Booty Spell

No, this isn’t some kind of magic spell cast on my fat butt.  It is one of the many “games” played at Falls Creek.  After all, you have to have some things planned for kids who have no access to computers, cell phones, Ipods, Nintendos or televisions.  They actually had to communicate with one another and with the adults present.  To keep them out of trouble and occupied our youth minister had games planned for some of our time in the cabin.  I must admit that some were hysterical and some made me gag.  The funniest was the “booty spell”.  When a camper would get some mail they would be called to the front of the room and have to spell out a word using only their booty.  You know…..pretend you have a pencil stuck in your crack and you are writing a word.  You know you want to try it.  Go ahead…. I’ll wait…………………………………………..Okay, now wasn’t that fun?  It was also hilarious.

Another one that wasn’t so fun, at least from my perspective, was the Alphabet game.  The youth director opened about 20 cans of Alphabet Spaghetti-o’s and poured them into a big pan.  Each team had to select one member of their team to participate.  That team member had to put their face in the spaghetti-o’s and get as much in their mouth as possible and then run to their teams table and spit it out.  The team then had to move the alphabet letters around and spell as many words as possible.  It not only looked disgusting but smelled worse.  I think we had a few kids and one sponsor who had to leave the room.

Then we had the one that required the most muscle and resulted in the most laughter.  It is called  “Aw Snap”.  You may have seen this on the Ellen DeG. show.  They take one team member from each team and put them in a life jacket.  Two life jackets are attached to one another with a bungee cord.  The two contestants face opposite directions and must get to an apple on a stick and get the apple in their mouth and put it into a bowl.  There is just one catch – the bungee won’t stretch far enough for them both to reach their apple so there was a lot of tugging and pulling and laughter.

These were not games that adults would enjoy but the kids loved them and it’s all about teamwork and building relationships.

Okay, now I know that some of you didn’t try the booty spell at first but you know you want to.  Go ahead………..spell….I  LOOK  RIDICULOUS!

OMGsh…the food was awesome

Do you remember summer camp?  Hot dogs, hamburgers, Hobo dinners, etc.  That has always been my idea of summer camp food. (Not to be confused with camping food.)  That is what I anticipated eating while at Falls Creek camp last week.  I took along a few snacks to get me through the week and had lofty thoughts of losing a few pounds by not eating much and walking and sweating off the extra pounds.  Well, apparently no one told our camp cooks about my plans to eat light and lose weight.  They brought everything but the kitchen sink, since the cabin already had one of those.  I went down a day early to help them get the last of the food at Sam’s Club and unpack the trailer, yes I said trailer, of food.  My first indication that this was not going to be my usual camping experience was when I saw the trailer with the food in it.

Yes, its a 10′ enclosed trailer!

It was packed to full capacity with ice chests full of frozen meat and food, boxes and boxes and more boxes of other food.  I thought to myself “Surely we won’t need to pick up much at Sam’s”  WRONG – We filled up the back of an Expedition with more food and even stopped just outside the camp area and bought all the milk, butter, eggs and other dairy products.

When we arrived at the campground it took us over an hour to unload everything from the vehicle and the trailer.  There were three of us and it took another hour to place everything in it’s proper place. (Let me tell you these ladies are so organized they made my head hurt.)  After getting everything in it’s proper place I headed up the stairs to stake my claim on my bed.  Low and behold they are all bunk beds.  I got a lower bunk close to the air conditioner, not too close to the bathroom and not  too close to some of the  other bunks.  Perfect!  I unpacked, fixed my bed and suddenly smelled something delicious cooking.  I quickly ran downstairs and, sure enough, they were already hard at it.  No hot dogs for this bunch!  Let me give you an idea of our daily menus.

Monday – Breakfast:  Pancakes, sausage, bacon, toast, scrambled eggs and fruit.  Lunch – Soft Tacos, salad, chocolate cake.  Supper – King Ranch Chicken (which by the way won the camp cooks cook-off), beans, cornbread and Ashley Cake.

Tuesday – Breakfast:  Scrambled eggs, toast, bagels, bacon, sausage and cereal. Lunch – Hamburgers, french fries, fruit salad.  Supper – Pulled Pork (this won the “Pork” division of the cook-off), baked beans, green salad, and chocolate, caramel, toffee cake.

Wednesday – Breakfast:  Breakfast pizza, fresh fruit, cereal.  Lunch:  Twice Baked Potatoes, salad and Honey Bun Cake.  Supper:  Brisket, potato salad, slaw and banana pudding.

Do you get the picture?  All week we had these awesome meals and no matter how hard I tried to just take a little bit….I still came away from the table feeling like I was going to explode.  Then we had things like Oreo ice cream, fruit pizza and cookies for our late night snacks.  Yes, lets give those teens lots of sugar and then expect them to go to sleep before 2 am………

When I got home I told Coach that I was almost positive that I had gained 10 lbs. in one week but I hadn’t gained anything.  How did I not gain any weight????  My pants won’t snap as easy and I feel like a bloated cow!!!!  BUT, the food was incredible!  I got all the recipes and will be glad to share them.  You must remember that they were written for 75-100 people so you might have to cut the ingredients down a little – or not.

Several evenings we would be getting ready to eat and a group of kids would wonder into our cabin and ask what we were eating because it smelled so good outside.  They would see our spread and tell us that they ate sandwiches every day and thought that was what everyone had.  Poor things!

