We headed for Branson Friday morning and got to the hotel about an hour before we had to leave to meet Andrew' family for dinner. The kids enjoyed jumping on the beds (it was allowed for just a little bit and then we stopped it) and just running around the room before we put them back in the car for the trip to Shell Knob. It took us about 45 minutes on winding roads to get there. I am thankful Miles and Bennett slept as I was afraid they may get car sick. We ate dinner with Andrew's parents, his Aunt Susan and Uncle Larry, great-Uncle John, and Matthew and Kristin and their kids. Miles and Bennett weren't the best behaved. They threw down almost everything we gave to them to eat and we know that they can be loud. They did have their good, quiet moments though. After dinner, we headed back to Branson and ended up meeting my parents and Molly (they came down for closing ceremonies too-they were as excited as us for him) for a little shopping at one of the outlet malls. They were open late for the tax-free weekend but it wasn't really that busy and it was a good way to keep the kids busy before we were cooped up in the hotel room. Ellie got a pair of earrings and Lincoln got a Batman shirt, so they were both pleased. After we got back to the room, it took a while for everyone to calm down. The older kids finally fell asleep, but Miles and Bennett kept talking for a while. Sometime after 11, I got up to make sure they had their pacis and realized that Bennett had pooped. So I found a diaper and the wipes by the light of my cell phone and changed him by the bathroom. I think we finally settled down and went to sleep close to midnight.
We woke up to a cloudy, rainy morning. I heard the thunder earlier in the morning but was praying it would go away. It did not and we had a soggy closing ceremony. Funny thing is my mom said they never had one like this all those years they picked kids up from kamp. We went ahead and went early thinking they wouldn't make us stand out in the rain, but they did. We all sat out there under our umbrellas. Thankfully it wasn't a downpour. When they finally let us in, they told us to just go to our kids' barns for barn awards. They usually do them at different spots outside around kamp, but with the rain we all tried to cram into the barns. Plus they had their delicious kamp koffee cake for us under a little tent. So our reunion with Jackson wasn't exactly what I thought it would be because I was holding one of the twins, an umbrella, and a plate of coffee cake. So I kind of nudged him to give him a hug :-). I think he was happy to see all of us though. Next up were barn awards. The counselors chose two character qualities for each kamper and also choose on the award ribbons for them. They gave Jackson the Leadership/Servant ribbon and his two character qualities were earnestness and obedience. This is what they had to say about Jackson, "Anyone who spends time around Jackson can see that he greatly desires to do what is right. He is a great listener and means what he says. Jackson does things with a servant heart. His discernment will serve him well in the future." I loved hearing that and hope that he can continue that attitude here at home :-).
After we finished barn awards we all met at what they call Barn 13 for the term awards. Barn 13 is where they have their K-Life nights and is also considered the girls gym because it has a spring floor and is used for gymnastics. They sang a song for us, we heard a few people talk, and then they had some awards. The twins were crawling all over me so I wasn't prepared when Jackson's name got announced as one of the Invisible Hero award recipients. They chose around 10 boys and 10 girls to give the award to and it was for kids that other counselors and leadership noticed making the right choices and helping others throughout kamp without thinking others were watching. They each received a bracelet with a nail on it that had Gal. 2:20 stamped on it which is, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Addi was one of the winners on the girls side which was awesome. Our neighborhood was representing :-).
After the term awards, it was time to get the rest of Jackson's stuff and head to the family reunion. It had finally quit raining at this point. Ellie wanted to go with Jackson back to his barn, so he said he would take care of her :-)
Thank goodness for my parents being there and helping us get some of Jackson's stuff and the kids out of there. We picked up a few more things at the kamp store, got Jackson's huge laundry bag, pillow and mattress pad and headed for the car. They already had their trunks up by the parking lot so we could just drive through and throw it in the back. Then we got to spend an hour with him talking about his favorite things at kamp. Most things I would ask him about, the zipline, the trapeze, the blob, etc., he would say, "Yeah, that was awesome!" He really had a great time and I don't think he really got home sick. He is saying that he just wants to go back for one week again next year instead of the two weeks he was saying before he left. I think he had some nice counselors and a good group of boys. Things were kind of hectic because of the rain so we didn't get to visit with many people. Jackson originally said he couldn't remember many of the names of the boys in his barn, but I just now had him look at his whole barn picture and he could name each one of them :-). I thought he would have to know them after spend a week with them.
