This week

After getting home we hit the ground running.  I basically unloaded all my clothes in the washing machine and dryer and then put them back in my suitcase.  Everyone slept well in their own bed.  Clayton had not been home in 13 days between youth camp, swim weekend and us being gone.  Jack and Andrew were going on 11 days. 
Saturday morning it was business as usual.  Fred went on a bike ride, I made breakfast (with good coffee!!  Hallelujah!!) and the boys just laid around.  When Fred got home I met up with Liz at Shelby Farms.  It was hot, but it was so fun.  We did a 6 mile hike through the woods.  I cannot tell you how much I love Shelby Farms and walking with a friend.  It really is my happy place. 
Here we are before...

 And here we are after.  Seriously, I thought I was going to melt.  Whew, it was hot.  But so fun!

After that we enjoyed a relaxing day around the house and going to the grocery store and a few other errands.  By 5:15 pm I could not go another step.  We all went to bed early and I'm pretty sure I didn't move all night. 
During one of our errands Andrew and I stopped by the library. They had one of these little stick your face in the hole things.  I couldn't resist getting Andrew's picture.  It just makes me smile. 

 
Sunday morning I woke up to get ready for church and made Oven Pancakes for breakfast.  (Click here for the recipe.)  I will be making these again.  I used whole wheat flour and half the sugar.  Tami told me about these and I owe her a thank you note.  Yum!!
While I was making breakfast I heard a commotion on the stairs.  I looked over to see Jack lugging his suitcase down the stairs. 

Yep, he came down packed for camp.  We don't leave until tomorrow at 3:00 pm.  There's no telling what's in his suitcase.  I told him to put two towels in it for showers.  He gave me a, "WHAT!?!  You know I'm not going to take any showers!"  Oh dear. 

Jack and I left for camp Monday morning.  We had an amazing time.  I slept in a luxurious bunk bed and was able to shower in a spa like experience...I kid.  I slept on a plastic mattress and showered in a small stall with only a stream of water as big as my pinky.   
Some of our high school and college students dressed as super heroes to lead our late night activities.  One thing that we did during the week was to reward kiddos for good behavior.  If we saw one of them doing something good they were nominated for a Selfie with the Super Heroes.  It was great.  Jack was nominated the first night because he helped load heavy stuff on the bus.  If only he wasn't so shy...

 I was also nominated on another night because I fixed someone's hat.  A dream come true for me.  Ha!

 

 This guy woke up every morning around 6:00 am to go fishing.  Thankfully, a precious man from church was out and ready to meet all the guys that went fishing early each morning. 
Our cabins were divided between girls and boys.  Most of the boys were out early, but the girls had to be woken up each morning to go to breakfast. 
I also got the nickname of Ms. Hannigan and the Child Whisperer.  I got the girls to sleep in record time.  It was awesome.  Call me whatever you like.  I was asleep and that's what mattered!!

 Our high school and college students went above and beyond the call of duty.  Many of them left during the day to go to ball practice or work and then came back at night to help.  This one had football practice and came to camp on his lunch break.  Camp was closer to his practice then driving home. 

 The last night Fred came to talk to all the Super Heroes as Nick Fury.  He had a talk with all of them.  It was really funny. 

 Here's our entire group before we headed out. 

 We ate lunch at Lenny's because I love their Grilled Chicken Philly Salad (Have you ever tried it?!?  So yummy!) and this sister just needed some veggies after eating kid/camp food all week.  Then I crawled walked in to the house and drug our luggage in behind us.  In an unprecedented Jennifer move I left everything on the floor, went straight upstairs and went to bed.  Jack and I actually both slept from 12:30 pm to 4:02 pm.  I literally thought it was 1:00 or 1:30 pm.  And seriously, as I'm typing this it's 7:32 pm I could go to sleep right.now.  Yes, I could. 

I started the long process of laundry.  Does camp laundry not have an odor of its own?!?  Jack's suitcase looked like a bomb hit it...except for his towels.  They were perfectly folded and untouched.  Yep, he did not take a shower all week.  He expressed his disdain at the condition of the bathrooms.  The boy's bathroom must not have been as "spa like" as the girl's bathroom. 
We have a few days to recover before we leave for our final trip of the summer.  We will head to staff retreat. Then we just have a few weeks before school begins.  But I'm not talking about it.  Not talking about it will keep it from happening, right?!?