So, to you – Konna & Deidra – hats off to the greatest church camp cooks in the world!

Falls Creek

This was supposed to publish on the 27th but didn’t!  Sorry it’s late.  Will tell you all about camp soon!

How many of you know about Falls Creek?  Probably not many unless you have grown up in North Texas or Oklahoma and attended a Baptist Church.  Falls Creek is a place in southern Oklahoma that holds a special place in many hearts.  A sacred place.  A blessed place!

What is Falls Creek?

Falls Creek is about young people! Nestled in the heart of the Arbuckle Mountains of southern Oklahoma, Falls Creek has become the largest religious youth encampment in the world. More than 45,000 young people will attend its seven weeks of encampment every summer.

As a kid I never got to go to Falls Creek.  There were just circumstances that prevented me from going.  My kids did go and they always came home with wonderful stories of new friends they met and life decisions they had made.  I always envied their experience.

WELL………I volunteered to go with our church this year as a cook but the Youth Minister asked me to serve as a counselor instead.  I am leaving on Sunday and won’t be home until the following Saturday (July 4th).  Now, there are are few things I need to tell you about Falls Creek lest you think I am going to spend the week playing in the lake, crafting, etc.

#1 – Falls Creek is located in an actual “bowl” down in the Arbuckle Mountains.  That means that there is not a lot of wind or air circulation in general in the camp ground.  The temps in Oklahoma are now running around 100 degrees plus.  That means it is going to be HOT and very humid.  The cabin IS air conditioned and that is GOOD!

#2 – We sleep in bunk beds in our cabin.  Now I don’t mind bunk beds but think about sleeping in one big room with about 40 girls age 13 – 18.  (Yes, they do separate the boys and girls).  Not a lot of sleeping going on.

#3 – There are only 4 toilets and 4 showers for all those 40 girls.  Everyone will be trying to get ready at the same time.  Not a good thing for someone used to having the whole bathroom to herself.  I foresee some cold showers.

#4 – It’s been a while since I was a teen – a LONG while.  What if they ask me something I can’t or prefer not to answer?  This is stressing me out.  I have teen granddaughters and I try to keep up with all the “teen scene” through them but let’s face it, things are very different today and these kids are  facing things I never dreamed about.

#5 – I am due my hormone shot and I have just not thought about it before today.  Will it have time to work before I get that urge to yank someones head off?  If not, will you guys visit me in jail?

#6 – Did I mention that it will be VERY HOT at Falls Creek?

Maybe they will think I am just returning from the swimming pool.

Anyhow,  all kidding aside – I think this will be a special week for me and hopefully for the 60+ kids going with us.  I covet your prayers and will probably have lots of blog fodder when I return.  Until then…………..

HOOKERS

I’ve always heard that in this great big world we live in there is a place for everyone to feel loved and wanted.   A place to call “Home”. I found the place that Hookers actually call home.  They are proud to be Hookers and have built an entire little community to live together in.  Don’t believe me, do you?  Well, how do you explain this…

I’m pretty sure this water tower was put up to warn outsiders that these Hookers are not to be messed with.  Now they definitely want some law and order in their town because I saw this right outside the Hooker City Hall.

I’m pretty sure they get to ride in the front seat of this car instead of the back seat.  Of course, as in any town, you have to work hard at making sure your residents are happy and healthy.  Hookers are no different.  They like to have a place to get and keep fit for their intense work schedules.

Hookers come in all shapes and sizes starting with the very youngest.  No one wants the young Hookers to be uneducated so they have the very best of schools available.

While I was strolling around town I heard a siren approaching.  I learned that a couple of Hookers had been injured at work.  Never fear, help was on the way quickly…………..
After making sure that the Hookers were all taken care of, I resumed my stroll through the community and what did my eyes behold…………..  Yes, Hookers of every age and skill level must have a few “tools of the trade”.  You know, those things that lift, pull, push, make things bigger (or  smaller if you prefer) and where else would you find those tools but at the Alas my time in this community of Hookers was drawing to a close.  I bid my friends goodbye and  headed back home.  Everyone needs a place to call home and I am so happy that  my Hooker friends have found their home.

** This story is not meant to be disparaging of anyone.  This community exists and I have some very good friends who live here.  They were the inspiration behind this post.  They lovingly refer to themselves as the “Hooker Girls”.  I love them!  Here’s to you…Hooker Girls!

One Year Old

Guess what?  My blog was officially one year old on the 21st of this month.  I didn’t realize it until I saw another blogger’s blogiversary post.  How could I let this go by without remembering?  It’s almost as bad as forgetting a child’s birthday.  Well, maybe not that bad.

I can’t believe that it’s been one year (and 4 days).  When I started this I was going to be the blog worlds guru on Step-Families.  I think I may have posted a handful of times on Stepping.  After that I just started journaling my life.  Now I’m just a random writer.  What ever pops in the old noggin comes out on the page.

I’ll try to think of something profound in the next week or two but right now I am just a little too busy.  Thanks to all of you who have been with me since the beginning, namely MLS and that Blue Ridge Gal!  Can’t believe I haven’t already run the two of you off.

Now that I am addicted I guess I’ll jsut have to continue feeding this need in me to spill my guts.  Happy Belated