Due to Jeremy having a new job he hasn't had any vacation time. So, we wanted to do something special for Labor Day since he got Monday off. We went to Family Camp at High Hill Christian Camp (near St. Louis, MO). My family had a tradition of going to Family Camp for many years at Lamoine so I was super excited. The kids were also very excited. Titus actually slept in the Friday we left, but Grace came in and woke me up dragging me out of bed with anticipation. She refused to eat breakfast until her suitcase was packed.
It was a really great weekend. One of the fun things we got to do was reconnect with some very dear friends of ours. The Chesnut family manages the camp and it had been a year since we had seen them. Their kids are all getting so grown up! We worked with them back before we were dating at Lamoine Christian Camp. We also got to see the Spikereit family. Damien married us and we hadn't seen them for six years! The last time we saw them Josie was a newborn and she is now in first grade, and we had never met their youngest, Hudson. And of course they were surprised to meet all 3 of our kids as well.
The weekend was a great time to spend some fun quality time as a family. The weather was gorgeous and even almost cold at times. It definitely felt like fall. We love spending time outdoors and don't get to do it enough. We also had a chance to reflect on the season of parenting we are in. While we currently had our hads and laps full it won't be long before our kids are big enough to venture out and play with friends, entertaining themselves. I'm really enjoying this stage and trying to love every minute!
I think the most surprising aspect of the weekend was how seeing old friends caused us to reflect on where we've been and what God is currently doing in our lives. Sometimes it is a bit (yeah, just a bit) crazy around our house and that makes meaningful conversation a challenge. After the kids were in bed Jeremy and I sat on the porch and chatted, it was one of my favorite parts of the weekend. It makes me wonder what we will be doing next year for Labor Day weekend. We are really searching yet uncertain where God will have lead us even a year from now. But, I'm excited (and a little hesitant) to find out!
Paddle Boat Fun
Damien blobs Lilly- She flew!
Grace & Josie wait for a paddle boat.
Finding acorns and playing in the dirt. (Favorite activity of the weekend)
Paddle boat with Daddy, Grace, & Josie.
Hudson checks out Titus.
Jeremy give AnnaLeah a hard time.
Faith having fun in the bounce house.
Humiston clan matching bandanas.
The girls loved climbing on the bunk beds in our room, although I wasn't brave enough to let one of them actually sleep on the top bunk.
Making smores.
Love this picture-I hope her life is always this centered on the cross.
Us & The Spikereits
The train- this was so cute and the kids loved it!
Faith had fun playing in the dirt.
Titus enjoyed lots of time in the backpack.
Grace driving her train car.
Great food, friends, fireworks, swimming, paddle boats, bounce house, playground, train, games, preaching, music, getting dirty, gorgeous weather, and family time wrapped into one weekend = amazing memories.
If you have a camp that does family camp near you you should totally give it a try- I guarantee you'll want to make it your new family tradition.
This week for play group we visited an alpaca ranch. It was such an educational and fun trip! The kids were able to go in the pens and get up close feeding them and feeling their coat.
This baby was born on Sunday! It was born 10 days early so we were lucky to get to see such a little baby. Their fall heard should start being born soon.
I love this picture of both our hands.
Faith & Wyatt work together to feed an alpaca.
Faith was timid at first but warmed right up.
When Grace ran out of feed she simply took some hay from the trough and made her own snack.
This is one of the male alpaca's that isn't used for breeding. They are "pets" and only worth about $500 compared to a breeding male which can be up to $40,000 with a good blood line.
We finished up with a picnic at a pavilion near their pond. Even though it was a bit cold and damp it was a great way to end our trip.
