Week 4...here we come!

We officially wrapped up our third week at camp and are heading into our FOURTH week here!  I can't believe how fast time is flying.  We had a really fun week last week and even though we got a TON of rain, I think everyone made the best of it.  It's actually rainy and gloomy as I type this, but there are still van loads of happy campers pulling in left and right.  Randy had some late nights last week helping out with Night Zip (basically exactly what it sounds like...zip lining in the dark with glow sticks).  He was out pretty late each night since they were trying to make sure everyone got a chance despite being rained out several times.  Still, Randy said it was really fun and seeing the excitement of the campers made it all worth it!

Everything else is pretty much the same around here!  I had a check up last week for baby Jack and so far everything is looking great and right on track.  Heartbeat was around 150 and everything was measuring normal.  I will have an anatomy scan coming up the first week of July and I think Randy and I are both anxious to see that he is nice and healthy!  As for my nausea, it has almost completely left.  I'm still getting a little queasy between meals, but I have only had to take my Zofran a few times this month.  Praise God!  That was no fun at all.  I'm so happy to be feeling great and all of the walking around camp has really helped me to just feel amazing in general.  I also have been able to feel baby kicks quite often these days.  Even with Jack being my fourth baby to feel moving, it never gets old.  I still love to lay in bed at night and feel him moving all around.  Pregnancy is such an amazing experience and I'm SO thankful to be on to the fun half now and hopefully past the consuming nausea!  

Noah celebrated his Birthday at camp on the 12th so that was exciting.  He is pretty excited about being 5 ;)  I still feel like he is two in my head so sometimes I hear him saying something or doing something and it just amazes me how grown up he is getting.  We are so proud of what a sweet and caring little boy he is. 

Miss Ella is LOVING camp life.  I think she was born to live at a camp.  She is all about it and always off to find the next adventure.  She is such a great help for me with Owen!  She really loves being a big sister.  I've been really proud of how much responsibility she has shown here at camp when I allow her and Noah to go play.  I usually give them permission to be in a particular area and she has been so great about checking in and getting permission if they would like to go play somewhere else.

Owen is doing great as well and will be seeing his Urologist on the 30th so the kids and I will be traveling into Madison for that later next week. I feel like I have a giant list of questions for the Dr this time since we have seen so much change in his tummy swelling back up again.  I'm really hoping that we are able to get some answers as to what this could mean moving forward.  But there's a big chance it could still be more "waiting and watching" so I am trying to make sure I'm prepared for that, too. He will be 15 months on the 28th and he still isn't walking.  This has been our latest walker!  I'm in no hurry to rush him out of any stages, but my growing tummy and my back will sure be happy when we get him walking.  He's getting pretty close and has been taking 2 or 3 steps here and there so maybe that will be my next update! 

As always, continue to pray for us as we try and decipher what and where God wants us next.  We are praying that God is using this time of waiting to prepare us in any way that He needs to.  We don't want to miss out on any lessons we need to learn along the way so we are praying for open and receptive hearts.

Here are a few pictures to share from around camp this week.  Still not a whole lot, but I'm getting better about remembering to grab the camera!!  

Ella and Noah having some fun with Play Doh cooling off inside.

A sleepy Daddy catching up on some Zzzzz's during nap time with O.

 Ella and Noah getting settled in for some Little House and bedtime.

A favorite activity around camp is catching tadpoles in the pond outside of the Dining Hall.  Noah was REALLY excited this day when he caught a little frog!  It's kind of hard to see in the picture, but it's just a chubby baby Toad.

My two tadpole catchers!

Some girls found this little turtle one day just passing through camp.  The kids took turns holding it before he was released down by the creek.

Randy and Owen 

A better view of the fish pond where they catch tadpoles..

My sweet Owen...also very lovingly known as the "trouble maker".  Thankfully his smile is equally as cute as his will is strong.  Maybe a future leader?

"Surely you're not calling ME a trouble maker?! Impossible!"

My beautiful girl both inside and out!  Can't believe she will be 7 in a couple weeks.

