Our morning began with a three mile walk around camp. It was a beautiful morning. Very comfortable, but damp and a bit hazy. I was comfortable in my jacket for the first couple of miles. Breakfast followed. We dined on egg beaters, an English muffin and fake sausage. Fruit bar was full of yogurt, cottage cheese and several fruits. Following breakfast, Kinz headed offsite with those who were at the discovery level and above. They went to swim at a public pool. I didn't think that sounded like much fun, but Kinz was quite excited. She said she was looking forward to the water being warm and not having to worried about anything swimming by and biting her. She came home with quite a sunburn. G and I attended classes all day. Thank goodness for the morning walk or we would have had no chance of meeting our new 10,000 step requirement. For lunch we had half of a baked potato, covered with bison chili, broccoli and the salad / fruit buffet. Afternoon nutrition classes including a taste of PB2. PB2 is Powdered Peanut Butter, reconstituted with water. It was surprisingly good. Instead of staying for dinner and the weekly ceremonies, we headed out. We ate dinner at Apple-bee's. Kinz had traveled to Apple-bee's with camp on a dine out challenge, so she knew what she could have. I ordered Cajun Talapia on rice with Broccoli. It was good. Kinz had garlic chicken with broccoli. My total fat for the day was 9 grams and 1350 calories. Tomorrow we will head to camp for her final weigh in and the timed mile. Last weeks time was 8:34! We have classes in the morning and will finish up at Noon. She is very excited to be home.

Words cannot describe how excited we were to see our baby. It was a long day for both of us as we anxiously watched the clock for 5 pm to arrive. The winding road to camp reminds me of the road to Hana in Hawaii. Twists and turns that never seem to end. We arrived at 5 minutes to 5. She was playing soccer, but watching for us as she saw us immediately when we turned in. We all stood there bawling. Glad I wasn't the only one. She has always been beautiful in our eyes, but words cannot describe the confidence she has gained in herself. She is empowered and excited at what she has accomplished this summer. Our dinner consisted of Baked chicken, green beens, a sweet potato / green pepper dish and fresh mixed berries. There was also a full fruit and salad bar. After our evening session and the kids evening activity, snack was served. We had our choice of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry ice cream. (Sugar free sweetened with Splenda.) We received a couple books, one based on the science behind the program and a calorie King book, which is basically a dictionary of foods containing calorie counts and fat counts. Glenn thinks we consumed about 25,000 calories yesterday. Oh my. We received pedometers and calorie Journals to use over the weekend. Kinz came back to the hotel with us and is currently soaking in the tub. She has had 8 weeks of cold showers each lasting 5 minutes. She may soak all night. I just want to sit there and hug her. Eight weeks is a long time. We are so very proud of all she has accomplished. Now she knows how strong she really is. Tomorrow will be fun as we are invited to attend the weekly ceremony where the kids move up in levels. She mentioned again how cool it was to receive mail from everyone. Please continue to pray that she would have the same conviction once school starts as she has now. She has a rocking group of friends, so I know they will be there to cheer her on!

Road Trip!

Off we go to camp. Not excited for the 22 hour drive. I am excited to see Kinzster! Today's picture was taken on her first day of camp when G. dropped her off. She plans on having her exit picture taken in the same cloths. It will be fun to compare!

Below is the Family workshop schedule if you are interested...

THURSDAY July 29th 2010

5:00 - 5:45 Arrive and Check-in

5:45 - 6:10 Introductions and Expectations:

v Introductions of administrative and clinical teams

v Important expectations and guidelines for the weekend

6:15- 7:30

Dinner Circle and Dinner

7:35 – 8:20 Tools of the Wellspring Program:

v Tools of the Program: Wellspring’s 3 simple changes: Distribute self-monitoring journals (SMJs), Sierras Solution and Calorie King books, and pedometers; discuss plan for your mini-Wellspring weekend experience (step and fat goals)

8:20 Families welcome to depart after 8:20


FRIDAY July 30th 2010


7:30 – 8:30 Morning Walk with Campers, Families and Staff


8:40 – 9:25

Breakfast Circle and Breakfast

For the remainder of the day, aside from meals and WAC Records, parents are in scheduled workshops while campers participate in activities.

9:30 – 10:15 Activity Management Presentation:

v Personal Training: Lessons Learned at Camp
v Transference: What you can continue to do back home

10:15-10:30

WAC Records!

Heidi Williams, Head Fitness Instructor, with Personal Trainer Team

v Compete and/or cheer on campers and families!

10:30-12:25

Workshop 1: Scientific Foundations of the Wellspring Program

12:30-12:45

Garden Overview

Leah Nicholson, Food Service Director and Hannah Furgiuele, Head Gardening Instructor

12:45-1:30

Lunch

1:30-2:30

Family Consultations with Behavioral Coaches (BCs)

v Addressing concerns, developing ideas for making the program work at home

2:30-4:20

Join Activities with your Campers!

* Individual Family Meetings with Behavioral Coaches as signed up*

4:30-6:05

Nutrition Workshop

Jessica Menig, Head Nutrition and Culinary Instructor, with Nutrition Team

6.15- 7:30

Dinner Circle and Dinner

7:30 – 8:45

Final Ceremony!

v Experience the weekly level system ceremony where campers are recognized for meeting their goals

v Families welcome to depart after 8:45 (Remember to pick-up any medication your child will need while away from camp!)

