2014 disConnect

After the bike trip in June where Terry was gone and I was a single parent for the week, I was ready to go alone with him on a trip. Well, sort of alone. We traded our kids for other people's kids (ours stayed with behind with Grammas and Grampas). 

So June 23 through 27 Terry and I went to Table in the Wilderness camp in Centennial, WY for his disConnect high school trip. This had to have been his sixth or maybe even seventh time doing this and my fourth. What was special though was it was the first time I was able to do everything since I didn't have my kids with me. It was great!

We like this camp/ministry because they make the trip very easy for us. They house us, feed us, provide equipment and trained staff to support us. We're not particularly roughing it. Here's the view from our heated cabin (it was actually too hot the first night though it was in the 40's outside).

Monday we went rock climbing in Vedawoo, WY.  Every single person climbed. It was great.

Since there was another group there with us (from Georgia) and it was crowded, about half of us went for a hike to the top of the rocks they were climbing below. 

A highlight of the trip for Terry and I was hanging out with this guy - Kyle from Gburg, where we were for five years. He was such a great kid, then in high school, and now he's married with his first child and is on staff at Table. I was giving him a hard time since I was entrusting my life to his belaying.

Me climbing. It was an easy one but still scary!

After once I had had enough. But Terry went over to the more difficult course and nailed it. It was like twice as high as the one I did.

Hi Terry.

The following day, Tuesday, we went back to Vedawoo for repelling. This was by far the most challenging thing for the entire group, myself included. But here we are, clueless and happy.

I love his shot. Check out how freaked out and serious everyone is. It was scary.

We were watching the staff guys get the ropes ready for us. This is what we saw. We were like 100 feet up in the sky, waiting to repel off the huge rock. From where Cam is, it looks like a complete drop - you can't see where you're going.

But you can see from the side that there are a couple of lips to get over before you were actually dangling from your rope properly. This was the absolute worst part. Backing up towards a huge drop off....

But once you got over that lip and all you had to do was lower yourself down, it was quite enjoyable. 

Here's the view from the other side of the valley. You can see some kids on top of that rock.  

I did it too. And I was so scared. But I conquered. We all did!

Back at camp we had a downpour and then a beautiful double rainbow.  

The following day, Wednesday, would have been our hike day. However, the mountain was still under this much snow.  

So we went sledding instead!

Ben went down without a sled and it was hilarious. 

Next we drove over the mountains to Saratoga to the natural hot springs.  The last time I had been there, Evie was only 18 months old - go look because she's so adorable. The water that day was extra hot. Here in the "lobster pool," it was nearly 140 degrees. That didn't stop some daredevils (ahem, Kyle and Parker) from going in briefly. Crazies. I was against it.

This next pool was just a shade cooler at like 130 degrees. I like how Kyle photo-bombs Tim and Tyler's shot and looks like he's lazily backstroking through the water instead of feverishly trying to get to the other side so he can get out.  

The next day, Thursday, was our last. It was busy. Canoeing, mountain biking and rock wall climbing. Because the Platte River was far too high and dangerous to canoe (lots and lots of snow and rain this year), we went to a lake. The best part was when all of us came together and Terry ran back and fourth across the boats. We are stronger together.

That afternoon we finally got to go mountain biking. That was the very best part of the trip for me. It was awesome. The only bummer part was Jazmin had a couple wrecks. The first one she broke her chain clean in half and her second she fell on a hill and scraped herself up. 

After dinner we all climbed the rock wall and did the zip line. Oh and got eaten alive by mosquitos. Terry beat me to the top on the harder course.  

That night we had a campfire, told stories, ate smores and said goodbye to our new friends. Syndey and Dana randomly decided these two Georgia boys were their new best friends. However, after Terry took their picture, he discovered with the flash what he couldn't see before - Michael photo-bombing their photo, making this hilarious and freaky face. We laughed so hard.

And Friday we left! On the way down I was like, "It's nice to be away from the kids." On the way back I was ready to be with my kids again and away from the students. But it was a great time. 

disConnect 2012

The first full week of August and only a week after we moved into our new house, we took some (eight) high school students on a trip to Wyoming. We a fantastic time. At least I did. And I'm forever grateful to all the people who watched our kids so I didn't have to drag them along like the last two times Terry's done this trip. Thank you Whites, Mom, Alice and Shari!!!

Here's a shot of the group in the van driving, driving, driving. Starting from the back left: Lexi, Bill, Zach S, Jonathan, Zach J, Molly, Meghan and (not pictured) Paige.

Monday night, after being fed and watered, we enjoyed some olympic volleyball. Or at least I made it look that way. ;P

The following day, Tuesday, the group tackled the hardest task for the week: summiting Medicine Bow Peak.

I accidentally got my photos out of order though. This is after the hike canoeing in a mountain lake. I liked being chauffeured around by Terry and Jonathan. We even canoed to the base of the mountain, got out and played in the snow that was still there, as you can view in the video at the end of this post.

There's the mountain!

The group at the top. I stayed with Molly at the base since she wasn't able to hike but we had a grand time anyway. Notice Terry's Coke...

Terry's got this thing about Coke. I don't know why he likes it so much but it's become something of a joke. We have all these health conscious friends and I think he's in rebellion against them. So he wore his Coke shirt and carried one up the mountain as a treat when he made it.

