Just Make Stuff

All good things must come to an end...

It was a great year...heck it was a great fourteen years, but it had to end sometime and last week was the perfect way to do it.  It's one of those things I could talk endlessly about, but for now I'll just share a few of the 2,220 photos we took this week...

I'll try and share more throughout the week...

I only have a minute...

I currently have the only internet connection on campus so I can upload the 500+ photos to pick up tomorrow at Costco...so I thought I'd quickly post today's (unedited) Camp photo.

I have to admit I was kind of grumbling and dragging myself to camp this year because of all the work we had to do, but now that everyone is here and all the excitement & happiness is palpable I'd gladly do twice as much work to be able to participate...just trying to take it all in and enjoy every minute...

It's the most ______ time of the year...

Vacation in Paradise themed scrapbook supplies have taken over out guest bedroom (of course by scrapbook supplies I mean all the foam palm trees Michaels carries...and a million teacher supply store tiny fish stickers)...it's that time of year again...it's not exactly wonderful right now...the weeks before Camp are pretty stressful...but...a big BUT...this is our last year. Granted I have been saying this for the last four years, but it's always been tied to waiting for the baby that never happened so this is officially it...my 14th and last year (Sean and Mac's 9th).  Thankfully I have a new fellow staff member this year in our program and when I was on the phone with her tonight she mentioned loving scrapbooking and being a perfectionist in the first couple of minutes...I almost had tears of joy in my eyes....this is going to be a GOOD year. :)

Don't even know where to start...

We got home from Camp late Saturday afternoon and it was all done for the year.  I cried during Mass, heck I cried all week...not really crying, but tears welling up in my eyes occasionally dropping onto my cheeks.  We were busy...not getting home till late and too tired to share on here as I suspected I might be, but I'll try my best to share now...

It was the best week, it always is...except every year just gets better and better.  I don't know where to start talking about it.  So many stories, so many gloriously lovable personalities.  We took 363 photos...My mom checking campers in for the week, Campers armed with glue sticks, Mac having fun, the Dodger Game (where apparently we were fans of the day according to their website), the dance, friends, campers showing off their books, just their faces...their beautiful, unique, can't get enough of them faces.

We served hundreds of meals and washed hundreds upon hundreds of dishes, we sang songs, we danced around the classroom because everyone should scrapbook to "Brick House" and "Whoomp There It Is".  We scrubbed glue-stick off of tables every afternoon.  We ran six red lights while trying to follow the four buses on their way to L.A. for the game.  We got both the seating sections next to us involved in cheers..."We love the Dodgers, yes we do!!! We love the Dodgers, how about you?...I hugged and hugged and hugged...I just so often touched their shoulders as I walked around the classroom, either checking on how they decorated with superhero stickers or with a little trash can cleaning up scraps. I helped a camper get his fingers out of the decorative scissors they were firmly stuck in...thankfully that little emergency had never happen before in the nine years I've run the class.  I've known so many of these amazing individuals for years...a dozen in some cases...I know their families...how much they love to dance...that they can be stubborn and manipulative when they want to...who likes noise and who doesn't...that they just love so much...that Camp is their magic week...and it's ours too.

I laughed and laughed...smiled and smiled...I was just truly there soaking in all their happiness and reveling in the fact that God is good...afterall, he gave us Camp.

I wish I could tell you everything...share every story...tell you about every camper. 

(Since that would take ten years to type out I'll just share this for now...CAMP...sorry all the verticle photos are sideways)

Campers...

Are safe in their beds at Camp tonight...they inevitably started arriving almost two hours early today...they just couldn't wait a minute longer...after all, they've been waiting every minute since Camp ended last summer. :) We got to come home early tonight (9:30pm) to catch up on a little sleep before tomorrow, when the fun really begins...the first day of Journal.  The gluesticks and decorative edge scissors are ready to go!!

(the picture is everyone getting ready for the big group photo...notice Mac is front and center getting himself a quick drink in the hot sun)

Holy Construction Paper Batman!!!

It's late, but I gotta share...

Yes, that's all made out of construction paper...and it's so very done...if fact the whole classroom is...granted not in this picture....but I just had to share....can't begin to tell you how happy that makes me.

The campers get to Camp tomorrow morning...CANNOT WAIT...I am soooo ready.

(but for now I'm going to bed)

And we're off...

at least five big boxes of supplies...check

4 rolls of blue tape...check

about 6 dozen glue sticks...check

a ton of superhero stickers...check

4 new mixes loaded on my Ipod...check

The car's all packed up and we're heading to Camp in a few minutes.  I can't believe it's finally here.  Long days are before us and TONS of fun.  We sleep at home every night so I'll try and share some of the fun and excitement if I can...but we usually don't get home until LATE. 

Hope you all have a good weekend...we sure as heck are going to. :)