Our suitcases are getting a lot of use this summer! It seems like we’re always prepping for a trip or a recovering from one. This pace of life has certainly been an adjustment. Thankfully, it’s only for the summer. We’re having all the fun and then we’ll hunker back down this fall. I’m loving the adventures, but I’m also looking forward to going back to routine. Both things can be true. This last go-around of suitcase packing was for Jeremy and the boys. I assisted in packing, but I didn’t actually travel. It was a nice pause for me! Jeremy directs two kids camps each summer. He is gone from Sunday to Saturday. One camp runs Sunday through Wednesday. The next camp is Wednesday through Saturday. I’m a single parent the first half of the week and then I’m on my own the second half of the week as the boys join their dad at camp. As a family who does almost everything together, it’s a weird week. We all feel a bit off… but it’s only a week, so we roll with it.
As an introvert, I use my three days home alone as a personal retreat. This year, I went shopping at Goodwill with a friend, enjoyed brunch with my mom, had phone dates with my east coast friends, and hosted my book club. While I was home, I did school projects, baking projects, and created photobooks on Shutterfly. I also watched the Little House of the Prairie series on Netflix. Curiosity got the best of me! It was a good mix of social and solitude for me. I missed my family immensely, but I never struggled to fill the time while they are away. There is always something to do and I actually enjoy silence. It fills up my soul.
The highlight of kids camp this year was the guest speaker, Kyle Jorris. Apparently, he is quite talented! He can rap, play the ukulele, and juggle knives while riding a unicycle. My boys idolized him! It was neat to hear how God moved and stirred their hearts. The messages really resonated with them and their faith was stretched with earnest prayers and times of seeking the Lord. I love all the fun that camp offers, but these times in chapel are really the heart behind the adventure. Other highlights would be the fact the kids ate most of the food offered at camp – this is a new thing! They loved boating on the lake and getting treats at the snack shack. They had a great time playing alongside their cousins and church friends. They really connected with their cabin leader. Overall, it was a good time. It’s crazy to think that this was Owen’s last year at kids camp. I’m still struggling to accept that the teen years are right around the corner and the elementary years are fading fast for our household.
Other bright spots include a visit the zoo with free tickets from the library, VBA on Sundays, cooking class, milkshakes, and playing lots of board/card games. August isn’t over and there are still more adventures on the horizon! The suitcases will be out and repacked soon enough…. Stay tuned!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 