A few snapshots of fun at camp :) ... These are some of our campers from the first week of Camp Promise. There are millions more pictures, so I'll try to post more over the next few weeks.

It has been a beautiful summer of watching God do BEYOND what we could ever do without Him!! My dad passed away the week before Camp Promise, but God gave incredible grace for my brothers and Mom and I as we grieved together in Mississippi and to Jeff and the kids as they grieved and worked and played in Montana. We have been blessed by the many hands that have come alongside us to help this summer with the multitude of camp tasks and to fill our kids up with the needed play and nap times we couldn't always provide! The prayers and words of encouragement from SO many have wrapped us with a VERY special love, as well, during these busy and heavy days!! This week, we finish another full summer of camp at Big Sky, and leave Sunday for our trip around the country for 4 months, visiting churches, family, and friends. Jeff and I have really enjoyed being part of all that's going on, here. Camp Promise went very smoothly, and we've filled the other weeks with Jeff on the waterfront, in the camp store, and programming activities some weeks, Emmy leading Bible classes and this week teaching chapels. Keith and Jacob attended camp last week during the All Boys week of camp - super fun & loud :), and they are often seen tromping around camp with the other "big" staff kids! Kara and Simon have thoroughly enjoyed playing with the other young staff kids on the playground (donated to camp a couple of years ago) and have enjoyed all the tickles and fun brought by the counselors. As you can tell, there's been little time for blogging, but I hope to post some action shots of camp in the coming days :)! The photo above was taken at cookout spot around our lake. Workcrews worked this summer to cut a trail to lead to it, cutting out spots (with beautiful views) for benches to be places in honor of my Dad. When the task was completed, one of the groups made this wooden cross and took turns carrying it down the trail and then, placed it at the cookout site. God has brought many healing tears to my heart along this trail this summer, and I'm so grateful for what a sweet rememberance it is of my Dad and his love for God's creation and for his Savior!

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A few VERY special pictures taken on our trip to be with Gran and PawPaw. Keith and Jacob took turns reading PawPaw his devotion books at night and picked up 246 sticks in the yard for Gran. Kara enjoyed doing a fashion show with all the good deals Gran found at a yard sale and teasing PawPaw with the new nickname he gave her, "Honeybun" (since she fit a whole honeybun danish into her little tummy). Simon enjoyed PawPaw's lap & eating as many meals as possible right next to him. He also became very fond of a cuddly, singing bunny Grandmother shared. (of course, those are just a few highlights - there were many more special moments :) The kids also worked hard on a scrapbook of memories and presented it to PawPaw on our last day there. We are SO grateful we got to go!