Sr. High Camp (meant for Thursday, July 17, 2014)

This post was meant to be a Thursday post and apparently I wrote the post and left it in draft version without actually posting it to the blog.  When you read it, please be thinking Thursday, the next to the last day of camp.

• The girls in Retreat right are loud.
• The counselor hunt last night was cool.
• We have the talent show tonight and each cabin is asked to do something.
• The staff beat the campers in volleyball.
• The campers beat the staff in the counselor hunt.
• The french toast is really good this morning.
• This place is like totally awesome.
• The talent show acts are a secret to the campers.
• I'm going to miss camp.
• One of the campers told me that she normally does not like french toast but she was enjoying the camps version this morning.
• The food is always good here.
• Gotta love those pranks?
• The sun is beautiful this morning.
• We need more vanilla yogurt.

Everyone was getting ready for another big day at camp.

Sr. High Camp

On the last morning of a camp session. I traditionally ask campers for a one word description for their entire week of camp.  This morning, I received the following comments from the campers and staff of Sr. High Camp.

• Excellent
• Holy
• Needed (X2 meaning that two campers gave the same answer)
• Changed
• Great experience
• Fun (X5)
• Indescribable
• Memorable
• Relaxing
• Unforgettable
• Blessed (X2)
• Hilarious
• To-legit-to-quit
• Great
• Too-short
• Cool
• Inspiring
• Exhilarating
• Exuberant
• Blessing
• Will-power

Some words have been hyphenated to meet the one word quota.  In general, this was a good group of kids who had a great experience.  God Bless.

This is our last program camp for the summer.  We will miss the campers who attended Redwood Glen this summer and look forward to 2015.

Sr. High Camp

This morning the campers were in a more talkative mood.  As I went around, I got some good comments from people.  Here is what they said...

• I slept like an angel last night.
• I love the fresh air here.
• We are so active that when we go to bed at night, we are ready for sleep.
• The night swim was fun.
• We enjoyed jumping off the diving board and playing football in the pool last night.
• Tomorrow, we are going to play volleyball.
• Yesterday was a hot and humid day, thank you for the cold water in the shower.
• Thanks for the sausages this morning.
• Watching the deer with her fawn was fun.
• I predicted pancakes this morning and I was right.
• Loved swimming last night.
• I haven't slept this well in months.
• The pool is fun.
• The slingshots were fun and several campers were excellent at it.
• Robin with a Hood is going down.
• I am learning to live without a night shower.
• The camp temperature was great.
• I enjoyed helping to teach volleyball.

The kids are having a great time and enjoying each other.   I know the message is getting across this week as well.  Only two full days left.

Sr. High Camp

The Sr. High Camp is always an enjoyable group.  We have older campers who really want to be here and enjoy everything that Redwood Glen has to offer.  Of course, we typically get kids who would rather sleep in the morning and go to bed very late at night.  So this morning when I sat in at an 8:00am breakfast to get their blog comments, most were barely awake and those who were, would rather be eating than talking to me.  In any event, some of them were talkative and shared these comments with me;

• The first night at camp it is always hard to sleep.
• The food is great here.
• One person told me how much he enjoyed the night hike.
• The s'mores at the campfire last night were great.
• Hello.
• Several were looking forward to archery.
• A couple mentioned that their legs were getting a workout.
• The bacon this morning was great.
• Some of the guys were noisy last night.
• One of the campers tried to be funny but failed.
• An unknown camper is a nice person.
• The friend of the unknown camper is a nice person.

I have a feeling that tomorrow morning will be easier to get comments from everybody.

Sr. High Camp

Good afternoon everyone.  Today, the Sr. High camp begins at Redwood Glen.  25 Young people are registered for this camp and all are anticipating a wonderful experience.  Each morning, I will visit with the campers to get a pulse of what they are enjoying, what fun activities they are participating in and what they are looking forward to.  I will attempt to capture the flavor of the week and share it with.  Until then...

JRAD

The Jr. Adventure Campers had their last meal this morning at the dining hall.  It was a good group of kids who enjoyed pretty much everything they did during the week including cooking over an open fire, sleeping in tents, swimming in the pool and spending time in the natural setting of Redwood Glen.  Their comments this morning went like this...

