Camp Ozark

Oh my goodness....what a whirlwind of a two weeks.  Hailey and I came home yesterday to this sign...

It was made by Granni and Reese and Landry.  Let's just start with Granni.  I am so thankful to her for volunteering to come up and take care of my two babies for TWO WEEKS.  I had never been away from them for that long, nor had Trey and I been apart for that long.  Granni is AWESOME.  The girls had so much fun with her and she was so kind to clean the house so I would come home to no stress.  And, she makes the coolest signs!  THANK YOU GRANNI!!!

Camp Ozark is the place where Trey and I met, fell in love, and got engaged.  We also made many special friendships there that have lasted through the years.  When we think of our favorite places on earth....Ozark is towards the top.  Visiting there is good for my soul.  It is a place where I am able to gain perspective on life.  

I had the opportunity to serve as a Camp Mom while Hailey got to experience her first year as a camper.  She did not know any other kids when she arrived, but now has friends from various states and cities!  I have been playing mom for 7 1/2 years and haven't been in a "work" environment, but I had THE BEST time too.  I was able to interact and socialize with counselors, parents and kids.  I sure missed my babies and Trey, but absolutely loved being a part of the camp world again.  

Hailey's cabin.

Watersliding!

Some of her new friends!

She took Horsemanship and learned to ride by herself!

Wanna know where to find Hailey during Mish Mash (aka free time)?  Well, look no further than the craft shed where she painted, got feathers in her hair, created stuffed animals, made a skateboard and candle among other things....  She was a busy girl there.

Her other favorite place at camp...the ropes course.  I was BEYOND impressed with her.  She went down the zipline multiple times, climbed a big ladder to jump off of the Super Swing (no fear whatsoever) and climbed a 30 ft pole, stood on top of it and jumped without even flinching.  She may be bitty, but her confidence is mighty and that makes us so proud.

This is her on opening night being inducted into camp's Osage tribe.  Trey is Osage.  I am Caddo.  We left her fate up to chance.  We found out opening day that she would be an Osage.  I now wish I would've rigged her tribal assignment when I got there because it still burns me that I'm going to be the only Caddo in the family.  Trey and I made a previous agreement that all three kids will be in the same tribe to avoid fighting among the siblings.  I'm also rethinking that agreement.  In fact, I'm wondering if Trey did some behind the scenes work to get her to be on that tribe.....

Basically, Osage and Caddo compete against each other every day of camp to see which tribe will win the session and ultimately the summer.  It's a big deal.  It really stinks that I lost this one.

Playing in the bubble machine at the special event Water World.

One of her counselors who is FANTASTIC!!!

Hailey showing me all the goodies she made during Mish Mash.  She and I had to have a heart to heart on spending money at the craft shed.  I think she tried to set a record for the first two days...

Granni helped the girlies write Mommy at camp.  LOVED getting these.

There she is on the ropes course!

During Ultimate Solution (the ginormous relay race to decide which tribe wins the session), Hailey did a great job at her kickball station!

When we left, I asked her what she learned at camp.  Her response, "Well, I learned that God is ALWAYS with us and He will NEVER leave us no matter what."  First year at camp....TOTAL SUCCESS!

In The Woods

It's not easy to blog from up here!! Will be back soon!





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As Dori says....

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming....

Sitting outside each day for three hours for two weeks wasn't fun.  However, I am SO THANKFUL we did this.  Want to know why?  Well....I had probably my worst parenting moment to date this past weekend.  I've known that I've been on overdrive for quite some time and that I've needed to slow down.  My brain just has to do too many things at once sometimes and I physically feel fine but mentally feel like mush.  

We were at a party for Trey's work on Saturday.  Tons of kids and adults were swimming, I was not.  I took Landry to the bathroom and was thinking of the millions of things I was going to do and the people I was going to talk to when we got out.  After getting her dried off and redressed, we walked back to the pool.  She looked at me and said, "Mommy, can I get in now?"  I said, "SURE!" and walked away.  Next thing I knew, an adult was rushing by me and asking if she could swim.  I had allowed her to jump in without her life preserver on.  When I screamed and turned to look, there were adults rushing to her, but she had already realized she was missing it too and had turned on her belly and was swimming for the edge like she does in the video above.

I didn't stop shaking for quite some time and I was very paranoid the rest of the night.  I was on the verge of tears multiple times thinking back to my carelessness.  Pools petrify me with little kids because it only takes 30 seconds for tragedy and I messed up....once....and it only takes one time.  It is time for us to make a lifestyle change.  Thankfully, there were plenty of adults around and even without one, I'm quite certain she would have made it back to the side....but quite certain doesn't allow my guilt to lift or the "what ifs" to stop.

We will diligently continue to work on the girls' swimming skills the rest of the summer.  And this week, we will be slowing down and spending quality family time together with no distractions.

And for those that wonder if swim lessons really make that much of a difference?  Before this week, Landry would jump to me in a pool and kind of kick.  One and half weeks later, look what her instructors had her doing.  Amazing and a mandatory skill in this family.   

First Rangers Game

So Reese's birthday party was a few days before her actual birthday.  On her birthday, Trey had tickets for us for business purposes in a suite.  We couldn't leave the birthday girl behind on her actual big day, so we got her a ticket too!  It was so special to spend an evening with just her!

Her interview about the game. 

I shall be framing this.  She was so happy.

She keeps saying she wants to go back.  Last night she was chanting randomly at home, "Let's Go Rangers!"  Brainwashing success!

Reese is FIVE!!!!

I remember the day she was born.  She had the easiest birth of our three girls.  In fact, Trey loves to tell the story of how about five minutes after she was born, I looked at him and said we weren't done having kids yet (he looked at me like I was insane...and I was, sort of, I was on drugs) because it was such a wonderful day.  Part of it was being a second time parent.  The fear of the unknown was gone and the joy of adding a another precious girl was overwhelming.  I also remember Trey holding her and saying that he had a feeling she would be a daddy's girl....whoa, he was dead on with that.

She is spunky, independent, sensitive, a huge animal lover, determined, gives out the most kisses and hugs in our family, can push her sisters' (and parents') buttons like no other, and is so full of energy and life.  She still has the hardest time of our three kids falling asleep at night because it requires her to STOP moving.  What a blessing she is.  She stole her father's heart five years ago and they have a unique bond.  

We let her choose what she wanted for her birthday this year.  She decided to have a party at her gymnastics, so she and her friends could play, play, play!

Granni helped us out too!  Granni is the creative guru so I asked if she would help put some sort of thank you tag on the water bottles the kids received as party favors.  She went above and beyond.  Aren't they so cute?! 

Girls and their Granni!

The birthday girl!  She informed me that we could refer to her as "Birthday Girl" instead of Reese.

Her Rapunzel cake.  When asked if she wanted chocolate or white (it was 1/2 and 1/2), she said, "I just want a big piece with her HAIR!"

Family shot!

Practicing her gymastics!

LuLu loves the foam pit!

Heck, everyone does.

A few girls getting their dance on!

Parachute time!

Blowing out the candles!

When she walked out of the party, she looked at us and said, "Well.....my party is over.  NOW I'M FIVE!  I take up a whole hand!"

Happy birthday baby girl.