Camp Timberline

Warning...this is a bit long...but I want to share the saga that was my weekend. Read on at your own risk!

Desi was asked to teach at a youth winter camp this past weekend. There were about 70 jr and sr high kids and 20 leaders who came up from Faith Evangelical Church in Fort Collins, CO. We had done a few outreaches with Grant (the youth pastor) and the kids over this past summer. Our whole family was invited to come up and stay for the weekend. I thought, "How fun! and we can be there with Desi instead of missing him all weekend!"

So, Friday we head up I25 around 5pm. We arrive at Camp Timberline just after 7pm. We are told we will be staying in the boys dorm (what?) and our room name was "Otis". I have an uncle named Otis. Otis turns out to be one of many rooms (which included a bathroom) in the boys dorm building. We have 7 bunk beds, two showers and a toilet and sink all to ourselves. So, we walk into the room and I see...cement tile floor, plastic thinner-than-twin mattresses, plywood under the mattresses, and exposed pipes. It the dawns on me...I brought sleeping bags for the kids, but nothing for Desi and I. Negative thoughts begin to plague me. I do not bring them into captivity.

At this point I, 1.feel foolish for forgetting towels and bedding and 2.am trying real hard to have a good attitude. We've stayed at youth camps before and there have been motel-like rooms for the leaders. This was different. Some of the guys who work there round up a few sheets, blankets and towels. I go to work covering each mattress we were using with sheets. The kids are very excited to have their own bunk beds and think our room is tops. Oh to have their perspective on things.

We have a late dinner, enjoy worship with the group in the Party Barn and head to our room. At least the heat works. The kids are in their beds around 10pm. Levi has a rough go of getting to sleep, but Owen and Emma are out pretty quick. By the time the boys next door come to bed Hope is still up and we get to hear fart stories and talk of girls as we fall asleep. I think to myself...I sure don't want Owen and Levi acting like that. I share my feelings with Desi and he says, "Too bad...they will."

Levi wakes up at 5:17 (I had my phone near by). He is happy and I give him a few cheese fishies, some water and put him in bed with me. He stays awake for an hour and then falls asleep. I have half of a thinner-than-twin mattress (with no pillow) to try to get back to sleep on. More "great" thoughts are swimming in my head.

The rest of Saturday goes a bit better. I get a nice hot shower. (Oh yeah, I had started my period Thursday night...so a shower was necessary!) Back to camp. We enjoy breakfast, more worship and go back to our room to hang out while daddy teaches. Owen hated being in the party barn listening to worship and Emma loved it. She clung to Desi all weekend and cried at the drop of a hat. Hope stayed with some of the girls to listen to her dad.

After the teaching, the kids are divided into four groups for the day and have an hour at each station. We watch them do a zip line, gut check, leap of faith, ect... It gets pretty cold and sort of snows in the afternoon. Owen complains about the new coat I bought him. It looks like Emma's. He refuses to wear it. I let Owen and Emma play outside in the softly falling snow. They are wearing their sweatshirts. I get Levi to nap and then take the other three to the "game" room. They play fooseball, air hockey and table tennis.

After dinner, more worship and back to our room. I am not doing so well at this point. I have totally failed at having that great attitude that I had wanted to have all weekend. I get upset at the kids and say some horrible things. I am totally in sin at this point. I hate being in that place. I apologize and ask for forgiveness from my kids. I am so down, that I don't even feel like praying. I am able to get the kids in bed by 8. They are pretty tuckered out and CRANKY. We let Levi cry it out to sleep later (only a few minutes and he is out). Hope has a hard time falling asleep again. It could be the boys jumping up and down above us, or the boys next door telling their funny stories again. Who knows.

Finally all is quiet and as I try to get comfortable I pray. "Lord, help me get through this night...if I can just make it through and a few hours tomorrow, we'll be in the car and on our way home. I know with Your help God, I can do this. I want to glorify You! This place isn't all that bad and it's much nicer than many families have all around the world. Help me be thankful."

Then the power goes out.

Owen freaks out because it is so dark. We find a book light and turn it on.

Levi wakes up at 4:25 and since it's so cold joins me in my spacious bed. Desi puts another sheet on me and I put a sweatshirt on.

We all wake up around 7ish. It's dark. The power is still out. I go to use the bathroom and get my hands half washed. For some reason the water is off.

I hear people talking outside. I open our door to about 8 inches of SNOW!!!!! It was crazy to see...and beautiful. I overhear some guys talking. No, the power will not be coming back on any time soon. And yes, the water is somehow connected with the power so no water either. So, I do not get a shower and have to pack us up in the cold dark. Oh joy. Another bad attitude erupts.

We gather with the group in the dining hall (lots of windows) and enjoy granola bars for breakfast. The snow is falling fast and I'm wondering..."I sure hope our little Toyota can get out of here!" Desi shares and I take the kids down below to the game room and two fireplaces.

Finally, we are done and Desi treks out to the parking lot to hopefully bring our van up to load. Thankfully he makes it and with some high school boys' help we get the van turned around and are on our way out! We drive in other trucks tracks and make it down the hill safely. We then go about 9 miles into Estes Park and enjoy some coffee and donuts from Safeway.

We end our adventure with lunch at this McDonalds that has maybe the most fun play place ever.
~Rose

I was so thankful to get home. And so humbled by my bad attitude.