week 4, day 3

The weather was absolutely STUNNING today! It may have gotten close to 90 degrees but the humidity was way less. I'm sitting here watching the kids play on the playground - I could sit out here all evening. Oh my gosh - this is wonderful!


Today the wives went out to lunch. None of us has a job here. Just taking care of our husbands and kids. We went to a great little local place in Lexington and very much enjoyed non-camp food. Shawna and Liz didn't get to join us b/c of family things. We missed you guys!


Then we stopped for some ice cream at a local place that makes their own. Then, of course, we went to Walmart. What's a trip to town without that?


Grandma and Gary Pap came to visit for a few days. They got a lucky spot at the Adult Guest Lodge. We're so very glad that they came.


Shawna & Bethany each have a Francine Rivers book and have had their noses in books. Those are books that you can't put down.


A group viewing of the Hannah Montana movie.


Night 1 the electric was out for a couple of hours during club and dinner (the 2 biggest parts of the night!). At one point, electric was out all over camp. This generator wasn't working so the big enloader (or whatever that heavy piece of equipment is called) came to get it. Thankfully the power outage lasted just until the talk started. But the club room was over 90 degrees.


Ted singing the "oh my gosh" song that JB rewrote about Rockbridge.


This is Night Fury - the goat that is the sidekick of the bad guy at club everynight. You have to be here to know what that all means. Either way, the goat lives behind our house and the kids like to feed him a lot.


Cyndi and Tate put the basketball hoop back together. It's not looking so good today. I don't think it's going to make it.

So, there's a bike fairy at camp. It got Emma and Mary Berg new bikes after Emma crashed her bike and mangled it. 2 new bikes showed up at their doorstep a couple of days after the crash. So Ben thought he might try to capitalize on this . . .

Ben posted this note on the fridge (I'll write it for you in case you can't read it well):

Dear Bike Fairy,
I would love NCAA '11 for the XBox 360. It is $59.95 at the Walmart.
Thanks,
Anonymous
Rymes with Sven Gool and could be written BN2L


Low and behold, in our mailbox a couple of days later was the game and this note:

Dear BN2L,
He who did not spare his own son but gave him up for us all how will he not also, along with him graciously give us all things?
Love,
Bike Fairy

Ben's thank you to the bike fairy is on it's way to the fridge. . .


The kids on the back of the golf cart on the way to the 50's dinner. Mary & Emma dressed for dinner. Ted & Asher still dressed from ESPN lunch! That's way more fun.

Week 4 is well underway. This is our final week of high school campers. We remain healthy and safe and still having a great time!

week 3, day 6

We had a great Week 3. But it was HOT! Several days over 100 degrees. Today was much cooler and cloudy. We rested. We spent a lot of time in the pool or in the AC. But all-in-all, it was great. Here are some highlights and other typical scenes from our week. . .


We got Reuel & Asher WVU basketball jerseys. They got Ted an England soccer outfit. He LOVES it. They gave it to him on Day 4 to wear to ESPN lunch. Ted loved it so much that he decided not swim (on one of the 100 degree days) and wear the whole get up instead. So from 11:30am-1:00 pm, he wore the socks and everything and played basketball at the pool instead of swimming. Hello?!?!


Scott Berg (in the orange shirt) helped catch a rattlesnake one evening. They occasionally have ratttle snakes. This is the first since we've been here.


Day 3 it was way too hot to go to the rodeo. So we filled up the baby pool and waited for dinner to be delivered to us so we could . . .


have a picnic on the porch. This fun was interrupted by the snake shortly after this picture was taken.


John & Melonie came to visit John & Shawna. So fun having them here! This is the cart that John drives his outdoor crew around in. John gave them the grand tour of camp on this bad boy.


Sophie sitting in on the admin meeting.


Sophie plugging her ears at dinner when the big kids come in. She either does this or bangs on her plate with her silverware to add to the noise.


Lisa brought us gifts - sandwhich container things. We've been using them everyday at the pool. Thanks, Lisa!


Taking a break for hotdogs on Day 1.


Thanks for the help, Liz!


