Camp Bighorn Day 17 7/6/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 17 7/6/2010

My Bighorn adventure continues. I had the day off so I spelt in until 9:00 am. I got up and dressed and got the mail out before heading to the lodge for breakfast. We all gathered in the lodge for pancakes. They were great. After breakfast I sorted and distributed the mail. I used my computer for a while to check e-mail and facebook. I answered some e-mails. Then I went back to my cabin to do my laundry. I went back to the office and worked on my computer while I waited for my laundry to finish. I listened to music on my ipod. I typed up my blog entry from the day before. When I finished my blog I switched my laundry from the washer to the drier. I listened to my ipod until lunchtime. We all gathered in the lodge to get some food. After lunch I finished up my laundry. I wanted to make sure all my clothes were clean before our camping trip. I went back to the office to check some things on my computer. When my clothes were all clean and folded I went back to my cabin to take a rest. It was nice to get some extra rest on a quiet day at camp. I woke up about 5:30 pm. I decided I wanted to go to Subway for dinner. I checked with Jen in the office to see if it was ok for me to leave camp for a while. I left camp around 6:00 pm. I listened to Adventures in Odyssey on my way into Plains. It was only half over when I got to Subway. So I listened to the rest of the show. Then I went in and got something to eat. I had a nice quiet meal. It was nice to get away from camp for a while. I headed back to camp at 7:15 pm. I got to listen to Ravi Zacharias on the way back to camp. That was really great. I got back to camp at 7:30 pm. I headed to the lodge to let people know I was back. I went outside and sat on the lodge steps and talked with Mindy and Beth for a while. We had a great talk. After we talked for a while I went up stairs in the lodge to watch a movie. Then I headed back to the office to call my parents. I had a good talk with both my mom and dad. When I got off the phones with them I headed to my cabin to get some sleep. I went to bad thinking about what was in store for us the next day. More on that later…

Camp Bighorn Day 16 7/5/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 16 7/5/2010

I am just beginning my third week here at Camp Bighorn. We did not have staff devotions in the morning so I slept in till 9:00 am. It was great to get some extra sleep. I got the mail out before heading to the lodge for breakfast. After breakfast we all gathered up stairs in the lodge for a meeting about the plan for the week. We don’t have any camps here this week, so all the staff is going on a mini wilderness adventure camping trip. We leave camp Wednesday morning and return on Friday evening. Everyone is excited about this trip. We will be hiking, rafting, biking, and camping out. After our meeting my team met up to talk about what everyone was going to be doing that day. I volunteered to be on the kitchen crew for dinner. It was a pretty quiet day around camp. I just relaxed most of the day because I was not committed to anything until dinner. Family groups five and six met up to talk about what we needed to do to get ready for the camping trip. After the meetings I came back to the office and waited for the mail to come. I forgot that there was not mail that day because it was the holiday. So I went and got the mail out of the mail box. I was in the office for a while in the morning. I worked at my computer and answered the phone. I got a blog entry typed up and posted. Jeremy, Sarah, and I met up for a bit to talk about the upcoming camping trip. They asked me if I was planning to go on the trip. I told them I was planning to go. I will be coming back early on Friday with one of the other girls on staff. After I met with Jeremy and Sarah I went to my cabin to rest before lunch. Then I headed to the lodge to get some food. After lunch I came back to the office for a while. I used my computer to check e-mail and facebook. I typed up my blog entry for the day before. I was in the office until about 5:00 pm. Then I went back to my cabin to rest until I needed to be in the lodge to help with dinner. I got up around 6:00 pm and headed to the lodge to help in the kitchen. I helped get some of the things ready for dinner. We had great Mexican food. We all met in the lodge to eat and reconnect with each other. It was fun to hear about what people had been up to all day. I went into the kitchen to help with the dishes, that was a fun but some what tiring job. The store was open after dinner. I missed it because I was in the kitchen putting away the dishes. When I finished in the kitchen I got a soda out of my truck. I got some ice for it out of the kitchen. It was a nice treat after working in the kitchen. After dinner we gathered upstairs in the lodge to watch the movie “Cool Runnings.” I had not seen this movie in a long time. It was fun to watch with everyone. After the movie we talked about some of the lessons we learned from the film. When we finished I went to my cabin to get my phone card, then went to the office to call my parents. When I came in Jeremy told me that my mom called a little while ago. I called her back. We had a nice talk. I was really missing my family while we were talking. While we talked my mom helped me to calm down a bit. I told her I am still struggling with getting adjusted to life at camp because it’s so different around here. I don’t really know people here like I used to. That makes the adjustment harder than I thought it would be. My mom is proud of me for working at camp even though it is hard at times. I also talked with my dad for a while. We had a good talk. It was nice to talk to both my mom and dad. They are having a good time on their trip in Colorado. When I got off the phone with them I headed to my cabin to get some sleep. I prayed and went to sleep thinking about what was in store for the next day. More on that later…

