Camp Lonestar

In mid-July, Jason took a group of kids from our new church on a trip to Camp Lonestar, a Lutheran camp about 2 hours west of us. Because the camp is fully staffed and has programming for the kids nearly all day long, Jason had quite a bit of free time during the week. When one of Jason's co-workers suggested that he bring his family along with him to camp, we thought it sounded like a great idea. Of course we'd prefer a week at camp compared with all that time at home without Daddy! The camp directors were completely okay with our family tagging along and let us come at no cost.

Jaden and Cody were thrilled to learn that they'd be spending a week at camp (even though they didn't quite know exactly what that entailed...). Our room was inside this air-conditioned building.

Each day, we tried to attend the all-camp activities. Jason went to just about every one, but the boys and I weren't quite as faithful, nor did we stay as long at each activity. It was fun to get a little flavor of the camp events, however. In the mornings, they had a camp singing time plus a devotion. The singing time was very active and quite loud!

Our family observed from the back. :) The boys and I rarely made it to the actual devo time.

In the late morning and early afternoon, the campers signed up for various activities, like archery, canoeing, challenge courses, etc. or had a small group Bible study time. During most of this time, we had free time as a family. It was great hanging out with Daddy!

In the late afternoon, the campers would often go swimming or go down the camp waterslide. Our family enjoyed the swimming pool for at least a couple days (you can see the pool in the background of the picture below). The camp meals were actually quite tasty. Of course, Mommy loves having any free, hot food at-the-ready for her hungry boys! For every meal but one, we ate in the cafeteria. This night, however, was a cookout with grilled chicken sandwiches, so everyone ate at picnic tables.

After dinner was another all-camp activity-- a sing-a-long with mail-delivery at the end. The campers always had to "earn" their mail by singing a silly song or acting out something random. Here, the campers were singing "I'm a Little Teapot." Jaden and Cody seemed to enjoy this camp activity.

Immediately following the mail-call, Jason had an hour with just his church kids. Here is the group that attend from Salem.

Jason planned a variety of games and events for them each evening. The boys and I always joined Jason for this time. On our first night of camp, Jason played a few icebreaker games with the kids.

They seemed to enjoy Jason's ideas and his energy. Our whole family appreciated the chance to connect with these Salem kids. By the end of our camp week, several of the girls in our group were giving Jaden and Cody hugs and high fives every time they saw us. So cute!

As Daddy was leading his games, Jaden and Cody played with their cars on the sidelines. :)

We filled our free time each day with a variety of activities. The first day, we spent a long time just walking around and exploring the campground. 

It was a beautiful setting!

Jaden and Cody each brought a dinosaur along with them to tour the grounds.

Then, we walked this path that ran around the lake.

It was somewhat freeing to have absolutely no agenda! We could pause to gaze at random bushes as long as the boys wanted to. :)

We were all surprised to find this turtle in the grass.

This little guy was actually quite speedy for a turtle! Apparently he had never experienced twin 3-year-olds chasing after him before. :)

We came across this firepit. You can see the dining hall in the background.

What a fun place to explore!

On our way back to our cabin, we walked right past this playground-- a perfect find!

Later that same day, we brought out the boys' outdoor vehicles (we figured these were a "must" on our packing list!). This concrete, shaded area worked well for the vehicles.

This area was called the camp trading post, where the campers could buy snacks and souvenirs during the afternoon.

Another day, we brought out these spray bottles for random water squirting.

Because the weather was warm and muggy, we spent some time just hanging out indoors, too. Little boys can make anything into a garage or race track! :)

We also brought along quite a few indoor toys from home-- duplos, puzzles, books, blocks. We definitely didn't pack lightly! :)

Another day, Jaden and Cody asked to play hide-and-seek. I didn't think this game would last too long, as our room was roughly the size of a small hotel room. But, their enthusiasm surprised me! Can you spot two little boys under these covers?

I couldn't believe that Cody fit all the way under this bunk bed! I didn't want to think about how dirty it likely was...

Surprise! Jaden was on top of the bed!

Here, Jaden was worried that I wouldn't be able to find him, so he wanted to give me a little clue... :)

Our experience at camp was great overall. As we suspected, though, the boys weren't quite as excited about camp life as the week wore on. We ventured into a nearby town on a couple days to give the boys some variety. We visited a local library, found a new playground, and even toured a barnyard (pics on that adventure still to come!). By Wednesday evening, Jaden and Cody (and Mommy too!) were a bit worn out. So, the three of us went home on Thursday morning, and Daddy arrived back home late Friday afternoon. The boys seemed excited to be home. By the next day, however, both of them were already asking to go back to camp! Go figure. :) Guess we'll have to accompany Daddy on another Camp Lonestar trip in the future!