"Pizza is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."

More than anything else, Mother Daughter Quilt Camp is the annual event that means it's really Christmas time. My mom has been hosting Quilt Camps since I was 5 years old but this Christmas one is my favorite of them all-- I never miss it. 

The Hot Chocolate Club, with all of the little girls, is where I hang out. Friday night we reunited with old friends who have been coming for years and met some new friends. The girls worked on making Christmas gift tags for presents. 

Meet London. My brother-in-law is her uncle... So we're kind of related but not really. I loved having her at Quilt Camp this weekend and getting to play together.

She was sewing for her very first time and creating masterpieces like I did when I was her age.

I worked on the beginning stages of my next big project: t-shirt quilt #2. I've been collecting shirts for years as I slowly grow out of them or just stop wearing them. It's a bit heart-breaking to cut up these shirts but knowing that I'll appreciate them even more in a quilt forever makes it worth it.

This quilt will be full of Tecumseh, Young Life and Friendship Bracelet Club shirts-- the trifecta of Sarah Wright. Maddie took all of the scraps and tied them together in the longest tshirt chain that you've ever seen. Spooling the tshirt rope around her arms while we laughed at midnight was easily one of my favorite moments of the whole weekend.

The littlest girls fell in love with the spider Neal Junior. They made him his own bed and carried him EVERYWHERE.

My favorite Hot Chocolate Club event is the Amazing Quilt Camp Race. Green Team v. Red Team.

Can you scoot an oreo from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands?

Can you sculpt things like "ice skate" and "christmas present" out of clay?

Can you organize a box of 25 Christmas cookies in a specific pattern?

Saturday afternoon we took a break from the sewing machines and hiked around Tecumseh. Our gang crossed over the Suspension Bridge...

passed the Richard G Marsh Lake...

took a pit stop at the LV chapel so London could we where Aunt Katie and Uncle Nick got married...

and then visited the Green Cathedral in River Village. One of the best parts of this weekend was getting to share it with my HSE Young Life friends. Mother-daughter pairs Jill and Elise Ruby, Michelle and Hannah Devoe and Mel and Maddie Halkyard all signed up for Quilt Camp without really knowing what to expect. These 6 women are all a huge part of my life in Fishers and have invited me into their homes and their lives for years. I'm so thankful for all 6 of them and how they've impacted my story.

It's a rare and extra special thing when I get to be with Young Life and Camp Tecumseh girls at the same time. My favorite times of the year are when I get to overlap with my girls. Today just felt so happy. 

We had two special guests on our stroll around camp. Sarah, a CILT next summer, and Lauren, a CILT from last summer, live just 10 minutes away so I invited them to come for a quick visit. This pair is bursting with love for camp and love for each other and love for life. You can't help but smile when you're around them. I can't wait to see Lauren again next weekend at the reunion and hopefully be with Sarah in the Longhouse this summer.

Back at Quilt Camp the Hot Chocolate Club got busy decorating gingerbread houses.

I was so thankful for time to sit and talk this weekend with camp friends like Katrina, Renee, Mel and Jamie who have been friends year-round and taught me so much about the person I aspire to become. They're just fantastic.

All my quilting HSE friends finished their projects! The Devoes finished Hannah's quilt and made one for her dog too. The Ruby's finished a beautiful new navy quilt for Elise's bed. And all of Mel's dreams came true when they made two animal print quilts for their couches downstairs.

Saturday night we took a spontaneous PIZZA PARTY trip to the fine dining establishment of Pizza King in Brookston. Pizza people are always my kind of people.

I loved getting to spend this weekend with my mom Bethie (she's the greatest), little London and her grandma Linda. They made a beautiful quilt that I can't wait to see all finished with binding when I go visit Michigan next.  Plus, check out Jamie's new quilt. Inspired by one she found online, she made these triangle squares and then created her own lay out. It's so stinking cool.

Once again, Mother Daughter Quilt Camp was a raging success. I'm so thankful for three days of quality time spent with so many people that I love.