One of the afternoons and evenings at family camp, David, Kay, Grant and the babies came for a visit!

This is one of the perks of taking vacation so close to home!

It was a hot day that day – so we played outside until dinner time.

I just love these photos of our favorite people – so I had to include them in my little scrapbook here!

We all crammed into the camper for dinner and to get ready for chapel!

The babies were SO good during chapel!

David, Kay and the babies left after chapel, but Grant stayed super late that night to be with friends.

We sure miss our favorite people when we are apart!

Having all of us together for a bit made family camp even better!!

I think I have now gotten through all 200 some photos from our week at family camp!

We are already talking about and looking forward to next year!

There are SO many fun things to do while at family camp – and this year did not disappoint!

The mornings are filled with chapel time, family devotions, and then mother/daughter and father/son time.

After lunch is free time to choose activities that interest you!

Our week at family camp this year was warm with summer like temperatures during the day, but a little cooler at night.

Blake and I have to “divide and conquer” just a little bit each day so that the middle boys and the littles are able to do the things they would like to do.

Of course there was the playground, which Tate and Eliza could have lived on and been quite happy about that!

Eliza struggled – for a whole 20 seconds!! – with the feel of the sand when she first walked into it.

We brought our therapy tools to camp, but have also been using essential oils to help Eliza with her sensory needs too, which seem to be working wonders for her!

Tate and Eliza also wanted to jump on the trampoline – which was a popular place!

One afternoon we all headed to the lake to swim!

It was HOT.

Everyone had a great time!

The guys went on a hike while I napped the littles one day.

They had a blast, but were hot when they got back!!

Chad and Blake went on a trail ride too.

Super fun!!

They showed us the photos from their ride!

It was a JOY seeing our friends again!!

Every year there is a HUGE game of Mighty Mighty Scoop Noodle Challenge!

It really looks like MAYHEM – but I have been told it is like capture the flag on steroids!

Tate and Eliza rode some horses too!

But they were lead around by a camp worker!

After evening chapel time, the kids would hang out with their friends.

There were jam sessions and groups just hanging out singing together.

Routy games of Dutch Blitz!

We played in the game room!

The last night there was a huge arm wrestling match!

Here’s Chad’s turn!

There were puppies and kitties to hold!

I was able to sneak out of the camper early one morning to take a five-mile walk with my sweet friend!

It was so beautiful!

Our family photo was taken for the photo board!

Family camp 2017 – you were AWESOME!

We are already talking about next year!

Because of a week at family camp and then another (unexpected) week away from home for me, its been awhile!

In a way, family camp feels like years ago already, but I do not want to forget the HUGE impact it had on me and my crew – or all of the good times we had while we were there!

We have been attending Village Creek Family Camp for home school families since 2011, even though there were two years that we only visited for an evening because we could not attend the whole week.

Blake already signed up and reserved our spot for next year as well!

It was SO, so, so busy before we left – trying to get the house done, get the semi emptied, and get settled – that I did not use my camera as we prepped food and packed up the rented RV.

I took this ONE photo!

Our drive to Lansing, Iowa, is not long.

I think it took a little over an hour.

We are so blessed to live so close to this wonderful opportunity!

We have made GREAT friends over the years, and the highlight of family camp is getting to see everyone again!

There were almost 400 people there this year!

It has gotten SO big!

We love to live in the little RV all together!

We are the third one from the right in the photo below.

Hannah joined us for several days, but Grant stayed home this year to work.

Family camp is just not about fun activities and being with your friends.

Family camp is a place where truth is spoken through Chapel times, worship is shared through singing, and teaching is shared through Mom and daughter and Father and son times.

It is a place where you speak of your blessings AND of your hard things – and you are surrounded by friends praising with you or praying for you.

It is a place where IRON SHARPENS IRON.

And it is just SO GOOD!

I will have another post about all the activities we did while we were at camp that will be coming soon!

We were at camp from Sunday, September 10th, through Friday, September 15th.

Once we unloaded the RV on Friday evening when we returned home, we all sat around the kitchen table for hours filling Grant in on family camp!

We also spent a lot of time talking about the things that we learned that the Lord was burdening our hearts with – new things to apply – other things to change.

The tears flowed, the laughter was loud, and our hearts became more united than EVER.

Thank you, Lord, for a place like family camp.

We are already applying the burdens You have given us and seeing great things because of it!!