Homesick

In an hour I will head out to pick up my kids from camp. They have been gone for 2 weeks and I miss them.  To say they love camp is an understatement. They reminisce over their YSSC experiences the 352 days of the year they are not at camp, and make paper-chains to countdown the days till they will return.

When I pick them up they will hug me good, and introduce me to everything that has nourished  their souls for the past 2 weeks. I will be glad.

And when it is time to say goodbye we will fill our SUV to the brim with sleeping bags and pillows, a months worth of laundry, two weeks chock-full of memories, and my three who will feel the pangs of campsickness. 

Campsickness will cause them to ache the moment we turn out of the driveway and onto the main road. They will breath in deep the fragrance of their beloved YSSC; inhale every bit of sustenance to take from this mountain back home to the foothills. 

Campsickness.
I already ache for them... and with them.

I ache because this world is not my Home, and when I get a taste of What is... well, nothing here satisfies. God is so good; so delicious in every way. Everything this side of heaven pales in comparison to Him.  At YSSC my three have feasted on the LORD their God (and they have dined in community, which is the most scrumptious kind of feasting) because of this I know that the campsickness is really Homesickness. 

Knowing this causes my mama-ache to be enveloped by pure-mama-joy, and I praise God, Who has SO FILLED my children WITH HIMSELF that they are Homesick for Him.

 I want to build a house up on this mountain

Way up high where the peaceful waters flow
To quench my thirsty soul
Up on the mountain

I can see for miles up on this mountain
My troubles seem so small they almost disappear
Lord, I love it here
Up on the mountain

My faith is strengthened by all that I see
You make it easy for me to believe up on the mountain
Oh, up on the mountain
 
I would love to live up on this mountain
And keep the pain of living life so far away
But I know I can't stay
Up on the mountain
 
I said I'd go, Lord, wherever You lead
For where You are is where I most want to be
And I can tell we're headed for the valley
My faith is strengthened by all that I've seen
So Lord help me remember what You've shown me
Up on the mountain
 
You bring me up here on the mountain
For me to rest and learn and grow
I see the truth up on the mountain 
And I carry it to the world far below
So as I go down to the valley
Knowing that You will go with me
This is my prayer, Lord
Help me to remember what You've shown me
Up on the mountain
Up on the mountain
 
I cherish these times up on the mountain
But I can leave this place because I know
Someday You'll take me home to live forever
Up on the mountain

Time to go!

Live in Peace,

July 4th

Hi all. 

Hope you are enjoying your summer. 

We've been soaking up the sunshine, each other, and the freedom from the ordinary that summer brings. 

Speaking of freedom, here are a bunch of snapshots from our 4th of July.

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  We ventured up the mountain for lunch at a local landmark, Jones Store. 

Local pals, I'm ashamed to admit that I've lived here for 20 years and this was my first time to the made-famous-by-you Jones Store. 

Maybe you'll cut me some slack when I tell you the Maui cousins are staying with us this week, and sharing our first time to the Jones Store was a perfect memory-making event for this Jones clan!

 (Speaking of freedom- we take ALL the kids to camp this Sunday for 2 weeks- Yeeeeehaaw!)

 This young chap helped build the Jones store in 1954.
 

I ditched my usual water for an A&W root-beer, which is chilled in these retro fridges (in my dream kitchen I have all three of these. They will go nicely with this).

Word on the mountain is that Jones Store has stellar burgers. 

It's true folks! You should have heard us all exclaim, "THESE ARE THE BEST BURGERS EVER!!"  Our cute nephew Nicholas might have expressed love for his burger.

Seriously, drop what your doing and head up Beasore (which we pronounce "Bay Shore," but is pronounced 5 different ways by locals) to prove me wrong.

If your worried about facilities way up in the boonies don't fret, they've got'em!

There's plenty of "Mountain Charmin" available, too. 

After lunch we ventured up the hill to find a "crick" to wade in.  When I say "ventured up the hill" I mean went 4-wheeling in our non-4-wheel-drive-vehicle. Someone in the vehicle might have been full on freaking out! Her husband on the other hand might have enjoyed every bit of tromping through the forest.   

Once we arrived at a creek the kids yelled, "BEAR!"  Someone, who hates 4-wheeling, might also fear bears, and as a result may have been in dire need of the "Mountain Charmin."

Emilie (I love her. She will turn 14 at camp...I will miss her). 

Michael has mad rock stacking skills. 

He is a man with many skills, but he is most talented at loving me (I just made you say, "ahhhhh" didn't I). This 4th of July marked 20 yrs of us being an "item." 

After we were done romping around the mountain side we headed down to Bass Lake for the annual fireworks show,
 

where I had the best view on the lake. *love*

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Before I close I MUST show you the 20th dating anniversary gift Michael SURPRISED ME with~

A 3 hr flight lesson, with one hour flight in which I WILL FLY A PLANE for 30 minutes!!!  AHHH!! This is something I have ALWAYS dreamed of doing.  Now that it is a REALITY I am terrified, like gonna-need-a-lot-of-Mountain-Charmin-TERRIFIED! I'm also really excited...I'M. GOING. TO. FLY. A. PLANE!! 

(Btw- he bid on the certificate and got a deal of $75 instead of the original $249- woot woot!)  

How did you spend July 4th?  

What is something you've dreamed of doing? 

Live in Peace,