Meet at the Health Center and to Fire Circle



SATURDAY July 31st 2010


7:30- 8:10

Stretch Circle and Morning Walk with Families, Campers and Staff

* Individual Family Meetings with Behavioral Coaches as signed up*

Health Center

8:15 – 8:40

Timed Mile with Campers, Families and Staff


8:40-9:15

Breakfast Circle and Breakfast


For the remainder of the morning, parents are in scheduled workshops while campers participate in activities. All siblings are welcomed to join in activities!


9:40-10:20

Culinary Workshop:

Jessica Menig, Head Nutrition and Culinary Instructor, with Nutrition Team

v Alternative Ingredients

v Kitchen Staples

v Recipes

v Demonstration: Fast and Easy

10:20 – 12:00

Workshop 2: Plans for Home

12:00

End of Workshop

Today the girls began their day with a group therapy session, followed by fitness boot-camp and 4 way kickball. They will then pack out and prepare for a great time in the field. The field trips this week are choice trips. As mentioned, Kinz chose duckying, a form of rafting. Check out her feet in this picture. Theme of Saturday nights dance was PJ night, so she wore the frog slippers her Nana sent in one of the many care packages that found it's way to North Carolina this summer.

Yesterdays schedule:

The ladies will began there day with a game of tennis and soccer. They will then participate in agility. After lunch, the ladies will play a game of basketball just before having the chance to cool down with a nice dip in the swim hole. They will the play a game of dodge-ball just before having an opportunity to relax in yoga.They will end the evening with PJ's themed dance.

I hope they post pictures of the PJ's themed dance! That would be fun. Pictures of Kinz tearing up the soccer field. She looks like a pro!

Another busy day. I think if I were the kids I would look forward to being out in the field. Back at base camp their days are packed full!


The ladies will began their day with a game of tennis, which will then be followed by a group therapy session. They will then participate in agilithy with Heidi. (The girls call Heidi the MACHINE.) After lunch, the ladies will have a chance to cool down with a nice dip in the swim hole. They will the play a game of basketball just before participating in an awesome abtastic with Jen. The girls will then play an awesome game of football. They will end the evening with a camp wide game of soccer .

Kinzer phone home day was just as fun as ever. She sounds great and told us on numerous occasions how excited she is for our upcoming trip. She said that while the past seven weeks had been long, she thought the next 7 days would seem longer. She can hardly wait to come home. She had another great week. They had a blast rock climbing, and some excitement to boot. There were two copperheads curled up sunning about 10 feet from the base of the rocks they were climbing. She said the climbing instructor did a very good job at giving her specific directions so that she would not freak out. She said, "I did good but some of the other girls lost it. They were crying and everything." They encountered three more copperheads upon their return to camp. No thank you! She had yoga this evening after our visit and was very excited about that. She has been playing a lot of soccer and says she really enjoys it with the exception of a sore back. Her lower back has been bothering her lately. We asked about the bad picture. She was having a tough day. Her favorite counselor left and they were all having a tough time. If I understood her correctly, she drove away while they were playing, which made it even harder for them all. We asked if she had heard from any of the kids who left after 4 or 6 weeks. They have received email or letters from all of them. They say it is hard to be home. She seems to be pretty firm in your determination to get us all going on a routine, which will be good for everyone. 24 pounds gone, her goal is at least 6 more before she leaves. We will not find out if she met her goal until we see her face to face. The count down begins! Seven day to go!

Kids have a busy day scheduled. Hope they don't forget it's phone home day!

The ladies will begin there day with games of dodgeball and soccer. They will then participate in a fitness bootcamp. After lunch, the ladies will enjoy a game of monster ball followed by a game of wiffle ball. They will then play a game of volley ball just before participating in a relaxing class of yoga. They will end the evening with a game of four square which will be campers vs counselors.

Nothing to report today. Kids return from the field tonight. Phone home day tomorrow night. Last one before we go get her!

We finally received word that the kids are rock climbing this week and will return on Wed. night. The report from her coach last night was nothing but good. She said, "In a word, she is AWESOME." She presented her research paper and was promoted to the top and final level of the Wellspring Compass, lead guide. Her coach said she thinks we will have a hard time recognizing her with all the weight she has lost and confidence she has gained. I was very glad to hear this as one of the pictures posted today is terrible. She has her arms crossed and looks like she is about to burst into tears. One of those "I am so mad / upset that I want to scream but won't because I don't like confrontation" looks. Good thing we have not seen that look before or I would have picked her up by now! Hang in there sweet girl!

Camp staff is lagging on updating the daily activities. Still no word on what the kids are doing today or yesterday for that matter... Will let you know when I hear.

Daily activities have not yet been posted, but there are several cute pictures of her playing basketball and swimming in what I assume is the super secret swimming hole we've heard so much about. I'll post them throughout the upcoming week. Today is ceremony day. She should be a chief guide for her last two weeks of camp. If she can make it through this week she will be in good shape as the following week she gets to go on her final white water rafting trip on Mon - Wed and G and I will be there Thurs - Sat. The end is near! Yippee!

Fun Day Ahead....

This morning they will be doing agility drills, yoga and softball. After lunch they will be doing kick boxing, cooling off in the swim hole and having a group therapy session. Tonight is the nerd dance! Too bad she can't take her Dad with her to the nerd dance! He would fit right in! Pix above is him in his glory days :)

Something tells me there's more air guitar than tennis taking place here....

Today's activities:

Our cabin will begin their day with a game of soccer, ultimate Frisbee and volleyball. After lunch they will be going to the swim hole, playing basketball, abtastic and football. Tonight they will be playing steal the gold.

Kinz had a busy day today....

Soccer, dodge ball, fitness boot camp, swim hole, tennis, basketball, kick boxing and will end the evening with a game of 4 way kick ball. She did skip boot camp to work on her guide project. She has all the research done and will present it on Sunday at this weeks ceremony. She expects to move up to level six, the chief guide level next week.

