Durley Camp Family Camp

We returned home from our Kansas trip and in just about 18 hours we were off on our next adventure.  Durley Family Camp!

I grew up going to this church camp, just outside of Greenville.  We went to family camp most years and I went to kid camp most years of my childhood too.  It was REALLY fun to share my love of Durley with the boys.  AND its got all this cool new stuff they didn't have when I was a kid!

The boys, Grandma, and I stayed in the good old trailer for the week.  The weater was Beautiful all week! From sunrise to sunset we were outside almost all day

The boys favorite activities during the afternoon activity time were the beach/waterfront and the zipline....oh and the snack shop.

The boys got their first boat ride, and kayak ride

On our second day Grant decided he wanted to try the zipline.  I wasn't even sure if he would be old enough but we headed off to the woods trail to find out while Rex and Grandma went to the beach.  He was old enough! and it wasn't busy at all so he got strapped right in and headed off to the tower where you take off.  He was a bit nervous taking that 1st step off (and Momma was a little nervous on the ground too) but he did it and loved it!  He went 3 more times that day, 7 times the next day (he also convinced Rex to try it....who then also went 7 times), and only 1 time the next time cause we just ran out of time in the day.   Oh yea I almost forgot I went once and grandma Cindy went once too!

The boys also had fun in the game room.  When we would eat in the cafeteria they would finish up and head down to the game room (in the basement of the dining hall) and say "see ya later".

That was another AMAZING thing about Durley.  We could kinda let the kids run free.  They would tell me where they wanted to go (the playground, the game room, the swings, or basketball court) and they would go....alone....without me!   They would come and check in if they wanted to go somewhere else.  It was a cool sense of freedom for them....and me!

Making necklaces on a hot afternoon (the last day)

Will had to work the first part of the week but came to visit us on the last day Friday.  We all had fun showing him around and giving him a taste of camp life.

There was a Bible study every morning when the kids could go to class and church every evening in the big old tabernacle.  I got some amazing memories from kids camps in that tabernacle.  I feel like when I walk in you can just feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in that space.  And I have a new favorite event at camp, Hymn Sing night!  On Wednesday night the entire service is people requesting and singing hymn. I haven't sung hymns in a long time but couldn't believe how many of them I knew and really liked singing.  "In my heart there rings a melody..."

We're already planning to go back next year!