Thanks to our family friends (the Brazzale's) we grew up boating (and tubing and skiing) on Guernsey Reservoir but haven't been out since Hadley was a baby. I didn't realize how much I missed it or until we did it with some of our youth girls for an award trip. We stayed the night in a camper, woke up and made breakfast, then spent the day swimming and playing in the sun. So fun.
This was the girls' first introduction to tubing and they loved it, of course. Hadley kept giving the "the faster" sign and cried when she had to get out. Our little thrill seekers.
This is what my hair looked like after a day driving around on boat. The wind is NOT blowing here....a look I think I should re-create in the future :)
The last week of July we traveled 10 hours to South Dakota to put on a VBS and work and serve on a Lakota Reservation.
We all slept a little on the bus.
We put this next one on Facebook. We had no running water in the building we slept in. There were also no showers....but there was tub outside next to a warm artesian well where we took baths (if you wanted) and washed our hair.
We put on a VBS for about 15 kids while we were there and Antwon really attached himself to us. The girls and him played all the time.
The well also had natural gas so you could light it on fire. So cool.
Hadley helping make the VBS signs to hang around town. She is getting so grown-up.
Helping make (but mostly eat) the snow cones we handed out 2 different nights.
We had 2 "grandma" chaperones on the trip and it was such a blessing to have them watch over the girls periodically so I could help the youth with projects. Here they are frosting animal crackers for dessert...time consuming and delicious.
The Girls Room...14 ladies slept in this little area. It was cozy.
Getting ready for VBS (we put it on each afternoon for 4 days)...
singing silly songs...
making crafts...
it was also wonderful having 13 babysitters along on the trip...the girls got lots of attention (and piggy-back rides).
We painted, weeded this garden, picked up garbage, built a wheelchair ramp, and cleaned some buildings and the girls helped with it all. There might have been some whining along the way, but for 4 and 5 year olds, they did awesome.
Joni's pet ladybug...which flew away 2 minutes later.
It's alive, don't worry. One of the kids brought this puppy everyday and Hadley and Joni took turns pretending it was theirs.
More VBS crafts.
Going for a ride.
And another.
VBS snack time...
We had 2 community meals and 1 food pantry event. A truck with food dropped off tons of boxes that we carried in and sorted and helped distribute to the locals who came.
Water games day! It was in the 90s, almost 100, everyday we were there.
Being silly with Becca.
Our finished wheelchair ramp. Our teens really connected with the kids on the reservation and were sad to leave. A different lifestyle for sure. We talked a lot about Jesus and continue to pray for them.
Love to you all!
