A Summary of My Summer of 2012: Part 4

Part 2 of August

Saturday morning of August 11th, Ben and Julian drove Shannon, Billy, Daniel, Joanna, Jenny, Connor, Meredith, and I to Deerwander! We got to Chop Point (where Deerwander is held) a little earlier than the campers were supposed to arrive because Shannon was a staff member.

Once we signed in and got all our luggage by our bunks, we greeted any friends that came. Eventually Billy, Caleb, and I a bunch of people to play Ultimate frisbee. That was a lot of fun and I met a few of the new campers through the game. After Ultimate, I took a shower and then we all had supper in the dining hall. After supper, we had a little bit of free time and then we went up to the lodge for camp rules/boundaries, staff introduction, and then we played some ice breaker games.

The next day, we had breakfast, free time, church. Papa Dee spoke on Hebrews 3 and 4. I believe it was on God's love and how we should share His love, exhorting one another, glorifying God, and know what you believe and why. It was really good! 

After lunch, I believe we did Senior/Freshmen introductions. My freshman buddy was Joy. She is really sweet and her personality matches her name quite perfectly. I can't really remember what else happened on Sunday except I think we played another game of Ultimate. Pastor Van Meerbeke spoke on 1 Timothy 12-17 and how Christianity makes us think less about what I see in me but more of what He sees in me.

Naomi, Kayla and I Sunday morning.

On Monday, after lunch, we found out what clans we were in. I was in Clan D with Talia! Talia is one of my best friends! Shannon and Elisha were my clan leaders. We had a clan meeting a discussed our clan name and motto. After our clan meeting we played watermelon rugby in the water with a watermelon covered in Crisco against Clan C.

Watermelon rugby!

We lost. But it was still really fun! Afterwards, we had a relay race with a bucket of water. We lost that too. 

I believe we had free time until suppertime after that. I think Talia and I went swimming.

After supper, we had an evening session again, and I think we played some more group games.

This may have been Saturday or Sunday night.. I can't remember.

Tuesday, we had a morning session (Pastor Tracey was the morning speaker, by the way) after breakfast, free time until lunch, clan meeting after lunch, a clan Ultimate game, and then free time. I believe we went swimming again. :) We had supper, and then a night session, I think we may have had a campfire that night, then us Senior girls had devotions with the Senior guys in the lodge. That was sweet. :)

Wednesday, we had a morning session,  free time, and lunch. After lunch, Shannon brought to mine and Billy's attention that an acquaintance of ours, Brandon Macdonald, had passed away from a possible brain aneurism two days before we got called. It was heartbreaking. All three of us cried for quite some time and then Shannon and I left Billy to have some time alone because he was closest to Brandon. When I went back to my cabin, I tried to describe why I was in tears without crying but that didn't work out very well. It was hard. I had Kayla and Cristi explain what happened so I wouldn't have to do it over and over again. I am so thankful to God for the amazing support and prayer from my friends.

I can't remember which night it was but Jake Armending came and performed a little concert. That was really cool because I knew most of the songs he sang.

Once I got my composure back, I joined my clan in a meeting. Mark was ever so nice to take Shannon's spot as a clan leader for the day. After the meeting, we played capture the flag. Our clan dominated. :) Oh, by the way, our clan name was SOLO and our motto was, "Sloths Only Live Once!". After capture the flag, I believe we went swimming again. I don't think I actually swam, but I watched people swim and sail. I can't remember what else we did that night except we had an evening session and devotions with the Freshmen girls.

Thursday was really, really rainy. I don't really remember what we did in the morning besides the regular routine of breakfast, duties, cabin clean up, the morning session. After lunch, our clan worked on our skit all afternoon. That was alot of fun! 

That night all four clans took turns performing their skits. They were all great and hilarious! Our clan came in third. :) 

Billy, Josh, and I after the skits.

Schaffer, Ben (as a minion), Talia, and Lia before the skits.

Talia and I as water before the skits.

Caleb and I showing our extreme excitement before the skits.

Millie, me, Brandon, Nora, and Talia before the skits. We were in the "boat scene" for our skit.

After the skits, we all had pizza for a snack and then almost everyone went to their cabins. Some of us stayed in the lodge and helped clean. Us Senior girls sang some hymns with the Senior guys and then we went back to our cabins. About 15 minutes later, the Senior guys serenaded us Senior girls with 3 or 4 songs just outside our cabin. It was really sweet! We sang Be Still My Soul to them and then they went back to their cabin.

