Sutter's Fort!

Last Sunday we went to check out Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. It was quite educational and also fun to step back a couple hundred years in the past. Here are the pics of our afternoon.

Pictures so precious you may have to shield your eyes..........

Mt. Gilead Bible Camp 2009

Our family just got back from a great week at Mt. Gilead Bible Camp. Abby attended camp there for several summers beginning in 1985, then worked on staff several summers doing everything from cooking in the kitchen, to being on Program Staff to counseling campers. John also worked there in the Summer of '93 as a wrangler and yes, that is where we met! We were excited when we realized out that Jesse is old enough to attend Junior Camp out there this summer! However, we weren't sure how he'd do and the camp is not set up to handle special needs kids. Sooooo, the wheels in Abby's head started turning and she contacted the Program Director to ask if we could serve as Camp Deans for the week and help keep an eye on Jesse Bear. They said yes! And so we took the whole family out there for a week. Jesse attended as a camper, slept in a cabin and fully participated in the program and the rest of us had a lovely free vacation in the Redwoods!!!

The camp has changed A LOT but in many ways is still the same. They no longer have a horse program but put in a Climbing Wall, Skate Park, BMX track and a Zipline! They had remodeled several of the facilities. But the majestical redwood trees are of course still there, encouraging one to look upward and consider our Creator. Even with all the activities we all were able to reconnect with God and ponder our relationships with Him. Mt. Gilead is a special place where you can get away from day-to-day troubles and draw near to God.

Jesse did very, very well. I don't have too many pictures of him because we tried to stay as far away as possible and let him get the full "camp experience" as if his parents weren't there too. His counselor was terrific and we would touch base with him from time to time but basically Jesse did just fine.

Joshua took a couple of days to figure out his place. He wasn't a camper but could participate in some of the activities. He had a hard time at first being there but not being a full camper. By Wednesday he had buddied up to a couple of the counselors who let him tag along to all the activities and except for sleeping in the room with us he WAS full camper!!! He's even in the camp video...twice!

Alita also took a couple of days to adjust but she soon got used to the routine. She got to swim everyday in a huge pool and play on the new playground! Also, the Program Director had 4 kids out there and one was a little girl who was 3 years old. She and Alita became buddies and played together often. It was hard running after Al and trying to help out the camp but worth it. Alita slept very well of course! It was good for her to get so much exercise and fresh air! She took 3 hours naps after lunch every day and slept from 8pm-8am each night. Gee....how can we get her that much exercise on a regular basis????

John and Abby enjoyed being Deans (sort of). It took a couple of days to figure out what we were supposed to be doing. John spent every afternoon with the boy campers who were testing the boundaries and breaking some of the minor rules. He took them around the camp and had them pick up trash as penance for their crimes. Abby delt with homesickness and other "mommy" stuff. One day she "cured" a camper who had a stomach ache by having him drink a glass of water. Poof! He was healed! Proving that kid cannot live on fruit punch alone.........

While we were there a group called "Kaleb's Kids" gathered on Wednesday morning. Kaleb's Kids are Senior Citizens who meet monthly at Mt. Gilead for a Chapel program and lunch. Many of the Kaleb's Kids are strong Prayer Warriors and financial supporters of Mt. G. Abby was asked by the Camp Director to give her Mt. Gilead "testimony" to the group at their Chapel Service. It was a privilege to speak about a place that is so dear to her heart and let these supporters know how deeply Mt. Gilead has effected her life. She joined their Chapel Service and sang beautiful old hymns before speaking for about 20 minutes.

All in all we had a BLAST! And we were renewed in our faith and in our relationships with each other. It was a worthwhile (and inexpensive) vacation. Next year, if we send Jesse to camp there again we might ask for some work projects to volunteer on so we can stay out there instead of Deaning though...............

Below you will find several pictures that highlight our experience. Also, I posted some pics from the day before we started Camp at Goat Rock Beach. It was awesome to spend time at the ocean!!!! Enjoy!

Mt. Gilead Part 2

Jesse in Chapel giving the "thumbs up" to the speaker.