Sounds like they had a blast in the field. Caving in Tennessee was great fun. She said they got really dirty army crawling into dark tight spots. She got to use her head light and didn't have any trouble with claustrophobia. White water rafting followed where they went down stage 4 rapids. She said stage 6 rapids are "Certain Death". They hadn't gone on any of those yet. Good thing! She was not sure if they were home or away from base camp next week. The following week, however, they get to choose which away adventure to attend. My bet was on rafting. G's was on mountain biking. I win. She was excited to know she would get one more shot at the white water rafting. G told her that when the seasonal creek in our back yard gets flowing, he is sure that it contains stage 6 rapids :)

She said she will be doing the cooking for the next several months. They made some really good mac and cheese in culinary class. Other favorites are rice crispy treats and the crepes she invented. Apparently they give them a jar of peanut butter that is low in fat when she leaves. They eat carrot sticks with this allowed peanut butter. She eat's the carrot sticks first and savors the peanut butter all by itself. Green peppers and hummus are another favorite. YUCK. I asked if they had had red peppers. Nope, only green. Hopefully I can convert her from green to red.

As of last Sunday, her weight loss total is 21 lbs. We asked if she could tell where she had lost it. She said her face... 21 lbs in your face? G said, "That's quite a load off your shoulders." She laughed.. We were asked to bring all her beauty styling aids with us when we come to pick her up.. Hair straightener, styling aids, and makeup. She wants to look good for the parting photo. Our plan is to head to the grocery store the night before we leave to stock up on things for dinner and breakfast the following day. She was happy with that plan. I'm betting it is bagels and sandwiches for the trip home.

Kids return from the field tonight in time for a movie with the rest of camp. Phone home day tomorrow! FINALLY!

Kids are caving today in Tennessee. Above is the latest cabin photo.

Received our Monday update from camp. The kids left this afternoon to go caving and rafting in Tennessee. They will return home Wed night. I can hardly wait for phone home day on Thursday. I want to go caving! Kids are getting ready for a water fight in the attached photo.

Not a great photo, but one none the less! Looks like her hair is just as curly in NC as it is in Texas. This was taken at last nights 80's themed dance. Phone home day is not until Thursday, so it will be a long week. This morning the kids will be running the timed mile, then playing soccer and softball. This afternoon they will be packing to head into the field.

Saturday

Not much to report today. There were a few pictures of last nights ceremony. Appeared to be very wet as they were under the pavilion. No pictures of Kinz. Today's activities include the following:

Our campers will begin their day with soccer, tennis and softball. After lunch they will be playing basketball, steal the gold and will be participating in a wet and wild event. Tonight they will have an 80’s dance!

Friday

We all got individual letters via snail mail today. They were written during last weeks parent weekend and you could tell she was very homesick. Most of what was included in the letters we discussed via phone. We did learn that several kids had pink eye. Not fun. Boot camp is by far the hardest activity they have at camp. Her favorite is still Yoga. She said she would like to plan on doing Yoga every morning as it feels so good to stretch. That will be good for all of us!

Today's schedule:

They will be going on a day hike, returning to play basketball and 4 way kickball. Tonight they will finish with a ceremony!

Wednesday

Twenty-one days and counting until we report for Parents weekend and get to see our baby! Woot! Cute picture of her today. She said the bandanna and the braided hair are her signature. Keeps bangs and sweat out of her eyes. Bad news is that she has a pretty severe farmers tan across her forehead. She said she plans to even that out at the neighbors pool when she gets home. G said, "Great, then you will have a big red stripe across your head instead of a big white stripe!" Below is today's posted schedule:

These ladies will begin their day with group discussion, volleyball and soccer. After lunch they will be playing ultimate football, kickball, basketball and yoga. After dinner they will be watching a movie!

Kinzer phone home!

I just love phone call days. Just hearing her voice makes me feel better. Kinz had another great week. Her timed mile this week was 9:22, down from over 11 minutes the week before. She lost another 4 pounds so the grand total as of last Friday is 17 lbs! Amazing. I keep expecting her to tell me she has hit a plateau, but such is not the case as of yet. We found out that ceremony nights include skits. The kids performed skits to explain the 6 different compass levels campers progress through. This weeks theme was toy story, so she was dressed up as Woody and was introducing a new toy to camp. She said it was fun, and the parents seemed to enjoy it. To move up to the final compass level, she has to do a project. There are several different types to choose from. She said she is going to do one on nutrition and work with the nutritionist to explain why some of the other fad diets on the market are not as successful as the wellspring plan. One of her cabin counselors also helps the nutritionist, so it sounds like she can get some good info from them. They had a contest to develop a new breakfast recipe and her recipe won. It was a crepe containing strawberry's, banana's and fat free chocolate syrup. MMMMMMMM. Sounds pretty good! Those who had earned off campus rewards field trips went to a place called Fun Depot last week. They played laser tag, drove go carts, and played Dance Dance Revolution. Apparently, she has not lost her touch. Her little feet are as speedy as ever! She said they have a blast. Fourth of July was fun with a water fight and fire works. Apparently it was by no means as good as a Texas Rodeo's fireworks, but still nice. This week will include a day hike. She was actually excited about the fact that it was only one day so they didn't have to camp. Next week they are going caving in Tennessee. Way cool! She asked that I send more long sleeve shirts and another jacket, so it must be cool in the early morning, late night hours. She is happy to have a bottom bunk. She has all the pictures we have sent her attached to the bottom of the top bunk so she can look at them. She reminded me again that she does not have a picture of me. She has one of me in my hippie costume.. What more could she want? She now has her new envelopes so she was planning on getting lots of letter writing done this week. Thanks for continuing to write to her! She still has four weeks to go!

