little camping time...

Hello,
Just thought I'd give an update on what we've been up to.We have been enjoying camp life, but have not been going to chapel lately. We eat meals, write notes and have a few staff over for a meal now and then.

Sarah is pretty excited about swimming these days and even talks about jumping in from the dock and going off the slide. She was talking about the slide first, but then we said she'd have to get used to jumping off the dock first before the slide should happen. I mean, she doesn't even like to get her face wet and that is definatly going to happen when we jump in, even with life jackets on. So, a few times shyness of the strong afternoon wind at the beach has detered us from actually getting into the water. We end up at the skatepark and she'll try her bike out. It is a little anticlimactic for me, getting all sunscreened up and not going in the water, but it's ok.

Tonight we went for an evening swim, and it was calmer, but there was a little breeze and Sarah kept saying after that we went swimming even when it was windy. And while we were swimming, her clutching the chest of my lifejacket, she is kicking and saying, 'We're swimming, we're swimming.' We'd go from the shore to the aluminum ladder and she'd climb up it. We did that 2 or 3 times. When she was telling Andy about it later, she called it the 'golden ladder' - cool.

So, yesterday evening we took off from our house with some camping gear and camped at a Provincial Park about 1/2 hr. from our house. It is called Kentucky/Alleyne, for the 2 lakes that are in it and we camped near one of the two children's only fishing ponds also between the 2 lakes. On the drive there Sarah fell asleep. We'd brushed her teeth at home. Andy set up the tent with a bit of help from me and when we got S. out of the car she was groggy and we managed to provide a successful potty opportunity and we waved goodnight to the full-looking moon and slipped into the tent. She commented about being hungry and I said we had no snacks in the tent and we all fell asleep - yeah. I heard mice around the tent, searching, for about 10 min., but they found nothing and left. I only had to get up once for the bathroom in the middle of the night, which was nice.

An early morning, some cereal for S. and I and then a walk to warm up, because our campsite was a shady one. It was a nice walk by two ponds and then up past some huge ponderosas and down to our campsite. Then boiled eggs, nuts, bagels and brush teeth and a family walk along Kentucky Lake. Sarah was pretty tired by that point and wanted to rest in the tent. She was looking forward to swimming, but ran out of energy. We didn't bring our fishing gear - not enough time. So, S. and Andy rested in the tent while I enjoyed journalling and reading at the picnic table. Check out of the site was 11am and we got out of there by 11:30am. There were tears from s., as she wanted to stay longer, resting in the tent. Even when I put her to bed tonight she said she really wanted to stay longer and is really interested in a longer camping trip and says she can't wait till our vacation in Sept.

It seems she is really interested in all the exciting things this summer - swimming - even asking to do it when she is tired, bike riding, now camping. She told me at bedtime that she missed seeing the kids at the beach at freetime. We were napping during freetime today. She fell asleep in the car on the way home and then napped more on the couch inside.

I think I had more to say, but I'm feeling rushed a bit before bed, so it will have to come another time. I just wanted to check in and say that I am thankful too, for all the support and prayers we've had in the past little while. Thank you for being used by God, if that last sentence spoke to you.

Oh ya, also had a OBGYN appoint. on July 9. We didn't get any results back from the lab, re: the sex of our baby or if they found a reason for the miscarriage (she'll call us when they do), from that end. No reasons popping up. It was a good appointment and I felt listened too and all my questions got answered. Ask me specifically if you want more details ok?There was a lot of anticipation leading to that day, but it went alright. We also did a lot of shopping in Penticton that day and bought some fruit in Keremeos (cherries, apricots).