We got to the family reunion in the middle of lunch, so we jumped right in and got some food. I don't know if they were just tired or tired of being in the car, but Miles and Bennett were grumpy again. It made it kind of hard for me to visit with people but Andrew got to. Towards the end of the reunion, they decided to add in a talent part and some people sang, danced, played instruments. Miles and Bennett were kind of done at this point so I was trying to entertain them. I gave Miles a sticker name tag and he tore it off his shirt, crumpled it up, and tried to throw it down but it stuck to his hand. He tried to do it around 5 times and he was getting made. I thought it was pretty funny. But after that was all over, we started the trek back home and got in that night. Then it was time to unpack. Jackson used every single item of clothing that was in his trunk except his jeans. I had outfits packed together in ziplock bags and I was so sad to find out he threw all the bags away. I was going to save them and use them again the next year. After a few days of thinking about it, I realized he came home without his shower stuff/toiletries, a pair of swim trunks, his devotional book, and a new shirt that we got for him when we dropped him off. I ended up emailing kamp and asked if anyone by chance found an extra shirt and book and they replied that they would get us one of each in the mail. It was sooo nice of them to do that and Jackson was thankful too. I didn't even bother with the swim trunks and shower stuff though.
So Monday was spent finishing unpacking and loads and loads of laundry. It was really nice having Jackson home with us and he helped me a little with getting his trunk organized to pack away. He was excited to see his room and even did a little rearranging. He moved all of his ribbons from the bulletin board to hang on his deer antlers above his bed :-). The nightstands for the boys' bedroom came in while we were gone so I worked on putting those together on Monday too along with hanging a few frames. Now we just need to put up the ceiling fan, get some curtains, put up the pictures (I ordered some new ones for Jackson and the boys' rooms), and get the closets built.
We also got Jackson and Ellie signed up for soccer this week and got Ellie's dance shoes in. She was excited to see her new tumbling shoes and can't wait to start her private gymnastic lessons next month. While she loved her tumbling shoes, Bennett liked her old tap shoes. Lincoln tried them on too.
Monday night we headed out to the ranch with Andrew to put out some mineral. Miles and Bennett kept calling the cows "doggie" so we will need to get that one figured out. The older ones enjoyed riding in the back of the truck for a bit while we rode through the pasture. After we were done with that, we stopped by to see Tom and Mary and let the kids play for a bit. Of course they went right for their snacks. Then Tuesday Jackson and Ellie got to have their "special days" together. They both wanted to do the same thing, El Vaquero and the Aquatic Center, so we just did it together. We dropped the younger three off at my parents and then met Andrew for lunch. Then we headed to the Aquatic Center. Ellie was so excited to finally be tall enough for the slide but then took forever to go down. Our friend, Danielle, was the lifeguard up there at the time and she tried to talk her down. I think it took Jackson relaying the message that she wouldn't be able to get anything from the concession stand if she didn't come for her to finally do it. Then she loved it. Molly was also lifeguarding and they liked her being there. It wasn't too busy and they enjoyed themselves. But then it was time to head home and relieve my mom and Lissy of babysitting duty.
Sara and her kids came into town Wednesday afternoon so we spent the next couple of days at my parents hanging out. They spent hours playing, swimming, having Ellie pull them all around in the wagon, stacking cups, watching a movie outside, and capping it off with a sleepover-a bunking party according to Brady. Lori Ann, her daughter-in-law, Leslie, and her two boys came over Friday for a little swimming. Leslie and Ethan moved into town earlier this summer and live just down the street from us in the subdivision next to us. I have been meaning all summer to make them some cookies and take them over to welcome them to town, but like a lot of things this summer, it never happened. Her two boys, Aven and Cohen, and such sweet boys.
We spent Friday afternoon at home. The twins napped, the older ones played outside with their friends, and I worked on stuff for our back-to-school dinner. Then Ellie got to go to Baring Lake with Gracie, Faith, and her family for the night. She was very excited to go-they all have been wanting to do this all summer. Andrew had a lot of work he was trying to finish up so he came home for a quick dinner and headed back to the office until later that night. Jackson, Lincoln, the twins and I picked up some Dairy Queen and then went to check out the teacher lists at Jackson and Ellie's school. Jackson has Mrs. Hanley and thinks he knows a couple kids in his class. Ellie, of course, has Lori Ann. I noticed a couple girls in her class that she knows from dance and baseball. After we got back from that, we played outside until dark and then it was time for baths and bed. I worked on getting started on cleaning the bathrooms while the kids were in the bath.
The older three went out to the ranch with Andrew Saturday morning while the twins stayed with me. I finished cleaning the bathrooms and cleaning around the house, decorated Jackson and Ellie's pencil boxes with vinyl, and worked on a few other things. The kids got home after lunch and were pretty tired, so they just watched tv for a bit and then headed outside to play. Then Andrew got home from the office, I worked outside for a bit, we had some dinner, and then just let the kids play outside the rest of the evening. Andrew and I talked a bit about building an outdoor fireplace. Our firepit broke at the beginning of summer and I hate to be without one this fall. Andrew has some brick left over from his office, so we may try to do an outdoor fireplace with it. He drew up a design for it that I like, now we just need to get a hold of someone about making it for us. I really do hope it happens.
And just a couple more pictures. The first one was last Thursday as I was getting things ready to head to Branson. Lincoln came in looking like this. Ellie painted him. Thankfully it was face paint and it scrubbed off fairly easy in the bath tub.
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