Let's Play Catch-up

*** I can't get the pictures in the right order today.


Since I'm sick and stuck on the couch today I don't have any excuses to not give an update.  And maybe even some pics.

Charlie: Since April 1 he has been director here at Camp Harris or Harris Baptist Conference Center.  Or I've thought about changing it to Harris School for Wayward Boys and enrolling my children. Just kidding.  He loves his job and I think he's great at it. But I'm a little biased.  We are in the middle of the busy summer schedule and when camp is going on Monday - Thursday, it's hopping around this place. He is learning some new skills - like pool maintenance, how to get a zipline up and running, dealing with demanding people (oh wait, he already knew how to do that....he lives with me!), and getting toilets unclogged.  Thankfully he has a lot of help - there are two ladies who work here all the time (one lives on the premises, one just down the road) who have kept things running since last fall when the camp lost their previous manager.  These ladies are AMAZING!

Coleson:  He's been working at Pine Cove camp in east Texas since May 18 or so.  BUT he is coming home this weekend for the rest of the summer - wahoo!  I miss that boy.  He'll start his 2nd year at Ouachita Baptist University in mid-August.


Will: Is currently on his way back from a mission trip/choir tour to Washington D.C. and points in between with the youth from our church. I think they have had a wonderful time and he is due home tomorrow with more dirty clothes than I want to think about.  He's on camp staff here at Harris this summer and has had a great time.  It's so cool to see this big ole' teddy bear of a guy playing with, hugging on, encouraging these little kids who come to camp.  He has worked hard and I'm proud of him.


Luke:  He also went on the trip to Washington D.C.  This may be his longest trip away from home.  The pictures people have sent me of him show that he has really enjoyed himself......wearing a Abe Lincoln beard, his face covered in chocolate, posing on the Metro.  He too will bring home lots of dirty clothes.  He has been helping out a lot during our camps - selling snow-cones, working at the snack shop, and generally hanging out with the camp staff.  I'm thankful for these great role models for Luke to be with.

Abby:  She is always busy with something.  She LOVES to help out at camp - especially working in the snack shop.  She has helped serve food, helped with crafts.  She reminds me of her Mamaw Suzan.  She doesn't like to just sit, she likes to be doing something.  Yesterday she was watching old Andy Griffith shows while working a big puzzle.  She is enjoying our two new outside kittens, Zoe and Mavro and keeps them fed and watered and loved on.  She's also become an ace at cleaning up the kitchen!   Her favorite thing, though, is the camp pool, which is practically right out our back door.


Me: I've been working as a secretary at our church since January but that is about to change.  I've been hired as a teacher at my kid's school, Mt. Olive Christian School.  I'm scheduled to teach a 3rd/4th grade combined class and I'm really excited about it.  I'm nervous because although I'm a teacher by training I have not taught in a classroom in a LONG time!  Yikes!  But I'm hoping life experience, mommy experience and maturity will help me be an OK teacher.  The cool thing is I will go to school with my own children and come home with them each day and have all the same holidays they have.  I am SOOO happy about that.  And I'll have summers off to help out here at the camp.  That is a biggie.  I have loved my secretary job, especially the other secretaries I work with (they are my new BFFs!) but I only get 5 days off a year.

I've been enjoying getting settled into our house.  It was built in the early 1920's and housed the principal and teachers for Harris School which is now the camp.  It is BIG - 7 bedrooms (we don't use them all as bedrooms), living room, sun room, foyer, dining room, kitchen, two (INDOOR) bathrooms :-), and laundry room. We moved in two weeks ago and are slowly getting things unpacked and hung up.  It is so wonderful to have room for everyone to spread out and have their own rooms.

My parents returned to the states this week from Kenya and will retire to a town just a few miles from here.  For the first time in a LONG time our entire family will be living on the same continent!

Coleson moving out of the dorm!

Playing field at Camp Harris

Aunt Sharon, Uncle James, and Harley

Mom at our house on the 4th of July!

Dresser that we bought at a second hand store and repainted

The frame on the right is what the one on the left looked like
before.  They are out of our church and were free for the taking.
I painted it with chalkboard paint and I love the way it turned out.

Uncle Frankie at our house on 4th of July

Aunt Liz at our house on the 4th

My funny Daddy