Madelyn got back from camp, and just as the pictures seemed, she had an awesome time! We all missed her so much, and she missed everyone too. But she has such a great, fun, rewarding experience that it is soooo worth it! She's already ready to go back next year, and for longer!

So while she was there she did some incredible stuff... there was swimming every day, a huge rope swing, a gigantic slip n slide that was part of the July 4th carnival, cooking (she learned how to make pita over a fire, and chocolate balls), lots of good food, lots of great friends, and tons of adventures. She was so busy having fun, that she didn't even read her mail!!! Yes - after we all worried and fretted about making sure she got tons of mail - emails, letters, card, packages, etc. - she didn't even read any of it. I was laughing so hard, when as I was unpacking her, I came across of her mail in a huge pile, practically untouched. Anything that was mailed to her (cards, letters) WASN'T EVEN OPENED!!! She opened packages and took all the goodies out, but really didn't even know who sent her what because she didn't open the notes that went with them!! I'm telling you that kid cracks me up!

After a few leisurely days back at home with Daddy and Rarah, Madelyn is now with her mom and stepdad for a few weeks. We were so sad for her to go, and so was she, but she is also so excited to spend some time with her other side of the family too.

So I guess it's back to the real world for me... no more vacations for a little bit, and Monday I am back at work for the first full week I'll be working in over a month. What a bummer!!!

T minus 24 hours!

I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. This time tomorrow, we'll be pulling through the gates at GFC to pick up the princess and my big girls too!!! It's very bitter sweet... I am so ready to see Madelyn and hear all about her camp adventures, the friends she made, and the fun things they did. I am so ready to give her a big hug and kiss and squeeze her tight. But I am also sad that her first summer at sleep-away camp is already over too. It went by really fast, and really slow at the same time. I just hope she can remember all of it so she can tell us EVERYTHING! I wish I could go back to camp...

I have to give another shout out to the friends that were at camp while Madelyn was there. They made it bearable for us back home. The daily doses and updated on how much fun she was having was both a relief and a joy to each day. It's been super difficult these past few days with no one there to send me texts, emails, and pictures! Next year, we'll have to coordinate their staffing time so that they aren't all there at the same time! Hello - priorities!!!

This morning was a little difficult. My routine for the past 9 days has been:
1. arrive at work
2. skim for important emails, skip all the others and come back to later
3. get on GFC site, look for pictures
4. email Madelyn

No #4. today. So sad. I didn't really know what to do - it felt so weird to not email her. So I started to email her anyway, but then I thought - well that's just ridiculous, she won't even get it!

Last night I made a big Welcome Home poster for Madelyn, and tonight I'm going to get some balloons to hang with it for when she gets home. I remember my mom used to always pick me up from the bus drop off (I took the bus home with all of my friends) with balloons, signs and presents. It was like it was my birthday! Spoiled, I know... but I guess the tradition must continue.

Well, I guess I better get some work done since today is my Friday!

And by the way... if I hear one more thing about Michael Jackson, I am going to scream. Enough already - let's talk about some real news!!!!!

Camp ROCKS

Well, 4 complete days of camp have come and gone, and my spies have given daily reports that Madelyn is all smiles and having an awesome time at camp. It's such a relief. It's harder than I thought with her being there (for me - not her!). It's not that I don't get to see her - I'm used to that - but I find myself constantly worrying about her. Is she having fun, is she getting along with her new friends, does she have enough clothes, enough panties, is she getting enough to eat, enough rest, enough water, is she homesick, blah, blah, blah - you get the picture. It's been a HUGE relief to have some friends there staffing this week (what a great coincidence that they are there the same week as Mads - that was a great surprise), and to hear little updates on how she's doing. Not just that she's doing well, but I've gotten specifics on some of the things they are doing, and some things she said...

For example: I asked Aimee to tell her that at the rate she was going, she better make sure she sends her clothes to laundry. (On day 2, I'd seen pics of her in 4 different outfits!! And when we packed her I packed her 11 outfits for 10 days and told her she didn't have to do laundry if she didn't want to). So now I've been panicking, think OMG - she's not going to send her clothes to get washed because "Rarah said I didn't have to", and then she's going to get to day 6 or 7 and not have any clean clothes! So I was going to go buy a few more outfits and get them in the mail real quick. And then I thought - no, she'll figure it out. She's a big girl, and at the end of the day if she has to wear some dirty clothes it's not the end of the world. Now you all know 1. this is a kid who wants to change if she gets the slightest amount of dirt or stain on her shirt, and 2. the thought of her having to wear dirty clothes both grosses me out and makes me feel just awful! So anyway, I asked Aimee to tell her to be sure to send laundry. I get a message from Barrett the next day, along with my "daily dose" that Madelyn is doing great and having fun, she says... "She said she thought she would be ok with her clothes, but will need to wash her underwear". I just laughed. That's my kiddo!

So in all of the pictures we've seen, Madelyn seems to be having the time of her life. PHEW! I really thought she would, but you just never know. She's so independent, strong willed, and fun, and so I really did think camp would be nothing but wonderful for her. It's just so nice that this experience is transpiring as we'd hoped. Again, a huge thanks to our friends who helped make this decision. It wasn't easy, let me tell you. But Trey and I discussed it a ton, and talked to several people with more experience in this area, and ultimately, I am so glad we made the decision to send her to Greene.