Day Three

***I intended for this to be posted last night, but I decided I needed sleep more.  So here it is today, better late than never!! ***

I can't believe it's Wednesday already!  This week is flying by (and going so smoothly) and we are thrilled.  The Lord has been so great to give us picture perfect weather, day after day, which makes camp so much fun.  I love that the kids are enjoying being outside.  Every day we've had blue skies and sun, with a cool gentle breeze and NO humidity.  Does it get any better than that??  

Travis and I are little groggy today after Ava decided for the first time in months, not to sleep well last night.  It's been awhile since we've only had 6 hours of sleep, but we're making it :) I'm starting to think we are closer than ever to a tooth popping through those gums!  

  I'm not sure how to sum up our evening session tonight, but let me say that our chapel time together was as sweet as they get.  Our topic was on hard times and you could have heard a pin drop as two precious students shared their stories about each recently losing a parent to cancer.  One lost his dad and one lost his mom.  I'm pretty sure it took every ounce of restraint in me to not run up to that stage and hug them.  My maternal instincts were in overdrive.  Their real life testimonies and recent pain were so powerful to all of us listening.  We were taken by the realization that both of these boys have had to become men through their losses.  We are just praying that the Lord will continue to heal their hearts and show them how He wants to use them, if they are willing.  Tonight, they were willing and I know God did use them to touch many hearts.  To hear them speak in their own words about how they felt in the midst of their deepest hurt and how they knew God was right there with them in their pain, was a beautiful way to end the night.  The other students were so respectful of them and so attentive while they shared, we know this night was a night most will never forget.  It made me very teary eyed to wish and pray that Ava never knows the pain these boys do.  But, it would also be my greatest joy if she could trust and praise the Lord despite it and to have her walk away with a greater depth of faith as a result of the depth of great pain.  Our God is so faithful to all who call on His name, young and old.   What wonderful day this has been!

This morning during mail time, these two boys received some mail and their "job" to earn it was to sing happy birthday to Karis, who turns 5 on Friday.  She held out her little hands and they held them while they sang, it was so darling!  If you could have only seen the look on her face, she was so excited!!  A perk of being a youth Pastor's kid :) 

Now, this person shall remain nameless, although not pictureless :) He may or may not have forgot his contacts, contact solution, and his glasses when he came to camp.  And his poor Dad may or may not have had to drive all the way here and back to bring them to him.  

Jim and Sue, this one is for you!!

I know I've mentioned it a million times before, but I have lots of my cousins kids here at camp this week, which we love!  At any given moment, one of them is always at my side checking on Ava, who loves them and is beginning to recognize them.  What a lucky little girl she is to be so loved!!

Yes, that is her toe in her mouth.  It's currently her favorite past-time and what she wants to do all the time!!

Today we pulled the kids on tubes with a jet-ski.  It was so much fun for them, they loved it and had perfect weather!

Another great day at the lake!

Checking out the world from a new view!

Yep, life is good :) 

Ava and I love watching the students play in the water. Next year, I have a feeling we'll be in the water with them!

Oh what I would give to know what's going on in that head!!

Travis is embracing the 

"Bring your daughter to work" concept :) 

As you may have guessed, flour bomb day has officially arrived.  I don't what's more appealing for these kids, the fact that they get so messy or that we freely endorse them throwing things at each other??  I'm guessing the throwing has something to do with it :)

Every year when we do this game, it makes me think of those people who dress up and recreate the civil war battles :) All that flour floating through the air!  We create the bombs by filling knee-high nylons with scoops of flour, thus providing hours of endless fun!  It really is hilarious to see the cloud of flour explode, after someone has been hit.

Meanwhile, these two redheads were just laughing it up in the shade!  Ryan just LOVES Ava, which is so funny.  He calls her "little lady" and can barely keep his hands off her :) She definitely loves him right back!  Redheads stick together, right??

Oh yeah, you better believe he got in on the action.  He started on the sidelines, but it didn't take long for him to be targeted.  Even with the superman t-shirt.  Or maybe because of it!  

Can you tell he was just dying to get me covered too??

Yes, all of my dreams came true when I married a youth Pastor.  I don't know if any of my friend's husbands have ever come home from work covered in flour, but in my world, this is just another day in paradise!  

Yes Ava, that really is your Daddy and although he looks strange right now, you might as well get used to it.  You will grow up seeing lots of odd things because Daddy's job is certainly not dull!!