Campus by the Sea

The one vacation we had firmly in place this summer was our annual family camp at Campus by the Sea out at Catalina Island.  The first time I attended as a camper, I was a year old, there were only pit toilets and salt-water "showers," gas lanterns, and arrival by an extremely frightening, pulley-rope operated shuttle-boat.  I still marvel at the fact that my mother agreed to return the next summer.  Years later I spent 3 summers on staff.  Years after that, I brought my boyfriend, Steve, to camp with our family, and he not only won the milk-carton boat race, but literally left everyone else drifting out to sea.  We took it as a sign.

The kids were troopers about missing camp--they were surprisingly philosophical about it all.  But in my heart I ached to put our feet on those rocks just for a moment before the summer was over. The verse chosen as their camp motto is, "Come away to a quiet place and get some rest."  God has met me throughout my lifetime there, and much of the credit for our solid marriage comes from the years of listening to Paul and Virginia Friesen teach on marriage and family.

So.  You need photos. They'll tell the story far better than I can!

We drove down to Long Beach, only about a 35 min drive for us, and caught the 8:30 Catalina Express to Avalon.  Søren was singing, "Everything Is Awesome," much to the delight of some neighboring college-aged passengers.  

Filling our shoes with camp dirt the moment we touched down. If you've been to my house, you'll recognize this from the painting my sister did of Søren that hangs over the piano.

Within the protective arms of the cove.

Hiking up to the Cross, we saw a white-tailed buck just off the path.  He didn't seem terribly perplexed by our noisy hiking.

My children, who are often big whiners when it's time to pray, sat and prayed with me up here.  We thanked God for the way he has already begun to heal Dad, how he's cared for our family, and they asked me to pray that we could all be there together next summer.  

Contemplating the Pacific.

On their List for the day-- Ice Cream Sandwiches.

Wish I had some pictures from our kayak trip.  We saw dozens of Garibaldi, and a sea lion and a harbor seal going all couch potato along the rocky shore.

The time slipped away so quickly... 

I did get a wonderful chance to sit on that rocky beach and drink in a wonderful talk with Virginia Friesen, who I've known all my life.  She was one of the first (outside my family) to lovingly speak truth into my life, to invest in me, and to root for me.  We were their personal guests while there, and even had the use of their private cabin (super fancy by CBS standards!).  They have loved us so well throughout the years, and seeing them is restorative.  

Paul actually came to see Steve while he was in rehab--a divine appointment.  He was on the mainland for the day for a few last-minute errands before family camps started and wasn't sure where Steve was at the time.  He received word of Steve's being at Long Beach Memorial when he was literally two blocks away.  He came and prayed with Steve during a time when he particularly needed some encouragement.  What a gift.  

One more trek to the Rock Jette to look for crabs and sea anemones.

I was so proud of these two.  They were kind and patient with each other all day.  They even went to the kids' class for part of the morning so I could go listen to the speaker with the adults!  The entire camp prayed for our family!  Amazingly, there was a family absent from this week's camp because he fell and broke a cervical vertebra, for whom we also prayed.  His story parallels Steve's with frightening similarity, and I have reached out to Joy to encourage her, 6 weeks further down that path.  

I love the pearlescent colors at sunset.  It's a magical hour.

A last look.

Waiting for our boat in Town, far past their bedtime.

Dirty, wiped out, and happy.

It took me an entire day to recover--I slept poorly the night before and after, and we were up early and late the day of.  But I felt bolstered and refreshed.  It was as perfect a day as it could have been without Daddy.    

I'll leave you with the verse chosen for Family Camp this year:

You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.  ~Deuteronomy 13:4