Service Camp Day One... Serving God by giving of our Time

This week kicked off "Service Camp," a week long camp I'm hosting for Big Sis and four of her friends. "Service Camp" is just one of three camps that Big Sis will be a part of this summer. My sister (Ann) and a friend of ours (Kari) are each doing a camp as well. Last month was "Princess Camp" hosted by Ann and next month is "Water Camp" hosted by Kari.

The camps are designed with our 5 daughters in mind: Zoe (age 3), Ryli (age 5), Bayli (age 3), Naomi (age 4), and Eva (age 2). Service Camp is a three day camp where we are focusing on serving God by giving of our Time (Day one), Talents (Day two), and Treasures (Day three). We will be doing a field trip on the fourth day where we go to a nursing home to sharing our Time, Talents, and Treasures!

This fun backdrop was created to help reinforce each day's emphasis. Day one is giving of our Time: here Zoe is placing a band-aide on Eva's knee that has a boo-boo. Day two is Talents and Ryli is singing into the mic. Day three is Treasure and Naomi is handing Bayli a flower to symbolize giving of a treasure.

Today was Day One: Serving God by giving of our Time

The morning started with us outside taking a few quick pics of some of our campers.

Zoe standing next to the Service Camp 2011 sign

Bayli posing for a shot to start the day

Ryli holding up her camp bag showing off her two camp badges (Princess Camp and now Service Camp)

Roman toting around Zoe's camp bag... or anything else he can get his hands on.

Each girl got her hand painted with a clock on it to symbolize serving God by giving of our "Time."

Theo, the firefighter service dog came to Service Camp today to help teach us our songs for the week! He was a big hit!!

Next we had our bible lesson about the Good Samaritan! The girls each found the story in their bibles.

 Here they are watching the story being acted out using VeggieTale characters.

Eva is putting a picture on the board of a way that we can serve by giving of our Time (bringing flowers to a sick friend, collecting canned goods or blankets, doing our chores, etc).

After the bible lesson the girls decorated cookies to share with the neighbors. They also decorated special baggies to put the cookies in.

Below you can see the girls staying in a nice safe line holding onto a rope as we took a walk around the neighborhood to deliver our treats!

At each stop they shared our special cookies and recited our bible verse: "God Loves A Cheerful Giver" 2 Corinthian 9:7

During the camp the little campers are given coins when they are seen being a 'servant' or displaying good behavior. At the end of each day the campers are given an opportunity to visit the "Camp Store" (aka, the Teepee) where they can purchase items for themselves, save for a bigger item later, or buy something for a friend. 

These coins will come in especially handy as we talk about 'Treasures' on the last day.

The camp store

A view inside the camp store...anything from candy to trinkets to jewelry and stuffed animals are all available in the store!

All of our little campers! Aren't they cute!!

My prayer is that somehow during this week they catch a glimpse of putting others before themselves. This is a difficult concept to teach this young age, but it is amazing how we are catching glimpses of their understanding already!

Strawberry picking

Our little sweethearts went strawberry picking at the beginning of June. The Zoester and her two cousins, Ryli and Bayli had a great time! They picked berries that were juicy red inside and out without any holes. They made sure that they weren't too mushy or too green. 

Ryli was an all-star picker!

Zoe knew exactly what to look for!

Bayli examining her berry to make sure it was "just" right!

Look at that proud face!:)

Ryli loved picking sooo much that she came back several more times with Gma and Aunt Alice!

"I think I'd like to eat this one."

"I'm having the time of my life!"

Highlights from the last few weeks....

These last few weeks have been packed full of activity.

Anniversary Outing
For Husband and I's 8th anniversary we decided to go camping down at Hocking Hills. We planned to cook all of our meals over the fire! Yum yum!

 We went canoeing and enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing morning gliding through lily pads.

Enjoying the fruit of our labor over the fire!

Big Sis Turns Three!

Big Sis turned three on July 1st!

Pizza, of course, was the party food of choice! Nothing less for a Lee birthday party!

One of Big Sis' favorite things to do is to get drinks for all of the guests. She loves to use the drink dispenser!

 Big Sis requested a 'fairy' birthday party she and her cousins all got fairy wings for the occasion!

This was a HUGE milestone birthday for Big Sis...for she gave up her binky just 3 days before. For her birthday she got a 'big' bed. Here all of the girls are enjoying 'trying it out.'

 Grandpa and Grandma Lee sent Big Sis this easel for her birthday! It was a big hit! She uses it everyday and loves it to pieces!

