"Happy Campers"

This week my husband and 2 older kids were at "Junior Camp" at Living Springs in Festus, MO.  This was Andrew & Dan's fourth year to attend, and Anna's second.  They LOVE camp.  I'm glad.  Personally, I think I'd die if I had to go to camp ... no a/c in the cabins, activities all day long, huge bath houses with dank showers, bugs, sun burn, kids everywhere ... but the rest of my family thrives on "roughing it". 

Most of all I am thankful that there is a camp with a dedicated staff whose primary goal is to reach children with the Gospel and encourage them to grow in the Lord!

Sure, they have tons of games, activities, and I hear the food is even pretty good -

but they also learn Scripture, hear some good devotionals and sermons, and learn some character lessons.

They also encourage you to love the brethren ... and sisteren.   :)

 :)  I'm so thankful to have my big kiddos back!  Anna fell asleep on the couch about an hour after she got home ... and had a 3 hour nap!  It wore everyone out good.  And that's how camp is supposed to be, isn't it?
I'm thankful too that my husband is willing to go year after year.  He's great with the kids this age (kids finished with 3rd - 6th grades), and he has such a heart to reach them as well.  He's willing to give up his creature comforts for 5 days to go minister to these kids - and we had a good group go from our church this year (I think 15 kids went!!  10 girls and 5 boys).  Anna also had a good counselor - a girl who graduated from our Christian school this past year.

Miriam was pretty happy to see her family again!  Every morning this week, when she'd get up in the morning, she seemed to be scanning the living room for her siblings ... and they just weren't there.

She was getting kind of tired of me, I'm afraid.  In fact, at church on Wednesday, when I went to pick her up from the nursery staff, she took one look at me & cried ... kind of like, "OH NO, not this lady AGAIN." ;)

I also worked on her sleeping through the night finally on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

She had some "crying out" times to get through ...

but here we are on Saturday morning, 5:00 a.m. - I'm WIDE AWAKE (have been since 4:00!!) - but she is STILL sleeping.  I've heard her kind of fuss and toss some - but she hasn't screamed or really even cried much the two times she stirred in the night.  I am hopeful that soon she AND I will be sleeping through the night on a consistent basis!