Day Camp

So this past week I went back home on Thursday for a thing called Day Camp picnic. Day camp is something that has been a part of my life since before grade school and has always been the highlight of my summer.

Okay, let me explain a little about Day Camp. Day Camp is a church camp at the church/school that I went to kindergarten at. It is one week during the summer where you go just for the day and don't camp overnight until Thursday night. During camp you learn to fish, canoe, do slingshot, arts & crafts, nature hikes, swim, and of course have a bible message every day. Each day there is chapel where each grade sings their theme song for the week and you do worship time together. Each grade has their own color t-shirt, 1st through 5th grade. First. Second. Third. Fourth. Fifth. Thursday you actually camp overnight which is always an adventure. Half the time, you never get to camp out because it ONLY rains on Thursday nights. When you do though it is a lot of fun, but as a JC or adult counselor a lot of work. I've made a lot of friends through day camp and love being able to reconnect with so many people every year there.

I've participated in Day Camp as long as I've been able to. I went through mini camp first then all the way through Day Camp. I LOVED Day camp so so so much and always looked forward to it. I remember all of the adult counselors and the Jr. counselors. One particular Jr. counselor, Alec, moved up every grade with my group to stay with us and I'm still really close to him to this day. After I went through all the grades myself, I became a Jr. counselor during middle school and high school. I LOVED working with those little kids and trying to make memories for them like I had with Day Camp. I'm partial to the third grade because I always thought it was the perfect grade to work with. After high school, I was a "purple shirt" for one year as the Arts and Crafts person. The purple shirts are just the directors and coordinators basically. After doing that I decided I wanted to get back with the third grade and became an adult counselor.

Like I said before, this year was my first year not to be able to go back to Day Camp. However, my little brother was a Jr. counselor this year and it was fun to get to see him interact with his kids. I still got to see all of my friends and in-particular my favorite Alec! Hopefully, I'll be able to continue to participate in Day Camp in some way for quite some time to come. I want to give back like they gave to me! Here are a few pictures, I couldn't find any really old ones with me as a kid though.

Me in fourth grade.

Purple Shirt Me & EMILY of melk!

A year as a Jr. counselor

Emily, Alec and myself

Me with some of my kids one year

My friend Tim and I who actually met through Day Camp in grade school

My little brother and I last year. I was a counselor for third and he was a Jr.

Alec and I

Another Alec sandwhich

This year at the picnic!

My little brother and I this year

Then of course, since I'm the "big" sister..

Now am I the only one who is this attached to a summer camp?