Birthday + Lost Canyon + Father's Day

I think I might need a vacation from celebration.                                       


After opening birthday presents and sucking down my favorite Starbucks drink, we packed up the truck and headed over to Phoenix. Got the kids in their pajamas and met our friends to celebrate my birthday. Oregano's pizza and salads, Malbec and a delicious homemade espresso cake. (Miss you guys)


Saturday morning was spent having a relaxing brunch and a not-so-relaxing trip to Target with six kids to pick up the last few camp essentials. We hit the road again mid-afternoon to arrive at Lost Canyon by dinner time. After un-packing and getting situated in our new "home", we stayed up late talking with friends. 


Father's Day highlights included a scavenger hunt around camp to find John's presents, chocolate cupcakes decorated by the kids with sprinkles and tootsie rolls, and an evening showing of Princess Bride. 


Was your Father's Day weekend all you hoped for?

Pile O' High Chairs

Oh, IKEA, how I love your mountains of chic, modern, thrifty things that I somehow don't need until I get in their presence...but this trip had a PURPOSE...supply Lost Canyon with more baby equipment for our camp for teen moms next week. Where else can you buy 20 high chairs for under $500? And six changing tables for under $250? It was a family trip so we scarfed down a cheap scandinavian IKEA dinner, Lincoln played in his favorite play place and the rest of us piled up equipment...it was a fun family night on the town. 

Add this to the growing pile of stuff in my carport and we're almost ready to head up to camp on saturday...

One mountain of baby equipment

100+ childcare volunteers

100 camp staff and volunteers

220 teen moms and mentors

150 babies 

=

one big adventure! i'll keep you posted 

YoungLives Camp this July

For the last twelve years I've had the privilege of having my passion be my job also. I've gotten to help start Young Life's mentoring ministry to teen moms, YoungLives. Teen moms across the country have their lives impacted every day through mentors who love them, and share all aspects of their lives with them. I'm currently the director for the West (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada & Hawaii) and one part of my job now is organizing and running our summer camp for teen moms and their kids. We have this camp at one of Young Life's amazing camp properties, Lost Canyon, just outside Williams, AZ. 

Girls experience the best week of their lives...they experience unconditional love, fun, adventure, friendship and significant conversation about God. They spend time with their mentors, their friends and their kids. 

They're given an opportunity to have fun and adventure as a teen while experiencing time to grow as a mom. And most importantly, they are treated as treasured and valuable, two things that they don't often experience as a teen mom. 

This year we'll have over 250 teen moms and mentors and 150 babies to care for! We have 100 childcare volunteers who come to watch babies all week. And a serious MOUNTAIN of baby equipment to make this week happen...one of our needs is for more equipment as our number of babies grows and to replace things that get broken every year. Please email me if you have any equipment, or gift cards to buy equipment, to donate. We need everything except clothes and small toys. And please pray for us this week....July 20-26.