Warrior Dash 2013

Good day blog world.  After another hiatus from blogging (summer camp was entirely too draining), I am finally back.  Before I go into how our summer ended, I should bring you up to speed on my adventure from last Saturday.  After much prodding from a friend who had signed up for the Warrior Dash in Crawfordsville, I decided to finally sign up myself in June.  I've never done anything like this before and while it sounded fun, I was hoping I wasn't going to get hurt or that it wouldn't be too much for me to handle, especially since I hadn't trained at all for it.  But I decided to do it even as the days counted down, I found myself not wanting to do it.  Then Sara backed out and the person who had persuaded me to try it wasn't going to be with us as we conquered the course.  Alex and I bravely (?) soldiered on and decided to do it.  I have done two races in my lifetime and I hated it both times.  A 5K at the Indy Mini-Marathon and a 5K at Faith a long time ago.  I had no inclination to do another.   But obstacle courses are fun and I thought that this was worth a shot.  I read up about what to expect, what to wear, etc and by 11 am Saturday I am headed on down to Crawfordsville to meet up with Alex for our 1:30pm slot.  When we meet up, we are both like, "Why the hell are we doing doing this??"  But we decide to continue on and enter into the madness.  We check in, get our timing chips, check our bags, and wait in line for the 1:30 wave.  Above is what we looked like before the race started.....it was the cleanest we'd be for the rest of the day.          
We start off in the second portion of the 1:30 wave and pretty soon we're running up hills, mounds, through creeks (and marking them all as "obstacles" in our heads), and then we hit the first obstacles of crawling through mud tunnels under barbed wire.  Up and down some muddy slopes, over and under walls and barbed wire, a rope crossing over a ravine, and finally we are maybe halfway through.  A few water breaks here and there and we were ready to conquer the next half of the course.  Lots of crawling through mud and crawling up walls with a slippery rope.  There were a lot of waits at the walls and at the mud pit but everyone else seemed to be having a great time, helping one another out and cheering when they made it.  At one wall, the wait was so long that the mud began to dry on us, making a nice hard layer.  I was proud of how well I did at the walls concerning that 1) I'm a girl and 2) Most of the girls were struggling.  I try not to brag but I thought I did a fine job climbing up the walls.  I had a rough go at the monkey bars with my wet/muddy hands.  I decided to just drop into the water/mud pit which looked to be about 6-7 feet from the water but I didn't know how deep the water was.  When I dropped in, it turned out to be much deeper than anticipated and at first I thought I blew out my knee but thankfully, a few strides later, it didn't hurt nearly as bad.  A little sore later but definitely not what I thought at first.  At the end we had a few more walls to go up and over, a few boats to go up and over, another hill, a swim through the lake, a few modest jumps over fire, then one last swim through mud under barbed wire.  I finished the race smiling and knowing that I'll probably do this again.  I was very proud of my medal.  Alex and I washed off in the lake, redeemed our chips for a free (nasty) beer which we didn't drink much of, then we were off to home with wet, muddy, nasty clothing.  I honestly had a blast and want to sign up for next year.  There was a definite thrill to knowing I could handle those obstacles.  Before I leave, I have a few pictures to share of the experience.  Fun fun fun!

                        

"Fried Chickenisha"