Camp Bighorn Day 15 7/4/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 15 7/4/2010

The Adventure continues. I slept in till 8:00 am. Then I got up and got cleaned up and ready for the day. Once I was ready for the day I headed over to the lodge for breakfast. We had a chapel service at around 10:00 am. We had a great time of praise and worship. Tom Collins was the speaker for the morning chapel service. His message was about how to be good stewards of the things God has given us. He also talked a lot about the mission and vision of Camp Bighorn. It was a great service. After chapel we all went do to the river. One of the guys here on summer staff was baptized in the river. That was really cool to see. It’s exciting to see how God works in peoples lives here at camp. When we got back to camp I came into the office for a bit. I went to my cabin to take a nap. I was really tired and my back was bothering me. I got up in time for lunch. It was fun to reconnect with people while we ate lunch. After lunch we got some things from the camp store together for a concession stand at the softball tournament that began at 3:00pm. We had a cooler full of soda and a cooler full of ice cream and candy. Both coolers were full of ice to keep everything cold. We got some pretty good business during the softball tournament. It was fun to watch the teams play and be part of the crowd watching them. The back ground music was really fun. After the tournament I came back to the office to type up what I was going to share at the open mike time after dinner. I talked about my memories of camp and I also read the message I got from my Dad. After I finished with that I walked around camp for a while. I talked with some people. Then it was time for dinner. We gathered in the lodge for some great barbecue. We had 25^th Anniversary cake for dessert. Julie made the cake, it was fabulous. Lots of people took pictures of the cake before it was cut. The cake was decorated with some Camp Bighorn pictures. It looked really great. After we all had cake it was time for the second sharing time. Everyone enjoyed hearing people’s stories and memories of Camp Bighorn. Part way through the sharing time I got up and read what I typed up to share with everyone. It was nice to be able to share some of my memories of camp. Several more people shared after me. It was a really great time. After the sharing time we waited around for the fireworks show to start at 10:30pm. I walked around and talked with some people. The store was open for a little while. I got a root beer from the store and went out to the field to watch the fireworks. The 4^th of July fireworks show was great. It lasted about 30 to 45 minutes. Everyone really enjoyed it. After the fireworks show I caught up with Jessica. She and her family were getting ready to head home. We said our goodbyes and got a picture together. After I said goodbye to Jessica I felt a little bit home sick. It was nice to have her here at camp this week. I headed to my cabin to go to bed. I fell asleep thinking about what was in store for us the next day. More on that later…

Camp Bighorn Day 14 7/3/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 14 7/3/2010

The next day of my Bighorn adventure began at 7:30 am with staff devotions. After devotions I headed back to my cabin to get cleaned up and ready for the day. I got the mail out before breakfast. We all gathered in the lodge for breakfast. It was a good time of talking with people and catching up what has been going on with them. After breakfast I came into the office. I wrote up my blog from the day before. I got the mail sorted and distributed. It was a quiet day in the office. The 25^th Anniversary Celebration for Camp Bighorn officially started. People were here to help celebrate this wonderful occasion. It was a fun day for everyone here. It was nice to just wander around and watch people. People were sitting around talking and playing games like soccer and Frisbee. Later that morning Jeremy asked me to restock some things in the store. I refilled the fridge with sodas. I broke down the cardboard containers and recycled them. I talked with a former summer staff person. His name is Levi. He was really nice and friendly. After we talked for a while I came back to the office to return the keys to the store. I walked around camp for a while doing some more people watching. Then it was time for lunch. We all gathered in the lodge to have something to eat. The store was open after lunch. I got a nice cold coca cola, some candy, and a water bottle. I went back to the lodge to drink my soda and eat my candy. I talked with some people for a while. We had a nice talk. One of them asked me if I would take a picture of their little group. I said I could do that, just let me know when you want me to take the picture. I finished my soda while they took care of some things. The one who asked me to take pictures, her name is Cindy. She asked me if I wanted to play carpet ball. I said I would like to play carpet ball with her. We played several games and just had a good time talking and catching up with each other while we played. When we finished playing I went to my cabin to take a rest. I got up in time for dinner. We gathered in the lodge for some food. The store was open again after dinner. I went to the store to get another cold soda. It tasted great. At around 8:00 pm people gathered in the lodge for an open mike time. People shared memories and stories about Camp Bighorn. It was fun to hear everyone’s stories and memories. Some of the stories were very entertaining and funny. It was fun to hear people talk about the early days of Camp Bighorn. After the sharing time my Dad called to get me the message he wanted me to share in the open mike time the next day. We had a good talk. It was good to talk with him for a while. When I got off the phone I went back to the lodge and caught up with Jessica. We had a good talk. It was nice to catch up with her for a while. Jessica is a friend I can talk to about anything. She is an amazing person. After we talked for a while I went back to the office to drop off my camera. I was headed to bed. However, I talked to Andrea Underhill for a while before that. We had a great talk. It was nice to talk with her and Luke for a while. We talked for awhile about some of the struggles I have been having with finding my place around camp. They listened and helped me to think through some things. They are very nice and understanding. After we talked I headed back to my cabin. It was after midnight when I got to bed. I went to sleep wondering what adventures were in store for us in the days a head. More on that later…

