Tuesday at GGC

We began our morning after breakfast going on a Scavenger Hunt.  This was just Part I today.  We quickly found this unusual tree on the court beside Papa and Nana's home.  

The kids found this stuffed dog and took a liking to him. He cost $125.

 We had a great time around town looking for stuff, and found every item on our hunt.  We moved all the outdoor stuff into the garage because the men came to power wash the driveway before they seal it on Wednesday.  Then we were off to the Spolnik's pool.  Bev had toys and drinks for us and we did not want to leave! 

Papa finally allowed Abby in the deep part with both sets of Mark's floaties on. 

Micah jumping in

And the splash!

Caroline is SO relaxed!

Hannah and Caroline playing in the front.  The girls all spent most of their time diving for rings, fish, and other toys.  They enjoyed it so much they were pretty happy to stay in the shallow part most of the time. 

After lunch, (and treats from Nana's treat jar), we had a rest time so we could all read our books we had checked out of the library.  I believe Caroline has read 3 books while she has been here! 
 
 Before dinner, Papa took the campers out to make a fire pit.  They learned about the 3 things a fire needs to burn, fire safety, and building a fire.  They were pretty excited to have s'mores. 

The campers waiting for flames to die down so they can roast their marshmallows. 

Micah, Abby, Papa and Hannah trying to steer clear of the smoke to get the marshmallows cooked just right. 

Papa got the Benji movie started while Nana picked up.  She came into the room just as Hannah decided to move down from Papa's recliner onto the floor.  Note that all the campers brought down their special pillows that Aunt Jane made for them. 

 We all enjoyed the movie so much that we want to watch other Benji movies.  We had a short prayer and decided to move Bible time to the next morning since it was rather late past our bedtime.  :)  We will be excited to see all our moms tomorrow at dinner time. 

Pictures Prior to GGC

Aunt Jane made us lovely pillowcases for our campers this year, and embroidered each of their names on their pillow. 

 Nana stuffed them with pillows and sewed up the ends. Voila!  Caroline's pillow:

 A minor setback before camp began - a heavy rainstorm brought quite a bit of the water inside the sunroom.  

  Aunt Laurie arrived with Abby and Ezra, and was left with setting things up for camp.   Nana left the rain and traveled East to get some of the campers.

Nana brought Caroline to Ohio following a bridal shower in Pittsburgh, they stayed with Uncle Bob and Aunt Janet, and Uncle Bob taught Caroline some chords on the piano.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

After church with Bob and Janet, Nana and Caroline met up with Uncle Scott to get two more campers, Micah and Hannah.  Nana was awfully glad she was able to use her friend Patty's minivan for the trip - complete with video - priceless!

Back home, the four got to see the surprises in their rooms [T Shirt design by Aunt Laurie]: 

Following pizza dinner, and much discussion about the unusual forks at their places, there was a surprise for dessert:  fruit with chocolate fondue. They all loved it, and even made Papa take a bite!

 
 We reviewed some of our creation verses from the last two years, had a bit of flashlight time, and went to bed.  It was a full day, but we all did fall asleep!  

Naturally, the kids wanted to play Nana's Lumosity before breakfast.  Abby's still adjusting a little from CO time, but the others were up early (but not allowed downstairs before 7 a.m.!!!)  Hannah quickly got in on the games, too. 

Breakfast of champions this morning, waffles and blueberry muffins.  F.R.O.G. joined us (lying at Papa's place); he had recently been sewn up.  The older campers remembered that F.R.O.G. stands for "Forever Rely On God". 

 
Aunt Laurie had set up everything just perfectly for crafts and the craft table: 

  There was much paint applied in numerous places.  The individual letters are still under construction, but looking good: 

Our friend Mr. Peter Gordon [darn, forgot to take his picture!] came to tell us about the Kairos Prison ministry he is involved in.  [Translated for the campers: Going into the jail to tell the men about God.  They are sad because they have not made good choices and have done bad things.  They need to know about God's love for them.]  He showed us how we could make placemats for the meals for the men, and how happy that would make them.  They take them back to their "rooms" and hang them up.  So the campers have been making placemats today in their spare time.  They pray for each man who will get a placemat, and put their first name and age on it. [Pictures tomorrow...]

It was time to walk to the library, and if you are a kid, that means running. 

  Mark's Ark came with unusual animals to show the children and allow them to pet them.  It was a great time for all, but Micah and Caroline would have loved to have been chosen to be a "helper" for Mr. Mark.  Here the kids pet a chinchilla and a baby alligator.   

 Some moms loved our shirts and grandparent camp idea, and wanted to get our picture.  

We played outside this afternoon - ladder golf and beanbag toss, went back to the library for hopscotch-making and to get some books, and came home to Papa's burgers and hot dogs grilled on the green egg. 

Micah twisty-turney hopscotch to 52

Abby quickly made her own.

Caroline and Hannah's hopscotch had a spin and a jump block.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Nana made us all eat dirt with stuff in it - here Hannah eats her worms.  :)  

The campers continue to amaze with their incredible Bible knowledge and understanding.  Tonight we started in on "The Fall"; tomorrow we get to look at it from a visual perspective.  

