My Favorite Place in the World

B-R-Double O-K, C-H-E-R-I-T-H, I-T-H

That's the only place to spend your summer, summer,

If you don't it's sure to be a bummer, bummer!

Brook Cherith Camp, a place of fond memories has reached it's end. After many years of spreading the good news about our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord took over debts and insecurities for those still involved with camp. Now it is being taken over by anothor ministry organization, which we can continue to pray for as they make changes for good to my beloved camp.

I spent 14 summers at this camp, 10 as a camper, 4 as a counselor/assistant director/cook/song leader/crazy woman....I committed my life to Christ at camp, met my best friend Aleisha at camp, met my husband at camp, and was even proposed to at camp.

While in Michigan visiting my in-laws, Aleisha and I went to camp for one last stroll down memory lane. Here are a few snapshots of my favorite place in the world.

These are the trailblazer cabins....as a counselor it was my favorite age to counsel, plus we had the best camp song to sing....and boy oh boy could my trailblazers sing!

During the second summer that Jeremy and I were together, Jeremy was at basic training, and Aleisha and I spent a lot of time writing letters on this porch to him. "Dear Chipper....."

Not my favorite place in the world....but it was for Jeremy! This is the swimming area where he was the lifeguard that first summer. I am moving buddy tag number 4....my number.

Sitting on the old worn down steps....very uncomfortable...but also unforgettable!

A beautiful place....I am so greatful that the land will still be used for summer camp. I hope that many more kids have the time of their lives the way I did each and every summer!

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Yummy Cookies with my Amazing Niece!

First day in Michigan and already I have made a pie crust, cookies, visited with cousins from North Carolina (Surprise Surprise) and seen it POUR DOWN RAIN! WOOHOO!

Heidi and I made the pie crust and cookies together. We enjoyed wearing aprons, putting flour on our faces and making a BIG MESS!

This is a silly picture of Heidi that she took with Grandma's camera....working on her photography skills.

Finally we started to make the cookies....Here is the delicious recipe:

Cranberry Crunch Cookies

2 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

(add dry ingredients into a small bowl)

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

13 oz (one box-and actually you can do just a half box) of any whole grain cereal with cranberry, almonds, and cereal flakes (Post Selects Cranberry Almond Crunch)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add dry ingredients together.

3. Beat butter and sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

4. Stir in the cereal. Mix will be thick.

5. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Best part....eat the dough as you make it! Never fails, I can not make cookies without eating the dough...and Heidi helped me this time....she got the beaters, I got the bowl, and we shared the spoon!

Heidi using the pastry blender to mash the butter...she was such a good helper! (sorry, I can't figure out how to turn the picture!)

The delicious cookies...notice the wholes on the rack...yes there were cookies there....can't tell you how many have been eaten now!

T-Shirt Quilt

I had so many t-=shirts from sports and camps that I decided I wanted to make a t-shirt quilt. And I did it! Here is my progress in pictures.... So many good memories!

Step One: Cut out all t-shirts into squares. This was a pretty easy process followed by ironing on interface to make it sturdy and strong.

Step two (or three or four): Sew on the fabric that is seen in between each t-shirt square. Now, if I didn't have the help of my great mother....I never would have been able to do this! This was lesson one in remembering how to sew! It has been since 8th grade since I have sewed anything on my own! Whew!

Step three: Unroll the batting! I think I could have bought a little less batting! But, as my mom kept saying, you can never go wrong with extra....and it was half off!

Step four (well....you get the idea... clearly this isn't really the fourth step, it takes much longer than that!): This is me pulling the entire quilt through the small hole at the bottom of the quilt, which I later had to sew together by hand!

Step five: Keep the whole thing together with string! This was tedious....and technically, I think I need to add more string in places (like on the t-shirts) but right now...I am done with it! It took about 3 hours just to do the ones I did...luckily I watched tv while doing it!

Last step: Lay out on bed and take a picture!

My Complete t-shirt quilt! Looks great doesn't it! GO ME! Again, I have to thank my mom for helping me with the whole thing and for spending so much time working on it with me!

Angel Song-Book Review

Angel Song, by Sheila Walsh and Kathryn Cushman is a tremendous book about love and second chances. Ann Fletcher, an interior designer from New York, travels to visit her baby sister in Charleston to celebrate her sister receiving her masters. After an enjoyable evening together, a tragic accident happens, and Ann finds herself alone, no family, no friends, in a house she hasn’t lived in or seen for over seven years.

As Ann prepares the house to be sold, she is welcomed into the neighborhood by Tammy and Keith, Sarah’s neighbors. These two characters are vivid and their faith is quite a contrast to Ann’s lack of faith. We see how broken Ann is by witnessing her life as she travels back and for to New York in order to perform her job as an interior designer. With a new client she is trying to score, and with work becoming overwhelming, she realizes that she can not make enough trips to Charleston.

I loved the characters in this story and the way they developed, the way they work their way into the hearts of the read and how believable they are. I can see how this story won novel of the year, and is part of the Women of Faith Series. For anyone that simply wants a good read or a chance to look deeper into their hearts this is the book for your. It is a beautiful book who has ever wondered about Angels and their role in our lives.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Angel Song through Book Sneeze. I received no compensation for my thoughts.