Camp Bighorn Day 13 7/2/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 13 7/2/2010

My summer adventure continues. The day began with devotions at 7:30 am. We all gathered in the lodge to go through the reading for the day in our devotional books. After that we met up in our family groups to talk about what we learned in devotions this week. We also talked about what God has been showing us and teaching us this week. It is always good to hear how God is at work in the lives of others. We had a short prayer time to conclude. After devotions I went back to my cabin and got cleaned up and ready for the day. I came back to the office and typed up my blog entry for the day before. I got the mail out to the mail box just before breakfast. Then I went to the lodge to get something to eat. After breakfast I came into the office and answered the phones for the morning. I wrote up an end of the week blog post for the camp website. I sorted and distributed the mail. I spent most of the morning in the office using my computer and answering the phone. I was nervous about covering the phones at first but now it’s not that bad. It’s kind of fun. Jeremy and Sarah were in a staff meeting until lunch. I almost missed lunch because I did not realize it was being served at 1:00pm not 2:00 pm. I was in the office covering the phones and using my computer until almost 2:00 pm. I then headed to the lodge and discovered that lunch was almost over. Fortunately there was still some food left. I ate really fast because I was so hungry. After lunch I came back to the office. Sarah and Andrea were talking about a banner they were making for the 25^th Anniversary celebration. They asked me if I wanted to help with it. They gathered all the supplies needed to make the banner. We taped the paper to the wall and they used an overhead projector to trace the words on the wall on the banner. I came back to the office for a while. The others did the tracing of the words on the banner. I joined them again a little later. The tracing was all done. It was time to paint the banner. I helped paint the banner till my back was getting a bit sore. When I finished painting I came back to the office. I used my computer and rested on the couch and answered phones. People began to arrive for the 25^th Anniversary Celebration. I caught up with some of them. It is fun talking with people who have a history with Camp Bighorn. The program for the end of day camp began at 5:30 pm. The campers have been learning gymnastics all week. So the first part of the program involved the kids participating in a gymnastics demonstration of what they learned at camp. It was fun watching the kids. After that was done everyone went up stairs in the lodge for a short chapel time. The kids reviewed what they learned in chapel all week and sang some songs for their parents. It was a fun time for everyone. Then it was time for dinner. We all gathered for a great barbecue. Everyone had a great time eating and talking. After dinner I talked with some friends I had not seen in a long time. They are here for the weekend to celebrate the 25^th Anniversary of Camp Bighorn. It was fun to hear their stories about the early days of Camp Bighorn. After I talked for a while I came into the office to call my parents. I called my mom and one of the people she was traveling with answered her phone. My mom was driving so she could not answer her phone. I said I would try to call back a bit later. I went to my cabin and got ready for bed. I came back into the office and read for a while. Then I called my mom again. We had a nice talk. They are really having a great time on their trip. Mom and I talked for a while. I told her “hi” from a friend of ours who is here for the weekend. It was nice to talk to my mom. I talked to my dad for a while as well. We had a very good chat. After I talked with my parents it was time for bed. I headed to my cabin to get some sleep. I went to sleep wondering what adventures were in store in the days ahead. More on that later…

