It's Been So Long and I Have So Much To Catch Up On...

If you know me and know me very well, you know that I'm a list maker. And the thing about list makers is they can't get out of order. Therefore, I haven't blogged in a very long time because in my mind I had things I wanted to blog about. But then time passed and I hadn't done it, so of course you guessed it, I didn't blog at all. Heaven forbid I get something out of order!!

So for anyone who might read this fix yourself a snack, a cold drink, kick your shoes off, get comfortable while I play catch up.

FIFTY IS NIFTY

My daughter, sister, son, friends and family all came together to surprise me for my 50Th birthday. I'm not sure how long the conspirators were in cahoots but surprise me they did. It was so much fun when we arrived at the park and realized that it was a party for me. They really out did themselves. They brought so many people together from my life. Old school friends, family, church friends and best friends. Every time I looked up there was someone else from my life. I can't tell you how rich I felt to have so many come to help me celebrate my half century mark. They had this great idea to make it a "50's" theme so they put me in this awfully attractive poodle skirt. They were kind enough to wear them too. Those pictures could come back to haunt all of us some day. All of us that is except my sweet Kendall and Gracie. That was about the cutest thing I have ever seen!!

Thank you to those who were in on the planning and those who just came to help me celebrate. Each one of you have a special place in my heart, have been an important part of my life in some way or another. I am truly blessed! And just FYI...I wouldn't go back in time if it were possible. I would say 50 is proving to be one of the best years of my life!

SUMMER CAMP

I have lost count of how many years I have gone to camp. But I'm certain that I have walked away changed every time. The last few years Harriet and I have played the role of the "scripture memory ladies". At first it didn't seem such a big deal. We just tried to teach the kids a verse each day then play some type of relay game where they tried to repeat the verse, get a piece of candy then go on about their day. It was really just a cool break for the kids in a hot afternoon. Most probably would have rather been at the lake or the pool. So a couple of years ago we began to revamp the concept. Instead of teaching a verse everyday that they can't remember a week later, we have begun to teach one verse all week, the camp verse. We try to really break it down, what it means, and how we can apply it to our lives. We try to find some fun applications to go along with each days teaching.

Last year the camp theme was Super Sticky. So we really worked over time to come up with as many sticky situations as we could, The best among them was the kids getting to "bake" a cake on their counselor's head. The kids loved it and the counselors for the most part didn't mind. Everything came together as only God can do. It was great how each day built upon the next and the kids were really getting it and enjoying scripture memory. We were so excited, it was a great year. Everything just clicked. After camp we would run into people from other churches that had come to camp and they would say, "Oh there is the Super Sticky ladies. We just loved it. The kids got so much out of it." Man what a great feeling to be a part of that. And to be honest, an ego booster. OOPS!

Cindy came to us with the theme and camp verse for this year. She also dropped the bomb that we had a record number of kids and we would either have to split up or bring on another team. Our theme was Brain Wash and our verse was Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." WOW! What to do? The pressure was on. As always we spend time praying for direction, wisdom, ideas. But nothing was coming. NOTHING! Jump in ego...I told Harriet, we should have retired last year, gone out on top. There is no way we can compete with last year much less surpass it. We are going to fail. All the strides we had made to make scripture memory fun would be lost.

Boy was I a conformist...bigger, better, best! I was a mess. No way we could we do this.

We did add on another team because neither of us was willing to go it alone. If we were to fail, it would be much better in a group, you know misery loves company. Our group began to meet. We prayed together, shared ideas, talked about what we would want the kids to come away with. We had such different personalities, different perceptions, same goal, but oh so different. This was not calming my fears. Plans were forming, changing, reforming. We had some good ideas. Things I thought would be okay but...would it be great?

We like to give the kids something to take away. Sort of an anchor that reminds them what they have learned. We came up with these really cute rubber ducks. All ducks but yet dressed differently. Then came the concept of being a duck in a world of penguins. Okay, I like it! We're getting somewhere. We needed an acronym for DUCK. We worked and worked to try to be cute, innovative, inspiring. NOTHING! Oh that's not completely true. We would find something for 3 of the 4 letters but not all 4. We have ordered all these ducks and we have no saying. Okay, don't worry, it will come. Surely God will give it to us. Or maybe God didn't want us to use ducks? The questions just kept coming.

It came time to leave for camp. We had planned and planned. We had everything we needed. We weren't jumping for joy over our saying "Daily U Can Know" but it was good. We could make it work. To be honest, I was still a little worried about how all of it was going to come together. We had our first class and it went well. We set the tone for the week and started memorizing the verse. It was a good day. I was beginning to feel better about where we were going. I remember just asking God to remove me, my pride from the week and to work in ways I could never do. Well as usual He did it. By the time day 2 was over I was excited. I couldn't wait to see where He would take us the next day. The kids were coming up with great "Daily U Can Knows". They were asking questions, sometimes tough questions. They were thinking and God was working in their minds and hearts. We planned applications to use but God really supplied exactly what we needed. You can't plan those things to work like they did. He really brought it all together. By Thursday, I was so pumped about what the kids and I had learned. It was incredible. God, I want to be a duck in a world of penguins. I want people to know that even though I may look like them I am different. Because He makes me different. I have my duck on my desk and everyday I look at it and know these things...

Daily He forgives me; Daily He loves me in spite of myself; Daily He blesses me in so many ways; Daily I can show others His love; Daily He has a plan for me...and so on and so on and so on.

Thank you Lord for using children's camp to teach me new things about You!

FIRST EVER CAMP GIGI AND PEEPS

Randy and Ashley were going to their churches children's camp and asked us to watch Kendall for 3 whole days! It was really the first time since she was born that we had gotten to do that. We had watched her for short time spans, but she had never spent the night at our house without her parents. We had so much fun! We spent lots of time with Aunt Val and Gracie. I loved having the girls together. I think I wore them out trying to take pictures of them together. We got to see Grandma Dane, Mamaw and Papaw and some other family members, but not as much as we would have liked. We watched lots of Mickey Mouse club, swung in the swing outside, had fun seeing the birds with Peeps and feeding the fish. Boy three days can go by so fast! (I'm sure her mommy and daddy didn't think it went as I fast as I thought.) Here are a few pictures we took...

PLAYING ON THE BED

KISSIN' COUSINS

READING A BOOK TOGETHER It made me think about the future though and how fun it will be to do special things with the girls. I'm looking so forward to the days ahead and getting to have Camp Gigi & Peeps as a yearly event. I'm already thinking about things we can do when they get old enough. I hope we will get to make lots and lots of fun memories together.

I know I said at the beginning of this post that I was going to catch up but I think we all need a break. So go to the potty, stretch and maybe I'll finish up my list (only a couple more) in a day or two. Who knows maybe even this evening...haha