First Youth Camp and First Sleepover

My boys had the opportunity to attend a youth camp this year. Camp Dove. What is so great about this camp is that it is for ages 7-12. I feel like that age group tends to get left out a lot and this camp was perfect.  No bigger kids hogging all the sports. All the preaching and services tended for their ages. So when I heard about it I was tickled to death that my boys had the opportunity to get to go. Amelia wasn't old enough and she wasn't too happy about it so I made lots of promises to keep her entertained. 

We spent several weeks getting them prepared to go. Which basically means I sat at a sewing machine for hours on end. 

Finally departure day had arrived. It was time for my babies to leave. Now I had told Maynard that I wouldn't cry. I was sure it wouldn't bother me. However, I was wrong. The night before as I was finishing packing it hit me. Especially when I was packing their medicine. I almost panicked. Titus sometimes has weird allergic reactions and asthma attacks. What if he needed me??  What if Josiah started running a fever??  I was wiping tears as I was writing directions about their medicines. 

Sunday morning they were planning on leaving by 9. I made sure to wear my sunglasses because I was losing it and I didn't want the kids to see me cry. Titus was already moping around and I could tell he was having second thoughts. 

It was go time. They all loaded up in the vans. 

Maynard giving last minute rules. 

There they go!!!!

I was going to miss them, but they were going with a great group and I knew I didn't need to worry. 

Amelia wanted to have a sleepover Sunday night with her besties. I agreed. I mean what was having 2 little girls over gonna hurt?  Except, the sleepover kinda grew. Amelia had another friend come to church that night and of course Amelia and her friends bragged about the sleepover. So she wanted to come. I agreed and then looked over to see her older sister sitting there whishfully so I had to invite her as well. Ha ha I ended up with 4 extra girls instead of 2, but it was a lot of fun. We stopped to get pizza to eat because that's what you eat at a sleepover apparently. 

I asked them after this picture why they were telling me they were 2. 

So that's why later they showed me they were 6. 

They sure liked the electronic gadgets. 

They insisted on having a pillow fight too but it didn't last very long. They realized it hurt. Especially the pillow pets that have eyeballs. 

This was the best picture I could get. 

They also asked popcorn because you eat popcorn at a sleepover. I'm telling ya. These girls must have been planning a sleepover for the longest time. 

I sent them to bed around 1:30. With them still being so little I knew they needed to rest or the next day wouldn't be any fun. 

Around 2 I heard the most awful crying you have ever heard. I went to check on them and they were all scared silly. They had been telling ghost stories and scared themselves silly.  Let me add that telling ghost stories is also what you do at sleepovers. They were crying and boo hooing. I asked them what stories they were telling. So as they began to repeat them I acted scared and jumped in bed with them. That made them laugh and they finally calmed down. 

While waiting on them to go to sleep I got sent this picture from camp. 

My boys were in a nice cool room and ready to go to sleep. This picture made me happy. 

It finally got quiet around 2:30 and they were finally asleep. 

The next morning around 9 this little beauty woke up and insisted on helping me make breakfast. 

We had French toast, bacon, and eggs. I soon realized that girls don't eat like boys do. That was new for me. 

After breakfast we went for an early morning swim. The girls had a blast. They didn't want to leave, but they were starving and we also had plans to go to the Party Palace. 

 

Lunch at McDobalds. 

This time the girls did eat good. Swimming always make you hungry. 

I also got sent this picture. 

The kiddos were up and at 'em for breakfast. I mentioned I didn't see Josiah in the picture. I assumed he was already at the head of the line, but was told he actually hadn't made it to the kitchen yet. Lol

First full day of Camp Dove was a blast. 

Ok back to the party palace. I hope this isn't confusing the way I'm writing this. Maybe I should have written 2 different posts. 

This was the only picture I took at the party palace. By then my friend Heather showed up with Dalton and we gabbed for hours while the kids played. 

That evening it was time to depart. All the kiddos went their separate ways and it was just Amelia and Maynard and I now. 

Then I got a call that my sister and her family was passing through. So we met up with them for supper. 2 of my nieces stayed all night with us. My house was a wreck from the slumber party. I was a bit embarrassed, but oh well. We stayed up a little late and talked about youth camps. I had got this text and couldn't help, but wipe the tears from my eyes. 

This literally made my heart so proud. That was why I had sent my boys to camp. I wanted them to get an experience from God they would never forget. 

Tuesday morning my sister got her girls and they left. Amelia and I decided to go have a donut date. 

We went back home and I got busy cleaning. My house needed lots of attention. Amelia happily played in her room most the day. 

Here are some more pictures I was sent from camp. 

Ummm...Do you all see that ginormous cinnamon roll?  Yum. My kids were eating better than I was that week. 

Josiah along with all girls, won a kickball game against an all boy team. 

They were loving Little Mary and all the skits. 

Titus was into all the sports. You can guarantee that. 

Wednesday was my last day with just Amelia and my boys were coming home that night. So we went swimming at a pool at a motel. 

We had so much playing together. 

Her last request was to get ice cream at Daddy O's after we finished swimming. So this was it. I had spoiled her rotten. She wasn't excited that her brothers were coming home. She asked me to text and ask if they could just stay one more night. Ha ha 

  

We went to church Wednesday night and waited for our babies to get home. They were scheduled to be there around 10 that night. 

Here are some more pictures I had gotten. 

My kids just loved this water slide they got to play on. 

They attended every choir practice and loved singing in the choir. 

Titus won first place in the soccer kick competition. 

Finally!  We seen the church vans pull in. The boys were so excited they were telling me stories all at once. They were just so bubbly. Bro Keith and Sis Tammy told us how well behaved they were and how proud they were of them for the way the prayed in the altars. One of my first questions was about Titus. I never really had seen him have an experience as far as worshipping and crying in the altars. They assured me that he did pray and worship. I was ecstatic. That's what I had hoped. He says he got saved back in April. I just never knew if he really did. He says he knows he's saved and wanted the Holyghost. I'm glad he experienced something at camp. I know just having all those kids there his age and him seeing them worship made him want to worship. 

I just wish I had seen it for myself. Ha ha 

We loaded all their stuff up and came home. It felt so good. Well to me and Maynard. Someone had an attitude. 

They told so many stories and Amelia had to brag about all she got to do. She ended up having to be sent to bed. Ha ha 

Josiah said he didn't have enough money, but he wanted to buy me a camp cookbook because their food was so good. So needless to say my cooking has been compared to Camp Dove more than once. 

Sunday night at church the group got to share testimonies and sing songs they had learned from camp. It was really sweet. I was proud of my boys. 

Josiah even read a bible verse. 

Titus melted my heart. The first thing he said was he was thankful his parents allowed him to go to camp. Seriously, the sweetest!!

I want to say a big Thank You to the Schooley's for taking such a big group to camp and taking such good care of them. I pray they'll get an extra jewel in their crown for all their labor. It's not easy work.