We arrived at SpringHill Copper Country about a quarter to noon, and they wouldn't let us in until exactly noon. It was very frustrating. They finally opened the gate, and we walked up the long, wood-chip-covered trail through the woods, uphill most of the way. We had to walk right by the Fort Michilimackinac where Sammy was, and that was really frustrating. So close, yet so far...
We had to go to the dining hall and go through the steps of check out. It was very organized. To get the "camper release" card for Sammy, I had to show a picture ID. They are a very secure camp, and that made me feel even better about the place. After going through those formalities, we were free to go to Fort Mich.
When we got into the Fort, which is situated in a circle, several boys were outside of the various cabins. I could not see Sammy, and while I was looking and looking, Kev walked directly over to the cabin where Sam was assigned. I realized what he was doing, and that Sammy was probably still in there, so I practically ran there. Kev still beat me to the door. No one on the ground floor, where Sam's bed was, but we could hear the boys upstairs. Kev started up the stairs with me right on his heels. Sammy saw us and came charging down the stairs at a run, a quick hug to Dad, and then slammed into me (and me into him) for a nice, long, squeezing hug. Ahhh...
It kinda freaked me out when I saw him, though, coz his nose was painted all blue. All the boys in the Fort, and several of the counselors, had painted various designs on their faces in blue paint. To show solidarity or something. Collectively, they looked really cool. The blue nose on Sammy, though, was a little strange. One of the counselors was helping to paint a lot of the boys, and he did Sammy's nose. (Thanks, Steve... ya couldn't've went with stripes?) Steve gave Jacob a goofy looking mustache. Anyway...
It was kind of weird, to wait so long to see my boy, and then to have him looking so strange with a blue nose...
This is the cabin, Ft. Gratiot, that Sammy stayed in while he was at camp.
This is Sammy & Jake inside the cabin, at their bunk beds. They both had the lower bunks.
Joyce took this photo of me and my boy, happy to be together. I can't believe how much I missed him. Well, yes, I can too believe it.
After getting to see our boys, all the Fort gathered in the center at the campfire site. The boys all sat on the big logs surrounding the fire pit. The counselors each did some talking about what they did each day. Then they sang some of the songs the boys learned, and the boys really got into it.
It was really fun to watch. They did quite a bit of learning about Jesus and the Bible, focusing on that more than I realized they would. It was good how they did it, and Sammy was with a good group of boys. The counselors (college students) were great, too.
All the activities they did at the camp focused not only on fun, but also on messages for the boys, like trust and faith. Some of the activities they did were going on a super long zip line over the lake, horseback riding, archery & riflery, a thing called the flying squirrel where they were in a harness on a wire & took a running start and the other boys pulled them way up into the air (Sammy loved it), a huge, twisting, turning water slide that dumped them into a swimming pool, the Blobs in the lake which were big, colorful baffle-like things where the boys sat on one end and one of the counselors would jump on the other end and send the boy flying into the lake, canoeing, going on the Gusher which was a straight shot of like a parachute with running water that the boy would go down, twirling the whole way into the lake, and crafts at the new crafts building. Sammy made a tie-dyed kerchief for me (that I love!), a candle and a leather wrist band. They also had a band come in and give the kids a concert. They did so much, and Sammy had so much fun. He loved his week there.
After the campfire bit at the Fort, the whole group of Fort boys each assembled in front of their respective cabins where the lead counselor gave each boy a certificate. This is Sammy's group, and the lead counselor, Josh, is on the far right. (All the counselors wore those green t-shirts.)
The awards were for things like Bravery, Maturity, Enthusiasm, Meekness, Creativity, and the like. Sammy was last, and he got the Good Natured award. His counselor said he could have given Sammy all the awards, he was such a great kid. Kev and I talked with Josh, and he had so many good things to say about Sammy. My good boy.
After the Fort "mini-rally," there was a Copper Country assembly at their amphitheater. It's a wooden stage at the bottom of a hill, and all the parents, etc. just sat on the hill. It was really cool, and I'm glad we stayed for it... we had contemplated skipping it because it was going to take so long, but I could tell Sammy wanted to stay for it. I did, too. I wanted to see what it was all about. Thankfully, we had heard about the set-up and brought a blanket to sit on. We had about a half-hour wait, but it was pleasant. The weather was perfect. This is Joycie and Kev during our wait on the hill.
After the big closing rally, we turned in our "camper release" card, picked up a t-shirt for Sam at the general store, and then headed for the car. On the way out, they had all the boys' luggage organized at a pavilion area, and it went surprisingly quick to get Sam's stuff. That place is super-duper organized. Sammy wants to go again, and we will likely let him.
When we arrived back home, we had Sammy stay outside and Joycie went in the house and let Reilly out. When Reilly saw Sammy, he started wagging his tail and twisting and turning his body so much with delight. It was adorable. Happy, happy dog. Happy boy, too.
Kevin had to leave for work, and I made Sammy hit the shower. Before he got in, I wanted to check out the little bump on his head we thought was a bug bite. Sammy had flinched and did the "aw, Mom, why do you always have to pick" thing. He didn't want me to check it, coz he didn't want me to pick it. But I told him I wanted to make sure it wasn't infected. I put my glasses on and took a good look. I told him the good news was it wasn't a bug bite, infected or otherwise, but the bad news was it was a tick. Sammy didn't know what a tick was for sure... I told him it was a small bug sucking the blood out of his scalp as we spoke. Yep, grossed him out Big Time. I got the little bugger out, all parts intact. It was small. Sammy took a long shower.
So good to have our boy home. So glad he had such a wonderful week.
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