labor of love

Last year our primary presidency was approached about doing a sort of vacation bible school for our children at church. This is a huge undertaking and quite overwhelming, but we pulled it off. Our theme was BOOT Camp (Building Our Own Testimonies) and the kids LOVED it. Each age group was a different platoon and they would march from classes that ranged from Spiritual Training to Craft Detail to Physical Training. Lunch was served in the 'Mess Hall".

Honestly, the kids have SO MUCH fun with this - they look forward to it all year and so this year we might have gone a little overboard but it was so worth it!
Our theme this year was "Putting on the Armor of God". We extended our camp to 3 days and added a water day complete with an awards ceremony, slide show and pinata. Oh the fun!



When all was said and done (yes we even hand made clay CTR shields for the kids to paint and take home) seeing these kids feel the love that all of their leaders have for them is more than worth it. We have kids from ALL walks of life that come together each Sunday and I love them so much. I feel sincerely blessed to serve them.

Julia Karen and I matched in green and black army gear on the firs day - she was a trooper, 3 straight days of no morning naps and being at the church from 9 to 2 on some days.

Funny stories I want to remember *readers be warned one is about nursing*

-On the first day of boot camp I snuck away from my class to quickly feed JK. I hurried into the mothers lounge and not worrying about keeping covered I started to nurse her. All of a sudden I heard a platoon marching closer and closer - turns out that they were doing a scavenger hunt and a clue was hidden in the mothers lounge right where I was nursing - awesome!! Poor kids, they got more than a clue in that room that day! Thanks Tomicka for stopping them before they all were sent into post traumatic stress disorder from a church boot camp!

- the whole week I had a dull and rather painful ache under my left rib cage. Turns out I have a cracked rib (not fractured - but still painful). I just kept thinking I can make it until the end of boot camp. Yesterday I went strait to a pri-med place for an x-ray when boot camp finished up and there you have it a cracked and painful rib - but at least I made it to the end. I always knew I was military material....