kids camp 2008

i've spent the past week at one of my all time favorite places...camp! i was at kids camp with calvary using my mad assistant nurse skills. i really enjoy getting to spend time with calvary people during the week, especially since i don't see them very often. i've been support staff at camp for the past couple years [as opposed to a counselor] so i get some extra adult time to chat with the pastors and leaders that are there. let me tell you, they are some seriously fun people, and they can really make you laugh.

[don't tell, but ben's my favorite!]

mom and me

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the meinhardt clan

i have the best family. i love my family.

i just got back from a weekend of family fun. every two years my mom's family gets together for a little vacation at the fabulous lake of the ozarks. we spend a few days eating, listening to the stories of the elder members [also known as the 'super delegates' during the family meeting] and then we eat some more. i made a few fun treats to surprise everyone with when they arrived, including these fun water bottles.

we have these old family movies we watch when we're together and some of the footage is of the six elder cousins bowling in grandpa's basement. so thanks to my cousins monte and heather, we set up a virtual bowling alley and introduced the old folks to the wonderful world of wii. i fear the still shots don't quite do the night justice, but we did manage to score some quality video of them!

and here's the whole, lovely family!

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don't know much about history

...but i do now! i recently watched two movies that greatly increased my historical knowledge.

the first is charlie wilsons war, which is based on a true story. it is set during the cold war...which i now know is when the soviets invaded afghanistan because they wanted to take over the world [shelly's paraphrase]. it also gives a glimpse of how afghanistan became the kind of country it is today. i had to pause this movie a few times to get some explanations and to look at maps so i could understand everything, but it was well worth it. *disclaimer - there is a very adult scene at the beginning...proceed with caution*

i followed this up with the kite runner, which chronicles the life of a man who grew up in afghanistan and shows how the country changed from just before the cold war and to present day. it is kind of a heavy movie, but very worthwhile to see a glimpse of what life was and is really like for the afghan people.

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