Week 5 was a fantastic week of campers.  Everyone seemed to be hitting their stride as far as counselors go and the kids were awesome.  Justin and a whole bunch of returners were here for a week of 36 campers.  I co-taught a fantastic week of lessons with Marrigje and we just had a blast!  We had campers telling their counselors that their lessons were AWESOME!  This week was just the one I needed to revive my spirits, lift me up, and get me excited again about summer camp.  Summer drains you physically, emotionally, and mentally.  Justin is a natural leader and he created a family unit with the pathfinders and gave everyone new names.  He's a fantastic young man and earned a Character Counts award.  There were plenty of challenges during the week with a young man with several developmental disorders who Kylie and I were determined to give the best week of his life to.  She poured her heart and soul into the kid and to see him wash his horse because his cabin counselor was coming up to see him ride and the care he put into everything he did and how proud he was when he did it reminded me of the power of horses and God and love from us.  I hope he can take the feelings he had while here and take them home and be changed there too.  Good job Kaleb.  Then there was a horribly homesick camper that was able to stay the whole week.  She really loved her sister so much and felt like her soul was dying to not be home.  I told her she used her words so well she should journal.  And that's how she got through the week was journaling the good things that were happening here.  We inititally gave her 24 hours to stay and then we'd re-evaluate.  But she made it thanks to a lot of counseling from her cabin counselors.  Good job girls!  And lastly there was Henry.  Oh Henry.  You and I created a fantastic bond.  You asked me SO many questions. As you pestered Steve the farrier with questions, I tried to divert you away from him and I asked YOU why you asked so many questions and without missing a beat, you looked at me and said, "That's my job, to ask questions!"  Our bond was only strengthened on our trail ride together.  I had a strong suspicion that this would be the first trail ride where I'd actually use the halter and leadrope I always carried on my saddle.  Henry loved Flicka but there were lots of times where he was scared to death of her.  I prepared for all possible outcomes before our trail ride and had Henry put "all of Flicka's clothes (tack) on her", including her halter which is something we don't usually

use.  Another counselor had told him later he didn't need it and Rae had to make up a story as to why he was the only one who had a horse with a halter and she told him it was because we always pick one person on our ride to wear a halter on their horse in case it's needed an it was his time.  ;-)  Our trail ride is intimidating but I have always made it a safe experience.  I had no plans to scare poor Henry so I was

doubly prepared to hook him to me for the ride.  I led it out on a horse who would have no issue having another horse on his butt the whole time.  No sooner than we get out the door, Flicka tries turning around and heading back to the barn.  Henry-"She doesn't want to leave!".  Me-"Henry, she's fine.  Just turn her back towards me."  Then I walk Clifford back and grab onto her halter and lead her a few steps forward to get her going back the right direction.  Henry was so quiet during the ride and all I could usually here were sharp intakes of breaths every once in a while and him mumbling how nervous she was.  I kept thinking that he was projecting his feelings onto her.  ;-)  But we make it to the hill to go down in Ghost Creek Valley and I hear him gasp.  All along the ride so far I kept telling him to keep Flicka on Clifford's butt, pointing him to where I wanted him to keep her nose, and telling him it was going to be fine.  I thought eventually I'd have to hook him up to me but I wanted him to do as much as he was able to.  He makes it down the hill just fine, right on Clifford's butt, and she stops at the creek.  Henry-"She's scared!  She can't go across!"  Me-"Henry.  Henry!  Pull back on your horse and turn her around."  Flicka starts to go down a footpath into unknown territory and I start to yell at Henry (not in a mad but in a "get it done" voice), "Henry.  HENRY!  BE THE BOSS AND STEER YOUR HORSE!!!"  Immediately I see his hands actually pull back on the reins. By this time I've crossed back across the creek and am on foot with Clifford in tow.  I get him turned around and ask Clifford to back up the entire path (Good boy!) and I clip Henry to my long rope and then get Clifford somehow turned around to be facing the right way and jump on his back.  We go across the creek and Henry starts talking up a storm!  He told me that it was now like a "pony ride" and he didn't have to do anything.  ;-)  Oh Henry!  I'm so proud of you!  You made it halfway on the ride.  He was

so relaxed and chatty afterwards and I had made a new friend for life.  You were a drain in the question quota for the week but you were fun.  I wondered if his parents were good to him or ignored his million questions and it turns out, he's got good parents.  Yeah!  Sometimes the parents of these kids don't seem to care.  That's why they love camp so much because they matter to someone!  It was a challenging, awesome, loving, caring, tiring week.  A great halfway point for the summer.  Friday's theme was superheros and Sara rode Quiggley as Batman.  :-)  Got the job done and had a lot of fun doing it.  On to week 6!

