The Retreat

Once we arrived the fun began....right away! After our night in the hotel we got up and headed down the road again hoping they would be better than they had been the day before and once we finally got off I-90, they improved bunch!!! Around 3pm we pulled into Phil's uncle's church (Al Miller) in ???, Wisconsin. As I'm typing this Matthew and I are both blank on the name of where we actually were....

Immediately after arriving and getting our hugs from Auntie Helaine, the kids bundled up and went sledding. The rest of the group had already gone ahead of us and were munching on hot dogs and sipping hot chocolate by the time we showed up. It was an amazing hill for sledding - other than the occasional car -but the inter tubes weren't going really well so the 4-wheelers came in handy!Jesse fell asleep in the car so he slept while the rest of us braved the UNBELIEVABLE COLD and went sledding. Ok, so I took pictures....=)
Logan and Alana, although younger than the rest of the teen aged retreaters, got to join in the sledding fun.Frigid as it was the sledding was soon over and everyone headed back to the church to be divided into the teams they would keep for the remainder of the retreat. They had to come up with a cheer and a mascot, etc. Monica and Zach knew a few of the Kunnari cousins but it's always a bit tough being the outsiders....thankfully by the next day they were joining in and making friends. (OK, so who am I kidding? Monica had no trouble with that from the minute we arrived....Zach on the other hand is more like me, not exactly at home around a bunch of people he doesn't know.)

The second day was spent mostly at a gym where the kids played tons of fun new games and then had some free time where they played a bunch more games! Here's one of the helpers getting stuffed with lots of mini balloons....I don't think this was even a game but more of an impromptu event=)

Several of the guys went and played some ice hockey for a few hours in the afternoon while others stayed and played floor hockey, basketball, volleyball, etc. Zach, although very new to hockey, picked it up just like he does all sports. So even though he looks a little timid here, he did well and would be doing great if we lived a bit nearer to some ice!

I went back and forth....picking and choosing the meals, events, games, etc. that I went to while still keeping the little 3 on somewhat of a normal schedule. Thankfully, we stayed at the home of Al and Laurel Miller and between their hospitality and their great dog (which I deeply regret not talking a picture of!!) I felt right at home! I entertained myself with my camera and my children=)

The afternoon game time concluded with some dodge ball....Logan, to his GREAT joy, was invited to play and had a blast! I think the highlight of the retreat for him was getting Chan Paine out with the dodge ball=)

I have to say that the highlight of the entire time we were there was getting to spend some 'sister time' with Helaine. Now, that may sound corny to some of you, but God didn't bless me with a sister until 10 years ago so I am still getting to understand how much fun it actually is to have one=)

( *Side Note: I can't say the above without saying that all through my growing up years He gave me the best friend a girl could ever have in Kristi Thompson. He knew what He was doing in my life because we are as close as two sisters could be also=)

There were about 2 dozen kids at the retreat and they were a fun bunch. It seemed that every spare moment they had, someone would start a game....they didn't sit around! All the girls stayed the 2 nights at the home of one of the church families (sharing just 1 shower - SHOCK!), while the boys stayed at another.

My big regret is not getting to hear Matthew speak. He put a lot of work into preparing for the 3 sessions that he spoke for. They were evening sessions and I headed home with the 3 youngest kids to get them to bed. Of course there are times when exceptions are made and they get to stay up, but I know well enough how much more smoothly things seem to go when their routine is kept somewhat normal!

So....the 3 days went by quickly, the kids enjoyed themselves, and they were challenged from The Word. We thank the Lord for the opportunity to be a part of it all! But unless you think it was over, well, not quite....

Once we headed up to Minnesota with Phil and Helaine, those that had participated in the retreat were asked to go up front and sing one of the songs from their time away.

Coming up next will be how we spent the following week with the newlywed's!!