We Love Camping

We had our fall camping trip with Adventurers Club on Nov 1st-2nd.  It was supposed to be outdoors but thanks to some very low temps we simply rearranged that plan.  We had our camping adventure in the church/school gym!

We started off with the guide award.  We mad a map of our area and put each of our homes and addresses on it.  Then we took turns blindfolding someone and giving them directions.  It was rather comical at times--- turn left, no your other left ;-)

Then we started working on the cooking award.  The kids would prepare a 4 course meal, serve it and clean up after it.  Each camper was assigned a task!

 First Natalie and Jayna prepared the soup with Mrs. Laura.  Then of course they serves it.  I was surprised how it was the first time some of our campers ever had tomato soup.  Every last drip was eaten!  In our household of 4 we can never even down 1 can of tomato soup!

Next we had the prayer award and our time of worship together.

The second course of our meal was walking taco salad.  The kids had to shred lettuce, shred cheese, dice tomatoes, DJ and Anthony were too eager to smash chips, and then they served the taco salad along with condiments of sour cream, salsa and taco sauce.  Mr. Alan supervised Alexus, Tabi, Jewell, Cameron, D.J. and Anthony.

Mr. Blair supervised Sage, Ariel and Alonza making what he called "Tube Steaks" and what normal... err I mean typical people commonly call Hotdogs!

I supervised Will and Mateo making drink

Everyone was eager and ready to play Sardines-- similar to hide and seek in the dark--- well everyone but the big people who were cozy by the fire.

While most the kids were still playing Sardines Lexi, Tabi and Diamond helped Mrs. Melanie and Mr. Scott make our dessert: smores in a cup.

 Then we worked on our 4th award: hand shadows and we let the kids play with glow sticks

We played a greatly fun hula hoop game--- but since I was playing, no pictures available.  The kids got about 15 mins more of free time.  It was about 11 then, so all the kids had to get ready for bed and a last bit of fun around the fire before bed.

All the kiddos crawled into the tents, zippered their doors and got into their sleeping bags.

 

Some lucky campers slept well--- and others heard lots of coughing and were cold.  I was in that cold group!

As kids woke up-and adults too we gathered around the fire to warm up and most enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.

Levi and Miko prepared and served everyone breakfast: apple slices, bananas, cheerios, mini-muffins and yogurt

 AND THEN--- THE EXCITEMENT I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT...
We were starting to tear down camp-- take down tents, clean up, pack bags.... Anthony wanted to tear down our map poster---He came and asked Mrs. Melanie and me.  At first I said no.  Then Mrs Melanie said it would almost be worth it to see the smiles n their faces (the boys who wanted to tear it down) so we said ok go ahead.  Anthony didn't wait for any other boys to help.  No one was really thinking about the stuff behind the poster (gymnastics mats for about 2.5 feet then a wall), but I also think we thought he was going to do a karate chop or something to it.... run up to it then chop.... yeah that's not what happened.... he ran alright... and fell to the floor.  I thought he was being silly... then realized he was hurt but I still told him to get up and calm down.... and then the down pour of blood gushed from his nose and some from his mouth.  It took 2 blood drenched shirts before the flow stopped- but still it was bleeding some and it was clearly painful.  Pastor Mike drove us to the Urgent Care.  I showed great restraint in not taking 100 pictures of this accident, a is my norm when each kid got stitches to the head (5 and 8 yrs ago).  His nose was broken.  There was no magic cure.  We left with ice and a rx for a nasal spray to get the swelling down.

running into the mats/wall; and Anthony's face 4 hours after the injury happened

While we were there the adults had finished tearing down camp and Mrs. Melanie had taken most my crew back home to their houses.  So I just went straight home with Anthony and Alonza-- mom took Jayna to church.
Later on we headed to Mr. Goody's ice cream for their last day and because I hear ice cream can fix anything.  And I got to meet the most precious Miss Aliyah, my friend's daughter born in June <3
It is an understatement to say this was quite the memorable weekend :-)

Halloween Fun and Smiles

We started celebrating Halloween weeks early by participating in a few fall festivals for some inexpensive fall fun with friends and family.
We kicked it off on September 14th at Timberlake United Methodist Church.  My Phone was nearly dead, but it was a nice set up and a free community event.  I brought Anthony (Jayna was at Grandma's) and met up with Wendy who had her 4 kiddos, her 3 siblings and a friend.  Everything was put together so well- hayrides, tattoos, supper even, cotton candy, blow up obstacle courses and slides.  The kids had fun although I have minimal pictures.Anthony spent the entire time on the slides and obstacle courses.  This was also a significant date, because it was the renewing of a friendship, 2nd chances and

most of the kids on the hay ride and Tabi's tattoo

We did Amazement Square Fall Fun Day on Oct 11!  I took Jayna and her cousin, my niece Kierra.  It was during the weekend we were celebrating Kierra's birthday and also conveniently fell the day before my birthday

 It sure is great to have a best friend and a cousin, all in one!