Like I said above, I didn't get too many photos of Jesse but here is a great one! He got a bit muddy when one of the girl counselors poured a 5 gallon bucket of mud on a guy counselor as payback for throwing her in the pool. Jesse was caught in the crossfire and he wasn't very happy about it but mom and dad took pictures and snickered. By the way that's not a glare on his glasses, they are covered with mud! Aren't we awful!
Poor baby! Other kid's got some of the mud on them but Jesse got the worst of it! They gave him a whopping 3,000 points for his team the Danger Birds for being such a good sport though! He looks sad here but he bragged about it later.
Jesse during workbook time after Chapel
Jesse waiting to go on the Slip-n-Slide
Jesse on the Slip-n-Slide, look in the middle of the picture....

Mt. Gilead Part 3

Joshua worshiping in Chapel. It's so precious to watch one of our kids raising their hands to praise the Lord!

Josh in front of our room in Pepperwood Lodge
Each night John and Abby had to go up into the kids cabin areas and enforce "Lights Out" and comfort homesick campers. During this time Josh would stay with Alita in our room and keep her safe and happy. Aren't they cute?
He's such a good big brother!!!
Joshua got to help the staff set up the enormous Slip-n-Slide! He helped stretch it out and then slide down it several times to help spread out the dishsoap that they put on it to make it more slippery. It was a "clean" job but somebody had to do it!
Josh with his brand new skateboard at the camp's Skate park!

Mt Gilead Part 4

Daddy combs Alita's hair in our cabin
Lita combs Daddy's beard
Running on the "slip and slide". She couldn't slide because she was wearing swim shoes with excellent traction!
Alita on the "ship" they used for a game called "toilet ball". If you look very closely there are several toilets on the ship, a red one, a blue one, etc...
Al got her share of camp owees. He caught the corner of her eye on a picnic bench and if you look closely you can see the red "goose egg" in the middle of her forehead from a pole she tripped into. If you could see her knees they are covered with scabs!
Daddy throws high!
Free falling in the Redwood forest
Gorgeous girl!

Mt Gilead Part 5- a few more random pics

This is my friend Shaylene King. Shaylene and I were on Program Staff at Mt. Gilead together in 1993. She was also my room mate that summer. She drove out to camp to see me while we were there! It was great to see her! Coincidentally she met her husband that summer too at camp, it was Mike King who was John's room mate that summer. Weird, eh? Also in this picture are her adorable kids Ethan and Jordan and the tall guy is her nephew Jonathan.

"Way fo' me Yosh!"

Mom and daughter in the Redwoods
Daddy and daughter in the redwoods!

Goat Rock Beach July 11, 2009

The Beach Part 2

We had so much fun in the sand and playing on the driftwood!

Armpit Farts

Our talented children! I love Alita's little "chicken wing", she thinks she's really doing what her brothers are doing. So cute and yet so uncouth.

Our Little Mermaid

Yep, Alita is learning how to swim. In this video you will see Josh let her go and she treads water and doggie paddles a little. The little swim vest she's wearing actually helps her learn to swim. It's called Safe-T-Seal and it's been worth every penny as you can see here! What she says at the end is "I swim mom!"

Swim, Swim, Swim, Swim!

Cub Scout Bridging Ceremony

Jesse and Joshua finished their first year in Cub Scouts! Here are pictures of Jesse bridging from Bear Scout to Webelo Scout and Josh from Tiger Scout to Wolf Scout.


First some of the Boy Scouts painted the boy's faces as part of the ceremony. Here they are painting Joshua's face. He is still wearing his Tiger hat and scarf.

After walking over a bridge, Josh was given his Wolf scarf and hat.

Here is the Boy Scout getting ready to paint Jesse's face. Gotta take the glasses off first!
John putting on Jesse's Weblo scarf and hat.
Here is Jesse with his Den leaders and the boys in his Den. We don't have a picture of Josh with his Den because Josh is his Den! Hopefully there will be more 2nd grade boys to join Joshua's Wolf Den next year!!!!