Camp Out 2012

It's "funny" how a group of friends comes together. How life has a way of bringing people together. How some of our BFFs drift out of our life while others stand the test of time. There are 4 ladies from our church who are in my inner circle by merit of the men we fell in love with and the timing of our birthdays. Although 3 of us immigrated from the same home state, I never met any of them until we ended up in the same community. We started out in an accountability group together, then celebrated 40th birthdays together, before deciding to pull our families into the fun by doing an annual Camp Out.

   We are an eclectic mix. Some of us are raising teenagers, while others only have preschoolers. Some of us like onions & hate mocha, while others of us hate onions but like all things mocha. We've withstood 1 separation (when 1 couple went into V.S.) in the past and are about to experience the pangs of another separation [sniffle] when another goes international in mission work). Some of us define camping as outdoor living while others hold the staunch view that camping can only be done in an air-conditioned cabin with all the conveniences of home. Some of us love adventure and some of us prefer safe. None of us has quite the same interests & giftings, tho' we share similar insecurities. But we all love the Lord. I believe that is the glue that holds us together.

 

Here is a peek at some events of our recent 2012 Camp out...

 

This is all but 2 of the boys in the group. There is quite a gap between our 2 teens and the rest of the boys in the group, but you often see them surrounded by the little guys like this...  

Good practice for being a positive role model!

 

JS fishing with some of the little guys...

...he also gave lots of 4-wheeler rides.

 

One of the men just happens to be JS & A's school teacher/principal this year.

This was JS's favorite activity of the weekend - shooting bow with his teacher.

 

We did some traditional camping food- like mountain pies.

I'm telling you, we had some professional pie makers & marshmallow toasters among the younger generation! You want a perfect toasted marshmallow, talk to T! 

 

The real unforgettable moment of the weekend was a hike.

Supposedly to the lake.

Some how it turned into an adventure few us were prepared for. There were life lessons gleaned and trust issues to explore. And beauty [ferns, moss, and unidentified fluffy white things waving on tree branches] that one would completely miss when sticking to the mown paths. For the record- we never got to the lake, but we could see it off in the distance.  

 

 

In honor of my brave friends, who follow their men into the wild unknown, with babies in tow, I've composed this poem based on the nursery rhyme "This is the House that Jack Built"-

This is the hike that we took.

This is the maiden all forlorn,

that followed the man all tattered & torn,

that went on a hike

to find the lake,

that required a debriefing

that took till 2 AM!  

This is the hike that we took.

 

You gals are great! Glad to have you in my life!