Camp and More Camp

Eden and Sterling are at Rodeo Bible Camp. Again. This has been a summer full of missing children.

Sterling is learning rodeo clowning/bull fighting. It sounds like he’s having a blast. Eden is working on chute dogging once more. The kids called today. Told me about all the hurt cowboys. Broken bones. Seizures. Punctured arteries from steer horns. Ambulance rides. Not a good tale to tell me if they want to do this again next year!

Side note: Stellan chatted with a police officer that we saw in town at the store today. He told the lady he can do bull fighting when he’s 12. And how Sterling gave him his old pistol. And how to load it, using proper terms… followed by “pew pew” as sound effect demonstration. I’m so proud…

Tomorrow we’re going to Arkansas to watch them in the rodeo they put in to show their new skills. Major road trip for a rodeo, but I don’t want to miss it. Liberty has the day off and Blaine took the afternoon off. Ruby made homemade pita bread, Charlie made chicken salad, and we’re packing up the crew and supper and heading south. I can’t wait.

Friday we pack up and head north. The kids and I are headed to my parents in South Dakota for a week and a half. The older four get to go to Bible Camp in the Black Hills through my parents’ church. Camp was a huge part of my growing up, and this is my kids’ first time. Rodeo Bible Camp is awesome but it’s nondenominational and not quite the same as what they’re used to in our little reformed church. I’m excited for them.

And I’m tired. Kids missing means more work and a messier house. Chores falling behind. Funny how that works. It’s been a good reminder how much the big kids do – and how much I need to teach the next crew. It’s easy to ask big kids to do things they can do well. Time for some more detailed lessons for my younger girls in the kitchen and elsewhere.