Camp 2016!

HBC Family Camp was September 17-19, and we drove up and back home each night for Friday and Saturday! Enjoy the adventure! ;) 

Thursday:

Getting ready!

Aimee made Cookies of the Century for a road snack! Kate made delicious pie too, but somehow we didn't get a picture of that. ;) 

Since we weren't official campers we brought our own meals. This is the makings for taco salad, which we picnicked with outside for Friday dinner. 

Friday:

Jerry went to work, and the rest of us had a quick breakfast and continued camp preparations.

Around 12:30 everyone loaded up

We stopped to pick up the girls' new reading glasses!

  Look! Its green!!! 

Emma made a scavenger hunt game for the trip, and we listened to lots of classical music!

 Front seat

The whole, goofy van load. :) 

 Getting close to Prescott!

Paul helped string up lights at the Quiet Place for the night time sermons, and after dinner everyone headed there for a message.

 

The Quiet Place 

It was so 'cold' even in sweatshirts that Anna had to steal an adorable kid to squeeze. ;)

Pastor Huddleson spoke on loving one another. 

Then back to the cafeteria for games and music! This is a crazy, loud game called "Pit"... 

Aaaand the crazy, loud players. ;)

Matching girls!

Around 1:00 (you can chose if it was AM or PM ;P) we finally drove home, exhausted, happy, and talking 5mph. :D

Saturday:

We arrived just in time to jump in on the last couple of tug-of-war games, and then walk to the cafeteria for lunch! 

Then it was free time until dinner. Some played volleyball the whole time or sat by the sidelines and cheered the teams on, others played some frisbee, the little girls worked on a fort out by the 'L Tree' (it's a tree jutting out from the hill in the shape of an L) with their friends, and still others had a blast with little ones by the swing set.

A message by Mr. Hubler, and off to the fire-pit for s'mores!

To the cafeteria for games, singing, and burning our tongues on hot chocolate once more before saying goodbye and heading home!

Chess! 

 Two players and lots of advisers. ;)

 The music was great!

Singing praise to the Lord Almighty! 

Thanks so much for reading about our adventures! 

Celebration at the Park

Pearl had her first day of dog training class Saturday, and to celebrate that and her birthday we met some friends and relatives at a park for some ice cream and frisbee!!! Make sure to go read about the class at Pearl's blog mydoggyfriend.wordpress.com!

FSDS Service Dog Training class

The celebratory group!

Adorable nephew makes an adorable selfie!<3

Frisbee!

Ice Cream!

 Super grateful for friends, family, ice cream, and God's love. What are you thankful for this week?

Chap and Chum Cook

Good Auntie Kate made two batches of shortbread the other day for the express purpose of getting to cook with Chap and Chum. 

Cheesy grins ;)

Happy man!

 It was extra fun because shortbread takes kneading, and he loved squeezing the butter and flour together. He's so precise and good at baking! (And thankfully good about not snitching.)

Oh, Chum wants to "dook" too? They ended up making another batch of what they adorably dubbed "cookies" just so he could have a turn stirring and kneading.

 I can assure you they both enjoyed eating the shortbread as much as baking it. :)

This Goofy Family

Maricopa County Summer Reading Program + Glendale Library Summer Reading Program= LOTS and LOTS of reading!

Silly doggy thinks the baby pool is for her! <3 

Kate's writing hideout behind the couch

Dollhouse people out to dry after a dunk in the pool. (113 degree weather nowadays!) 

Yup, a tarped Foosball table. Glorious surprise thunderstorms keep us on our toes! :)

"Shhh!" A surprise birthday party for a friend was awesome fun! It was so hard to keep 47 people quiet while the birthday-girl was upstairs sewing with her friend, and we were decorating downstairs. Imagine all the held back laughter! ; )

Goofy Bea! 

After a scrumptious pot-luck dinner, games commenced--including dressing up bible times... 

and Guesstures! (a.k.a charades) 

Thanks to some awesome friends who lent us their minivan while our 15 passenger was out of commission.

Thrift stores!!! 

Sweet, happy-go-lucky pup!

Doctor's office

Talking on the phone with scrumptious--I mean, adorable--nephews!! 

 Silly selfies on the way to church...

 And on the way home. :P (See? It's our van! Yay!! Thanks so much, Mr. W, for fixing it!!!) 

 Little soap makers!

Kate's beautiful creations.

A tent made out of sheets appeared across the gap between the couch back and the window to the sun room.

 

Ella decided its luscious comfy-ness was made especially for her darling highness! 

 
Aunt Lori gave us a puppet theater!!! (Thank you, Auntie! We love it!)

And that about sums up what the Willisters have been up to!