However, the elevation change did something funny to the carbonation and when he was about a third of the way through the Coke, it fizzed out of control in the bottle and in his mouth.

See? I'm not sure if it was jumping into his mouth here or he was spouting it out. Either way, it's pretty cook looking.

Terry was happy to be covered in his favorite corn syrup laden death beverage.

For some reason I don't have any photos of Wednesday when we went to Vedawoo to rock climb somewhere called the Beehive. It was a lot of fun. Everyone went at least once and most went three or four times. I went twice and was so proud of myself to have conquered the harder climb. Terry did all three climbs, even the really hard one. We dominated!

Thursday began with the 40 foot high ropes course at Table in the Wilderness. This course was new to us since we hadn't been to their new lodge yet. Again, we all had a great time. You could climb the rock wall and zip line down from the top, go across this wire (me below) or climb with a partner up a contraption called Jacob's ladder. After lunch the larger group went on a two hour mountain bike trail while me, Molly and Waldo hung out. When they returned, I was able to go on a shorter bike route and have some fun. In the video, that's where Waldo crashed and Terry and his bike swam. That night was Bill's birthday, hence the frigid birthday swim...(watch the video people - Terry did an awesome job!). Friday was the sad day we had to leave. I did not want to. But one good thing about coming back was that we were committed to having daily time with the Lord. Loving that still.

A little help from the mac thesaurus sums up the trip for me:

a fantastic trip: marvelous, wonderful, sensational, outstanding, superb, super, excellent, first-rate, first-class, dazzling, out of this world, breathtaking, great, terrific, fabulous, ace, magic, cool, wicked, awesome, brilliant.

The video

disConnect

From Monday August 3rd through Saturday August 8th, Terry took 12 students to Laramie, WY, Table in the Wilderness Ministries. And since I didn't want to be all alone for nearly a week, me and the kids went too!

It was our FIFTH trip of the summer (1. Mexico, 2. Michigan - Nathan and Ana's wedding, 3. home - Shari and Jesse's wedding, camp), but it was really great. I was so glad that I went instead of staying home. In addition, I got to see my matron of honor and great friend SaraJane b/c she lives there! It was a win win situation.

The kids did pretty good - just okay. Noah did quite a bit better than Evie who did more than her fair share of whining. But it was better than the alternative.

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Tuesday, Day 1: Repelling. I didn't go and Terry didn't take any pics w/our camera that I can find. I took the kids to SJ and Micah's house for the afternoon and had a nice visit.

Wednesday, Day 2: Rafting/Canoeing the North Platte River in Saratoga, WY. We also took in the hot springs there. I obviously couldn't take Evie so she and I hung out in the springs. Noah went w/Terry on the raft and did really well! We spent the night at "the land" in the mountains - the students camped in tents and me and the kids stayed in a nice little apartment!

The kids had to play in the water while we waited for the group to be ready to head down the river.

Our group

How cute, eh?

Would you believe Evie hardly got sunburned.

Terry's raft is just leaving. Anita is on the left. She was the other leader.

I raced down the road, over the bridge in time to catch the whole group going by. I was so proud to have helped w/the extra filming for the video... =)

Noah throwing rocks in the hot springs.

Here are the students in the water where the springs exits into the river. The hot water took a little time to get used to but even Evie was comfortable here.

We got ice cream afterwards. Noah is begging off of Rebecca.

Here is a field at the land. They're playing ultimate frisbee.

Terry's like, I'm the boss and I call the shots!

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Thursday, Day 3: Mountain Biking! This was by far everyone's favorite activity, including me b/c I was actually able to participate (a couple staff watched my kiddos for me - so sweet of them). It was SO fun. I loved it! We slept at "the land" again.

Here is a pond they made w/a back-hoe in front of the lodge at the land. The creek was so pretty and the kids had fun throwing small rocks in until they got in trouble (which is kind of a sore spot for me...)

Evie explores around the land.

Here's the proof that I actually went on this trip. I LOVED mountain biking! I could do it every single weekend if we didn't live in a flat place...

Terry is rolling his bike back of this slope that he rode down 3 times. I thought he did pretty well. It's on the video.

Noah is hanging out at the campfire while the students play capture the flag.

Ricci, Jon and Terry guarding their flag.

Here is the lodge thing. Actually, it's just a kitchen and bathrooms right now. They will build an actual lodge later.

Behind this group is the apartment where the kids and I stayed.

Terry is about to walk behind the campfire.

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Friday, Day 4: Hike Medicine Bow Peak. This was the most challenging activity. A lot of the kids had a hard time w/it, but as I recall, it's very rewarding (I went w/Noah and Terry two years ago - that's where the pic at the beginning is from). The kids and I were waiting at "the land." This part of the hardest part of the trip b/c the kids got bored and it was mommy's turn to get cranky... By this time, we were all ready to go home.

Before they hiked the mountain, they saw five huge Moose's!

They're just starting their hike.

So pretty!

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Saturday, Day 5: Leave Laramie! The kids and I went home. Terry and the students went to a suburb of Denver for "Heavenfest," a large Christian music festival.

Here is the video Terry made. It is long but very good. It's too bad youtube took the sweet Skillet music off though...