Monday

We received word from the camp director that Kinz had another great week. She achieved 25,000 steps per day and all other requirements necessary to move to the guide level. This week she will work on the project required to take her to the final level in the six phase program. We talk to her tomorrow via phone and we are anxious to find out what project she is going to tackle. The director said to make sure to ask her her time for the mile this week as she was very excited. This is a picture of yesterday's Fourth of July fun. She is in all black in the lower left corner running. Here are today's activities:

These ladies will begin their day with soccer, agility drills and boot camp. After lunch they will play basketball, ultimate football, abtastics and volleyball!

Yippee! After more than two weeks we finally have a picture! She is sitting on the ground in a cowboy hat. Virtually all the other pictures posted had a pole of some sort directly in front of her face! This was taken at last nights awards ceremony. Several parents in attendance. Today was just as busy as the rest... Soccer, dodge ball, softball and basketball before the dance tonight!

Friday's schedule

Things must be a bit crazy at camp at the moment with the first parents weekend taking place on Thursday, Friday and today. Parents head to camp to take part in three days of workshops that will give them a feel for the program their children have participated in (Schedule, workouts, eating) and will help them prepare for their children's return home. The daily activities were not update on Thursday. Friday's activity update came late in the day. The kids had a group session, noodle ball and boot camp in the morning. After lunch they played soccer, monsterball, softball and four way kick ball before finishing the night with the ceremony! Ceremony's are usually on Sundays. As those campers who enrolled in the 4 week session are heading home on Saturday, they moved up the ceremony dates. This will be final weigh in for those campers heading home. They will continue to track their food, weight and exercise from home for the next 6 months. They will also be in contact with their behavior coaches once a week for that 6 month period. Kinz had 5 friends heading home. While I know she is homesick, she did say she was glad to be staying another 4 weeks. "The longer the time at camp, the higher the success rate" she said during our phone conversation last week. Our next phone call home is scheduled for this Tuesday. It will be exciting to celebrate being past the half way point. Four weeks down, four weeks to go. That also means school is on the horizon again. Summer vacation never seems long enough! Today's post contains the post card that Brendon sent to her on Friday. This suites him so well. Keep sending those cards and letters! Thanks so much!

Wednesday

We got to talk to Kinz for a full 30 minutes. The kids returned to base camp after a couple of days of Kayaking and camping in the field. They actually went "Duckying", (a two person inflatable raft) and a good time was had by all. Kinz did not get much sleep and was very happy to see her cot upon their return. She said they were on somewhat of a slope and the girl next to her was sliding down the hill. It sounded uncomfortable as the girls feet were in Kinzie's face, which to me sounds like the girl was sleeping with all the blood rushing down to her head. The camper on the other side had her arm wedged behind Kinzie's back, so she could not turn over. Oh the joys of tent camping! She is still enjoying her time at camp. She sounded a bit homesick as this weekend they will have a bunch of parents at camp for the family weekend. Family members will spend three days attending classes on the program and how to support their kids upon their return home. Five of the girls in her cabin are leaving this weekend, having finished the four weeks they signed up for. Kinz is sad to see them go, but they promised to write. She said the only good part about them leaving is that a lower bunk is opening up and she has apparently been told that she can have it. This will make bathroom trips much easier at night. At last Sunday's awards ceremony, she did move up to the next level, so she is now a discoverer. Her total weight loss at last Sunday's weigh in was 13 lbs. To move to level five, the Guide level, she will have to average 25,000 steps per day on her pedometer. She is not sure she will make it. The field activities, such as kayaking, earn them additional pedometer steps, based on their level of difficulty. She was not sure how many points she had accumulated from the field activities. As a guide she will mentor new campers. I think with 5 girls going home this weekend, there will be five new campers coming in to her cabin on Sunday. One of the activities she could participate in over this past weekend was improvisation. There were several different "mini camps" she could choose. After looking at this list, I knew based on her love for Theater, this is the one she would participate it. She said they played games to help with the improv and it was fun. Apparently this is the second time they have done this. They had a higher participation rate the second time due to lightening. Apparently they have lightening often, and lightening drills begin as soon as they see it light up the ski. Campers have to get to designated areas of camp. Let's see... What else? Her care packages I sent have still not arrived, so she still does not have envelopes to reply to the cards, letters and care packages. She said to be sure to thank everyone who continues to send her mail. She misses her little brother far more than she expected she would, to which he said, "I'm as dashing as ever!" He misses her far more than he expected as well. Food. Favorite breakfasts: Egg beaters or bagels. Lunch: Turkey sandwich with spicy mustard. Dinner: She could not decide as she said this is the meal where they get the most variety. They are only eating 12 grams of fat per day. Ugggg. That moves up to 20 once they hit maintenance. I know they have controlled and uncontrolled food. Uncontrolled is basically fruits and veggies. They can have as much of that as they want with the exception of olives and avocados, which apparently contain a great deal of fat. I knew about avocado, but not olives. Dessert: Cherry Italian Ice is her favorite thus far. She is saving rewards points for an off site outing to see the new twilight movie coming out soon. This week is vampire week. Too bad she didn't bring her vampire teeth from halloween. The picture at the top of the blog is actually one of the post cards I made her. It arrived this week. Man I'm good :) They have not yet made it to their spa day field trip. She was not sure when they would. She has actually started reading Frankenstein for next year's pre-ap english class. I tell you, I would be snoozing during that siesta hour, not reading! That's all I can remember for now. Thanks again for your continued letters to camp and your prayers for all the kids. I'm thinking about those returning home this weekend. Life will be much difficult without the confines of camp. We wish them the best in their lifelong journey.

