Off to Camp

The kids have spent their first night away at church camp.  As it is a tech free zone, I couldn't text them good night or check in on them this morning.  I'm at the mercy of the random pictures I can stalk online from their leaders, when they have a chance to post any, and the knowledge that I'd have a text if anything other than a good report were necessary.

My wish for them this week is that they soak up not just just the sun and summer fun but that they open their hearts for whatever God has in store. 

As a child, I only remember going away to camp once.  It was with a church just down the street from our house that my sister and I walked to for VBS and a girls' program called Blue Bells.  Honestly most of what I remember about that trip are from the photos taken that week.  I do recall how beautiful the campus was, somewhere near Lexington, because I also remember seeing the castle in the distance for the first time that trip. 

And I remember how freaked out I was to share a shower with a bunch of girls, with only a paper thin curtain between us.  Perhaps I stunk that week because I'm pretty sure I avoided that experience again at all costs.  That reminds me of Noah's first camping excursion involving a dramatic bathroom scene.  He was away at 4H camp and they must've had a similar shower set up.  Of course it probably wasn't as graphic as he portrayed it, once home, but he basically admitted to only using baby wipes and the daily "Polar Plunge" he took at 6 am each day to count for his bathing routine that week.

Like his momma, he's probably not cut out for dorm life.  (future mental note)

Anyway, perhaps it is a phase he has outgrown now.  I did not pack him baby wipes in an effort to push the need for an actual shower.  Between that and the messy games he's signed up for, I think it will be a requirement.  Character building.

What I did pack (or rather sneak) into both his and Tina's bags were tiny notes, a travel tradition I started long ago.  Normally, as I'm leaving for a trip, I'll hide notes around the house so that they'll find them while I'm away.  I arrange it so they'll find them throughout the days I'll be gone but it becomes more of a hide & seek activity from what I've heard.  This time, knowing I couldn't communicate with them until Thursday, I tucked away sweet and funny notes hoping they'll find and know I'm thinking of them. 


.....off for a day of boat therapy on the lake.  Sure to distract me from missing them too much!

Faithful Friday: Father's Day

Father's Day and our anniversary are always close together.  The mingling of those two occasions cause an overflow of emotions for me.  Maybe more so this year, as we are on the cusp of our 20th anniversary.

One of the things I love most about Tim is the father he is.  From the very beginning, I knew he would make an excellent dad.  Kids gravitate to him and he just has this natural quality, an ease for parenting.  He's still very much a kid at heart himself so that's probably why they relate to each other so well!

Tim wanted children from the very beginning and, although I was taking preventive measures, he was beyond thrilled to learn of my unexpected pregnancy, just 3 1/2 months after our wedding.  I can picture his excitement and see the expression on his face, as if it were yesterday, when he raced into the bathroom and learned of the surprise.

Austin held Tim's heart from before he was ever born.  They had an unimaginable bond.  Austin was his little shadow, always wanting to be just like dad.  Inseparable best friends.  I know this is why the holiday becomes so emotional for me.  My heart just breaks because I know how much Tim hurts and how he misses his first born. 

Tim's love is just as strong though for our baby, Noah, who is now towering over his dad.  Unlike the surprise of having Austin, we'd tried for years to have another baby.  When we'd almost given up hope, he arrived.  With both boys, they came in God's timing.  And Noah got in his share of surprise as well, as we thought we were bringing home a Hannah Grace!

There's a picture collage on our wall that says, "Anyone can be a father...but it takes someone special to be a Dad!"  How true this is for Tim.  As a Dad, he has always been there for the boys, never hesitating to help take care of them and actually finding joy in the every day tasks of parenting.  He loved nothing more than to get down in the floor with them.  Even today I have to shoot a cautious glance to Noah, if they wrestle, for fear he'll hurt his back.  And Tim's been there for every milestone, each ballgame, and all the little life moments in between.

He's taught our boys selflessness, having a servant's heart, helping others, patience, resilience, laughter despite storms, and most of all a love for God.  It's always been his desire that his children would be strong Christians, faithful to follow God. 

The father of godly children has cause for joy.
What a pleasure to have children who are wise. Proverbs 23:24

Yet one of the most beautiful examples of the kind of father Tim is comes from him welcoming Tina into our home with open arms.  He never wavered, complained, or gave it a second thought to rearrange our life and bring in a little girl who needed a family to love her.  He's grown so close to her in the past two years she's been here and without a doubt I know he thinks of her like his daughter.  Tim's protective of her, firm but caring, and has given Tina the most consistent example of what a loving husband/father should be that she's ever had. 

I thank God daily for this man.  As as child I dreamed of who my prince would someday be.  Never could I have imagined what a wonderful spouse He'd send.  How lucky I am to share my life and parent alongside him.  Happy Father's Day to the best Dad I know!