What a week at Camp Debbie Lou!!!
Where Do I start!!! We had an amazing time at Camp Debbie Lou. It is the perfect summertime getaway. The fun, laughter, and love never ended. We arrived around 12:15 and were greeted by the family and volunteers. Six families we were given a tour of the camp and learned all about the activities ahead. After lunch we started the fun. Fishing, crafts, scavenger hunt, family go-cart race, Devotional, and games. Then lights out to get ready for a full day ahead. Friday started with a huge buffet style breakfast. (all meals prepared by chefs.) Devotional with all the families together. Then activities, horseback riding, go-cart racing, archery, crafts, pool, bumper boats in a big pond with water cannons, fishing tournament, footcial for the moms, and night out for parents at Abingdon Manor Country Inn and Restaurant in Latta, S.C. Exceptional gourmet food, and evening with friends. The kids had a pool party, and Emily made crafts. We ended the night with devotional and games and talking with the other families. Emily and Trey could not wait till Saturday to do everything over again. Saturday night there was a carnival and everyone had a blast. Games,Games and more Games. Emily and Trey had so many tickets. At the end they turned in their tickets for prizes. By this night Emily was a little tired. Each day started at 8:00 a.m. with breakfast and ended around 9:30pm you could play as much as you want or relax on the porch or in the huge lodge. Of course with Emily and Trey it was play, play, play. Sunday we had chapel service, Family go-cart race and awards ceremony . Emily received the Martha Stewart Award for the fine crafting projects she made. Trey was awarded the Rodeo Calf Roper Award. Mr. Larry asked where did he learn to “rope like that” and he said “in the movies”. Trey watches westerns all the time. He has the John Wayne Collection and other western movies .
Larry and Carol were our host family at camp. It was like we knew them all our life. Trey and Mr. Larry have alot in common with cowboy movies and football. Mr. Larry played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, # 31. He likes to go hunting too. Carol, Emily’s crafting buddy, spent alot of time with Emily, and Emily had no hesitation to go with Mrs. Carol. Plus Mrs. Carol drove a pink golf cart around the ranch so Emily’s legs would not be so tired. Eddie and I had time to watch Trey in his group having fun too. Eddie and I had a water fight on the bumperboats with the water bombs and water cannon. Emily was riding with me and had so much fun steering the boat after her daddy.
G-Man was Trey and Emily’s favorite horse. He would eat right out of Emily’s hand. Of course I took pictures until my battery quit, but there was a photographer taking pictures each day. The photos were printed each day for the kids scrap book which they put together in crafts. It look like a big scrapbooking party, with all their supplies. Pottery was done one day and I have a beautiful plate with Emily’s handprint. She enjoyed painting the pottery and we finished baking the plate to keep the colors bright today. Camp Debbie Lou horse-shoe was also decorated to put on the lodge wall, but Emily could not part with her horse-shoe at this time. Thank you to Larry and Carol for volunteering their time to give our family lasting memories together. Emily has talked about all the fun she had since the minute we left camp. She told us before we left camp, ” Mommy I could live here forever.” With the Christian environment and caring ways of the family and volunteers its an atmosphere you never want to leave. Thankyou to the Richardson Family for inviting our family to be apart of this blessed mission in honor of Deborah Lou.
Emily has done well the last two days with chemo. We returned last night to the hosp.around 8:00 pm to replace her needle in her port. I put her in bed to give her the meds and could not flush the line so none of her meds would go through, she has a tricky port. She is so brave, there was no time for numbing cream to take time to work and she was acessed 2 more times with the needle until it worked. I am a little late with my update and I probably have left something out but Monday was a long day and the wireless connection will not work in the hospital this time.
Thank you for your messages and prayers.
Love, Eddie, Dawn, Trey, & Emily
