Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Western night

Western night by mom2rays
Western night, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.
Each year the church that we do Awana through has a Western night. It is a lot of fun for the kids, and leaders alike. They encourage the kids to dress in country western wear. They take the Sparks and older groups on a hayride through local streets. Rocky and I pull the Puggles and Cubbies around on our trailer with the golf cart in the parking lot. They bring in a small petting "zoo/farm" outfit and a mechanical bull and also have a bonfire for roasting marshmallows and making s'mores.
We've never dressed the kids for the night. They never had western wear. This year for his birthday Charime asked for a cowboy costume, and trips to a few local goodwill stores last night yielded Zuri's and Mardie's western effects. The kids had a blast for Western Night!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Camping at the Beach

Beach ride by mom2rays
Beach ride, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.
Last week we went to Myrtle Beach for a little camping, the GCI Gathering in the Harvest fall conference, and to run the Children's ministry program there. We stayed at Lakewood campground for the 2nd time in as many years.

Our conference responsibilities were a lot of work as Rocky and I haven't done this before under these circumstances but it was also a lot of fun.

We tried to squeeze in fun with the kids. The first day we road our bikes on the beach down to the pier. The boys decided to actually ride in the ocean. It was all fun and games for them even up to their chest height until the wind started to blow and they realized they were freezing cold.

This trip was full of experiences and learning lessons for us. l learned to try to relax and go with the flow. Rocky and I learned to try to plan ahead better. Charmie learned that God can still use him, even when he makes mistakes. The boys learning to anticipate consequences of their choices.

We even reconnected with a family we met last year at the campground and really enjoyed their company. We didn't have the opportunity to exchange information when we parted last time so it was sad to think we wouldn't see each other again. Meeting up was a blessing for our families.

Each time we go camping, we want to go more and stay for longer. Too bad we couldn't stay for a few more days. . .