First Four Weeks in Review

Oops, I realize now that my last post was a few days before summer camp even started.  I am way behind on keeping you all up to date on what's been going on at camp.  The summer has gone fast so far and in some strange way, I'd like it to slow down a bit.  Summer is draining, physically and emotionally, and takes everything out of you but I love the community and the energy and the love.  So, without any further ado, here is a quick review of my first 5 weeks of the summer.

Week 1 brought Annie back to us for a week to fill in for our blazer cabin.  It was so much fun to have her back in action as I've been trying to bring her back for years now so she could get her green jacket.  Sadly, I only had her for a week but trust me, I tried so hard to convince her to ditch her internship.  As is the case, week 1 brings lots of jitters and nervousness for both the counselors and myself.  I know my counselors were overwhelmed and wondering if they would remember everything.  Well, they didn't, but I didn't expect them to!  I honestly felt a little like I was going "through the motions" for the week and I wish I hadn't felt like that.  There was a lot of work and stress going into week 1 and Amie and I had been going hard core for about a month with no days off just to lead to this one moment.  We may have been working on activities up until the last minute but we always got them done before the campers got there, even if it was just minutes before.  ;-)  My first two trail rides of the season went well and the third got rained out due to the monsoon that hit us Wednesday evening.  It was still so wet Friday morning that I still didn't take Iowa out for their ride.  My class of five had a fun time and I found that I worked very well with Marrigje which was fun.  The magic school bus was an absolute hit with Abby and her bearded dragon and our horse costume for Friday night brought tons of laughs!  While I may not have been as into it as usual, week 1 was a success and we did it!

Week 2 took us to only two EQ cabins as we had 21 girls and 5 boys signed up.  Still a lot but not enough girls for 3 cabins.  Donica went to Iowa and Taylor swung to resident camp.  It's a tough transition but they did well and learned to go with the flow.  Taylor still got to come up for all three periods of horsemanship so she still got barn time which is good for the soul.  Marrigje and I only had three kids in our class and it was time for me to step out of the way and watch her work this week.  She did a great job with the jumping aspect of the class.  Taylor's birthday was also on Friday so Kylie and I conspired and she and Donica helped decorate her bunk and I made gluten free brownies.  We dressed her horse in a birthday hat and she got to ride him on the trail ride.  Success all the way around!  Closing campfire was in Kampen so no horse parade but still a horse costume made it's appearance.

Week 3 brought us back up to three EQ cabins and this time Jess and I were teaching the upper level english class.  This time Liz Demoss helped us out by filling in for our last counselor spot.  It was crazy and ridiculous and draining that week but I can't remember too much specifics.  I do remember that my class was very difficult.  We took on 7 kids but that wasn't the hard part.  The most difficult thing was having three different levels within that class with a kid who never should have been passed the earlier level.  We made do but it wasn't easy and the kids weren't always happy with the lesson.  We finished up pretty strong and made it.  It was country hoe down night and my barn assistants dressed up english style just to be funny.  The horse parade went out and was a little rough but we made it.  I was a bit stressed out by the end of the week and had to pick myself back off the ground Sunday and keep fighting through the funk until I was able to get passed it by Tuesday or Wednesday of the next week.  Glad that funk doesn't come often.










Week 4 is independence week!  My favorite horse parade of the summer where I carry my grandpa's flag in the horse parade and then up on stage for the playing of the anthem.  It's so cool because the anthem starts to play and then I'm coming up the side with the flag and I don't know what people are thinking when I ride behind the sign but all of a sudden I'm riding up on stage with the flag on a horse!  Then I take off at a canter when I leave the stage.  All very cool as they are chanting "USA USA USA!" Week 4 started off in a bit of a daze as I got myself sorted back out...."It's going to be okay"....that was my mantra.  I had a class all my own and they were pretty fun.  My barn assistants dressed up as the musketeers for the campfire and had a ton of fun.  Week 4 was pretty good.  Oh and Brooke came back and joined us for the week as a fill in counselor.  Yeah!