Do you remember these kind of roller skates? There's a pair in the toy closet here . . .


JB likes to use them for exercise.


These are several of the characters - Kyle & Lyle Begile and Winston & Winthrop Weatherby and Gary the Label Guy. Kirk & JB do the pairs of characters during the week, but Brooke & Tate dress up with them to wave goodbye to campers when they leave.


Brooke & Tate as Kyle & Lyle Begile.

We have one more week (6 days) of high school camp, a day off, and then 5 days of Capernum (special needs) camp. The Shaaks, Kings and Hannah's came to visit this week. It's always fun having people from home come visit and see what YL camp is really like. There's no way you can every explain it. It's one of those things you just have to see for yourself.

week 3, day 4

Uncle Andy & Aunt Courtney (Tourtey as Sophie calls her) came to visit for about 24 hours. It was so fun having them here.


Notice the tobogan that Ted is wearing. Uncle Andy bribed Ted with anything in the store if he would go down the slides. Ted took him up on the offer. He hasn't taken it off despite the 98 degree temps the past couple of days!


Ted at the top of the slide . . .


Unfortunately, they were the first ones on the slides and it wasn't very slick yet. So Ted ended up walking/pushing himself down a large portion of the slide both times that he went down. Either way, he liked it and wants to do it again.


Sophie and AC at the bottom watching the action.


Ted making the ascent to the top.


Walking to dinner. Sophie doesn't hold ends pretty much ever. So this was a rare moment.


Sitting in the gazebo. Ted was the conductor and everyone else was playing in the band.







We played in the pool all morning and Sophie even "jumped" off the diving board. We had a great time. Thanks for coming to visit and play!

week 3, day 3

Just so you know, I blog on Days 3 & 6 because those are my laundry nights and I'm waiting around for gobs of laundry!

So, today I bring you a day in the life of the Tuel's at camp.


Good morning!


Go wake the parent that's still in bed.


A little pre-breakfast with whatever kids are up.


At least start a movie.


Ted has a breakfast date with Adrienne Days 2, 3 & 4 to watch the morning run on. He loves it and looks so forward to it. Days 1 & 6 are brunch and Day 5 is sleep in day. People kind of make a big deal about Sophie. So I'm thankful for Adrienne making some special stuff for Ted.

Then it's pool time in between breakfast and lunch. It's been so very hot that it doesn't matter that it's early. The kids love the pool. Ted is a regular fish and Sophie jumps and jumps and jumps into the pool. By going to the pool before lunch we avoid most of the high school kids in the pool.

Ted playing with the bucket.


Sophie with her life jacket, ring and noodle (the noodle was in her possession until I took the picture of course.) She is not going under!


Then there's lunch. Some are inside, some are outside buffets. I prefer inside b/c Sophie doesn't eat when she's not strapped in.


Then it's NAPTIME! Glorious naptime! That's when I shower, read, do misc to-do things, have bible study with the other wives, go to the snack bar, etc. This is my time - my 2 hours of the day to do what I want. I love, love, love it!


After naps we play and hang until dinner.


Dinner! This was actually Sophie eating her breakfast cereal with a knife.

After dinner is more playing and then baths before Club.


The kids dancing at club with Cyndi Buda.


Sophie taking a moment of rest during club. Usually she is running, jumping, clapping and dancing too much and too fast to get a picture!


Then back to bed for the night.


In the evenings, the adults gather in the community area to eat, talk about the day and do a LOT of laughing. This picture is from Day 6 after the campers leave. That night, Brooke (our speaker) and Ben, JB, and Kirk (program team) eat and eat and eat as they've been on their toes all week and they can finally rest for a minute. Until campers come again the very next day!

So, that's the average day in the life of the Tuel's this month. If kids are not cranky (or me) it's a great day. And this is pretty much the routine that we follow daily. Sometimes we throw in the baby pool in the evenings, or crafts or walks, or the snack bar. But this is the general gist of things. We see Ben here and there. Not for many significant amounts of time. Thankfully we know that's temporary! Today is the half way point for us . . .