Camp

I cannot even start to say what going to camp meant to me this week. I took my books with me to do as much prep as possible and I am glad I didn't say no because God definitely had a great plan when He prompted others to ask me to come. It was a very emotional week, possibly one of the most emotional that I've ever experienced but it was hugely healing to my heart. Days prior and especially once I got there the memories washed over me like an uncontrollable flood. Everywhere I looked I saw Renee and it was once I got to camp that I realized that our shared love, that was unique within our four was camp. It was here that we had so many great memories together. Not only during the week but also hanging out in between weeks of camp on the weekends at her parents house. The camp has changed a fair bit building wise since I was there last but the spirit and the memories were exactly the same.

It's funny, and I've found this in other situations, how you can almost completely forget what was a huge portion of your life. I had forgotten about so many great things that can only be found at camp. Like cup games, encouragement notes, cabin/bunk graffiti, the food, tuck time, rec. I was amazed by the fabulous staff at camp this week. So many awesome kids, including my brother Chad who was working with one of the kids with Down's Syndrome that used to be my mom's daycare kid. Five of my mom's former and current daycare kids came up, four of which have different special needs. It was so fantastic to watch them really love camp and get involved in everything.

Going back to the graffiti, which is just notes and names that people have written on the bunks throughout the years, one of the counselors found something that Renee had written on one of the bunks. That was so special that I tried to find more in other cabins but I didn't find anything else. And on the last day I wrote something "back" to her. There were several times during the week that I was really prompted to remember and at one point I wrote a letter "to" Renee. It was part of this letter that I wrote on the bunk. It was such a great way of synthesizing my thoughts and my memories.

As I had said in my post before camp, one of my former campers is now an assistant director and I also had another former camper there on staff. It was such a great little reunion. They have grown into amazing women of God and I am so proud to say I was their counselor.

It will definitely not be another six years till I return to camp again. Now with being a teacher, I can definitely say I will try to go back next year. I don't know if I'd do the kitchen thing again. It wasn't too bad, but there's no sun in the kitchen and that's definitely a downfall.

So now it's back to regular life. Lots of prep to do this week as well as pack all my stuff to move it into my classroom next week. It's also our anniversary (#3) on Wednesday and this week (the evenings anyways) are definitely filling up quickly.

Cheers to camp, cheers to hope and cheers to life!
Krista

Heading to Camp

So much of my summers as a teenager were spent at camp, Beaver Creek Bible Camp to be exact. It's a wonderful camp, about 2 hours north of Winnipeg, past Gimli, past Riverton, past Grandma's and a little jaunt up the Pine Dock Road (a gravel nightmare where I hit the ditch for the first time). I went there for the first time as a camper when I was 7 and my mom cooked in the kitchen. Every year since then my mom has cooked in the kitchen, first with me and Kurtis, and then with Chad and now whenever it works. As I grew up and out of life as a camper I took Leader Development Camp and became a counselor. I spent the full season, five weeks out there one year, another year I spent four weeks there and now my youngest brother Chad has done the same. This week will be his last week of five. This coming week the list of campers was looking awfully sparse and my mom is cooking so my mom got five of her former daycare kids to come to camp. A couple of them have special needs and so she asked me to come along to help them when necessary and be in the kitchen the rest of the time.

So, seeing that I was only going to do prep this week, and I don't work at the restaurant until Friday I thought I'd go. I've been camping all weekend and tomorrow morning we'll leave at 6am to go to camp. I anticipate many memories flooding over me as we drive up the drive way. I met my first boyfriend there, I met so many fabulous kids including one young lady Katelyn (who is now dancing on heavenly soil). Renee and I spent so much time together at camp, we never counseled together (as in the same cabin) but we definitely taught drama together, and had so much fun. Including hiding our least favourite song "Arky, Arky" which unfortunately we were too honest to hide for too long.

And now as I go back- it's my brother's generation that are the counselors and leaders of the camp. One of my former campers who I counseled when she was maybe 10, is now the assistant director! It will definitely feel a little bit different and I guess that's okay, seasons have come and gone since I was there last. I'm definitely glad though, that God is bringing me back.

Cheers!
Krista

House Hunting

We're not quite ready to buy but I've been definitely looking on MLS regularly. And time and time again I am surprised by what I see. I understand that there may be different priorities in selling a house from Winnipeg to Steinbach but I definitely do not see this level of... I don't know what to call it... professionalism, editing, trying to actually sell a house... when I look at listings from some of the real estate agents in Steinbach.


Some of the things I have noticed as a future home buyer that reallllly turn me off

- one ad I looked at today had this in the listing "in mittle off town" aka in the middle of town. You must have someone else in the office that can look at your ad before you put it on MLS

- no pictures with an ad, I personally probably would not go look at a house unless I saw pictures online

- however no pictures might be better then looking at pictures of people's mess. If you're trying to sell it- make it look worth buying. This includes putting your dishes away, making your bed, arranging your furniture so it looks presentable.

Ok, rant over. I was going to blog on something else today, but I guess I'll do that tomorrow or maybe if you're lucky later tonight!!

Cheers!
Krista

Updated again

My dad got out of the hospital on Saturday and has been taking it easy at home since then. I have been at the strawberry farm working picking delicious berries. It's a good place to work, you can eat whenever you want. I eat strawberries all day. If you're into strawberries come pick at La Salle Valley Berry farm, we are picking tomorrow- call 261-4155 for a good time...

Another Update- Updated

So things seem to be looking up. Dad looked better today, he was off of oxygen, off the heart monitor and off saline. He is still in observation and has not gotten a room but at least he is not in the hall. They want to keep him until Monday when he's been on the blood thinners for a week, but as of today his blood was at the levels they wanted it as far as thinness and he passed the first part of the heart/stress test. The clot "could" still move, and they do not have results back from Mayo yet and probably won't for a couple days. He will have to take it very easy this summer, no lawn mowing, etc.

So my mom may have to mow the lawn... She hasn't mowed a lawn in 35 years and someone was surprised this week to hear that I had never mowed a lawn. Well... I may have mowed my grandparents lawn on the farm, but I don't quite remember. I know I drove the lawnmower and tipped it in the ditch (only once I believe), but I don't know if I was actually mowing the lawn or going for a "drive". But I digress.

The prayers have been much appreciated, keep them coming as now that he has had this once it may happen again.

Update- Karyn also remembers me hitting a rock or a tree when I was driving the riding lawn mower. As for my parents- it doesn't look like lawn mowing will be a problem for my dad

Update

Not much has changed, he's still at the Vic waiting for a room. There is one big clot and several small clots at this point. It's the large one that they are very concerned about, as if it moves.... It's all a big waiting game as he waits to have the medicine start to diminish the clot. He'll probably be transfered over to the Health Sciences tomorrow just for some tests and then be transfered back. The doctors at the Vic sent some of his blood to the Mayo Clinic in the states for some additional testing on whether there is a condition that is causing these blood clots. While we wait, continue to pray.

Prayer Request

This time it's for my dad. He is in the hospital because he has a pulmonary embolism, which is a blood clot in an artery in his lungs. He "should" be okay, now that he's in the hospital and on blood thinners, but there is one large clot that they are concerned about. It all started with huffing and puffing during a bike ride and some chest pain, then he came home early from work yesterday and went to the walk-in to have it checked out. The walk-in sent him for testing at the Vic where he is now, in the ER waiting to be admitted.