Four down, five to go.  

Quiet Before the Storm.....

After weeks of trainings, we are ready.  Barns are clean and organized, arenas have supplies stocked, obstacles and courses are set up......it's calm here right now.  Tomorrow will be an explosion of activity but for now, it's quiet.  I wish I could capture that.  I love those moments of quiet here at camp.  I love the kids and I love doing what I do....but it's those quiet moments that I cherish.  Tomorrow is the beginning.  It's been a crazy hectic time of training but the counselors are ready.

Here we go......Summer 2013!!!  Let the games begin!

A good counselor.....

Well, tomorrow is the end of staff training.  All the staff trainings that started in early May and continued with specialized training and, this week, resident training have all come down to tomorrow.  After tomorrow evening, the counselors will head out for 24 hours of sleep, peace, and quiet before week 1 begins Sunday.  They will be nervous, scared, anxious, excited, and unsure but they will do just fine.  As I told my girls today, hundreds have gone before you and been great and they had the same concerns you do.  I'd be more concerned if they weren't nervous and anxious.  This means that they care, that they want to do a good job.  Our weeks have been filled with some challenges, both in staffing and in trying to get prepared.  And I've been getting to know my group of counselors and while they are a bit "squirrelly" and unfocused at times, they are so much fun and they are honest and truthful and desire to do a great job.  And I had a counselor who experienced a "God moment" yesterday that shook her to the core and, while she's not "religious", she felt like God was saying, quietly, I'm here.  Wow!  Amazing!  Love it!!!

So I've been thinking alot about what goes into a great Tecumseh staff person.  There is so much that goes into making this a great experience for the campers that they don't realize all the hard work that goes into the magical experience.  The training our counselors go through and the dedication and sacrifice that it takes to love on kids for 9 weeks and give of yourself is extremely hard.  Yes, you "play" a lot but they are building up the generation to come.  They are teaching level 2 skills and showing kids that they matter and that they are LOVED.  There is so much learning that can take place on the rock wall, in the pool, sitting at the dinner table, or even while walking from one place to another.  There are God moments and learning moments every day, every where.  I told my girls yesterday that it was my job (and others) to fill their cup to the brim so that they could them pour themselves into the kids and their cups would be full so that they could go on and fill the cups of those around them.  We help the staff be the best they can be so that they can go out and help those kids be the best they can be.  

So what goes into a good staff person?

1.  Love-love those kids, love your fellow counselors, and love GOD!
2.  Openness-be open to new experiences, new ways of doing things and looking at life, open up to their fellow counselors and campers and allow them to see you, the real you.
3.  Faith-You can't get through the summer by yourself.  Only through God's strength and the wisdom He'll provide when you have no idea what to do or say to your campers will you make it.
4.  Flexibility-Rarely does anything at camp go according to plan.  I mean, you're dealing with kids, the outdoors/weather, and a million things could go wrong (or right) at any given moment.  Go with the flow!
5.  Giving-Give of yourself this summer and God will change you in unexpected ways.  He will take your effort and multiply it.  Nothing goes unnoticed and without an effect somewhere on someone.  Give completely of yourself and you will experience amazing!
6.  BE THIRD!- You can't do this job and think only of yourself and expect to get a great experience.  You've got to be thinking of others, your campers, your fellow staff members.  God is first, the other man is second only to Him, and I am third.

Now, you could not do any of those things and then not realize the full potential of this place to change you and shape you.  But put a little hard work into it, do those things, and YOU will be changed by a summer here at camp.  It's a real job.  It's a hard job.  But it's the most rewarding job there is.  You will make an impact on kids this summer.  They will go away knowing God more because they knew YOU.  Go out there and give it all you have and you will be rewarded with, well, everything.  I changed my summer as a counselor.  I gave it 110%.  I am better because of it, different and better.  Tomorrow is the cardboard testimony chapel.  I'll tell you what my cardboard will say.