Tuesday

Today the girls will kayak the Tuckaseegee River!

Monday

Kids are heading out after lunch for their next offsite adventure.

Today they will begin with volleyball and agilities then prepare to pack out for the field!

Next phone call home will be on Wednesday. Much nicer that having to wait 11 days between phone calls!

Sunday's activities

The girls will join in ultimate Frisbee and basketball after morning culinary classes. In the afternoon they will choose between basketball club, improvisational club, art club, journaling club, and soccer club!

Saturday's activities

I didn't have time to post yesterday. Here was their schedule:

Today they will begin with volleyball then throw the Frisbee around in Ultimate, and then they are on to gretzky ball before lunch. Later, they’ll play soccer and softball then have a personal training session! They’ll cool off in the swim hole and end the day with the dance!

Phone Home...

Yippe! We got to talk to our baby! She bought extra minutes with her rewards points and we got to talk for 25 minutes. Time flew by and I though for sure we got short changed, but in checking the time of the incoming call, we did speak for 25 minutes. In short, she is doing better that we ever would have imagined. She is still loving the program, is very excited with the progress she has made, and is learning a great deal. She said, "I've lost nine pounds so far, but you should see my leg muscles. They're huge. And when I push on my arm muscles, they don't go down anymore." She said she is going to make a t-shirt that says "I survived Heidi's boot camp." "That woman is a machine!" We asked how the recent camping trip went. She loves "Car Camping" (drive to camp site with bathrooms close by). She did not like the true roughing it camping. "Peeing in the woods is not for me." It has been hot and she really enjoys when they get to go to the super secret watering hole to cool off!

This week Kinz is at the "Adventurer" level. She said she is on target to be move up to the "Discoverer" level next week. This allows her off-campus excursions. She has already signed up for "Spa day". Not sure what all that includes, but it sure does sound good. At the discovery level she will also get 20 minutes of phone time. The more the better. I told her I was not at all happy with 5 minutes. She wasn't either. She said, "We talked for 5 and I cried for 20." I told her I did the same thing.

She has taken two minutes off her timed mile on Mondays. She finished first in her cabin this past Monday. I asked her when she possibly has time for the running club. She explained that she can substitute the running club for some of the regular exercise sessions.

She likes the nutrition classes and says she has a lot to teach us. She said she is by no means starving and is trying food she never thought she would like green peppers and onions. Still does not like fish. They eat lots of salad with fat free dressing. She said they all race for the pineapple in the morning. She is eating lots of apples, peaches, pineapples, etc. Bagels and Egg beaters. She has check out several of the foods at the supermarket that she would typically ask us to buy and is appalled at the fat content. She informed us that we could no longer go out to eat. On the way home we were going to have to buy food at the grocery store as fast food would most likely make her sick since she had not been eating it. She looked up her favorite Hamburger at Red Robin and found that it contained almost 1500 calories and 65 grams of fat. She said, "That's almost a weeks worth of fat." They are using a Calorie King Journal to track their daily eating. I told her the only thing related to food I was really worried about was coffee in the morning. She said, "No problem. I can still have a cup with artificial sweetener."

Rock climbing this week went well. The indoor climbing was actually much harder than the real rocks.

She has not begun her Pre-AP summer reading (Frankenstein or Death of a Salesman) or played her clarinet. Surprise Surprise!

She said to thank everyone for the letters. She loves getting mail. She asked that I apologize to all of you that she has not yet responded to. Apparently all the envelopes I sent with her are sealed shut. I will send more in this weeks care package.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and notes to her! We greatly appreciate it!

Today's schedule:

Today they will begin with group cognitive behavior therapy and jump into an intense session of bootcamp. They’ll check out the garden, shoot some hoops, and play noodleball. Before dinner they’ll have a cool dip in the swim hole and end the evening with an obstacle course!

Go Girl!

Good news from Camp today! Weight loss total for week 1 was 5 pounds. Weight loss total for week 2 was 4 pounds. 9 pounds and counting. Go Kinz!

The girls are practicing their rock climbing skills at an indoor facility today. They head out to tackle the real rocks tomorrow.

The compass

We received an explanation to why our first phone call home was only 5 minutes. Phone time is a privilege that campers earn as they advance through the various levels of camp. We are not sure what level Kinz is on as we will not talk to her until Thursday. We hope that she is a step three "Adventurer" as with this step she will receive 15 minutes of phone time. To reach this step, however, she had to average 15,000 pedometer steps per day, amongst other things. Hopefully joining the running club helped her get there. Below is a brief explanation of the various steps.

We have all heard the expression “life is a journey”. Here at Wellspring Adventure Camp (WAC), campers will be undertaking a new, exciting and challenging journey where they will learn much about themselves, a healthy lifestyle and how to return home and follow a new, healthier path. At WAC, we use the “Compass” levels – a set of directions to help campers navigate along the path to health and permanent lifestyle change. The Compass levels are also designed to provide support and motivation when campers face challenges.

As campers progress through the levels of the WAC Compass, they will experience the successes and struggles of balancing responsibilities and personal time. While campers earn material rewards, praise, and community recognition through the Compass, the true prize is the internal discipline and emotional maturity they will retain for a lifetime.

In order to progress along the Compass, campers need to keep track of progress. By monitoring their progress in self-monitoring journals, their work will be ready for review once requirements have been completed.