 Here she is dressed as "Cinderella":)

4th of July Race

On July 4th, Daddy, Little Man, and Big Sis ran in the North Canton YMCA Fourth of July 2 mile race. Here Big Sis and Daddy are doing some early morning stretches...

 

Well... Daddy pushed Big Sis and Little Man in a stroller while he ran... they had the easy life!

Here is a video of the race:

Princess Camp 2011

Princess Camp is one of three themed camps that my sister (Ann), myself, and friend, Kari Klaserner are taking turns hosting this summer for our daughters. Ann dreamed up the idea of Princess Camp and it has been the most wonderful week! There are five girls total and they memorize a Bible verse, work on crafts that pertain to the theme, and have lessons and Bible stories that apply to ages 2-5. Camp only lasts an hour and a half and is for three days with a field trip on the fourth day. The other two camps coming this summer are "Service Camp" hosted by me:) and then "Water Camp" hosted by Kari. The adults are having a blast and I think the girls are too!

The theme verse for the week was the following:

Beauty should not come from necklaces, clothes, or makeup. Instead, it should come from your heart. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Each of the girls said the verse by memory... what a great verse to plant in their hearts at such a young age.

 Auntie Ann teaching them their verse:)

 Zoe holding up her door hanger that says "what's in the heart is the most important part." She put on ruby red lipstick and kissed the inside of the heart! Precious!

 Each of the girls dressed up as princesses!

 Zoe sporting her shades. They were told to wear sunglasses and it represented how we see things differently when we have sunglasses on... similar to the concept of how God sees us differently by viewing what's in our heart, not what's on the outside!

 The campers made princess wands as a craft this week! So cute!

 Zoe painting her 'princess hat' that she will wear for the princess parade!!

 We had a princess parade the last day of princess camp! The barrels that they rode on were adorned with inner beauty qualities.

 They wore their tutus and princess hats they created and they waved their princess wands that they made!

 What a perfect ending to princess camp!

praying for "The One"...

Sun gleaming down hitting her soft blonde hair just at the right angle to make it shine. She's so beautiful... She's not even three.

I find myself praying, pleading, crying out to God to bring her just the right one...the right one to love her...the perfect fit of a husband who loves God with all his heart and who's love spills over to one like her. One that will  honor her and respect her and so reflect the grace and love of God that she grows closer to her Creator everyday. A man who has kept himself pure and has waited for one like her. And I pray the same for her. That she would wait patiently for the one that God has for her...hand-selected and the perfect fit. That her eyes would stay focused on God and not be distracted by the things of this world. She is a gem. I pray for God's prevenient grace to go before her protecting her and helping her to make wise choices as she journeys this earth. For her innocence to remain and for her to see people through the eyes of Christ. For her tender-heart to never change. And I pray for "The One" who will appreciate these things in her.

Camping with Dad...

The night was perfect...the sun beaming down and the sweet sounds of birds in the background. It was camp-out night and Big Sis was learning from Daddy how to set up the tent.

The grill was fired up and burgers and hotdogs were sizzling along with sweet corn buttered to perfection in foil. Bananas with chocolate chips and marshmallows on the grill was the dessert of choice (by all but Daddy).

Little Man and Daddy played in the rocks and Big Sis tried to mow the yard.

tossing rocks

mowing the lawn

The camp-out began with a very wound up Big Sis. She was bouncing off the walls with enthusiasm to be sleeping under the stars in the nights breeze. She would count to three and then run and jump into the tent to land on the mattress. One would never have known that it was hours past her bedtime.

watching a movie with daddy

the first camp-out

 It was looking promising that she would fall asleep, but to no avail.

At a quarter till ten in the door walked Daddy and Big Sis... apparently "she never stopped talking the whole time" according to Daddy. Into her own little bed she went and was asleep only moments later.

We'll try the camp-out again another year and see what happens then. For now, I know that Big Sis has wonderful memories of her time with Dad!

The start of summer...

We've been enjoying the outdoors as much as we can this week. The sun has tuckered out the little ones and mommy too:). Here are some great shots from the week....

We picked up our first ears of corn from the store this week. Daddy had been aching for some fresh corn and so we indulged him....

zoe husking her first ear of corn

She insisted on eating it right then!

Juices running down her chin

She thought it was the best thing ever!

Enjoying every nibble

Roman soaking up the sun and some of the water too!

The two together had a blast in the baby pools!

Happy as a lark!