Carmel apples with all the toppings

Making butter and taste testing it with crackers

Loving the crafts and fun: treat bags, chalkboard pumpkin necklaces, headbands, tattoos, hand knitting and leaf jumping

The girls loving the zipline, doing cart wheels and handstands, glow in the dark painting and an I-Spy tunnel search

The girls carving their pumpkin!

Their favorite activity: glow in the dark rock band

The following weekend was Bridge Day, which was already blogged about.  Then on Friday the 24th while Anthony was camping with the Pathfinders, thanks to Uncle Ray's $10, Jayna got to go to Scare Mare.  We met her cousin Kierra and Aunt Beth along with another of Kierra's cousins- Janayla there.

Jayna spent the night at Aunt Beth's.  The next day I got my sweet nephew Tristan and nieces Angela and Tristan.  We started by finding Tristan a costume and then waited until it was time for trunk or treat at West Lynchburg Baptist Church by playing at the playground.  Then Jayna called so I picked up her, Kierra and Cale to join us!

The only Barney I have ever loved

 After we did that trunk or treat I had Kierra call Beth to get permission to take them on a haunted trail.  So we headed to Rustburg and found two separate, fun, not too scary but great haunted trails.  Best of all, one was free and the other only $1 per person!

Afterwards I took the kids to eat supper at Long John's before I took them all home and headed to another lovely 3rd shift.  Look at my super cute Batman in the jammies I got him!

The next day we day we started off at Memorial Ave United Methodist Church's fall festival.  They had a small hot dog lunch, blow up bounce houses, Balloon Dude Travis, crafts, carmel apples, games and a small playground too that my gang enjoyed for 2 hours.  Today I had Angela, Shania, Tristan, Will, Diamond, Alexus and Tabi with me.  Jayna was at Grandma's after having gone to church and enjoying time with Uncle Mark and Jasmine.  At 3:30 they started the trunk or treat, just in time to be done and pick Anthony up from his camping trip.

I picked up Jayna, we went to get Anthony.  Then we headed to our final Fall Fest at Hyland Heights Baptist Church.  Holy Guacamole they were CROWDED.  They had a hay ride, tons of games, bounce houses, face painting, concessions, door prizes, silent auction and again Balloon Dude Travis!  The kids partnered up and had fun.  I played with Tristan and always have fun!

I did have a babysitting day with Payden which included going to the Halloween store to kill time.  The school seemed to think he was sick.... I am not convinced!

On Halloween night I was running like crazy to get everyone who wanted to my house and pick up pizzas for everyone.  As I was picking up pizza's I got a phone call to see if a niece and nephew could join as their mom had a medical emergency.  So our group grew even a little more.

most of the kiddos- minus 3 of them

We started trick or treating about 5:45.  The boys got bored of it by 7, so Alonza, Damien, Cale, Anthony and Will went back to my house w/ Alonza's mom and played video games while Marko supervised them.  About half our group kept going until 8:30/9!  It sure is fun spending time with friends and former employees.  It's a clear reminder every Halloween that Burger King may have just been a job, but it gave me great friendships that have lasted and grown stronger way beyond that job!

As in every year, we ended our evening in the neighborhood grave yard because that's what you're supposed to do on Halloween night, right!?

Sabbath Education Sunday

(Again out of order, because the next blog in order is long.... and I'm not feeling a long blog right now.)

Last week was Fall Sabbath Education Week at the kids school.  On Saturday the ended the week with Sabbath Education service at the Lynchburg SDA church where the students performed the church service.  These services are things I now look forward to each year.
They started with Special music from Sage (2nd gr) on the keyboard and Ian (6th gr) on the piano.  I was pretty far back, it was crowded so I missed some picture ops, and others have some lovely (baldy) heads in them--- but it was a great service.... and now for the pictures.

the sweet Kindergarten-2nd Graders singing  Kumbaya and  then a song with the hand bells

Then the big kids (grades 3-8) filed in and took stage to sing Come now is the Time to Worship

 

Then all the grades joined together to sing Thy Word

This was an extra special Sabbath Education, as two of our students were getting baptized.  First they had to go through what it meant to be baptized and agree to it with Pastor Mike.

Then as they prepared to get baptized, we did the offering and Anthony was one of the ushers to pass the plate.  Look at him try not to smile ;-)

 We got to witness Grace and Jay be baptized

We had a slight pause in our service where wonderful Mrs. Kelly perfectly improvised with her piano playing skills, until Grace was dry enough to participate in special music

Our s

Our service was mostly student taught.  Some days Mr. Billy can pass as a student anyways, so yeah totally a student taught message and done so on a level the students could understand correlating the bible lesson to a real-life type story.

Mr. Billy, Desmond, Ian and Alex

We had our closing song, sung by all the kids.  Amusingly Anthony previously had said "It's some song I don't know the name of about slaves"... The song is "Make me a Servant"

We had a prayer over Grace and Jay before our service let out

As is the norm, the members of the church spoiled us with a meal after church.