Step One: Traveler

At WAC, campers begin as travelers – Travelers on a new path, open to learning more about themselves and a healthy lifestyle. All campers have come from different communities and are joining together to form a new community and way of life. As Travelers, campers will begin to learn about the program and its expectations. This is also their chance to find their place in the community and begin to learn more about themselves.

Step Two: Explorer

Explorers are willing to experience discomfort and to try new things. At WAC, Explorers will have many new experiences, begin to take more healthy risks and are motivated to create a healthier life.

Step Three: Adventurer

Adventures are travelers and explorers combined. As Adventurers at WAC, campers will take time to learn about where they are venturing and make sure they are prepared for the variety of situations and challenges they encounter as long-term weight controllers (LTWCs). Adventurers mentor Travelers and share with them what they have learned about the journey so far.

Step Four: Discoverer

A Discoverer is someone who is not only actively seeking, but who is also finding. During this stage of the Compass, campers are finding their way along the path to a healthier life. They are demonstrating a commitment to achieving their goals.

Step Five: Guide

In the world of traveling, a Guide is someone who has a lot of traveling experience. As Guides, campers have confidence not only in their ability to take care of themselves in challenging situations, but to also support others. Guides lead by example and want to share experiences with others. Guides understand that, even in challenging situations, they must care for themselves first.

Step Six: Chief Guide

Chief Guide is the highest level achievable at WAC. Chief Guides understand that, even in challenging situations, they must care for themselves first. Chief Guides on the WAC Compass show a strong commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The program is now a way of life and old ways of living are simply not an option. Chief Guides at WAC provide support for and become a mentor to others who are just beginning their journeys. Chief Guides will be given junior staff responsibilities and other leadership opportunities.


What a journey! Please keep all these kids in your prayers.

Today their cabin participated in the following activities:
Campers begin the day with the timed mile. Four way kickball and an abtastic class followed after breakfast. The girls then prepared for an exciting trip into the field! First destination: indoor rock climbing!

Saturday

Received word that the next scheduled phone calls for the McCall cabin will not be until Thursday! Bummer! I was so looking forward to Monday. Our weekly email from her cabin leader said that there had been some "Strife" in the cabin during the last three day outing. Apparently this is somewhat normal as the newness of camp wears off and the true personalities come through. She said Kinz proved to be a good role model through the entire situation. I could not tell if she was in the middle of the entire ordeal or on the side lines. They will be away from base camp Mon - Wed. Her cabin leader was with her during last Monday's raft trip. She said they had fun and only got stuck on a rock once. She said Kinz continues to work hard.

Here is today's schedule:

The McCall cabin will begin the day with fun and challenging kickboxing, followed by volleyball, then basketball. After lunch, campers will take a dip in the swim hole and dry off with softball. The cabin will relax with yoga and work up an appetite with kickball. After dinner, campers will conclude the night with a “twin”-themed dance!

Letter Number Two

Yippee- Just when I thought I wasn't going to make it a letter arrived to remind me that she is where she needs to be. I cannot believe we are only in week two. It's going to be a long summer. Kinz' letter revealed that "Camp is going great." She joined the running club and warned the boy and the dog to watch out. She's gonna be fast! Her cabin spent time at the "Super Secret Swimming hole" that was only available to counselors last year. She said it was really cold and that I would run screaming back to Texas to the warmth of the neighbor's hot tub. She jumped off the "Big Rock" twice. She is saving beads that can be earned for positive steps. Beads can be used for buying internet time or going to movies. She said she has six at the moment but is going to save up. Not sure what she is saving for but she said her collection is growing. She said she loves getting mail, so please keep the post cards and letters flowing!

Thursday

Yesterday the kids returned from their second offsite activity. They enjoyed a movie last night. Today they will be doing dance, playing a game of basketball and performing some agility drills. After lunch they will be doing boot camp and volleyball, then heading to their group session.

Tuesday

Campers headed out yesterday for a day of white water rafting following a one mile run. They camped out and will spend today mountain biking.

More info on todays bike trip:

The popular Tsali Recreation Area has long been a top destination for mountain biking in Western North Carolina, and even the entire eastern US. Containing nearly 40 miles of trails in a system with four excellent loops, it has been rated as one of the top 10 places to ride in the USA. The area is located on a hilly peninsula reaching into beautiful Fontana Lake, at the base of the Great Smoky Mountains. The four long main trails at Tsali wind along the lake shore and onto the wooded, steep interior ridges. There are several connector trails, gravel roads and extension trails that give a few more options for rides besides the main loops. Three designated overlooks along the trails provide sweeping views of Fontana Lake with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the other side. The trails are fast, hardpacked singletrack, and they're extremely well designed and well used. Trails alternate use between mountain bikers and horseback riders on different days; two will always be open to mountain biking.

Phone Home...