Camp Bighorn Day 12 7/1/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 12 7/1/2010

My Camp Bighorn adventure continues. The day began with active devotions at 7:30 am. We all gathered in the lodge for individual devotions. We went through the reading for the day in our devotional books. Then we all headed out to the field to get some exercise. We ran a lap around the field, did some stretching as a group, and then we played an exciting game of dodge ball. After devotions I was not feeling very well. I came into the office and told Jeremy and Sarah I was not feeling well. Sarah told me I could go get some rest. I went back to my cabin and rested till breakfast. I got up in time to get the mail out and go to breakfast. We all gathered for breakfast. After breakfast I was still not feeling well. I was planning to get the mail and then go back to my cabin and rest. Sarah said she would take care of the mail. So I went back to my cabin and slept till lunch. I woke up for lunch. I was feeling a bit better by lunch time. After lunch I came into the office for a little while. I was in the office long enough to type up my blog entry for the day before. Jeremy asked me to take some more pictures of day camp if I was feeling better. If I was not that was ok also. I was told by some of the office staff to get out of the office and rest because I was sick. So I went back to my cabin and listened to music on my ipod for a while. Then I went back to sleep until dinner. I woke up in time for dinner. I felt much better by then. I think I was just feeling warn out. My body was telling me to sleep. So I slept most of the day. After dinner I went back to my cabin and got cleaned up. I got a soda out of my truck. It tasted good in a nice cold cup of ice. Cori and Zach Vanderwall were here to pick up one of their kids from day camp. I talked with them for a while. It was nice to catch up with them. They are really great people and friends. After they left I went into the lodge to have my soda. I talked with some people for a while. I had another good talk with Julie. She is really a cool person. After we talked awhile she headed for home. I came back to the office and called my parents. It was nice to talk with them. We talked for a while. When I got off the phone I wandered around camp for a while. I went up to the fire pit for the day camp chapel. It was fun to see the kids interacting with each other. We roasted marshmallows and had smores they were great. I sat around the campfire for a while then I headed back to camp with some people. I went to the lodge for a while. Some of the girls on staff were doing some Irish dancing. It was fun to watch them. I talked with some people for a little bit. Then I headed to my cabin to go to bed. I went to sleep wondering what adventures were in store for us the next day. More on that later…

Camp Bighorn Day 11 6/30/2010

Camp Bighorn Day 11 6/30/2010

My day began with devotions at 7:30 am. We went through the reading for the day in our devotional books. After devotions I went back to my cabin and got cleaned up and ready for the day. The administration team had a meeting at 8:45 am. In the meeting we talked about how things were going and what everyone would be doing for the day. After our meeting I got the mail out to the mail box. I then went to the lodge for breakfast. We had pancakes, they were great. After breakfast I sorted and distributed the mail. I spent most of my day in the office working at my computer and answering phones. I uploaded pictures on the camp hard drive and facebook page. I wrote a blog entry for the camp webpage about the camps that are happening this week. It was a pretty quiet day in the office. We all gathered for lunch around 2:00 pm. After lunch Jeremy, Sarah, and I met up and talked about the Camp Bighorn 25^th Anniversary weekend. We went over the schedule of events and what my role would be during the weekend. After we talked for a while I came back to the office to cover phones and use my computer and checke e-mail and facebook and some other things. Sarah and I talked for a while. She told me that she read one of my blog entries where I mentioned listening to Glen Payne and Guy Penrod singing on my ipod. She said she knew who they were and liked them a lot. We talked about Southern Gospel Music and the Gaithers and other artists for a while. It was fun to talk with her about one of my favorite things. We talked about having a Gaither night at her house sometime this summer. Jeremy and Sarah headed out to get some pictures around 4:00 pm. I was in the office for a while longer. I went to my cabin to rest at around 5:00 pm. I got up for dinner at 7:00 pm. We all gathered in the lodge to eat. After dinner the store was open. I got a nice cold coke and some candy. It was a nice treat at the end of the day. The High School camp had a chapel service around 8:30 pm. I attended most of that meeting. It was a great time of fellowship and worship. The group seems to really be bonding together and having a great time. God is working in this group. That is really cool to observe. After chapel I talked with some people for a while. I headed to bed around 10:30. I got a little wet walking through the sprinklers back to my cabin. It was really nice to be able to rest at the end of a long day. I feel asleep wondering what adventures were in store for us the next day. More on that later…