Camp Lively

Chase has been encouraged recently to come up with a vision and/or a mission statement for his family. This did NOT come from me but from other men in his life who serve as mentors/teachers. Chase hasn't yet created a word for word mission statement, but he did create a name. The name was created, in my own opinion, partly in jest and partly out of all sincerity. And so we now affectionately refer to our brood and all of the activity associated with it as "Camp Lively." I pretty much run a 12 hour a day daycare/pre-school program here at Camp Lively. Camp Lively rarely experiences a quiet moment and even rarer is a still moment. The Camp Directors are often found doing laundry and washing dishes during nap time or after the kids have gone to bed. We have the most fun field trips though--sometimes it is just to the store and other times it is to the zoo, the beach, or to a new event that all the campers get to experience for the first time. I would definitely say our mascot right now is Mickey Mouse. He is everywhere. I'm sure this isn't permanent but he will be around for a while longer. :-)

At least once a week, Chase comes home early so I can leave for a Bible Study. I try to have as much done for him before I leave, but I love how he wants to completely take control of the evening's activities when I'm gone. He often keeps the kids up later than I would, but they play and play and play until everyone is tired. Last night, I came home after my girls' small group to find two of the kiddos in bed while the third, Emmy, stayed up with her daddy for a dinner date. Emmy and her daddy share a love for food. Chase LOVES to expose Emmy to all sorts of new foods and Em loves the time with her dad. I walked in last night to find so many different types of foods spread all over the coffee table. Emily had created a little pile of all the things she was eating. She was so happy to have some one on one time and to be able to eat. She was his date for the night. :-)

I've had many a date with Ev as well. The girls will go to bed and Evan and I will crawl into bed, grab a snack and watch us some t.v. Evan and I both share a love for resting and watching t.v. Emily is busy, busy, busy. She doesn't sit still very often and she loves to get into things. So, after the girls go to sleep, Evan and I get to experience our shared interest. It's so fun and such a special time for us!

These are just a couple of examples of the fun times we have here at Camp Lively. Never a dull day. Rarely a dull moment. Now, what should our mission statement be? Oh, Tootles!!!!