We are Home and Happy

Aug 13, 2014 / Family, Home life, Life Lately, Northern Pines, Thankfulness

We are home! We have actually been home since Saturday evening//Sunday morning, but I didn’t feel that my mind was sane enough to blog until this evening. It also helps that Mike just brought home Good & Plenty and Milk Duds for me to enjoy. Candy is my brain food… I’m not lying.

Anyways, our time away from home was wonderful. It wasn’t a vacation of any sort, but it was so much fun doing ministry together. For those that don’t know, Mike’s parents are the executive directors of a family camp that gathers every year for two weeks in Green Lake, WI. Mike and I are the directors of the 4th-6th grade program, the Wilderness. We spent our two weeks away with little hilariously frustrating children. Every year we have a blast and thankfully every year that we direct the program it gets a little bit easier.

We are still tired though. Really tired.

Northern Pines is the bookend to our “year”. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good new years celebration, but I really feel like our “new year” begins when we get home from Pines. August is when the year begins at our house (and the house of those with school children ha). But anyways – where I’m going with this is that I feel like I have all these goals and ideas in my head and I’m so excited to be home to start implementing change – this is the time of year that feels like a fresh start. I’m so excited for Fall, for the weather to change, for the projects we have planned, and for a more consistent schedule.

Now, what you’re really here for… the pictures. I’ll try to explain all things “wilderness” the best that I can.

#carrideswithmike

And welcome to the White House. The house that Mike and I get to stay in with all our staff is called the White house – probably because it’s completely white on the outside, but they also themed the rooms on past presidents. It’s luxurious (as you can see) and we have not one complaint about it. After spending 13+ hours with kiddos everyday – this little sanctuary of a bedroom is just what we need.

The wilderness field has a large ship in the middle of it. Every morning Mike walks through and wakes up the kids and they come outside and do something called Ship Shape. It’s led by Mike and all the kids just follow along – no silly dance move is off limits. It’s a great way to start the day.

We end each day with Tabernacle. It’s worship and a message around a campfire. It’s one of my favorite times of day.