3 July 2011 - Girls' Camp!

This week was Girls' Camp.  It was Jessica's first year, and Joanne was called to be our ward camp leader.  We had five girls go from our ward.

They got to go dragon boating.

This is Jessica with BFF Leah in their matching camp shirts.

This year at Girls' Camp they held a formal dance.  There was much skepticism about this type of an activity but Joanne said the girls had an absolute blast with it and really enjoyed getting dolled up despite being out in the woods.

Here are all five girls from the Washington Ward ready for the dance, with Colleen Lindley (from our ward and one of the stake camp directors) and Joanne.

While Jessica and Joanne were at camp in PA, Jolene and Amanda were at camp in Delaware, so the younger two girls and I went there to help with Karl and Jolene's boys during the day while Karl was at work.  Here are some Reese's Pieces cookies I made.  Super yum! 

Karl had ambitious plans for while we were there.  He is putting in a play area in the backyard.  This is a length-wise view of the area.  The wooden thingy is going to be for a net to hit/kick balls into for things like batting practice.

We took the play set apart and moved it into the play area and then reassembled it.

The kids were excited to have their trampoline back together, even though we didn't get everything done (like the net and spring pad), and you can see in this photo that we re-stained the play set.  It took 24 yards of playground mulch to cover the entire area.

On Saturday the girls and I headed back to Pennsylvania to see Jessica and mommy after a week away.  We were glad to have the opportunity to see Grandma Fails (who came to Delaware on Friday evening) and Jeremy and Rebbecca and kids for a few minutes on Saturday (they came to Karl's for the 4th of July weekend).  Around noon, we left Delaware and the temperature was about 90 degrees with high humidity.  By the time we got to Baltimore the temperature was 95 degrees, traffic on I-95 was nasty, and we weren't making very good time.  As we got to I-70 and headed west, I was running low on gas and the girls needed food so I pulled off in Frederick, MD.  When I rolled down my window to place an order at Taco Bell, I smelled the telltale sign of hot antifreeze and knew I was in trouble.  I pulled into a gas station next door and found my radiator had sprung a leak.  After eating our tacos, filling up with gas, and topping off the radiator, we headed into Frederick, hoping and praying we could find a shop that was open.  Within half a mile, I found one.  There were two mechanics on duty and although they had other vehicles to work on, they stopped what they were doing, got a hold of a parts supplier who was able to bring a radiator right over, and began working on my truck.  We were extremely blessed to pull into this mechanic on the Saturday of 4th of July weekend at 3:30 PM and then leave an hour and a half later with a brand new radiator installed and the air conditioner running.  The temperature when we left Frederick was 97 degrees.  One of the mechanics even gave the girls his left over Rita's Swedish Fish flavored gelato. Incidentally, it was almost a year ago exactly that Joanne's head gasket blew on a blistering hot day in Frederick, MD on her way to Delaware to watch Karl and Jolene's kids while Jolene was at Girls' Camp.  I guess we're going to have to stop doing that ;-).  I felt very fortunate as I headed west Saturday afternoon.  We saw many cars broken down along I-70/I-68 between Frederick and Morgantown, MD, and I knew the Lord had watched out for us so that we weren't numbered among them.

I was very grateful to make it home Saturday night because Sunday was very important.  I have been working with a man in my ward named Bill Schumacher for several years.  Bill was excommunicated from the church back in 1993, but has always remained faithful to the church.  Last fall we set a goal for him to be re-baptized by spring of 2011.  In May, a council was held and we received permission for Bill to be re-baptized.  Unfortunately Bill suffered a serious back injury right after permission was received, he underwent surgery, and then his wife gave birth to a baby shortly after that.  We had finally set July 3rd as Bill's baptism date, and I was deeply grateful that my truck got fixed and that I was able to be there on Sunday to see Bill baptized by our friend, Cliff Bergmann.  Following the baptism, I had the privilege of confirming Bill a member of the church.  Working with Bill these past several years has helped me to see how powerful the atonement can be, if a person will truly humble himself, admit his shortcomings and work to correct them, and submit himself to the will of the Lord.