We had 3 very excited kids for siblings camp this summer! Rebecca was so excited she tried to pack herself inside of a suitcase to stow away!! She kept asking if she got "to stay at camp", over and over.
On the way there we stopped for lunch at a rest stop that had a fun tree to climb in. I took the opportunity while my monkeys were climbing to take some pictures of them. It amazing how hard it is to get 4 kids to smile and look at the camera all at the same time!
At camp we did our customary picking of the beds out before going to play at the carnival. Getting to be one of the 1st to pick your bed is always exciting and of course gives you more choice. Both Corrine and Ammon choose a top bunk this year which didn't surprise us at all.
Corrine is in North Star this year and Ammon is in Wildwood, and their cabins face each other. This is the last year that they will both be in the 3rd circle, because next year Corrine will be 9 and in the 2nd circle!!
After picking out their beds and meeting their counselors we headed to the carnival. The 3 bigger kids were very into games and winning tickets for prizes. Rebecca tried the bounce house but didn't really like it. When she got out Dad had a cotton candy that she promptly claimed as her own. She LOVED it and was a pink sticky mess before too long!! After all the kids won their prizes, we headed back up to the cabins to drop Corrine & Ammon off. It's always hard to say good bye to them, but each year it does get alittle easier.
This years camp theme was transportation. On Monday the had race cars come to camp, and the kids got to explore those. The Boone Scenic railroad goes right through the middle of camp. On Weds the train made a special stop at camp to pick the kids up for their own private ride.
Each week at camp the staff take pictures and post them on their blog. It's always fun to look at the pictures each day and try to spot the kids. We spotted Corrine this week at her Princess Party. She doesn't look very thrilled in the picture, but when we asked her about the party she said she had a good time, except that she had to wear a dress and she didn't want to!
This year Corrine was very confident heading into camp. Ammon felt more prepared for being away from us. Both of them during the week had 1 or 2 times of homesickness, but they were able to get past them quickly.
Camp Heart Connection holds such a special place in all our hearts. The kids look forward to and talk about camp all year long. It gives them a chance to meet new friends who have gone through similar experiences with a sibling and cancer. They get to have fun and to have a place to share their feelings and to be the center of attention. We love to hear the stories all year long from their week at camp.
