Tag Archives: camp

The Girls…

Posted by Jo on October 3, 2011 None comments

Here at camp we have a “petting farm”.  We have two miniature donkeys, two miniature horses, a couple of goats, some chickens, and two full size horses.  The fulls size horses are June and Katie.  We often just refer to them as “The Girls”.  They are so pretty, but they are a lot of work.

As a kid I remember wanting horses.  My parents were always telling me no.  Giving me excuses about how expensive horse equipment is, blah blah blah…when in reality, I think they just didn’t want to deal with it.  Not that it isn’t expensive, it can be.  They just thought I was going to get the animal and then decide I didn’t want to take care of it a week later, which may or may not have happened.  I guess we’ll never know, because it never happened.

And I’m still bitter about it, can you tell?  :)

No, not really, I’m kinda glad I didn’t get everything I wanted as a kid, it make me thankful for the little things and grateful for what I did have.

I Luv My “Job”

Posted by Jo on October 1, 2011 None comments

I love being here at camp. Although I do not have what is considered a “job”, since I don’t get paid for what I do, I do love my “job”.  My hubby and I are supported like missionaries, so in a way I do get paid, but I don’t get a pay check, to speak of.  I cook and clean here at Fort Faith Baptist Camp.  I also do some bookwork and make newsletters and menus and fun stuff like that. I have to be honest, I don’t really enjoy the cleaning part all that much, but hey, ya gotta take the bad with the good, right?  ;)   It can’t all be fun and games…

I always thought I wanted to be a nurse or a teacher. Growing up, I often thought that’s what I wanted to do.  Friends of mine worked as CNAs and worked their way up to working in Dr.’s offices or hospitals and are now making good money.  I could never get past the adult diapers.

It’s the darnedest thing.  I can handle blood and guts, but not adult “waste”.  I don’t know what it is.  I used to babysit as a teenager and young adult.  Once a child hit like 3, they had to be potty trained or I couldn’t handle it.  I couldn’t change their diaper if they were older.  I guess I’m weird.

I don’t handle vomit well, either.  The smell gets me every time.  And don’t even let me see it or it’s all over. So the medical field was pretty much out of the question for me, unless I wanted to go into surgery or something, which wasn’t going to happen.

But anyway, I am blessed to be where I am, doing what I do.  Even if I don’t make big bucks doing it! All my treasures are being laid up in heaven!!   :)

Poor, Poor Blog

Posted by Jo on August 2, 2011 None comments

Poor, Poor Blog…

I have been neglecting you, I know.

I’m sorry.

I have been busy, to the point of borderline insanity at times.

And at others bored to the same point.  because I have been able to do nothing but sit on my fat lard butt and do absolutely nothing because of these debilitating migraines I have been getting.  It’s really quite annoying, I assure you.

But, at some point, school will start back up and camps will slow. And hopefully, these migraines will eventually go away and I can have my life back.

There are so many things I would like to do here on the ol’ bloggaroo!! I would like  to maybe start a weekly meme (if i could get some participation that is, hello out there…..), maybe host a few giveaways.  I have done some in the past, but not many.  I really want to do some cool stuff here, but haven’t had the time or the drive to do it lately.

But, I have a feeling things are gonna get better soon!!!  So, hang on to your undies, it’s about to get wild all up and around in here ya’ll!!  Stay tuned!!! :)

First Class…

Posted by Jo on July 20, 2011 2 comments

I believe that if you are going to do something, you should do it well.  Give it your best.  Do it first class or don’t do it.

That is why we try to keep things at camp updated.  When things break, we fix them or replace them.  Or at least, we try to.  Sometimes it is hard to keep up with, I will admit.

So, Buster and I are often looking on the Internet on websites that have listings for free and or low cost items that we might be interested in such as couches, recliners, double or queen size beds, table tennis equipment, pool tables, arcade games and anything else we could use in our retreat center or game room.

Do you or anyone you know have anything we might be able to use?  Want to be a blessing??  You could donate it to the camp!!

