Rainbow Pizza 2- February 2019

We returned to the site of our very first ever Rainbow Pizza: Camp Classen!

You have grown so much since our first camp out! You're almost half a head taller than your spirit stick's original height! And metaphorically you've grown too....you're bigger, braver, tougher, smarter, kinder, older, funnier, and more julesy than ever!

And, what's cool, is that we had a BIIIG group! Rainbow Pizza 1 (the older gals) and Rainbow Pizza 2 (you and your friends) combined to do one big Rainbow Pizza!

And what an adventure we all had together!

And, for the first time, one of your BFFs, Penelope, got to join us!

We had an AMAZING adventure together. Even when you and Penelope sort of wandered off into the woods together and scared me and Auggie just a bit. You showed up and didn't get lost again. 

Some amazing and hilarious and awesome memories stand out. 

We found a creeeeeepy real-life lifelike baby doll in the cafeteria. It scared us because we thought it was a real baby! But then the owners came back, and we gladly returned the baby.

All of you girls went on hikes around our cabin together, and you 'discovered' a rock climbing waterfall that you were all in LOVE with. You had the pride of discovery and the spirit of adventure!

On the amazing Mt. Warren hike, we got to see a real waterfall! Last year, the waterfall was dried up, and you all got to climb all over it, but seeing this as a real, raging, active waterfall was REALLY cool! One dad of an older Rainbow Pizza said he's been to Camp Classen 6 times and only seen the waterfall once before! AMAZE!

You. Rang. The. Bell! On the rock climbing wall that left you hanging and in tear a little more than a year ago, you were a TOTAL butt kicker. You were brave. You were skilled. You patient. You were determined. and YOU made it to the top! You knew you could do it too! Before we left you said "I think I'm old enough to do the rock wall again. Before I was 4. Now I'm 6. I think I can do it now."

AXE THROWING! That is all.

GIRLS CABIN! You've never slept in a different cabin than me. Despite a few efforts toward that on previous campouts, you and I have always wound up as bunkmates. On Friday night, you started out in the girls' cabin, but before bedtime, you decided you'd rather bunk with me. We're both glad you did! At around 4 AM a GIANT Oklahoma Thunder storm rolled through. With a LOUD LOUD LOUD clap of thunder and a bright bolt of lightning, you climbed across to my bunk (we were both top bunkers) and you and I cuddled through the storm and went back to bed. The girls' cabin woke up at 4 am with SCREAMS and never went back to sleep! But, the next night, with no storm on the horizon, you were ready to 'sleepover' with the girls, and you did! You also woke up early, and with Penelope doing supply runs for you, you gave out chocolate for breakfast to all of the girls!

It was an amazing experience to be the crust to your Rainbow Pizza slice again. I cherish these weekends, as I get to be with you, and observe you challenge yourself and grow ...

Socially...

and physically...through amazing HIKES:

...and CLIMBS...

...and RIDES (your horse was Georgie!)

And rock climbing!

...and Archery! (You did it!)

...and beyond...

So lets sew on more badges, and continue to grow up and together based on this new footing we've gained at Camp! Here's to more camping, more badges, and more fun--with a slice Rainbow Pizza and her Crusty Old Dad.

YA TA HAY!

I love you Julia! And I'm SO proud of you!