World's Most Awsome Band Camp

Peter went to band camp this past week at a new school, with kids he didn't know. It's hard to transfer your child to a new school for his senior year. Hard on everyone. (Another reminder that we should all be careful about wrecking other people's lives; you never know who else -- even a child -- you might be injuring.) But God has been so gracious, and this band has become Peter's new circle of buddies. He had a great time. Here he is, playing tuba.

The really cool (and perhaps unique) thing about this band camp is that it was held at the Christian conference center near us, where the kids go to camp in the summer. Peter's grown up at this camp. It was an all-week, overnight camp, and these kids had SO much fun: mud pit, lake swimming, waterslide, tether ball, a murder mystery night, pranks -- the "whole nine yards," as they say. They did their share of marching and making music too.

Their theme for their home game performances this year is "Pirates of the Caribbean," and they're even acting it out. Some band members dress like Jack Sparrow, Davy Jones, and others, and sword fight during the band performance. They even found this cool old stagecoach! That's Jack Sparrow on the right.

They have a first-class director who's been there many years, and a wonderful assistant who organized it all. After the Friday performance for parents, we all had a hamburger eat-out in the rec. shelter, and watched their slide show from the week. It was nice to tell Peter that he doesn't have to wait a whole year to see these camp buddies again;  school starts on Monday!

On our way out, of course Peter and Adam had to engage in a friendly game of tether ball. Peter had never beaten his daddy before....

But this time he finally did! Adam proclaimed, "I'm too fat!" and noted later that he'd overextended his shoulder. At some point, we must pass things on to the next generation!