Circle 6 Ranch {preteen camp}

This past week we were in Stanton, Texas (20 miles east of Midland) for a preteen camp.  Jordan was asked back in January while we were between churches to teach the camp.  God called us to Lawton in February, but rather than cancel his booking for the camp, we decided to keep it and not only use it as an oppurtunity to reach out to some kids, but also as a mini vacation/getaway.  I have definitely come to the conclusion that vacations with young children are not really vacations at all, for us as parents anyway. Especially when the destination is six hours away.  I like to think of them as "patience-building" trips. Sometimes it sounds a lot more appealing to just stay at home than to try to wrestle with two little boys under the age of three out in public. And sometimes we choose this option when it is necessary.  But sometimes, we choose the harder option, and well, it is HARD! But it's always worth it.  We always come away from these experiences/trips with good memories made.  And in this instance, we were able to minister to a group of wonderful kids that were not our own. In doing so, we were blessed and so were Josiah and Elijah....what a wonderful blessing it is to be able to include our children in our ministry!

...this building held about 16 "hotel like" rooms, one in which we stayed in...

...front view of the sanctuary...

...side view of the sanctuary...

...the playground where the boys spent the majority of their time...

...Eli thought he was something else going down the big boy slides just like Josiah...

...his happy smile makes this mommy very happy!

...I'm always a bit concerned for Josiah's sake when we go on overnight trips because of his picky eating habits.  Fortunately, he ate really well and the cafeteria staff were awesome!

...Eli, on the other hand, is not very picky at all when it comes to food.  He is also not concerned about making big messes...spoons are very over-rated with him!

...Josiah especially enjoyed the huge cookies !

...the boys really enjoyed getting to play with the "big kids"!

...Josiah had to get right in the middle of things...

...the swimming was fun but the water was freezing!

...one of the classes for the campers consisted of teaching them how to cook in the wilderness and there was always a biblical application applied.  So everyday the campers prepared desserts and cooked them over the fire and got to enjoy the fruits of their labor after worship each night.

...Josiah was enthralled with the horses!

...though you may not be able to tell from Eli's face, the boys really enjoyed getting to ride around camp without having to sit in their carseats...

...and they really really enjoyed the golf-carts!

...I have to say that Eli pulls the "duck face" off way better than all the teenage girls/young adults on facebook!

...this guy's name is Keith and he did an excellent job leading the music.  Josiah loved him!

...I don't think I have ever seen a 50 year old man connect with kids the way he did! God has truly gifted him!

...I'll leave you with this picture of the "Texas Wildflower" as Keith named it!