CAMP

The above pictures are proof that the girls are enjoying camp.  Sunday, all of us drove up to Short Mountain Bible Camp to drop off Madelyn and Natalie.  This is the camp that I grew up going to. I worked there from the time I was 13 until I was 19.  Every summer I was there 9-10 weeks.  It was about an hour from home, so I would come home every weekend.  I made lifelong friends there and this camp really shaped my life and my relationship with God.  Needless to say, it was exciting to drop off the girls there.  I have always planned on sending my kids to MY camp!
Normally, Madelyn is homesick and calls every night sounding like she is on the verge of tears. However, this week she has called every night to say goodnight and has sounded chipper and happy. I am so glad.  I know it is debatable to whether you should let a homesick child call home.  However, I wouldn't have beleived it, but I think it helps Madelyn to be able to say hi each night.   Natalie is never homesick and usually says a quick hi, bye and possibly a story when and if we talk to her.
 The last 3 years I worked there, my best friend and I were in charge of the horses.  Talked to Natalie last night and one of the horses she rode was Blaze, who was there when I worked there. 
When we dropped them off, I also got to see some of the "kids" that I grew up with going to camp every summer. Many of them I haven't seen in about 17 years, but recognized them.  So much better than a high school reunion.
Hannah is up at Aaron's parents this week, so it is just Aaron, me and the boys. 
This has been a dragging week. I worked Monday 12 hours. I wanted to work Tuesday, but they didn't need me.  Turns out it was better I didn't work because I have not felt well all week.  I am feeling a whole lot better daily though.
We have some friends coming over from church tonight. I am so excited.  When we lived on the "farm" once our water starting running low, we never had anyone over. I always loved having people over and it was the best way to get close to people, but we were unable to do that.  So happy to have running water. 
I know it is crazy to miss it, but I still do.  I know that we needed to move, but I guess I am indoors more here and it makes me a little claustrophobic.  At the farm, even in the summer we would get out and tend to the garden or walk up and down the driveway at night.  But we don't really get out much here.  Maybe this fall when it cools off. Also, feeling a little more closed in this week because it has rained almost every day, the sun has not been out much, it is incredibly humid and I haven't felt like going anywhere this week.
Tomorrow, I have a long drive to pick up the girls.  Thankfully, my dad offered to pick the girls up at camp and meet me at my brother's house. That will save me almost 2 hours of driving to and from camp once we pass where my brother lives.  I wouldn't mind going all the way, but I will have the boys with me because Mom and Aaron are both working tomorrow. 

Back from Africa!

Friday was a very busy day. 
The boys and I left the house at 9:30 to head up to TN.  We stopped on the way at Hancock fabrics to pick up some more fabric. I had bought some to make curtains and realized that I had only half of the fabric I needed. Thankfully, they barely had enough left of that particular pattern. 
On a side note, I finished them last night. Aaron hung them up tonight and pointed out that they kind of made a trapazoid pattern.  I told him that was exactly what I was shooting for. Who wants perfectly rectangular curtains when you can spice it up a little.
We finally left Decatur around 10:30 and headed up to Smyrna to pick up the girls.  We stopped once and got gas. I was supposed to be at the church building to meet the bus at 1:30. I knew I was going to get there around 1:15, so i stopped at McDonalds and picked the boys some food up.  I was planning on finding a shady spot in the parking lot and letting the boys eat, but I was behind the bus pulling into the parking lot.
I loaded the girls suitcases while they watched  the boys and said goodbye to their cousins and fed their brothers.   We were out of there by 2:15 and headed back down to AL.
I instructed the girls to NOT talk to the boys so they would have some kind of nap.  Finally, I had to practically threaten Seth and tell him to close his eyes, he was so whiny, but he fell asleep almost immediately.  We then made it all the way to Athens and went to a furniture store that I am buying a mattress and bedroom suit from.
I have debated whether to buy it or not. I KNOW we have to get a mattress. Aaron and I both end up with neckaches and backaches every morning.   But we want a queen and we have a full, so we need a new bed.  Long story short, we decided to splurge and for the first time in our almost 15 years of marriage, buy our own bedroom suit instead of using hand me downs.  Plus the price was really really cheap.  If it wasn't I wouldn't even consider it. I am such a miser. I hate to spend money on stuff like this.
Finally, we headed to the Huntsville airport to pick up Aaron. By this time I was starting on one of my mini migraines. Being in a car for hours with kids was not helping.  We got to the airport about 30 min. before Aaron landed.

Aaron made lots of little friends.

 It is beautiful in the country.

 Check out the pizza choices.   Notice "tuna" at the bottom for a pizza topping.

 These ladies carry these bundles of sticks down to town each day to sell as firewood.  Each bundle is estimated to weigh around 200lb and it took 4 of the Ordinary Hero group to put it on top of the van and give the ladies a ride down the mountain.

It was so good to see him. Poor guy is exhausted. Jet lag is awful. When I brought the boys home last year, it took me a week of sleeping all night AND taking long naps to recover.  So he was able to stay up until about 9pm.  Then he fell asleep while I was talking to him.    He slept 13 hours that first night.  Then fell asleep last night around 6pm on the recliner. I debated on waking him up since he really needed to get on a good schedule. But I didn't. He finally got up and went straight to bed around 9.  But then woke up at 2:30am wide awake. He was able to stay up all day today and went back to bed at 8. I hope he is able to sleep all night. He has to work tomorrow.
I decided to start on the laundry Friday night. After going through all the girls' suitcases I noticed that Hannah did not have a dirty clothes bag. I just assumed she had stuffed it in her suitcase and didn't even look at the pile of leftover stuff at the church. Thankfully, my brother goes there and was able to find her clothes Saturday and Mom happened to be driving through on her way home and was able to bring all the dirty laundry with her.  So glad to have everyone home.