Must Have Been Friday . . .

 . . . because we were once again making a trip to White Sulphur Springs!  Somehow we managed to maximize our trips to WSS this summer.  Nathan went up for 2 weeks after we got back from TX (although the L's brought him up--thank you!!), and we picked him up on a Friday.  That Sunday Caleb and Jonathan had to be up there, but this time Amanda L. was looking for more practice driving hours, so she and Ed took them up (THANK YOU!!).  They got picked up the following Friday, and just I went up, although I still took the girls to swim practice in the morning, so I left a lot later and got there just in time for lunch, completely missing Caleb and Jonathan's zip line trips.  But I got to eat lunch there, visiting with Kim U and Amy M, so that was definitely not a wasted trip!  Then Anna and Grace had to be up there on Sunday, 2 days later.  And they got picked up yesterday.  At least we had to drop off Nathan and Luke for 2 more weeks as well yesterday, so we don't have to go back again on Sunday!  We've definitely been burning up I-70 between here and there this month, though.

Yesterday we really wanted to make the zip line, since it was Anna and Grace's first time at camp, and I knew Grace for sure would be apprehensive.  Their time was at 10:00, which meant we had to leave by 7:15 to make it.  We also brought up another boy who is on Luke's staff, and I felt bad that he had to get up so early to go with us, since they technically didn't have to be there until 2:00!

We did make it there right at 10:00, and we watched 7 campers whiz down before Anna went.  She confidently zoomed down, and then it was Grace's turn.  She spent the next at least 10 minutes, maybe longer, on the platform, being encouraged by the counselors, as well as her large familial cheering section down below.

She eventually made it all the way to the edge of the platform, but I really didn't think she was going to going to ever let go.  I thought she was the last camper (there were only 10 kids last week), but then I realized there was actually one more boy waiting *very* patiently down below the platform.  At that point, I pretty much told her to fish or cut bait because people were waiting, and so lo and behold, she let go and zipped away.

Nothing bad happened, and she arrived at the end in one piece, just as we had all assured her would happen!  I don't really know what she was so afraid of, because she goes on all sorts of big roller coasters at the amusement park, and she has no problem there.  Maybe just the actual act of stepping of, since in a roller coaster, they do that for you?  Who knows!

Dailey took this picture of the kids and me, since all 10 kids were together for a few minutes.  Now Luke is on staff, and Nathan is there for 2 weeks as well.  He'll be doing special projects for the first week, then going on AOX for the second week.  AO is an outdoor adventure time, with rapelling, whitewater rafting, ropes courses, etc., and AOX is a special invitation-only week for seniors who just graduated, with a focus on discipleship.  I'm so excited to hear what he learns!

In the meantime, it's hitting home that just one week after Nathan and Luke get back, Nathan will head off to college.  That's hard to think about!  I miss having him and Luke around in the evening to share funny things with.  Drew was so funny yesterday.  We ate lunch at Taco Bell about 30 minutes down the road.  When we were standing in line, he was looking around the restaurant, and he got all excited.  "Look!!  There's Lukey!!" as he pointed to a Taco Bell employee sitting on his break at a table with his back to us.  Well, no, Pumpkin, we left Luke at WSS . . . he's not actually working here at this Taco Bell.  Although the guy was young and had short brownish hair, LOL.  So while Faith, Micah, and Drew were VERY happy to have Anna and Grace back, they were not at all sure it was a good trade to lose Nathan and Luke.