Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Camp Bridgeport 2017


I went to Camp Bridgeport two years ago when I was on staff at CRUMC. This year was Bennett's first time to be able to attend summer camp as a camper and there was no way in the world I was going to miss it. I was thrilled to go back to camp this summer but this time just as a parent volunteer. I don't know who had more fun- me or Bennett. We made memories together this summer that will no doubt last for a lifetime.

All of the girls from CRUMC checked in Lakeside 3C and ready to go! Summer camp, let's do this thing!

This is one of my favorite photos from the whole week. Camp friends are best friends.

Sam Woods and Bennett rocked the shaving cream war!

Bennett led worship one night at the cross. I couldn't have been more proud of her.


Night time worship. Oh, how I love this place.


Water Day fun!

Super Hero night!


You can't really tell, but that's me and Bennett at the cross.

The girls of Lakeside cabin 3 ready to rock the lip sync contest!



Me and Emily found Finley the fish. That got us 1000 points for Alpha!



Bennett and I had a great week but sure were glad when these three smiling faces came to pick us up.


My heart. I am so thankful that we had this week together.

Happy 8th Birthday, Will!

Oh, my buddy buddy. Could you please stop growing up? I want you to remain the adorable freckle faced little boy with the fabulous lisp forever. If you want to know what you were like as a kid, just watch Ron Howard playing Winthrop in the movie, "The Music Man." That's you. Except you are more. You are funny. You are incredibly kind. You are as smart as they come. You have a heart for others. And you can change the world. You really can. But not yet, because although you are older, you are still only 8. And you still let me sing "Bushel and a Peck" to you at night while we do the bomp bomps afterwards. And you want me to read every book you are reading so we can talk about it together. And you want me to watch roller coaster videos on YouTube so we can decide whether or not you would ride them in real life. And you wave to me every day at school through the window when I walk you to the front door. And you hug me (in front of your friends!!) every day when you walk outside after a long day at school. 8 is awesome! And so are you, Will. Happy Birthday.






This was the first year in a very long time that we were home on Will's birthday. He was thrilled to have breakfast at home in his pajamas. We then took him to Main Event so he could so the gravity ropes and play some games and then we went to Toys-R-Us so he could spend the birthday money his grandparents sent him.


That night we tried out something new. We went to a drive in movie! The kids had been to one in Dothan when they were very little but they didn't remember it. This was their first time in years and they were so excited. We went to see Despicable Me 3 at the Coyote Drive In. We got their early and the kids got their faces painted and got balloon animals. Will had a blast on the playground and since it was his birthday we said yes to the large Icee and popcorn. It was an awesome evening and one of our favorites from the whole summer.


What an awesome night!

Two weeks after Will's birthday were were able to have a party with his friends. let me say that I have thrown a lot of birthday parties for my three kids over the years and Will's 8th might go down as the best one of them all. We rented a huge inflatable water slide and a cotton candy machine for his birthday. That was it. No party games, so pinterest decorations, no pinatas..... a water slide and cotton candy. I was so worried beforehand that it wouldn't be enough to keep the kids occupied for three hours. Boy was I wrong! In fact, the party was schedules from 5:30-8:30 but they dropped the slide off at 2:45. My kids were on it by 2:46 and pretty soon half of the neighborhood was on it. Then they picked it up at 9:00pm and we had to drag kids off it. Over 6 hours and they could have gone longer. Best party ever!







Such a joy to celebrate this sweet kid.

Rob manning the cotton candy machine like a boss!

Everyone reluctantly came inside for dinner and cake!

Will's waterslide cake. He did the waterslide himself. ;)


Happy Birthday, Will!!!



Okay, Back out to the slide! Best birthday ever!

Happy 8th Birthday, Will! I love you more than you will ever know.


Broadway Camps 2017

I had the awesome privilege of running two Broadway camps this summer. We had one fill up within 24 hours of opening registration so we went ahead and opened up a 2nd week. My favorite thing about these camps is that my kids get to do them with me. I love them seeing my passion for kids and theatre come alive and I love directing them on stage because they are both pretty dang talented.

Here are a few shots from the two separate camps combined.

Camp #1. Is there anything better than seeing kids in costumes using their imaginations? I don't think so. I have done "A Thoroughly Modern Rapunzel" for years in camp. Ever since Bennett was 4, I think. Emmie played the role of Mesmerelda once when we were in Dothan and this year Bennett finally got to play the role of the pizza lovin' witch. She was hysterical.

Will was one of the step brothers in "Bubba the Cowboy Prince" and he stole the show. He has fantastic comedic timing.







Camp #2. It was full, it was loud, it was crazy and it was awesome! I enjoyed every single second of it and I loved doing it side my side with my kids. We did "Dragon and the Cookie" again and Will and Bennett reprised their roles as the Dragon and Caroline. This was a bedtime story I made up for them when they were very little and I turned it into a play for them. It was a ton of sentimental value for our family.







Rehearsal photo

Game Day photo


We had a bunch of neighborhood kids join this camp. Carpooling this week was a blast.

I worked with so so many kids over the summer and I adored them all, but these three will always be my favorites.

Maybe one day these will be in playbills. Who knows?