A Girl Full of Adventure

Wild 2 started and a whole new crew came in! Sunday's are so fun, meeting the new faces and reconnecting with past campers who are back! Jon is the only one over at Wildside this year who has his NLS, and he is the only muscial one. So that means that this year, he doesn't do bedtime. Last year, he used to be able to take that half hour off in a day to spend with just us, and we are missing that time together this year!! He is up and out of the trailer early to get everything ready before waking everyone up by 7ish, and then doesn't stop in his day until bedtime around 11. I always admire his energy... I could not run that hard!!! So Sunday night I got Q all ready for bed and then sent her out to say goodnight to her dad, who was lifeguarding the evening swim. I went to get her a few minutes later and this is the sight that I saw... so sweet!!!! I love that she is just standing there quietly, helping his lifeguard, and watching all the kids have fun in the water on the floating dock. She is such a good camp kid. What a gorgeous lake we have the privilege of living on in the summer months!!!

Marika came up to camp to spend an entire day with us!!! It was awesome because Monday's are the days we are often alone at camp for a full day, so it was awesome to have a visitor!! We hung out at the beach and played, and talked lots. So good to catch up with this beautiful girl. It is so cool to see 'kids' grow up and be incredible adults. She is so dear to us!!! And these two are major beach babes!

Quinny wanted to go kayaking that afternoon during freetime... she kept asking and I just kind of ignored her, not thinking that she ACTUALLY wanted to kayak. I just assumed she wanted to sit in the kayak on shore and play in it, like other 2 year olds would! Nope, she wanted in. She got her lifejacket, grabbed in the paddle, and tired to push the boat off. She hopped in and was frustrated that she hadn't pushed it off far enough! So I gave her a push and off she went. Jon and I watched as she actually moved the paddle properly back and forth and got the hang of kayaking! Throughout the week she asked to go kayaking quite a few more times, and by the end of the week, she was even learning how to paddle more on one side to turn the boat in order to go where she wants! So cool! A natural paddler, just like her Dad :)

Marika stayed all day and had dinner with us, and then walked around with me while I ran murder mystery again. I am so glad she came up to see us!

Man, look at that view. It never gets old. This picture is the one that is now the background of this blog, because I love it so much! This is our happy place.

Tuesday morning I had to go into Duncan for my OB/GYN appointment that I have been waiting MONTHS for. I really didn't want to bring Quinny with, because I wanted to focus and I always also unsure of what my head space would be like afterwards. Tim and Lois came to my rescue and came up in the morning and watched her for a few hours at camp! So thankful for them!!!! Ed and Val are up this week as the cooks, so they have friends to visit with also! The appointment went okay, nothing really to report. We are just now starting the preliminary fertility tests to see what could be wrong. It will take us at least six weeks to complete all the tests, possibly longer, and then we go back to see her again after that. It feels good to get the ball rolling, but just so frustrating to be in this place. I am constantly reminding myself to take a deep breathe and to let it go, because it is all so out of my control. And as I am doing that, I am surrounded by so many friends who are pregnant, simply by looking at their husbands it seems! (haha!) I work hard to not dwell on it, and to try to keep my spirits up, but sometimes i I just feel so weary by the whole thing. I feel exhausted and frustrated, but also am really learning what it means to surrender and just let go. It really helps that it is summertime and we are so busy and loving life up at camp in the sunshine! It makes it much more bearable :)

Papa pushing Quinny in the kayak so that she can go faster! He is so good to her!

I also had a visit with my friend AJ Crocker from Briercrest who was here for a week speaking at Qwanoes. It was REALLY good for my soul to catch up with him! He was a mentor and a really good friends while I was there. There are a few job openings right now at Briercrest that he wanted to talk to me about because he thinks the would be a good fit for me. We aren't in a space where we want to leave, but the conversation was good for me.... it was a reminder that at one time in our lives, I was the one who was goal-oriented and hard-working and had big dreams career wise. I always tell Jon that I set those aside (happily, because I love him and want to be with him) and am following him now while he is living out his dreams, but there will come a day when that boy will have to follow me as I pursue my career goals! haha! I forget sometimes that there is another person inside of me, outside of being a wife and mama, that is smart and driven and passionate. One day I will let her loose again ;) I was really glad that AJ and I made the time to reconnect and have coffee! (as a side note... his wife Cheryl is a big reason I went to Briercrest in the first place! She was working in admissions and she talked me into it. Needless to say, I think very highly of their family!)

