Sondays Camp for Walker

I seriously could NOT believe that the

time had come for one of my children

to attend Sondays Camp.  

I.just.could.not.believe.it!

God is so good!

Walker has never been the type to 

leave us for very long ~ spending 

the night with a friend ever so often.

I had no idea if he'd want to attend camp.

I had always said that I would make him, 

but as the time approached, I changed 

my mind.  I thought this needed

to be something he chose to do or not

to do.  On the night of the "Sign Up Rally"

for Sondays Camp, I told Walker I 

could send a check with him or 

he could decide later and then we 

could get him signed up.

Randomly right before we left to go,

he asked me to send a check

with him just in case he decided to go.

Well, he signed up that very night

and has never looked back. :)

I have prayed for this to happen

for many years.

This camp meant so much in my life ~

spiritually and otherwise.  

As the week approached, 

we were all a little bit anxious!!!;)

Hadlee and Hudson made sweet

little books to put in his suit case.

This was all their doings.  

I love their hearts.  

Their books were precious...

 

 

Sweet Girl was also working on her

own little journal ...........

Then there was Huddy's book 

for his Big Brother...

Throwing a football to each other...

Hudson was so upset over the thought

of a week without Walker :(

The day before Walker left for camp,

he asked us if he could get a 

James Avery cross necklace.  

We couldn't turn that down:)

We are so proud of this kid.  

I also made him do a lot of shopping;)

I got him some "dressy" shoes

for the evenings at camp.  

He didn't wear his Sperry's once

at camp!  ha ha!

He was more into wanting to show

me that he thought he had a six pack;)

He also didn't wear ANY of these

clothes that I had made him try on!!!!!

SILLY boy!!!!!!!!!!!

Grandmother came by 

to love on her boy, too!

I was obsessed with making sure

he had enough sets of clothes!!!!!!!!

I just couldn't help myself;)

I even made him a pic collage

to look at on his phone so he would know.

He.Didn't.Look.

We met at the church on Sunday afternoon

and then it was off to Mt. Lebanon!!!!!

I was so excited, yet anxious...

but mostly just thrilled for my boy!!!

Walker was cool, calm and collected;)

Hudson was DEVASTATED!!!

These siblings love each other so much!

It's one thing I can say we've done right;)

And then we were there!

Before we even pulled into the camp grounds,

everyone was tired of MY camp stories! ha ha!

Getting settled!!!

Logan had saved Walker a bunk...

I absolutely LOVE this group of boys!!!

I was so excited for the week 

I knew they were about to experience.  

The sisters were taking it all in, too!  

What a great group of guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome Leaders, too!!!!!!

We left to go eat a late lunch with

another family before leaving.  

I knew this would be Walker's last

real meal for the week;(

Then we drove around Mt. Lebanon.

I just had to show them my cabin!!!

I went to this camp six summers in a

row and have the most AMAZING,

incredible memories from it.

I still can't believe Bob is still

the one......I love this man dearly.

Then we went back to the 7th grade boys 

lodge before it was time for us to leave.  

Sweet Sisters!

AND Little Brothers:)

Saying our good byes to this 

boy we love so very, very much.  

HOLD ME!!!!!!!!!!!

The guys were all so pumped!

I think we all cried when we left.

I know I did:(

And I know that Hudson did:(

3Spoons when we got back to Waco:(

But we knew Bubba would be just fine.

In fact, I knew that he'd be better

than EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So then I pretty much hardly 

ever heard from Walker:(((

Rules are not to have your phone out

much at camp, and I'm afraid

Walker took that quite literally!!!!!!!

Instead, I pulled out all of my

camp photo albums and did 

group texts with all these people

that I still to this day absolutely 

adore and love and count as 

my dearest friends.  

Who doesn't love Al Denson?

Apparently I really did love him because

I had a button of him on my top button!

ME at camp in 7th grade.

Wow.  

Kelli G at camp in 7th grade.  

Wow.

Again.  

Date Night or "Friend" Night 

as it is now called was of BIG discussion

for the boys  and girls.

My "Friend" Night picture

might be the BEST :)

Free the Fire

The.Best.Memories.  

I don't know why I had so many pictures

of & with my dear friends' future husbands;)

I texted Walker OFTEN

and rarely heard BACK!!!  

