Camp Heritage

I went to camp as a child in Michigan & still have warm fuzzy memories of that long but short week away from home without my mom & with many strangers that became friends! I wanted my girls to experience that same feeling! Kayden decided this was her summer to give it a go!! There is a camp associated with our church that is about 1 hour away......but I decided to complicate things & drive her to Missouri which is only a 12 hour drive!! I have only good reasons for this: I have a friend that I went to nursing school with & we've kept in touch over the years......she was the camp nurse that week & her daughter is Kayden's age & they would be in the same cabin & Rachel would look out for my baby that week......it just seemed to put my mind at ease!! 2nd good reason for driving 12 hours to take my child to camp: we visit our friends in Missouri every summer for a long weekend.....so why not make it a week?! Plus I would then be VERY close to my child in the case she would need her mom!! Convincing daddy that this was a PERFECT scenario was a bit challenging but with lots of PLEASE DADDY PLLLLEEAAASE he caved! 

Our drive there was uneventful.....long since it was just the girls & I but I can't complain! We arrived a bit later than planned & so a majority of the kids were already checked in & swimming!

There was a bit of a mix up on the cabin she was suppose to be in which left me feeling very anxious & VERY TEARY!! 

In the end my WONDERFUL friend, Nurse Rachel came to the rescue & was able to get Kayden back into the cabin we were expecting her to be in! PHEW!

We made our way down to the water front area where she was to take a water test........I couldn't tell if she was excited or nervous......she forged ahead & turned Chatty Kathy on the girl who walked her down the hill!

......if you know me you know I am a Nervous Nelly with my kids & water & I also know this has rubbed off on them somewhat! She was very anxious about having to take a test but I just encouraged her & that Chatty Kathy-ness did not stop! 

.......she talked

& talked........

AND TALKED.......

.....till she passed that test with FLYING colors!! {insert me laughing!}

We hurried back up to her cabin to get her settled, make her bed, hang a few pictures & Bible verse before having to say good-bye!

By this point she seemed VERY ready for us to hit the road!!

She ran up ahead with the rest of her cabin friends & counselor while Emery & I made our way to the car......we were both feeling a bit sad but knew our week ahead was going to nothing short of a BLAST!!

Rachel was BEYOND awesome during my 1st EVER week away from my child & she assured us that no news was good news! She sent text's here & there to let me know that Kayd was having a blast!! As we were driving to camp for pick up I was telling my friend that I was sure she would NOT want to come home & was going to throw the biggest fit! I couldn't have been more wrong.....once she spotted me she wrapped her arms & legs around me & squeezed the life out of me! If we had been in the car I'm certain she would have cried....she missed us terribly. She had fun but at that point never wanted to go to camp again......only because she missed us so much!! We did find out from Rachel that she broke down at dinner right after we left & again another night at bedtime.....this is my strong girl that WILL NOT cry unless she just can't hold it in any longer!! My heart broke.....but I was thankful that this news was kept a secret until pick up time!!

Nurse Rachel

Her sweet counselor!

 Rachel's daughter & her little buddy Ila

 Oh the squeezing of every child that ensued upon pick-up.....

 So excited to have my girls back together!!

 Saying good-bye to Camp Heritage.......

 & besties! Bittersweet I tell you.....excited to be going home {& daddy was chomping at the bit to have us back....he did not have the best week without his girls!} yet extremely hard to say good-bye! I love these girls.....if you don't know them you should.....my cup was FULL by the end of that week!

 Camp Heritage Campers

 Camp Fig Campers {we KNOW we had WAY MORE FUN! ;) }

 It was equally hard for me to see these 2 have to say good-bye....2 peas in a pod in multiple ways! They are sisters at heart & love each other MUCH!

 THANK YOU RACHEL LASSEL & ALL THE STAFF AT CAMP HERITAGE for keeping my baby safe, leaving her with stories of Jesus, allowing her to have a blast of a week....but not too much so that she was excited to come back home!!! 

 & to my Fig/Crouch girls.....thanks for the week of even more bonding time & fun than I had ever expected! Love & miss you!!