The first phone calls home began this morning at 7 am Eastern time. Kinz' cabin is heading out this morning for their second adventure outing which will be three days and two nights away from base camp. She said, "I have to talk fast, I only have 5 minute." I didn't have time to ask why. She said something about having more time when she moves up. I think phone calls home and the time you receive might be a privilege. I'll send email to the camp director to find out more. I can tell you that 5 minutes was NOT enough for me to get all my questions answered! That being said, I'm sure 10 minutes will not be long enough either. In short, she sounded great. You could tell she was crying, but mom did a good job of not following suit. She did not sound sad or upset, just like she missed us and it was good to hear our voices. She said she was having a blast. Her favorite activity so far has been white water rafting. She said she almost fell out of the boat but it was fun. At base camp her favorite activity thus far has been yoga. (I am loving this camp as they are exposed to so many different forms of exercise. I don't think I could have convinced her to take a yoga class with me for anything in this world.) She said the food has been amazing. She didn't sound too excited about the seafood, but said they has balsamic chicken the other night that was fabulous. Dessert every night. She said, "Thank you so much for all the mail." Again, I did not have a chance to ask her who all she had received mail from, but I greatly appreciate all of you who have sent her cards. Please keep them coming. It is obviously helping her. She said the blisters have been minimal but did ask that I send more Gold Bond medicated pain relief foot cream. She said it is a miracle and that the entire cabin is using it. Her camel pack ruptured, so she needs a new water bottle, and asked that I send more socks and wide shoulder tank tops. She has had no time for playing her clarinet or for reading the two books she is suppose to read for Pre AP English next year. No surprise there! Kinz said one new camper joined their cabin yesterday. (Camp is anywhere from 4 - 12 weeks, so kids will come and go according to the time they are registered.) She said she is very nice, but does not want to be there. Kinz said they would all help her feel at home and that it would get easier once the activities started.

I think we can say week one has been a success. One down, seven more to go!

First note from Counselor

Yippee! More good news from camp. Parent website had pictures of last nights dance under the pavilion. Boy those kids were rockin! They all looked like they were having a blast. So glad to see that they were still in one piece after their first outing.

"I am Kinz's Coach at WAC this summer and am happy to report that she is doing super! She is set to level up from our Traveler phase to Explorer phase tonight! That means that she has averaged more than 10,000 steps everyday, self-monitored her food and snacks 25 out of 35 times, written in her "Think and Ink" section of her self-monitoring journal at least 3 times and in her "Link" section at least once, and worn her name tag at all times. In a nut-shell, she is embracing the program and working harder than she is required to at this point in the program!! Plus, she is a fabulous role model for her group!! I'm lucky to have her in my group. :)

This week she went with her cabinmates for an overnight camping trip where they took a day hike and went white water rafting. No worries, despite the girls' anticipation, everyone came out in one piece!! :) Today, they weighed in for the first time and I am anxiously awaiting the results, as I'm sure you are too! Tomorrow, we're headed back out on our first 3 day/ 2 night camping excursion and I anticipate that the girls will enjoy the activity!"

Sunday

Newbie campers coming in. Todays schedule:

Today they will begin their day with Kickball. Agility Drills, Pickle Ball and Ultimate Frisbee will follow. They will end their night with a ceremony to welcome the new campers.

Saturday

The kids camped out last night. I can hardly wait to hear how sleeping in the wilderness went. G said when he camped that the canopy of trees above him was very dense and things fell out of the trees and onto the tent all night. They may have been tired pups this morning. Today consisted of a nine mile hike, then back to base camp this evening for a dance. I'm betting after hiking nine miles they're not gonna feel much like dancing! Just saying!

A letter from Camp!

Yippee! We received our first letter from our little camper. She says she wants to come home..... Just kidding! Will share a few items from her letter...

Dear Family,
Camp is amazing! I am having so much fun. My cabin is awesome. Everyone is really nice and super supportive. The counselors are very nice. I am writing during the hour period we have after lunch. (This is the siesta hour I mentioned in a previous post. Guess we know she is not sleeping.) Our days are very full. Every Monday we run a mile. I ran almost the entire mile, walking for only one minute. Cool! Everyone is really nice. Cabin mate 1 (will not use their real names) goes to a performing arts school on MTV. She is really good at playing the guitar. Cabin mate 2 is from a little island North of Venezuela that I will not attempt to spell. She is really funny. I am learning a lot. I am trying a lot of new things and trying to get into all the activities as much as possible. I have blisters :( Gotta remember the body glide as my feet hurt like crazy. Hope you are having a good summer. Boy, try to be good. Dad, make sure you put sunscreen on and nourish yourself properly. Mom, try to get some sleep.

Love you all very much.

Letter was mailed on the 9th, so snail mail is pretty speedy.

Thanks so much for all your prayers and kind words. Please continue to send cards if you have a chance!

Friday

Kinz and her cabin mates will hit the high waters today on their first outdoor adventure of the season. They will spend the day white water rafting, will camp tonight and will spend tomorrow hiking before heading back to base camp. Pictures published on the parent website showed last nights capture the flag activities. It showed them putting on all sorts of funny clothing, including snorkel fins, and racing across the finish line. Everyone appeared to be smiling. The also posted pictures of the other cabins who went white water rafting earlier in the week. It looked like a blast. They all looked a bit soggy and had raincoats on while on land, but still appeared to be enjoying the experience. Rapids were fairly large. HANG ON KINZ!

Thursday

Listing of todays activities via camp website shown below. There were some pictures posted on their website (sorry, I cannot post them here) of Kinz' cabin doing what I think is boot camp. Not a smile on the entire bunch. I think they are probably looking forward to that session being over and I can't say as though I blame them!

"Today our cabin will be starting their day with Boot Camp led by one of our personal trainers, then onto their second Culinary lesson and Football before lunch. This afternoon we will be playing Monster Ball and cooling off in the Swim Hole. After that we will be having our second group session and finishing off the day with a game of Steal Da GOLD with the entire camp."

Wednesday Schedule

Via the activities director at camp:

"Today they will be starting their day with a game of soccer followed by an "Abtastic" workout with one of our personal trainers. To finish off the morning they will be playing a game of Ultimate Frisbee. After lunch they will be going to their first Culinary class, then to a Weight Circuit and finish off the afternoon by going to the swimming hole to cool off. Following dinner we have Relays and Races for our evening activity."