Give  us a call at 231-823-2118 and ask for Jimmy!!  Thanks!!

Some Day…

Posted by Jo on July 6, 2011 None comments

Some day, after we sell our house, or when we become rich and famous, whichever comes first, the hubster and I would like to add on to the little house we live in.  It’s nice and cozy and isn’t really a bad little house at all, but there is no storage at all and really no room to entertain, which we would love to do if we had the space.

We have been talking about some of the things we’d like to do.  We have discussed putting in a dishwasher.  Maybe adding a few more cupboards to the kitchen.  I figured while we are working on the kitchen, and since we plan on staying here forever, why not make  my ideal kitchen….nice gas range with sealed burners and the center burner, dishwasher, one of those undermount sinks, a side by side fridge, you know, the works.  If were gonna do, we might as well do it big!!

Go big or go home, I always say!!!   :)

Then we’d like to add a nice size family room and make what is now living room into dining area and make the “dining” area more kitchen area.  Just to make it so everything isn’t on top of everything else.

Also, we are thinking a bigger master bathroom might be nice.  With a tub in it.  Right now our bathroom only has a shower.  Which most days is fine, but sometimes I like to soak in a nice warm bath and I have always wanted one of those jacuzzi bath tubs!!

Anyway, it’s a long ways off and nothing we can’t live without for now and we are content with what we have, but hey, a girl can dream , can’t she???   :)

The New Nature Trail/Center

Posted by Jo on June 30, 2011 None comments

Buster has been working hard on making a new nature room/center for the camp…He has put hours and hours into it.  Collecting posters and books,  skulls and skeletons, we even have some live exhibits.  We have a baby Snapping Turtle.  We have a Painter Turtle.  We have a couple Salamander’s and a couple Garder Snakes.

He also has some taxidermist mounts in his room.  It turned out pretty nice.  Maybe I’ll have him take a picture of it and show it to you.

His next project is to get a couple pairs of Nikon binoculars for use on the actual trail.  For bird and wildlife spotting and whatnot.

His nature room/center is just a small room in a building used for guests of the camp to stay in at the moment, but eventually we would like to have a building that will be just a Nature Center and it will be even more amazing!!

My husband is such a hard worker and his nature room/center turned out great!! Good job baby!!!   :)

I almost forgot to mention the addition to the “Creation Trail”  the camp already has that will take campers farther into the woods allowing a “guide” (my husband) to show them the different types of trees, flowers, mushrooms, flora, fauna and what-have-you that Michigan has.

One down…

Posted by Jo on June 30, 2011 None comments

I survived my first week cooking at camp…. :)   It was a great week.

I always have so much fun.  Some times I get a little stressed and it’s hard to handle, but for the most part it’s great. Gotta learn to be flexible in the camp kitchen.  Activities have to be planned around the weather and meals around activities and….see a pattern??  I am learning to be flexible!  :)

Found out we had two kids come to Christ this week and one got assurance of his salvation.  That is what it’s all about folks.  That is why we we do what we do, because young people have tender hearts want to learn about God.

Let us pray that these great kids will seek God’s will for their lives and that they will grow in the Lord and serve Him in every way possible.

B.u.S.y.

Posted by Jo on June 27, 2011 None comments

No, I have not fallen off the planet…

No, I haven’t taken up drinking to the point that I cannot type…

Yes, I can still from complete sentences If I really want to…

But, I am really busy right now and I will be for the foreseeable future, as we have camps in for the next few weeks…

I am here, and I am trying to keep caught up on what’s going on with each and everyone of you through my reader, thought I may not leave many comments for lack of time, but I am here, I am reading!!

I will be posting here and there (hopefully) as I am able and I will be checking out your stuff as I am able….take care…see you soon!!!

Camp Season…

Posted by Jo on June 24, 2011 None comments

Well camp season is now in full swing.  Our first Jr. Camp (8-12 year old campers) came and went this week.  I didn’t cook for that camp, but I did go up and help a little bit.  Not much, but a little.  I mostly sat around a visited with friends.

