Boyd Bear Tracks

We really enjoyed the week of camp. I got to stay out late and goof off with the teens a couple of nights :-)! I even played "paintsock," kind of like paintball except with a flour-filled sock. The first round I almost got away, but I didn't make it over the wall into the dining area. The second round I tried hiding in a tree but the "socker" saw me and I lost again. Oh well, at least I had fun sneaking around in the dark. :-)!

Lucas and Ellie really enjoyed putting leaves in the gutter and following them all around the camp (notice the gutter by the kids in the picture). Funny, I used to do the same thing when I went to that camp as a child. Plus, the kids really enjoyed the pool. Lucas even learned to stick his head under the water and swim (well, he kicks but he doesn't move much).

We had to leave early Friday to get back into Bogota before "pico y placa" (people with certain numbers on their license plates can't drive on certain days at certain hours -- complicated, I know). We made it in time, but I had to miss out on the "counselors vs. campers" soccer game. Maybe next year :-)!

Boomer was very happy to see us! He had been alone all day (every day) because the lady who was watching the house works all day and was only there at night. The young man who walked Boomer last time we were gone was at camp with us; so, Boomer had to be a little lonely. He must've been because the neighbor came over and told us that the dog had barked all day while we were gone. So, he is a watchdog! :-) Now we know! However, Jon thinks we should look into other options when we leave for long periods of time so that the neighbors don't get irritated.

The day after we got back I had to wash my 50 loads of laundry (well, that is a little exaggerated), and make a cake for "Jesus' birthday party," plus a soup for the church dinner. So, this year I didn't get to make sugar cookies :-(!

During the service, on Sunday, I had a party with the kids. It was a lot of work (and planning, and decorating) for just about 45 minutes of actual "party time". But, at least I tried to get the point across that we were celebrating Jesus' birth :-)! The kids were pretty wound up just thinking about opening their presents that night (here they open presents at about midnight on the 24th--also, at that time, they add the baby Jesus to the manger scene). Because of all the excitement, our reenactment of the Christmas story didn't go so well. The "donkey" kept pestering "Mary," and "Joseph" (Lucas) kept giggling. But, the "shepherd" and the "angel" (Ellie) did a wonderful job! Now, since a lot of people are gone (including SS teachers), I have to come up with two Sunday School lessons for next Sunday! (they'll probably be all wound up again because they'll get to stay up late!--sigh)

It was nice to have a nice quiet Christmas day (everybody parties the night before so it WAS really quiet!). We got to spend time together as a family without any interruptions. The next day we got together with the other missionaries and played games. The kids were thrilled to be able to play with their buddies, Jackson and Makayla. The Jon/Jonathan (Ericsson) team won at pingpong, and my team lost at "Outburst." But, it was nice to be able to fellowship with our teammates.

We hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a Happy New Year.