And our adventure this week was realizing that we had some leaking issues in the camper.  It made for a comical night watching movies during the storm and listening to the constant "drip, drip, drip..."  Thankfully, maintenance has done some sealing on the roof and after some pretty heavy rain today I only had to pull out one bucket.  So I think we may be close to having the issue fixed.  Fingers crossed!

Camp Update!

We have officially survived two full weeks of camp and we are working our way into our third week!  It's amazing how quickly time moves ahead! It took us some time to settle in and find a new "normal" for camp.  Although I think the first rule we have learned at camp is that there is no "normal" and there wont be!  Every week is a little different and brings along different age students and people to meet.  It's been really fun.  Randy's schedule has varied each week, but we always catch up with him here and there throughout the day to say hi for a few minutes and we usually see him at meals in the Dining Hall.  This week has been a nice change because he doesn't get started until noon so we have some time in the morning to spend with him.  Or on a day like today.....watch him passed out asleep from the late nights he's been keeping.  But he is having a great time and even though he is "working" it is a very fun kind of work.  Ella and Noah usually spend their mornings playing outside after breakfast.  They play on the playground or play some favorite camp games like Gaga and Carpet Ball.  I usually pick up around the camper after breakfast and then head out to read while Owen takes his morning nap.  After lunch we go outside or head to the lake for awhile.  Sometimes I have to run some laundry through.  It's been a little different every day, but it's been a very nice change of pace.  The last few months were so busy with me being sick, packing, and finishing up Ella's school.  It's been so refreshing to not have such busy days!  In the evenings after dinner I usually get the kids all bathed and we watch a movie or episode of Little House to quiet things down in the camper.  This was the best change we made to our routine so far.  Owen's bed is right in the area where we spend most of our time inside so it was very hard for him to get to sleep with all the noise and action around him.  Now that we get everyone clean and settled down by 7:30 or so, it allows him to fall asleep, but lets the big kids still stay awake for awhile.  It's made a HUGE difference in our evenings!  I will post more pictures soon, but today was sadly the first day I even used my camera since we arrived. I have been moving and organizing tons of pictures and finishing up some ones I needed to edit and I just haven't taken the time to take any around camp yet.  I will do that this week and get some posted, but for now I took some of the camper to share.  I know so many of you have been asking how in the world we are doing being in a camper with three (& 1/2) kids and 2 dogs.  It has certainly been an adventure and an adjustment!  But we are all making the best of it and since we don't spend a lot of time inside, it hasn't been too big of an issue.  Randy and I were just saying last night that we have already made so many memories that I'm sure we will laugh about for many years to come.  But we are truly thankful for this time while we prepare for whatever is next!

Alright...here it is....our humble Summer abode!  Enjoy.

I had my 50mm on the camera so you'll have to make due with squished views that don't cover a whole lot in each picture :)  This is the view into the bedroom where Randy and I sleep.

 And here is our fancy bathroom....

 Right now we have been showering at the lodge and just using the tub for storage.  But we do have hot water now which is nice.  The lodge has just been easier for now since I can put both of the kids in a shower at the same time.

 And this is the view if you looked from the bathroom down the steps to the main part of the RV.

 and a little sleepy baby peeking up to say hi :)

 This counter is usually where all of our stuff collects and we use the computer..

 and the other side of the room has the sink where I wash out sippy cups and water bottles.  Since we eat in the Dining Hall for all of our meals, I only have to use the kitchen area for washing up stuff like this.

 We've tried to get creative with storing stuff and making the best use we can of the space we have.  Oh and BTW, do you like our orange carpet?!  Pretty fancy! ;)

 Here is the fridge we use to store some random snacks.  It usually has some apple sauce and yogurt for Owen and chocolate for mommy....

 There are baskets everywhere because it was the best I could think of to give toys and things each a home to be put away.  So we store the toys in a big basket and some under the futon that the kids sleep on.  They have also put a lot of their toys on the back shelf behind the futon.

 Well, that's all for today.  Time for me to let this sleepy head hit the hay!