Monday, July 9, 2007

Trail West Family Camp - 6/23 - 6/30/07

Our family recently enjoyed one of the best Christmas gifts we have ever received. My parents gave us an incredible gift to help us take a family vacation to a Young Life family camp in Colorado. In total, there were 19 of us. Mom, Dad, their 3 daughters and spouses, and 11 grandchildren. We had an incredible, adventurous time together! What memories!

Here is a glimpse into the fun we experienced at Trail West Young Life Family Camp in Buena Vista, Colorado...Read on...

We flew Southwest Airlines to Denver with a brief layover in Kansas City. Our family received quite a bit of attention in the airport. The boys LOVED riding on the plane. They were thrilled with take-off.
These 2 pictures tell a story. You see, Mason received his FIRST pair of glasses the day before we left. (A $225 pair of glasses.) We stopped for a short bathroom break on our way to Trail West at a tiny store with a plaster dinosaur in the front. We then headed down the road about 1 mile for lunch. We ended up at this stop for 1 1/2 hours b/c Weston fainted in the bathroom. It was a touch of altitude sickness, but it hit him hard.
As we prepare to leave Mason can not find his glasses. His $225 glasses! I am trying to remain calm and patient. We search the place where we stopped for lunch. No glasses. We search the bathroom. No glasses. We search the parking lot. No glasses. We finally decide to go back and look at the place where we stopped earlier. AND EVERYONE PRAYED! We prayed that God would help us find his - $225 - glasses! As we pull into the parking lot with the plaster dinosaur, lying in the middle of the parking lot in Mason's glasses case complete with his new glasses! Oh, I was so grateful for the answer to my prayer. It honestly was a miracle that they were not damaged! God is so good to hear even the smallest request!
Our family finally made it to TRAIL WEST! We were so excited. Mason and Colby Grace had designed a "family shirt" for all of us to wear. Each family had a different color, ours were light blue!
The Cowboys and Cowgirls from TENNESSEE have arrived!




Everyone loves a hug from Papaw! Franklin in his "un-cowboy hat."Weston enjoying cousin time! Franklin started his 9th birthday with a precious homemade card from his cousin Zach. He brought it over at 6:00 am!
On Franklin's birthday morning we headed out on horses to our Cowboy Breakfast. We had to stand 10 ft. from the cook and literally "catch" our french toast on our plate as he tossed it into the air. Franklin was the Trail Leader b/c it was his birthday. We also got to go whitewater rafting down the Arkansas River on his birthday, but I don't have photos - Sorry!
Franklin celebrated his NINTH birthday while we were at Trail West. He had a GREAT birthday - complete with party goods carried over from Knoxville and a special birthday cake from the Staff at Trail West...it was COVERED WITH CANDY! Aresha - our favorite server - brought him his cake complete with 9 candles!




Franklin had to go up front b/c it was his birthday. He had to do the "cha-cha-cha" as we sang "Happy Birthday to You, BOOM, Ching, Cha-cha-cha!" Colby Grace went with him to boost his confidence!

In typical Young Life fashion, the staff at Trail West was able to put together a program each night that was multi-generational for enjoyment. Our family's youngest was 3 years old and the oldest was 64. We all LOVED it! We laughed until our sides hurt, sang songs very loud, clapped on - and off - the beat, and just had a GREAT TIME! The night was followed up with a "talk" for the adults inspiring us to live for Christ in all aspects of our life.
Mason loved "Club-time."



Hiking Cottonwood Pass along the Continental Divide. Elevation 12,176 ft. Cold, dry air. I am in jeans and a sweatshirt and Reid is shorts - typical! The beauty was breathtaking!




Braden loved the snow on top of the mountain! At the end of JUNE! Mom and Dad with their 11 grandchildren. 10 boys and 1 girl. All on top of the Continental Divide in Colorado! A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Our family made it to the top!

Trail West had a barn with all kinds of ranch animals. Baby bunnies, ponies, chickens, and billy goats. The kids loved petting them. All of the billy goats in the barn had duct-tape on their horns so they wouldn't "butt" anyone. It was rather funny to see! Just another use for duct tape!

Weston's pony ride! He loved it!


Cowboy Wesley and Weston! Colorado Cowboys!
Braden's FIRST ride on a pony! He was so excited!
The beauty in incredible. Reflecting God's majesty on Earth!
Franklin loved playing in the pool. I was able to snap a few shots because the gameroom wasn't in the water! Ha, ha! On Thursday morning we spent a day at Young Life's Frontier Ranch lounging in the pool and playing on the water slide.

Loving on their Daddy!
Mason navigates the Water Slide at Frontier Ranch. It is FAST AND FURIOUS!
Reid guides Braden down the slide with a few bumps and splahes along the way!
Dad, Mom and me going down the ENORMOUS Water Slide! Wendy took the photo of me. It was out-of-focus b/c she was laughing so hard! She heard me screaming all the way down. Imagine that??Franklin spent most of his week in the gameroom playing pool and ping-pong. He made a lot of new friends, but it was hard to locate him whenever I wanted to take a family picture!
The Super Hero of the week was Marshmallow Man - "You think I can't, but I know I can!" His stunts were AMAZING he wasa ble to "knock down a wall" and "poke his head through his fingers." Wow! Franklin is missing from this picture b/c he is...in the gameroom.
Trail West had a very challenging ropes course. It consisted of a triple-tiered ropes course, followed by a zip-line. Both located 35 ft. off the ground! Only INSANE people would attempt such a course. For example, the Beebe family. Reid, Mason, Franklin, Weston and I all completed the course. Yep, the third picture is me showing off my cellulite dimples.

Mom and Dad BOTH completed the course. Ages 60 yrs. and 64 yrs. respectively. There was even a 79 year old man who did the entire thing! Amazing! Just proof that you are only as old as you feel!
Believe it our not, that little boy ringing the bell at the top of the wall is WESTON! Can you tell by his smile that he is proud of his 35 ft. climb? He completed the ropes course, zip line and rock climbing wall with NO FEAR! And, he chose to climb the ADVANCED WALL!

Weston finds - Weston Pass Road in Colorado
Wes and Braden enjoy their time on stage during our nightly session.
Well, of course. Reid and I had some "gentle - lip-to-lip ONLY" kissing in the mountains! (I am looking forward to when he gets the metal out of his mouth! Ha,ha!)
Our neighbors had "forked" our yard for our home arrival. What a wonderful welcome home surprise!

2 comments:

Margaret said...

Great pictures! We are so thankful everything went well for Reid today.

Love you all,
Margaret

Anonymous said...

It looks like y'all had a great time. Can't wait to hear more about it in a few weeks when we are all together at Wild Dunes.
Love,
the other Beebes!