GGC 2016

Laurie flew in from CO Thursday night ( or I should say Friday morning, as it was 1 a.m.).  She brought Abby and Ez so that Abby could be here for Grandparent Camp.  Nana got Caroline from her mom on Saturday in Pittsburgh, then picked up Micah and Hannah from Scott in Ohio on Sunday.   We all got home about in time for pizza dinner.  

I have cute pictures which I cannot unload from my phone, so pics coming tomorrow. 

We had fun playing outside, and having a fun (messy!) dessert - we'll show you tomorrow.  The kids loved their darling pillows made by Aunt Jane in CO.  

We're all very tired so good night for now.   

Final Day of 2015 GGC

Our last day of camp - all the campers wearing their GGC shirts.  We have learned about the 7 days of Creation this week, and memorized Psalm 19:1-2.  We made mobiles with each day on them, so we can look back and remember.  This morning we discussed the final day, where God rested.  

We're off to the Hines Farm in Lizton, IN.  First a quick check on the two frogs that our friend Travis caught.  F.R.O.G. stands for "Forever Rely On God", so frogs are pretty important at GGC.  

We have arrived at Jeff & Kim's farm!  We've all got our long pants on because Jeff says we'll be in long grass and take a walk through a cornfield.  Bug spray is essential. Then we're off in the Ranger.  

What is this thing below that we are riding over?  Jeff explains it's a Cow Catcher - cows won't walk over this, so no gate is needed here at the entrance to their neighbor's farm. 

We pass some geese by the farm pond.  Jeff says they might be the mean kind of geese.  We cannot know without getting close, and if they are the mean kind they will bite.  We decide not to find out if they are the mean kind or the nice kind.  It is a beautiful day, and we see the reflections of the trees (that God made on Day 3) in the pond. 

Inside the sheep barn, we see how the sheep all follow each other.  One goes, and they all follow.  Jeff talks about how God calls people "sheep" in the Bible.

The hay is just inviting little people to climb up in it ... 

 One of the sheep had a tag on its ear that Micah read, and it said Micah 20.  Jeff told us that the boy at his neighbor's farm was named Micah, and that sheep must belong to him.

Abby and Hannah spot Sasha the sheepdog, and before long all the kids want a chance to pet her.  

Jeff tells us to be really still and quiet, and he catches a sheep from the barn!  Micah and Papa watch from the Ranger, but soon everyone gets a chance to pet the wooly sheep while Jeff holds her. 

Jeff shows us deer paths - they walk the same paths over and over again.

Jeff saved a trailer load full of brush, just so we could get to help dump it! 

First we have to open the doors and lock them open, then Micah and Caroline get to raise the trailer bed.  

Just watch how cool this is when Jeff pulls his truck forward!  

 Hannah and Abby get to bring the trailer back down: 

Elliott has shown up on the tractor, and he pushes the load onto the pile. [Then he lifts it up and dumps it way up on top of the pile, which was pretty cool, but I was not quick enough to get it on video.]

 The kids all got to ride in the trailer with Elliott.  Hannah, ever the determined one, did not need a bit of help getting out of the trailer.  

Papa drives Nana in the Ranger while Jeff and Elliott take the kids on a walk through the cornfield.  Caroline gets to have an ear of the feed corn (not so good for people to eat!).  Nana and Papa could not only hear them coming through the cornfield, but could see the stalks waving high up in the air, so we knew just where they were as they were coming out of the field to meet us

.

The kids asked Elliott where the end of the cornfield was, and they decided to walk to the end of it.  Jeff, Papa and Nana waited for a while and finally went looking for them.  They had walked to the end of the cornfield, and were up in the loft of the barn.  Elliott and Caroline (waving) are in the top window.  Micah (yes, that really is Micah up there) was excited he could see the whole farm from up that high!  

Jeff let Abby and Hannah sit in his lap and help drive the Ranger, while Elliott took Micah and Caroline on the tractor.  

Back at the house, Elliott took the kids on a little ride in the front of the tractor.  [I flipped the phone and you'll have to turn sideways to see the last half.]

No trip to the farm is complete, says Uncle Jeff, without a trip to the Dairy Bar.  The kids are delighted, and surprised that the people know Jeff and Elliott by name.  This makes the second time this week that we have had ice cream before lunch!  What a great morning at the farm!

 Back home after lunch, we had to go dig up the trash we had buried at the beginning of camp.  We were surprised to see that someone or something had already dug into our pile.  A groundhog?  A raccoon?  We looked at what was left, picked out all the plastic that wasn't turning back into dirt, and saw how the napkins and apple peels and things like that were getting pretty rotten.  Further away, Caroline found more pieces of plastic that the critter had stolen from our pile.  One thing we never did find, though - the metal can of Redi-Whip.  

We ended our time at GGC 2015 by painting our stepping stones, and that is just where all the parents found us when they arrived with our little siblings.