Above- this is a picture of "Castle Rock" (no,not the suburb).This is located outside of Conifer, CO at the camp Whitley attended.
This is a picture Whitley took with a disposable camera on one of her nature hikes.
These are some kids from Whit's school. She is fourth from the right with the tan hat on.
This was her home away from home..the Columbine Cabin that
This was her home away from home..the Columbine Cabin that she stayed in for the week!
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Well she did it! She made the trip full circle and had a blast! She has been talking non-stop since I picked her up at 2 pm today. Of course right away we had to have her disposable camera developed so we could see where she stayed; these pictures are hot off the press!!!!
As we've pieced together all the action, we can tell you a little of how her day went.
Wake up call was at 6:15 am. Then they went to the Mess Hall and did their daily dance to
a song called "Doot Doot". Then there was time for a morning prayer (interesting for a public school?!?). Next was breakfast.
Each day was filled with hikes, activities, lectures, special visitors,etc. She was very excited that she got to see a great horned owl, a red-tailed hawk, a barn owl and a python! Anything having to do with animals, zoology is right up her alley!
One particular hike was called an "Initiative Hike". It was a three hour hike with many challenges that required teamwork and problem solving. One thing that she said was especially scary was called a "trust fall", where you fall Nestea Plunge style and your team must catch you. She assured me that the adults were strategicaly placed at the end of the chain to catch her "melon". Your melon Whitley???? "I mean my head!", she laughed. Maybe that's why they didn't let the kids call home all week. Can you imagine if the kids called home on the first day and told us about the "trust fall"....that would have wrinkled a few feathers!
After breakfast, they tidied up their rooms. She said that her cabin tied for the neatest cabin and they won a ribbon.
They also had these leather name tags around their necks and they strung beads on the string that they received for merit/good behavior. There were a couple incidents that made us feel especially honored to be her Mom & Dad. I tell you more about that later.
Anyway, all day there were labs and classes. She did archery, photography and astronomy. They breaked for lunch and had some quiet time afterwords to journal.
Later in the afternoon, more classes.
The evenings included dances, games, skits and good ol camp fun. Lights were out at 10:45pm.......PSSSST! and you could earn another bead if you were quiet and went right to sleep.
As I mentioned earlier, there were a couple events where Whitley really shined. One incident she told us about was when she gave up her box of Fruit Loops for a box of plain Cheerios to a kid who loved Fruit Loops, but who was always last in line and kept getting the "crummy cereals" each day.
Another occasion was when this one boy, whom kids teased constantly went to sit down at the table with all the other boys. The minute he sat down, all the boys got up and left him sitting alone. Whitley said he started to cry. She went over to comfort him and told him he could sit at her table. She said the boy did not eat for two whole days after that, even though she conituned to invite him to sit with her each day. Finally on the third day, he warmed up to her and they became good friends. She said that he has some facial deformity that makes him look like a "giraffe" on the outside, but she said he is the most beautiful person on the inside. I couldn't help but cry when she told me the story. I told Whitley that her Heavenly Father must be very pleased with her actions that she did in secret. In her childlike words she said, "My counselor didn't see me be nice to this boy to give me a bead for my necklace, but GOD saw what I did in secret and someday will give me a jewel for my crown!" Agghh...from the mouths of babes! Heaven will be the day when she's really HOME!