Mom note: G arrived home last night. He said the swimming hole is going to be really nippy. He came across a fly fisherman on one of his mountain bike rides. The fisherman said the cold water was good for the trout, but not so good for his feet. Kinz had blood of ice after growing up in the pacific ocean. I bet she will swim, blue lips and all :)

Daily schedule

Today's schedule for Kinz' cabin:

"We'll start the morning out with an obstacle course created by one of our staff dietitians, then Yoga followed by a game of football and lunch. For the afternoon we'll be playing kickball in the field and have our second Nutrition course. Following afternoon snack, we'll then play some ultimate frisbee and have our first Culinary class where we'll begin learning how to make some tasty a healthy food back in our home kitchens. We'll have another delicious WAC dinner and do some community chores at the laundry room and round out the day with the movie Super Size Me in the pavilion and our last snack before heading back to the cabins and to bed."
Morning Bell rings at 6:45. Lights out at 9:45.

Day 1

Email summary from camp director:

Well, the day is upon us! We have successfully welcomed your child to camp.

Today your camper has met his/her cabin group, counselors and behavioral coach, and has taken an incredibly important first step towards a healthier lifestyle.

Campers spent the afternoon getting to know one another playing games in our front field, and we enjoyed a delicious dinner of low-fat Philly subs! The rain decided to come down after all during dinner, but thankfully cleared up just in time for our welcome ceremony and bonfire.

Mom's comment: Bet it smelled wonderful out there! Camp director also gave us a phone schedule for next week, but as I am not sure what cabin she was it, it was not much help. Hopefully G has this info.

All Checked In....

The troops arrived at camp today at 1:00 pm to participate in the "Duffel Shuffle". Their belongings were checked for proper equipment (footwear) etc. and to make sure they were not packing illegal contraband. (No cell phones, food, makeup, cash, etc.) They dropped non prescription meds off with the nurse, checked to see if musical instruments could be kept locked (yes, so she has her clarinet), and headed to the bunkhouse. She has been assigned a top bunk under a window. G said that is nice as she can open the window for some air. Typical summer camp. Two long rows of top and bottom bunks.

I guess if I were looking for a sign, I got it. Two employees of the camp lived in or near our tiny little town. The counselor assigned to her cabin attended the same Middle School that she did. G said the young lady was rattling names of teachers off and Kinz knew several of them. G met with the activities director and learned that Kinz is scheduled for white water rafting and mountain biking this week. By the time he was done, Kinz had changed her cloths and was ready to join a soccer game already in progress. G was not ready to go, but they kept saying "Bye Dad", so he gave her the last hugs and kisses she will have from us for the next 8 weeks and headed off.

He stopped by the local bike store to learn that they get 85 inches of rain a year. The guy said he is almost guaranteed to get a shower, but that the trails were not closed. G said there are waterfalls everywhere. Very pretty. Temp up on the mountain was 70 and not a cloud in the sky at that point.

And They are Off!

G and Kinz left here at about 5 am yesterday morning. Send off was difficult. Kinz sobbed and I was afraid she was going to say she really didn’t want to go. I was not sure what to do. She then said, “Thanks for letting me go”. Bitter sweet words. They hit the road with everything we could think of. I went inside to get ready for work and found a letter she had written to me in my bathroom. (When I traveled to Sweden I always left each of them with a letter.) B later found one addressed to him and one addressed to G upstairs in the TV room. Smart girl, she knew he would find it there.

G and Kinz made it to G’s friends house in Mobile Alabama last night at round 5 pm. He said they hit horrible traffic in three different states, which put them behind schedule. They had a nice visit with Chris, and hit the road again at 5 am. They stopped for Coffee later in the morning only to find that G had locked his keys in the car. Thank goodness for a wife who made sure he had his current AAA card with him. They were delayed by an hour but then on the road. They arrived in NC at around 5 pm. They hit rain, but Kinz said it smelled so good. She said it was fresh and clean and didn’t smell like mud the way it does in Texas when it rains. She said she thinks they call them the Great Smokey mountains because of the low lying clouds found throughout the mountains. G said it reminded him of the lush tropical jungles of Hawaii. So far, so good.

Check in is at 1pm tomorrow. They encourage the parents to check out the camp and then leave. They said it’s sort of like kids starting Kinder. They longer the parents linger, the harder it is to let go. G is planning on staying close by for a couple of days to camp and ride his mountain bike, but rain is expected. He said sitting in his tent in 50 degree weather with rain does not sound fun. If that is the case, he will head back.

Kinz is leaving Friday morning to attend what we hope to be a life changing event. She will spend the next 8 weeks at a health and nutrition adventure camp in North Carolina. We hope she will return in August with a new found appreciation for healthy eating and exercise.

She is allowed one 10 minute phone call per week, no cell phones or computers. There is no limit on snail mail correspondence. She is armed with lots of stamps, envelopes and writing pads. I would appreciate your help in mailing her as many post cards, cards and/or letters as you are able. If you are willing to send several over the 8 week period, I know it would really help her through the homesickness that is sure to ensue. I am going to buy a bunch of post cards; address them all during a re-run of 24, so all I have to do is grab one and write a quick note every week or so.

She is VERY excited to partake in white water rafting, hiking, rappelling, mountain bike riding and the nutrition classes. Her mom, not so excited. While I know this is an outstanding opportunity for her, I am having a hard time dealing with my baby being so far away. L

Your prayers are greatly appreciated. Please pray first and foremost for her safety and well being. Pray that she is encouraged and lifted up by those around her. Pray that this is an experience that will have a lifelong positive effect on her mind, body and spirit. Pray for safe travels as G. drives her to camp. Pray that her mother doesn’t drive to North Carolina to pick her up cuz she misses her. J

Thanks so much for your help!