Camp Rocks!

The girls and I spent a chunk of last week at Trinity Pines on Lake Livingston. We were up there for Camp Ten:10 -- the church camp put on by our church, Memorial, Bammel and Conroe. I met some incredible people. I will say I was really looking forward to spending time with old Bammel friends -- but none of them were there. BUMMER.

We did have a great time, though. Kait stayed with me in the Staff cabin, didn't get much sleep, and was a really worn-out kid by the time it was over. This was her one and only "Pre-Camper" year -- next year she'll be in a "real" cabin, and will get to fully enjoy the experience. She did have a great time hanging with her new friend Olivia -- who just so happens to be on our soccer team.

I spent much of the first day running around looking for Ranch Oak -- I know, that's not your typical camp activity, but I'd never seen so much Ranch Oak in one place! Now, I know some of you might not have been brought up in the land of Ranch Oak. If you weren't, you can find out more here. In short, Ranch Oak was made by the A. Brandt furniture company in Ft. Worth. It's solid, weighs a ton, and was built to last.

As my friend Jay has pointed out, it was primarily built for short people. It kinda takes a forklift to get you back up from one of their couches -- you're sitting looooooowwww......

In our family, Ranch Oak is Da Bomb. You don't sell it. Ever. You don't even think about giving it away. If given a choice between me or a Ranch Oak hutch, I guarantee you they would grab the hutch. That's just how they roll.

So imagine my shock & awe when I walked into the camp to find TONS of Ranch Oak! Now... I will say that it was primarily the "dark" stain. We all prefer the light stain. BUT it was Ranch Oak all the same..... (That's Carla in the corner -- working hard while I run around acting like a freak.)

The only light chairs had leather backs. None of it was stamped A Brandt that I could find, but some of it had this R.O. stamp.

Now... as much fun as my Ranch Oak scavenger hunt was, I have to tell you spending that time with Kait was even more fun. There was a very real sense that I'd better enjoy this experience, because next year she'd be a "real" camper.

You know, I think this kid is a Keeper. And the fact that she's my Little Aggie is only a small part of that. When the bus rolled up to take the kids to camp, I knew we needed to snap this picture. I just wish I knew how to photoshop Future in front of the AFC.

Before I go... I do have to tell you there was one part of camp I really didn't enjoy all that much -- but it brought back tons of memories of Camps Gone By.

Yep. Shaving in the shower. With a shower curtain that didn't totally close. And the uncertainty of whether or not the toilet that had overrun earlier had contaminated the floor. YIKES.

And yes, I cut my leg shaving worse than I had since Electric Camp. But it did usher in some Camp Song Humor.

Ung! Ungawa! I cut my leg in the Showah!

Which sequed to:

Ung! Ungawa! Don't Pee in the Showah!

Yep. Camp Rocks!