They had lots of help, though.  They had two adult couples in charge of the kitchen and then like 3 or 4 other adults helping, plus some kids that were in and out helping with dishes and wiping tables and sweeping.

The next few camps I will be cooking for and I will be the only adult in charge of the kitchen.  This coming week I will have my daughter for sure in the kitchen helping me, but I’m not sure how many others I will have.  I have been trying to recruit some helpers.  The following week, I will have a lot of help.  The next camp I will also have lots of help with.

It’s gonna be a great summer, I can just feel it.  I cannot tell you the joy I get from serving God here at Fort Faith Baptist Camp.  I never knew I could be so happy.  I guess that comes from being smack dab in the middle of God’s will for your life!! Praise God!!   :)

Anyone wanna come out and help me in the kitchen next week?? You are more than welcome!!!  Can’t come everyday?? Can’t come all day?? Just come out when you can for as long as you can, any help would be greatly appreciated!!  I’ll probably be in the kitchen getting things started between 10:00-10:30 AM Monday morning…come join the fun!!!

Blessings…

Posted by Jo on May 19, 2011 None comments

I do realize that doing dishes isn’t normally considered a blessing, but I also realize that being able to do dishes is…

As most of you know, I have been “under the weather”, so to speak for a couple of months now.  It all started with slip and fall in the tub and kinda went south from there, unfortunately.

At one point doctor’s were saying there seemed to be evidence of an old stroke or possibly seizure activity according to some results of a CT scan.  Well, that ended up not being the case , Praise The Lord!  But they did determine that I have a cyst (app. 1″ x 1″) on my brain.  It does not appear to be causing any problems, so they are going to leave it be.

But now we are left to wonder what the problem actually is…

I continue to have major migraines (which isn’t a new thing) and passing out occasionally (which is new since the slip and fall).  We are told that IF the passing out is from the concussion I go when I fell, it will stop on it’s own eventually.

If it’s not from that then we will have to figure out what it is from and try to treat it accordingly.  The Dr. didn’t really say how long we should wait, so I’m not sure what to do there, but I will be checking with my regular soon to see.

At one point, my regular Dr. was going to have me do a cardiac monitor and I think that’s probably my next step.

So back to my original thoughts…I have been having good days and bad (seems mostly bad lately, unfortunately) and some days it’s a struggle just to be up and out of bed.  And, some days I can get simple things done like cleaning toilets, folding laundry and doing dishes.  Today started out rough with a migraine, but has gotten better so, as I was washing dishes today, I looked up and saw this out my window…

…and thought “What a blessing to be here and be able to do my dishes today”.

Spring is my favorite time of year, to me, it represents a rebirth of things and a new start…which we can all use now and then…

I want a Subway!!

Posted by Jo on March 19, 2011 None comments

Ever thought about owning your own business?? I have…in fact, I started an AVON business a few years ago, it was a flop, but it was fun while it lasted.  My problem was, in the end, I was spending more than I was making.  That’s a problem, unless you aren’t trying to make money.  A friend of mine sells it, so she can save money on the product, it works for her, but I was looking to make money.

I’ve always thought it would be cool to own my own store.  One of my husbands cousins owns and operates a Subway in Grand Rapids.  I looked into franchise opportunities, but I’m not in the market anymore, since I work here at camp.  But maybe someday…

Golf, Anyone?

Posted by Jo on March 18, 2011 None comments

We have a mini golf course at camp that the kids love to play on.  We, the adults, like to play it too, if we are honest about it.  I like to play but I am absolutely terrible at it!!

My husband, who has a very mathematical brain (he’s good with angles and all that) is way better at it then I am!!

Anyway, I thought it would be cool to put our color logo on golf balls.  The camps logo, that is…Wouldn’t that be neat?  The kids could even buy them for souvenir’s.  Ya know, buy it, play with it, take it home…

It’s a good way to get the camp’s name ”out there”, yes?   :)