Little Radicals Day #1

This year, for the very first time, my boys went to church camp. When I was a kid you couldn't go to camp until you were 8 years old. Now, though, they have an even younger camp called Little Radicals that is for 6 and 7 year old's and while I wasn't too excited about my babies spending two nights away from home I knew they were excited and wanted them to have as many camp experiences as they possibly could. Thankfully, Little Radicals camp is shorter then kids or youth camp. Instead of 5 days and 4 nights it is only 3 days and 2 nights! Whew! I don't think I could let them go if it were any longer. PLUS, Brandon signed up to go to Little Radicals camp with our church as a counselor this year so that he could be with the boys. I also don't know if I could have sent the boys to camp if daddy wasn't going to be there. They're just so young and it makes this mommy very nervous! Like I said, though, the boys were SO very excited and even though I had a tummy ache about the entire situation, their excitement was making me excited for them! I could only hope and pray that the boys would make as many wonderful and lifelong memories at camp as I still hold in my heart to this day from my summers at camp.

I wasn't sure I wanted to go with my boys and Brandon to the church to drop them off simply because I knew I would be emotional...but in the end I'm glad I did. It was actually helpful to see the boys interact with the other kids who were going to camp and to see that they had friends going with them. It was also very helpful to see that other moms were nervous too! I wasn't alone!

My big boys carrying all their own luggage into the church.

The first day of camp I got several pictures from Brandon and the other boys counselor. It was awesome to still feel connected to my kids and see that they were safe and happy!! This is all the boy campers from our church waiting outside for dinner to open. The first night they had spaghetti.

The boys got all settled into their room and loved it!! I think the group of boys they took to camp this year was pretty goofy and silly!! That makes for the best room and the most fun memories!!

Silly faces while they wait for church service to start.

When I told the kids what they could expect at camp they were both REALLY excited about the concession stand!! There's just something about being a kid and having control of your own money that is just so cool!! They were planning what snacks they would buy before they even left for camp!! Nachos and root beer are always a popular choice!!

I got one last collage of pictures before my boys went to bed. It was REALLY hard for me to go to bed without my family being home. I was up until about two in the morning and didn't get very good sleep once I finally did fall asleep. Ugh. But according to Brandon, our boys slept very well!! It did make me feel good, though, to find out that Ashtyn ended up sleeping in Brandon's bunk bed with him and Maddox slept in the bed right next to Brandon and made him hold his hand until he fell asleep. Maybe my boys DO still need me after all...!!!