• Awesome (X3 meaning three campers make this statement)
• Nature
• Weird
• Fire
• Survival
• Exciting
• Wow
• Fun (X2)
• Amazing (X3)
• Adventurous (X2)
• Mosquitos
• Outstanding (X2)
• Exciting
• Crazy

My impression of this camp is that the kids really enjoyed their experience.  They worked together well and felt the presence of God through the staff and in their surroundings.  This was a good week.

YMAD

On the last day of each camp, I ask the campers to give me one word to describe the entire week.  This morning, when I visited the Music and Drama Camp, they shared the following words...

• Delicious
• Life changing
• Fabulous
• Amazing
• Birds
• Fantabulous (X2- meaning two people gave me the same answer)
• Spontaneous
• Incredible
• Yousa
• Illuminating
• Enlightening
• Interesting
• Short
• Awesome (X4)
• Strengthening
• Exhausted (X2)
• Busy
• Exceptional
• Adventurous
• Frozen
• Jesus
• Wonderful
• Paper-Footballs
• Browniesthatyouneverwanttoeatagain
• Majestic
• Fantastic
• Memorable
• Anchoring
• Refreshing
• Changing
• Funnest-week-of-my-entire-year

This week was topped off by a wonderful presentation of "Totally Christmas."  Needless to say it was a successful week for everyone.

JRAD

Visiting the campers in the morning is very enjoyable and the setting at Indian Point is glorious.  As I visited this morning, I found all the campers in the breakfast mode.  The campsites were immaculate with everything in its place.  This is a really good group of kids who are enjoying their stay.  They do have their quirks however and when I ask them about how their day looks, they answer as though they have already done the activity.  An example would be.  When I ask them about their hike this morning, they tell me that the Memorial Park hike was fun when in fact they haven't gone yet.  The good news is that they are very enthusiastic and optimistic about their day but it can be confusing. 

This morning they shared the following comments...

• Looking forward to using the float at the pool.
• The night swim is going to be fun.
• Camp is awesome.
• The night swim was fun.
• The morning swim was fun.
• Swimming is fun.
• They loved playing the Underground Church.
• Memorial Park was fun.
• The hot cocoa is good.
• Frizball ( a game the kids made up) is fun.
• Lunch at Memorial Park was great.
• One of the leaders told a great story last night at he campfire.
• The foil pack dinner was awesome.
• It is sad that this is the final full day at camp.

Obviously these campers are having a great time at Redwood Glen.

YMAD

This morning when I visited the YMAD camp, I found the campers in excellent spirits and busy eating a scrumptious breakfast.  The best time for me to talk with the kids is at breakfast so it isn't unusual for people to give me comments about the food.  We are always pleased when everyone likes the camp menu but sometimes it is difficult to get them to talk about the activities because they are so busy eating.

This morning I received some great comments from the campers.  Here they are...

• The talent show last night was really good.
• Campers had a number of opportunities to highlight their talents.  One camper told me she was in four acts.
• All the acts were awesome.
• Love the french toast this morning.  Four campers made this comment.
• Looking forward to nap time today.
• The bacon today is very tasty.
• It's hard to be mad when you are bouncing.
• The snowball fight was fun.
• The Churros were good but they were not from Mexico.
• It is hard to be mad when you are bouncing.
• Lunch was awesome yesterday.
• The musical will be fantastic.
• This week has gone by too fast.
• I hope dress rehearsal goes well today.
• The coffee is strongly brewed.
• It has been a fun week.
• The pastor's sermons have been deep and meaningful.
• The Boy Band last night was excellent.  The name of the group: "Retreat Left Minus 1"
• The talent show was amazing.

Tomorrow's presentation promises to be very enjoyable.  The program begins at 11:00am and you don't want to be late.  Remember that there is lunch being offered at the picnic area.  YMAD participants are free.  Tickets can be purchased at the door.  Adults = $7.00  Youth=$5.00 each.  See you then.

JRAD

When I visited the campers this morning at Indian point, I found most of the campers sitting quietly around the picnic tables either waiting for their french toast and sausages to be cooked or already eating them.  Two batches of french toast were cooked by two very capable campers under the watchful eye of the staff.  Two other campers cooked the sausages and all was done over an open campfire.  Not only did they do a  great job but the food was enjoyed by the other campers.  Everyone had done their chores and they were getting energy for a busy day.

Here were their comments as I spoke with them...