And when I did, his responses

weren't the most elaborate;)

Walker is THE pickiest eater 

in the world (other than ME!).

Food is just not our love language

nor any where near it;)

Then THIS....  

The BeST.

One of Kelli's high school best girls

sent us this.  

P.R.I.C.E.L.E.S.S.

Kelli and I both agreed that they 

had to be the cutest couple at camp.

Even though they aren't a couple.  

And of course she and I had to be 

the coolest girls from years past.  ;)

Hadlee made this for me:)

I absolutely LOVED when one of 

the high school girls would text a 

picture or a chaperone would post

pictures on Facebook.

I was a total stalker that week!!!  

I was missing my boy.  

Again, Walker barely texted with me,

so it was back to my old camp pictures;)

Once a First Woodway Duck,

ALWAYS a Duck.  

The Sondays Camp group from Woodway

has certainly grown.  

WOW.  

When I did hear from Walker,

it was either for a few minutes during their

afternoon break or very late at night.
Mostly I got, "It's going great!"

Funny texts!!!!!!!!!

Walker.  I love this kid so much.

He is so himself. 

Always.  

He listens to his Mama so well;)

Favorite part?  "Rec"!!!

 Surprise surprise coming from 

my 13 year old boy!

 

 

 

Walker never posted on his Instagram.

I'm glad some of his friends did!!!

We missed Walker a lot.  

I could kinda see him in the 

background of this picture off Facebook! 

I couldn't WAIT to hear about 

Friend Night!  Walker had

mentioned that he might "opt"

out of that night ~ which wasn't an 

option;)!!!  They draw for their

"friends" late Wednesday night.

 Walker's Turn.............

 He got a precious and sweet

7th grade girl:)

 And wouldn't you know...Walker,

of all the boys, got chosen

to have not one, BUT two "friends"!!!

This time he got a fun, cool

EiGHTH grade girl!!!

"Friend" Night 2015

I heard from the mom grapevine

that Walker was quite the gentleman.

The quiet gentleman I should say:)

On Friend Night, the boys go

pick up their date at their cabin,

give them a flower and then 

carry their trays at dinner.

My handsome and sweet boy

with one of his precious dates:)

The Concert of Prayer is something

that is new.  We didn't have that

in my seven years at Sondays.

A chaperone put a video of the First

Woodway group marching to 

the Concert of Prayer with the

bag pipes playing.  It looked

amazing.  That many young people

heading to pray.  Wow, just wow.  

It was very moving.

 

 

 

Hadlee and Hudson also made 

Welcome Home signs for Brother!!!

Walker had a blast at Hurricane Harbor

the last day and sent me this pic 

of him and Cade on the way home:)

I had purchased his Pre-AP summer 

reading book while he was gone!  ;)

We were at the church very early on Friday 

evening (even though Daddy was tracking 

their trip home by Walker's phone)...

We just couldn't wait to see this boy

get off the bus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Troy was lost all week without

Walker.  Like seriously.  

It was cute, but kinda sad;(

Huds was so happy!!!!!!

I think I was the happiest Mom 

in the world right about this moment:)

So thankful that Walker

and so many of his awesome 

buds experienced this week together!

Love these two Walkers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Walker really bonded with 

some of the guys from different schools 

which makes me SO proud.

Like these two...one he used to play

baseball with and one that he will

soon be playing in select with!

Dad didn't know what to do with

himself in the evenings without

Walker to go to the cages with 

or throw a ball with! 

And, well, I just missed my boy.

He's my heart:)

Next we were off to get pizza of course!!!

Our boy needed his pizza fix!!!!!!!!

My heart was full again!

Sondays Camp 2015!!!

Anyone that knows me well knows that I am

rarely away from my kids (God bless them for having

a crazy mama like me!);  therefore, my kids

 have never wanted to go to any camp whatsoever.

I've always thought though that when it came

time for Sondays Camp that I would

force them because I know how amazing it is.

As it approached for my first born, I 

realized I couldn't FORCE him to go.  

Instead I prayed that he would WANT 

and CHOOSE to go.  AND he did!!!

I am so thankful.

I attended this camp six times during

my youth and it holds such a special

place in my heart.  Sure the hype of

camp came and went during the years,

but what I felt there ~

God's TRUE presence ~

has never left me even to THIS very day.

My prayer is that my son 

and his friends experienced that this week.  

They won't ever forget it.