After we left Steamboat, we drove to Sky Ranch Horn Creek in southern Colorado! We drove from Steamboat a different way than usual, and we saw Mt. Elbert, the highest point in Colorado. It was a beautiful drive!
We had looked forward to this day since last November when we registered. With everything going on with CoVid, we didn't know if we would be able to go and talked with the kids about being thankful even
if camp were cancelled. Thankfully, it wasn't, and we were so grateful to be able to attend camp together!
The staff greeted us and helped us move into our cabin!
Our cabin was beautiful!
We began every morning after breakfast with family devotions. This was such a special time of Dave leading us through Scriptures and application for life.
After family devotions, we worshipped outside together. Singing "Sanctuary" while looking at God's amazing creation is one of my favorite memories of the week.
One morning, one of the worship leaders was teaching us the second verse of "Sanctuary," which wasn't printed in our song books. As we were echoing each line of the song in order to try and memorize it, I noticed Josiah was joining in.
"Lord, I know that I'm not worthy
Yet you love me just the same
So I'll go wherever you send me
Til the whole world knows Your name."
After repeating the last line, Josiah let out a hearty "Amen!"
playing carpetball in the gym
One afternoon, while Dave, Isaac, and Emma were at the shooting range, Josiah took a nap, and then we went to the tubing hill. Once was enough for him! All he wanted to do the rest of the afternoon was throw pinecones and sticks into this stream and watch them race down with the current. At first I wanted to go do something else but soon was reminded that it's not much longer my precious little boy will want to throw sticks and pinecones with me over and over. It was a really sweet time with Josiah!
Meanwhile, Dave, Isaac, and Emma were throwing tomahawks and shooting 22s, bow & arrow, and also a shotgun at the range. They all loved the range (even Emma, who asked for her own gun).
This is the Alpine Swing that we all did, except for Josiah, who was content to film us all!
After Emma had her last swing on the Alpine Slide, she started sobbing and said, "This has been the best vacation ever. The week has gone so fast."
Emma learned how to do the Alpine swing so well, and she was repeating all the commands to me. She put my helmet on me and said as she clasped it, "Look up at the sky! That's what they say!"
This is our counselor Rubia, who lives just a few miles from our house! She served us so well all week. She helped with our kids, prayed for us, and was such a kind encouragement. She joined us for family devotions each day, too. We loved getting to know her, and I cried when we said "good-bye" on Saturday. She was such a delightful part of our week!
We all had so much fun bowling at the Rec Center! Each time Josiah would roll his ball down the metal bars/guide, he would jump up and down and wave his arms until he saw how many pins he knocked down!
Meals in the dining hall were so fun and so delicious! We ate more dessert at camp than I think we have in months! I felt so spoiled not having to cook or clean up for an entire week!
The staff served us skillet cookies with ice cream and whipped cream for dessert one evening. It was so good Josiah was licking his plate! Ha!
On Thursday morning, we had to catch our own pancakes for breakfast! The staff tossed them, and we ran with our plates to catch them!
Dave and Isaac did a trail ride on Friday morning before lunch, and Josiah was able to take a short pony ride. Dave and Isaac also did the huge zip line! Emma didn't weigh enough to do it, but Dave told her if she only put some rocks in her pockets, she'd be fine. As a joke, she filled her pockets and then was slowly dumping them out as she walked up to the scale. Dave said everyone was laughing!
Isaac on the climbing wall at the rec center - he made it all the way to the top!
Dave and Isaac went to the rec center together late on Thursday evening and played racquetball and bowled together. It was special for them to have that time together!
I enjoyed waking up early each day, getting coffee from the dining hall, and walking around camp/nearby while the sun was coming up. I ran one morning, but running at 9200 feet is a lot different than running in Texas!
On Tuesday night, we had "Western Night" at the rec center. We ate the most delicious BBQ dinner under the trees and then square danced, and Josiah did a lot of free styling! Ha! He also danced with his teacher Hayley.
Wednesday is an optional "off-camp" day, and we went to Colorado Springs. When we got back to camp, the counselors watched all the kids, and the parents had a date night! We picked up a delicious packed picnic basket from the dining hall filled with fried chicken, potato salad, watermelon, and warm cookies.
On Thursday night, there was a camp talent show. Josiah and Isaac both recited poetry, and Emma played "It's a Small World" on a keyboard.
On Friday night, they had a family blessing night. Our counselors served us a delicious 3 course Italian meal. Dave wrote out Scriptures and blessings from Proverbs 3 for each of our kids and me and then read them and prayed for our family. It was such a beautiful memory and beautiful end to our week at family camp. We left so refreshed by time together and enjoying God's amazing creation together before we start a new school year, and we are already looking forward to next year!