"Before camp, I felt like I had to fit into the life I was expected to take."

"Because of camp, I found the freedom to be the person I was meant to be!"

I wouldn't change that for a million bucks!

People Challenges

Dear Lord,

Lately, there's been a lot of testing down here in the form of people.  I'm not sure why it seems to be incessant but You keep providing this testing in all different ways.  There was that one person who was so angry at me and cursed my name and character because I enforced the rules and protected who and what I needed to protect.  I didn't yell back at them.  I didn't curse at them.  I still got glares, rude gestures, and a sense of unrest anytime I passed them.  I didn't pay them any attention and tried to move on the best I could.  It wasn't hard to put this person out of my mind, but with You, I tried.

Then there were people who didn't show up when they said they were going to show up.  Doesn't seem like a big deal but when you make plans based on what someone's told you and when they told you, it starts to mess the plan up.  You learn that our plans are not your plans.  So you soldier on.  Keep working.  Doing what you can with the people you may or may not have show up.  Guess what, we're still ahead of schedule so Your plan must be working.  Still trying to trust.....

Then, when some people did show up, they created more work, more headache, than what would have happened if they hadn't ever shown up in the first place.  I wish you had never shown up in the first place.

As if it hasn't been rough enough lately, then someone quits on us two weeks before staff training.  Someone who we have planned on having for months, are in need of their skills and qualifications, and there is no one else that we had recruited who had those sets of skills.  Disappointed?  Greatly.  Mad?  Yeah at first.  I thought I'd talked enough into them that sticking to what you say you're going to do, to being loyal, to keeping a promise.  I didn't try to guilt them back as easy as that could have been, that would have brought them back for the wrong reasons.  I wanted them to want to come back, to realize what God could have in store for them, and to trust You.  It didn't work out like I wanted and while our plans haven't crumbled to the ground, it has certainly thrown a wrench into them.  It'll mean more work for me this summer but I just gotta deal I guess.

And even tonight I find out that someone is not going to show up at the start of their contract, but a full 36 hours afterwards.  Not a big deal you might think but when their first day is a huge day of trail rides and you've been expecting them, then it becomes a big deal.

So, God, I'm done.  It can stop.  I don't want to lose faith in people and I want to trust that they will do what they say they'll do, even though I know they are not perfect and never can be.  It's You I trust and have faith in but I'm tired.  I'm still working hard and expecting a fantastic summer.  It will be a good summer.  I know it will be.  Just help me get through this period of testing.  Thanks.  Amen.

Lord I Need You Video

Courage is.....

What is courage?  I read on sign just a few weeks ago at the Hoosier Horse Fair that courage is being scared to death....but saddling up anyways.  A great quote, one that will hang in the barn from now on.  Courage isn't being all tough and acting like nothing phases you.  What I learned this week was that courage is being scared to death.....but doing the right thing anyways, even at risk of personal harm or knowing that it's not going to end up well.  While I can't go into all that happened and let the internet world know about it, there was a situation this week where I had to confront someone to leave the premises, someone I knew would not take it well, but it had to be done for the good of all, for the good of camp.  The easy thing to do would have been to not confront, to look the other way, to avoid what I knew was going to be painful.  But I knew I couldn't and I knew I had to do what I didn't want to do.  And that's courage.  Once the appropriate people showed up and I was done talking to who I needed to talk to about it, then emotion took over.  I'll admit that a lot of emotion took over.  I realized how scared I'd been.  How scared I still was.  How much verbal abuse I'd taken and how threatening the person was and realized that this person knew exactly where I lived.  It took a long time to settle back down and I certainly did not feel like a courageous person at that point.  But everyone told me that I had done exactly what need to be done and I took solace in that fact.  I'm not boasting of what I did.  I don't think there's anything to be proud of.  I did what needed to be done and while it's not an experience I ever want to go through again, I'm glad to know that I have people in my life who will come and standby me.  As one told me afterwards, "You mess with one, you mess with all."  :-)  That's my family, my camp family.