• Magical unicorns live in Redwood Glen.
• Raccoons are eating everything left in the grease pit.
• One camper told me that he enjoys the social aspects of camp.
• A couple of kids told me how much they enjoyed "boomball" last night.
• Swimming is a hit with many of the kids.
• One camper made perfect french toast this morning.
• Campers enjoyed the morning hike.
• Camp is awesome.
• The sausage was good.

There are many cool things happening with this camp and I think you will notice a difference in your children when you pick them up.

YMAD

Good morning!  At the dining hall this morning, the kids were really getting into breakfast and preparing for a busy day. It is an absolutely beautiful day here at Redwood Glen,  The sun is out and the temperature is just right.  It was difficult to get too much information out of them this morning as they were still a bit sleepy and eating up a storm.

Here is what the campers shared this morning...

• The coffee is really good.
• The food is delicious.
• Last night's games were really fun.
• One camper told me that she got a much better sleep last night.
• One person said that he got smacked in the face with a pillow pet.
• Glad we have oatmeal each morning.
• The counselor hunt was really fun.
• Several mentioned how much they enjoyed the worship.
• Retreat left is funny and entertaining.
• One person told me how much she enjoyed the candles at the campfire.
• One young man said the "yesterday I had the best baked potato ever."

I have heard the singing from this group and it sounds great. I think you all will be in for a treat on Saturday morning.

Youth Music and Drama Camp (YMAD)

YMAD is an interesting camp as the campers enjoy camp activities for a portion of the day and preparing for the presentation the remainder.  The campers come with anticipation of seeing old friends having fun together, learning more about God and putting on a Saturday program to excite their parents and friends.

This blog is designed to keep you informed about the happenings of the week and most of the comments come directly from the kids.  I typically visit with them each morning and hope that they are willing to share with me.  Sometimes I have much to write and sometimes I can't squeeze anything out of them.  The amount of information I share depends on how much sleep they got the previous night and how good breakfast is.

These were the comments from the campers today...

• The pastors sermon last night was really good.
• The games we played last night were lots of fun.
• We liked the part where we dressed up another person.
• The eggs were good this morning.
• I am enjoying everything.
• These potatoes are excellent.
• I got into the band but really didn't want to.
• We enjoyed the warm and friendly campfire last night.
• Because of the lack of water, the mosquitos were really out last night.
• Several proclaimed "Merry Christmas"
• It's Christmas in July
• It's nice to see everyone together again.
• Retreat left has a peculiar odor to it.
• The beds were declared hard/soft/just right.
• The campfire was funny.
• We are looking forward to the play.
• The coffee is great.

Until tomorrow, have a good day and don't forget to view the camp pictures on line.

Jr. Adventure Camp (JRAD)

This blog will attempt to inform you of all the cool things that will happen at JRAD this week.  Each morning I will visit the campers and attempt to solicit their comments in the hope that you can read about and enjoy the experience with them.  I will not mention names to protect their privacy but you may recognize some of the postings as comments from your children. 

This morning, I visited the kids as they were enjoying their first breakfast together.  Here were their comments.

• Campfires are fun.
• One camper said their were too many chores to be a camp.  (he had been collecting fire wood).
• One camper was told that he runs and talks while sound asleep in his sleeping bag.
• One young man suggested that this is the perfect camp.
• Sawing branches for firewood is hard but fun.
• It was cold when we got up this morning.
• This is the best camp ever.
• We love the bacon.  Some of it is in the shape of a bird.
• We collected lots of wood for the cooking fires.
• From a staff; the campers are working together well.

Remember, for this camp, many will learn how to cook over the open fire and some will be able to start the campfire.  They will be sleeping in tents all week with the majority of the meals being cooked over an open fire.  This morning was beautiful in the redwoods and the campers were eating well.  They are off to a good start.

Saturday (MIDE)

On the last day of camp, I typically ask the campers for a one word description for the entire week.  This morning at breakfast, everyone enjoyed cinnamon buns with their meal and they were a huge hit.   While eating, these comments were shared by the kids this morning.

• Glamorous.
• Nicetobewithmycousins.
• Fantastic
• Fun.
• Good.
• Awesome.
• Alright.
• Exciting.
• OK.
• Cinnamon.

One camper had to leave early this morning.  Before his parents came, he and some others went on a short hike.  It was during the hike that he shared that Redwood Glen is the best place on earth because you get to know about God and camping.

