Back Home Where They Belong

Faithful Reader, I know that you have been following our family's Bible camp-related events of the past week: our getting ready to take the girls to camp, our dropping them off there and coming home to an empty house, and our picking up one child (whose camp session ended before her older sisters' session did) again. Well, all the girls have now returned, so all is right again with the world. Time to recap!

Hillary's camp session ended midday Tuesday with a final church service, which parents were invited to attend before taking their kids home. We have photos and video of Hillary leading a prayer during the service and standing with her cabinmates to lead us all in singing a song and acting out the actions for it. We took her out to dinner on our way home at Trapper's Kettle in Belfield, where we had excellent food (including homemade "zesty tomato soup") and very friendly service.

Hillary and her cabinmates posed for several photos. They asked permission to pose with "goofy faces," and here's the result. (Can you spot Hillary?)

In a video clip below, Suzanna refers to their having hiked to a cross on the butte. This is it. Pretty, huh?

And here it's easier to see the height of the butte and the distance of the cross from the camp below. That's quite a hike for all those wee campers!

Hillary was an only child at home until yesterday, when Abigail and Suzanna's session ended midday with a final church service. We have photos and videos of those two, too, singing and doing the faux-reography for the songs that their cabins led us in singing. We drove home from camp via the same scenic route that Susan and I took Sunday night (remember?) so that the girls could see the sights while sharing tales from their week. Again, on our way home, we ate dinner at Trapper's Kettle (they make wonderful hash browns, by the way).

Suzanna during her cabin's song.

Abigail during her cabin's song.

Sully Creek Road (the scenic route that we took home from camp yesterday) runs through open rangeland (there are many, many cattle guards on the road to rattle one's teeth while driving along). At one point I slowed to a crawl in order to give a calf on the road time to amble off the gravel and back onto the grassland. While we waited, we rolled down the windows and talked to the cattle while Susan snapped a few photos. If I were a cow, I think I'd enjoy the opportunity to graze in a pasture set amidst the Badlands of southwest ND. (It might take my mind off the impending slaughter.)

Once we got home yesterday afternoon, Hillary and I headed to the grocery store to buy ingredients for tonight's Scandinavian Saturday meal (more on that tomorrow) while Abigail and Suzanna unpacked at home. I waited until this morning, however, to sit down with each of the girls and ask them to share some of their Bible camp experiences with you, Dear Reader. Fill your coffee cup, get comfy, and enjoy:

Suzanna

Abigail

Hillary