Homeschool Room Remodel Progress (before and during phases)

BEFORE:

The cabinets to the right are Sophie and Christian's. they have contained their Core books for the last 3 years, and also art supplies, paper and other misc. stuff.

The door goes out to the garage.

This is the wall to the left of the first picture.  That large cabinet on the left has contained games and puzzles and movies.  It's now in the playroom in the basement.  Those upper-cabinets are our old kitchen cabinets before that remodel.  They have contained science supplies, the microscope and other misc. stuff.

This is directly next to the game/puzzle/movie cabinet.  Those steps lead up to the laundry room, then into the kitchen.

The open door you see center in the back leads down to the basement.  You can see the steps that lead up to the rest of the house on the right.  The door on the left back leads out to the back yard.  So, there are 4 doors in this room.

DURING:

Hello Family Camp!!! Monday June 28th

Our vacation will be posted by the day, so it will be over 6 separate posts. (you may need to click on 'older posts' at the bottom in order to see the whole vacation)  Enjoy! We sure did! LOL

Click read about Life Action Family Camp in Buchanan, Michigan.  It's an all-inclusive family vacation where you can go and relax, have fun, learn about our Lord and reconnect with your family.  It's VERY reasonably priced!!!  For Monday dinner-Saturday breakfast for our family of 4 it was $720, this includes all meals.  You do not have to spend a dime once you're there for anything at all.  By clicking on the link you can see pricing, and even sample schedules letting you know how the week will flow.  This was our 3rd time going to Family Camp.  We listened to a different speaker each time, but there are a lot of people who keep going to see the same speaker.

The basic day is: breakfast, tab/clubs and any activity relating to tab/clubs, lunch, free time until dinner (tho ther are many planned activities you can get involved in!!! for example W.H.A.T, which you will read about later in the week,) tab/club, evening event, bedtime.

There is a variety of people of course, but I'm pretty sure all the staff homeschool their kids. (because they do Family Camp during the summer and travel doing revivals during the fall,winter,spring.)

Each family is assigned a family helper.  That person stays with your family, and only your family all week.  (they don't sleep with you tho...)  They help you get meals on trays, get drinks, play on the playground with the kids, go swimming with them, take them here or there, play with them in general.  It's a wonderful thing to have a family helper, eventho my kids are 10yo and 12yo!!  This year's family helper, Katie, was sooo wonderful!  She is one of 10 kids, and was homeschooled all through.  She is 21 now, and has been traveling with Life Action for a couple years, tho after summer camps she's going back to her home in Texas.

While we were checking in the kids were playing on the playground.

Then, we rented their bikes.  Only $5 for the week.  It is sooo nice not to have to haul their bikes!!

This is inside 'tab.'  I talk more about that tomorrow.

Outside the lodge, which is also talked about tomorrow.

Our cabin, called the RV Cabin, because it's in the same line as the RV's.  These things have 2 TRIPLE bunk-beds, and a queen bed.  The queen bed is dressed for you, but you have to bring your own twin-sized bedding for the bunks.

There is a closet for storage.

The queen has 3 drawers beneath it on both sizes, plus there are 2 night stands.

And a fridge and micro (but trust me, you'll never need it to cook food!!!)

Monday's evening event was an icecream social.  It's just nice to sit with a snack and get to know the people you're about to spend the next week with! LOL

There are usually around 18-25 families I think.  Some are like us with just 2 kids, but lots are like my brother's family with 4 or more kids. (I think there was a family of 7 this week, but last year there was a couple families of 10 if memory serves.)  There are sure to be lots of kids your kids' ages to play with!

Tuesday June 29th (2nd day of Family Camp) PART ONE

Coming in to the area where our cabin was:

The smaller buildings are where 'club' is held and the larger building is where 'Tab' is held.  Clubs are held once things get going in Tab.  Tabernacle is music worship and then a message from the speaker.  The kids stay in for the music then leave for club.  They do games, singing, scripture memory, lots of fun stuff.  Tab is held after breakfast and after dinner.

This is the 'lodge.'  It's where we eat.  The lake is behind it, and the swing set is to the left.  The lodge is on one end of the property, tab is in the middle, and the cabins where we were are in the way back.  It's about 1.2-1.4 mile round trip.  We walk it several times a day!  Other more hotel-like rooms (with bathrooms in them!) are closer to the lodge, but they cost a little more of course.  In PART TWO you can see what is to the left of those cars.  There is a little path down to a water fall area.  It's very pretty as you'll see...

The food line.  This was a breakfast.

Eating.

This is directly behind the lodge.  It's a boat dock.  You can take out the canoes, paddle boat or kayaks any time you want.  See the end of the water slide to the right?

Here's the top of the water slide.

Why is Christian getting on a life jacket??

And why are Christian and 14yo cousin going out in the canoe?

And why are they rowing out to the middle of the lake??

To have a water gun fight of course!

Hand painting on 8yo cousin.

It was face painting for 5yo cousin.

And, arm painting for Sophie.

A fire-breathing dragon.

Carpet ball joy!  It's a game where you have 4 balls you place wherever you want on your side.  Your opposition does the same.  Then, you take another ball and try to knock eachother's ball into the back gutter.  Sophie was addicted...

Sophie and Tom going out in the canoe

Rebecca's brother and his 2yo in the canoe

This is the "blob"

One person is at the top of the platform while one is on the edge of the blob.  The person jumping knocks the person on the blob into the air!!  We didn't do it this year, but Jake did it a LOT the year he came with us!!! (so yes, this is a stranger...)  It's usually a 2-tiered, but storms last week knocked off the 2nd tier.  They fixed it by Wednesday.

Tuesday June 29th PART TWO

Christian playing carpet ball

(there are 2, one is short and one is taller)

Sophie's club room

This is an algae-covered retention pond called 'Rootbeer Pond'

I've been there 3 times now, I still don't know why it's called that...

Tuesday night's event was pretzle night.  You get a hunk of dough and shape it however you want.  Then you dip it in salt water to be sprinkled with salt or sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar.

Christian made a cross

Sophie made a 'J' for her middle name, Joy

Dining hall back, which overlooks the HUGE porch, which overlooks the lake.

Left side in front of the lodge.

That's a waterfall to the right.

At the bottom of this hill is the lodge.  We had to walk this multiple times a day!  Can Christian make it up??

Yes.

Can Sophie??

oops...

She makes it about 1/2 the time! LOL

Down another hill, going to tab

Rounding the bend going back to the cabin

We weren't the last cabin, but the next to last.

(we were last cabin once...)

You can't see it here, but the shower house/bathroom is directly to my right.  There are another 2 cabins previous to it.