Camp can be a life changing experience.  We appreciate the opportunity to serve your children.

Saturday (CMAD)

On the last morning of camp, I typically ask the campers for one word that describes the entire week.  This morning the kids were ready to share as they get ready for the performance.  Here are their comments...

• Campfire was hot.
• Fun - two campers shared this thought.
• Awesome - four campers shared this thought.
• Swimming - four campers shared this thought.
• Magnificent.
• Butter.
• Scrumptious.
• Fantabulous.
• Perfect.
• Nervous.
• Amazing
• Delicious.
• Supreme.
• No hood this morning.
• Outstanding.
• Hot Chocolate.
• Cinnamon Rolls.
• Epic.
• Ultimate.
• Messy Room.
• Marvelous.

It was great having your children this week.  Thank you for your trust.

Friday (MIDE)

I found this group to be very active but less likely to share much with me.  Breakfast was pretty much the same on Friday.  They are having a good time but getting them to say much is difficult.  Having said that, here are the comments for today.

• Bacon rules.
• Skits last night were great.
• Jesse's grandma.
• He who must not be named modeled in the talent show.
• The togas at the show were valued at $300.
• It has been a good morning.
• The hand puppets were really good.
• Liked the talent show.
• French Toast is da bomb.

One camper had to leave early for a piano recital.  As he was leaving, he proclaimed Redwood Glen as the best camp he has ever been to.

When you pick up your children on Saturday morning, don't forget that the Children's Music and Drama Camp will be performing for their parents.  All are welcomed to sit and enjoy the performance.  After, we will be playing a few games (pie eating contest and egg toss) for all to participate.  We will be awarding camp scholarship money to the winners.  Why not join us for lunch ($7.00) and some fun?

Friday (CMAD)

Another beautiful day at Redwood Glen.  Everyone is ready for a new day of activities and having fun.  The campers  were very enjoyable this morning as they ate and shared.  Here is what they said...

• The French Toast this morning is delicious.
• The talent show last night was really fun.
• Taco Thursday was great.
• The swimming pool got a 5 star rating.
• Rehearsals are fun.
• One young lady was nervous about singing a solo on Saturday.
• We love the bacon.
• Bacon, bacon, bacon.
• One little girl came up to me and said guess what?  Yesterday, I became a Christian and I made a decision to follow God.
• Milk spilled on my let before my tea.
• Love that cereal selection.
• The tacos were awesome.
• The banana slugs were awesome.
• I love memorizing lines.
• Most thought it was fun practicing on stage.

See you all tomorrow for the performance.

Thursday (MIDE)

This group of campers is having a great week at Redwood Glen.  The morning is not their favorite time to talk but here were the comments from today...

• The campfire last night was awesome!
• Having fun at camp with my cousins.
• I like devotions.
• Someone was snoring in my cabin last night.
• The hot chocolate is great.
• We like this morning's sausages.
• Only two counselors were found during the counselor hunt last night.
• I'm tired.
• Who dumped a bucket of dirt on a counselors head?
• The counselors are cool.
• This is the best camp ever.
• He who must not be named is beautiful.
• Liked playing kick the can.

The sun is coming out and it looks like another great day at Redwood Glen. 

Thursday both CMAD and MIDE

I spoke with the nurses this morning about their experience at Redwood Glen this summer. 
They said that all the kids are very nice and they enjoy working with them.  They feel this is a nurses dream job and at some points, its like a vacation.  We have two on camp this week and one of them told me that she would definitely be returning next year.  Yea!

Thursday (CMAD)

I had some good conversation with the campers of CMAD this morning.  They are having a good experience and especially excited about the presentation on Saturday. I heard some of the rehearsal this morning and they really sound good.  Here are some of their comments...

• They love the cold and hot cereal in the mornings.
• Liked Wacky Wednesday.
• Enjoyed the scavenger hunt.
• They liked swimming in the light rain.
• Biscuits this morning were da bomb.
• It was hard t get out of bed this morning.
• I liked auditioning for the presentation.
• Ready to play soccer?
• We have tasty food again.
• Liked archery and the pool.
• Liked planning a day ahead.
• Good breakfast was a comment from many campers.
• Liked the sling shots.

Things are running smooth for CMAD and the campers and staff are enjoying themselves.