HAPPY 4th OF JULY

We're feeling very patriotic in Team CILT this 4th of July. Matching shirts for the girls, Ellyn gave us all flags and Finney brought us helium balloons to carry around all day long. We are the party.

I don't know if I've ever had so much fun with a team of counselors as I have this summer. I love these people.

I'm so glad I got to see my buddy Mags this morning and sit in chapel with her. 

 Alex's pose... I think we've got it down.

I love posed laughter pics but the real ones like these are even better. I love Anna Firmani and how she's so precious all the time.

I'm glad that the 4th fell on our CILT Adventure day when we hike all the way out to the Gish Adventure Outpost. The girls brought up the rear of the line today and took a few Senior photos along the way.

Once we got to the mud we just went for it. While some people tried to sneak around, Smoon and I just plodded right through the pit. No point in trying to avoid the inevitable. Molly lost her sneakers about five times in the sludge.

Today we got to hike with this fun crew of girls in the back.

They soon figured out their feet would be buried in the mud too.

Everyone had awesome attitudes about it and we had so much fun. I love that they embraced the hike which made it more of an adventure.

Today Finney Baby, Smooncat and I ventured out across a couple logs, over the water and up onto this giant bolder. Last summer the river was so low there was no water close, now it's its own little island.

We felt like  a team of explorers.

Before too long all of Team CILT made it up to the summit.

The Adventurers of CILT Session 2 2013

Today we decided that we'd spend our hour building forts that would be able to fit our cabin groups inside of them. The kids LOVED it. They were finding fallen branches in the woods, carrying sticks together, building intense structures and getting creative with what they made.

Fischl was so pumped to be in the wilderness. We figured out a really effective way for breaking sticks after we got frustrated. You just yell, "break booger," at the stick and then it breaks. Worked every time.

Slowly the shelters started to take shape.

The counselor castle was so awesome. We got to just chill inside for awhile. Nice and comfy in there.

Hopi's fort

Choctaw's house

Abnaki's dome

Brova boy's structure

After seeing how the mulberries stained their fingers red, these girls decided to make war paint out of the berries.

All of camp was excited for the 4th today. I got to play with little Sarah and see Julia on her way to the pool. She snagged Mag's hat so we matched.

So many counselors were decked out in their red, white and blue for the day.

In the afternoon the Braves got to play Car Wash, the game the Blazers played last night.

The kids were loving getting to make their counselor so muddy and then racing to clean them all up before the other groups.

All of camp had their swim time at the pool today so pop stop was a party with all four units and Day Camp counselors in attendance. I can't believe our girl Lilly is heading home in just few days--she can't believe it either. Maever Maeve is the best and I get so excited whenever I see her.

I got to run into Kate and Bailey again, they're loving their week.

I went to dinner with Smooney, Mary Brody and Mary Lang tonight. Even though Chipotle was closed, about twenty counselors all brought food to their patio so we could eat outside together. Talking with Liz Koch was easily a high point. At Target we ran into one of Mary's campers from week one and they were both so excited. We got ice-cream and headed back to camp early for the fireworks.

All of camp sits on the hill of the LV chapel together. There's a giant countdown clock and music playing over loud speakers. We found Mary's cabin and there was room for us right in-between Sarah and Lilly. The show last for about twenty minutes over the lake and the audience screams and oohs and aahs the whole time. I love celebrating the 4th of July at camp.