The next day we had the regular morning routine. It was our last full day Deerwander. :( After lunch, we watched people do the sailing race, swim race, road race, and other various tournaments. It was pretty exciting! We also took a bunch pictures of all the campers.

About 80 campers were there this year. I'm near the top left corner. Billy and Caleb are holding me up.

The Senior class! From top left to right: Kevin, Logan, Billy, Eze, and Tyler.
Middle left to right: Cami, Abby, me, Cristi, Nora, Erin, Kristin, Abby, and Evie.
Bottom left to right: Kayla, Meredith, Diane, Zureyma, Alli, Lauren, and Emily.

All the sailing competitors.

Setting up the sailboats and the other campers all waiting to cheer them on.

Justin, Caleb, Schaffer, and Jason doing the boys swim race.

Caleb came in first. Surprise! Surprise!

After all the tournaments were over, most of us girls started getting ready for the banquet. So many of the girls (myself included) were using blow dryers, straightners, and curling irons that we blew a fuse. It was rather hilarious! Cristi and I went to the Nurses office to do our hair for a bit. Once Papa D fixed the fuse we went back to our cabins to get ready. Sally did a "natural look" for my make up, I curled my hair, and wore a big blue dress with peacock accents in the front.

The Senior girls!
Left to right: Diane (Kinda cropped out of the picture..), Meredith, Abbey, Kayla, me, Evie, Erin, Emily, Kristin, Zureyma, Lauren, Cristi, Alli, Abby, Nora, and Cami.

Billy and I walking into the banquet!

Mary helped me keep my dress from dragging in the mud.

One of my favorite pictures of Nora and I.

All the Seniors right before the banquet!

Billy and I.

Another picture of Mary helping me.

The banquet was really sweet. Campers who won some of the tournaments were awarded trophies. Greg gave a friendly departing speech to each Senior. They picked out a few verses of the Bible that sort of "fit" for each Senior. The verse they picked for me was Colossians 3:12-15: Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

After the speeches were over, we sang two songs to the Senior guys that we had rewritten. We sang What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction and Long Live by Taylor Swift. The boys sang their version of What Makes You Beautiful and another song which I can't remember the name of. The banquet came to end after the guys gave us roses. I quickly got a picture with Billy and Shannon, and Eva and Shannon then picked up the front of my dress and ran up the hill and across the lawn to the girls cabins because it was about to pour like crazy! I felt like Cinderella. Luckily, I didn't lose my shoe. :)

Talia, me, Kayla, and Naomi after the banquet. They are some of my closest friends.

After we got back into regular clothes, we ran through the rain to get to the lodge for the last evening session. When we got to the lodge, Seth, Elisha, Caleb, Sean, and Josh were jamin' Mumford & Sons! It was absolutely amazing! A bunch of the campers were dancing to it.

After the evening session, we had a "campfire" in the dining hall. Since it was raining, they set up aluminium foil on a big tray and lit a bunch of candles on it. We sang songs and said things we learned that week. After all the underclassmen were dismissed, us seniors discussed how we thought we could improve the camp, and then the group prayed for Billy, Shannon, and I about Brandon. Like I said, I am so thankful for my friends.

The next day we had left overs for breakfast. We cleaned up around the camp, packed up and then we all had people sign our camp t-shirts, and hugged good bye. :'(

Talia and I hugging for about the 10th time that morning. I miss her so much already.

A huuuge, "thank you" to the staff and Kurt Anderson for putting together one more fantastic and blessed week of Deerwander.

The Sunday after Deerwander, after church, our family went water skiing with the Estes. That was A BUNCH of fun!

Shannon got up after a few tries!

Billy and I got up for a couple seconds but we didn't stay up. Nick, Joel and Kenan had no problem getting up.

I believe this is Joel skiing.

Shannon and Billy.

Martin and I!

Martin, Joel and I!

Kenan and I!

After the sun set, we went back to shore and to the Estes house for supper. :) 

Later that week I had a scrimmage at Monmouth Academy. I swung down to JV and scored a goal. :) After the scrimmage, I slept over at Corrie's and we had a great time!
The next Sunday (August 26th) we had a wonderful church picnic after church.
That following Friday my brother Tim turned 27!