They left at lunch, and this girl was sleeping very quickly afterwards! Her morning with Nannie and Papa, showing them around camp, obviously pooped her right out!

Quinny has been talking a lot about rock climbing and asks us all time if she can. Finally on Thursday we decided that we would take her out with us to the rock site and if we could get a harness tight enough and if she was a good listener, we would attempt to let her climb. She hiked up there and was vibrating with excitement!

It was so steep and she just trucked right through, very intent on getting there so that she could rock climb!

Step 1 - harness! Got it on her, and got tight enough. I was quite impressed with Jon's skills in getting that thing on her! It is meant for big people

She kept her helmet on, as instructed, and sat with the campers as Chris/Aaron/Jenna/ gave all the rules and explained everything to them. We told her that she had to wait her turn - it is important to us that she learns that we do camping ministry in order to serve the campers, not ourselves. We talk a lot about that, and who knows what sinks in with her, but at least she is hearing it! So with that, she knew that she had to wait and wasn't allowed to go first, because the campers got to go first. She sat there and watched them and was bouncing with energy. The second Jon made eye contact with her and said "okay your turn", she jumped right up and went over, yelling "YAY!"

Daddy talking his girl through what she needed to do, and how she needed to listen really well as he belayed her. 

She got stuck after a few feet and seemed unsure of where to grab, so Chris jumped up on the ledge and talked her through it! He was SO SO good with her, patient and gentle, explaining things carefully so that she understood. She listened to him and followed his instructions and kept going!

Up she went! I couldn't even speak as I watched, I was totally amazed and speechless. I know she is a strong girl, but I had NO idea that she could do this. It was so remarkable!! She needs better shoes next time, and a harness that fits properly, but wow this was awesome. So grateful that Chris was there to help her out too!!

Little rock climber way up there! Once it got more steep and harder for her to grab on, it was time to come down! The campers were all cheering for her and yelling her name... I think it was pretty cool for them too, to see her do this!

Look at that stance! She said afterwards that coming down was her favourite part. Maybe she will be more of a rappeller than a climber? Or maybe both? She kicked off the mountain and bounced her way down, knees up, the way people are supposed to, the whole way down! Jon said he let her down at a normal pace even. Totally incredible. So proud of this kid.

Way to go Quinny!! You are brave and strong and smart, and that is a dynamite combo!! We want to keep encouraging her to do the things that she wants to do, in a safe and controlled environment, and not hold her back, but also not push her too hard. It's a balance beam to walk :) 

She was so happy afterwards and has been talking non stop about when she can go again! I love that adventure seems to be in her bones. People often comment on how much like me she is (and she really is, personality wise... it's like holding a mirror up to my soul haha!) but these moments make Jon so happy because its here that he sees himself in her, and his influence over her life. I love that! And doing these things are such a perk of having a Dad who does what he does for a living!

Jon and I peek in on her every single night before we head to bed, because we both love how sweet she looks when she is sleeping. She is so big and growing rapidly, yet when she sleeps, I see how small she really is. And I love how she cuddles with her baby when she sleeps

Enjoying the sunshine! 

Aaron has started this thing with her where they go "camping" together. He builds them a "fire" and they sit around it and "cook" stuff over it and tell campfire stories. I love how he gets down there and plays with her, and gets into her imaginative world! Quinny loves playing pretend, especially play kitchen! Aaron comes and finds her when he has a few minutes of a break in the day, and it is so cute. Chris also plays with her when she is around, usually on the slack line. She is a little gymnast and loves to walk on the slack line, and he is constantly helping her do "tricks" on it. I love that our staff take time out of their days to play with her and make camp so special for her. These boys love her and she knows it :)

Friday Blob time! We let our campers come over on Friday mornings while main site is in chapel so that they can play on the inflatables for a little while. It's a fun treat for them, and a good way to end the week! This new blob tower that Chris Burdge has made is CRAZY! He is so talented and creative. The blob terrifies me, but it's fun to watch and people seem to love it! They were trying hard to get me out there to blob me, but I worry that one wrong fall would mess up my neck and I would be living with a migraine all summer long... maybe I am too cautious! I definitely feel MUCH less like the risk taker I used to be as a teenager, but I am okay with that!

Lisa is amazing. She saw us out there playing, and so she brought me a iced latte, and brought Quinny one too! (Pretty much just milk over ice with a shot of vanilla haha). She is the best. So thoughtful.

My view Friday afternoon as campers left and Quinny was sleeping and Jon was meeting with staff. I love this hammock and this view. Best place to lay and read a book! It's been a big week full of adventure and new things!