and it even sprinkled a little on us, but the kids swim whether it's hot or cool outside, and it was nice for the adults to be able to sit outside and not be too hot.

Exercise with Great-Great Grandma

When the younger three kids and I (Kari was at a youth group event) went to visit Great Grandma Carrie, she wasn't in her room, so we looked around until we found her downstairs at her exercise class, "Sit and Be Fit." Joel and Aubrey pulled up chairs and joined her, and Grandma loved it. Grant didn't want to do it with them, but he made up for it by giving her a big hug when we got up to her room to visit with her.