Nathanael's Birthday

Here are the three pictures I took at Nathanael's west coast party before my batteries died.







The oranges and cake were made by Sarah before she left for the beach. We also had Cactus Cooler floats and guacamole to round out the Cali theme.

My First Day Off Since The 10th

Last Week's Theme Song

We all cheated last week, and not an ounce was lost.

Buckle Up. It's Gonna Be A Long Post.

Our first stop after general clean up on Saturday was In-n-out for some deliciously non-dietetic burgers and fries. The ordering was a little crazy since there were eighteen of us and one envelope of cash, but it was worth it.








Then once we arrived at the church in LaVerne, we had our run of the place which included some mean fake-drum-playing,



baby Jack time,



game playing,



and some general staff weirdness.



Sunday morning after a hot night of sleeping in the dusty basement, we walked a few blocks to Old LaVerne for coffee and doughnuts. The neighborhood houses are really beautiful; we enjoyed reading their historical plaques as we meandered.

Is that a fine-looking staff, or what?

Here are the pre-service shots.





We thought that having Jamin here for the service would give Mrs. B the perfect opportunity to take the morning off, be she declined the offer. Then, at the last minute, she requested that Jamin accompany her. Even as a non-musical by stander, I cringed at the thought of playing alongside a stranger whom I've never heard play, but she handled it beautifully.


After church we squeezed in a little lunch and ballgown time at the Ontario Hills Mall.

Our illustrious Burger King boys.

The chickens were on the ball field when I got to work this morning, and after our hellos I was immediately enlisted to help "...move this really big log over where no one will trip over it. We can move it by the wood pile where no one walks- except bunnies- but they can hop over it."

Week Five

**84**

pounds to go. We all cheated some this week, but still lost ten pounds. Our metabolisms (metaboli?) must be catching on to what we're doing.

My camera Hates Dusk.

Kings Kamp had a luau up in the Tabernacle on Tuesday. Our staff will take any excuse to dress up and play on a pirate ship, so that is what we did. The most exciting thing by far, for me, was that the campers ate and drank every ounce that we'd prepared. The only things that we had to put away were the salt, pepper, and butter packets.

From the Camp Devotion Deck

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sin, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

-1 John 1:8&9

Most merciful Father,
We confess that we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole hearts. We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will, and walk in Your ways, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.

–Prayer of confession from the Lutheran Book of Worship

Upon hearing the above verse read yesterday, my brain automatically filled in the prayer that follows because that was just the order of things in my childhood church. As a kid the phrase “delight in Your will” could have meant “the mouse flies overhead” for all I knew. It wasn’t something that resonated with anything in my short life, and I never puzzled over its meaning, I just read it and moved on to the next hymn in the bulletin. As an adult the thought of delighting in His good, pleasing and perfect will thrills me. Confession: I am often too stubbornly independent, and insist on struggling through decisions and navigating on my own. This prayer still breathes in my memory, and now reminds me to not just seek and pursue, but to delight in His will for me.

Because of my late start to Jason and Nicole's wedding from oh so far away, I ended up parking on a side street and changing into my dress in the car, but other than that, it was a great party.

Camp Trash? Oh, No. Brilliant Costuming.

Week Four:

**94**

pounds to go.

Last Friday's weigh-in showed that we three are exactly one hundred pounds from our goal weight. Oi.

Amiably Pirated

Here are some additions to my two pictures taken.

Random

My mom has a new cat with six toes on each foot that she has named Sasquatch (nickname-Sassy). Fortunately, she lives in Frazier Park, and is not in danger of being shot for science. And not to worry, those manly arms in the picture belong to my brother Jim.

LoveJoyPeacePatience

KindnessGoodnessFaithfulnessGentlenessTemperance

So bizarre. I couldn't look away.