we interrupt Mount Carmel Week to bring you...

...an adorable picture of Elsie!

And to touch base a bit. I think by now you have probably caught on that I have made this week Mount Carmel Week on my blog. I am doing this mostly to get all sorts of information out at once with the hopes that some may join in and vacation at this lovely place this summer.

If nothing else, I hope you are enjoying the little mini warm-weather cyber vacation, looking at pictures of summertime and dreaming of trips to the beach.

Anyway, just a heads up: Next week I have some fun hopes for this ol' blog. I want to do a farm home tour of our new place. I want to share a little piece I have written about why we moved to the country. And I want to show you the office Rory built for himself in the woods. Furniture goes in tomorrow. So much to tell.

So until Monday, enjoy some more summertime pictures of blue lakes and green grass...

A day at Mount Carmel

I've heard of some whispers of a few readers trying to get to Mount Carmel this summer. Some have emailed their sisters or close friends, forwarding on the post from yesterday, asking if they'd consider going. I'm so pleased! And I want to give you a better feel of what the day to day is like at family camp.

Daily Schedule
Now this is all based on what I've known from years past. But things can change from year to year, so here is my best from what I know:

7:00-8:30 Breakfast
9:00 Morning Praise (family devotion and worship time)
9:30-11:30 Age Group Time
Adults have their own study while the kids go for their own age-specific kids camp. Nursery and Preschool care is provided, and there is programming for elementary, middle and high school age kids.
12:00- Lunch
1:00- Quiet Time
2:00- Beach Opens: Swimming, Boating, Crafts...
4:30- Sometimes an adult discussion small group
5:30- Supper
Evening plans can differ from week to week. Some weeks there is evening worship. Some weeks are geared more towards an earlier bedtime for little kids, so the talent show, campfires, camp concerts, capture the flag etc are moved a bit earlier.
Every night has canteen and each evening the sauna is available for an evening swim, games are in the lodge and conversations are always plentiful.

Housing Options
I have these pictures from a few years back. They kind of give you a feel. But actually, no two cabins are really alike at Mount Carmel. These are some of the nicer ones. There are others that feel a bit more "campy" read: not remodeled yet :)

These are awesome remodeled housekeeping cabins:

inside: (2 bedrooms, living space with futon, bathroom and a small deck looking out at the lake.

This is what a typical Lodge Room looks like. Lodge rooms are the only living spaces air conditioned and feel a bit more like a hotel than a camp.

The Ridge Cabins are my favorite. Tiny and adorable, they feel campy and quaint.

This is the inside of one that has been remodeled. Not all have been remodeled.

There are six new colored cabins. Pretty awesome. And these are available too in the winter for family getaways!

I hope this helps continue to paint a picture for you :)

Childhood Summers

Both sets of my grandparents brought their children to Mount Carmel for a week each year. My parents brought us kids each summer. And now we're bringing our babies.

This song was another one of those songs that when I heard it, I saw these pictures with it. My dad helped me find a few through his slide collection and the rest I scanned this week. That's me in each one of the pictures...a bit self indulgent, but also a really cool way to see how this place has shaped me so. I love the pictures of us playing church in the prayer chapel.

And with me in nearly every picture are my cousins, Sarah and Kathy. Did you catch that our mom's (in their swimsuits) were holding Sarah and me when we were babies, and at the end, that was me and Sarah holding our own babies? I believe we call that full circle. :)


All pictures were taken at Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp in Alexandria, Minnesota 
Music: Childhood Summers by Sara Groves Yep...the same Sara Groves who is going to be teaching at Mount Carmel this summer! Join us!

an invitation

The first time I heard this song (from a mix cd given to me) I could see these pictures right along with the music.  All of these pictures were taken at Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp, my favorite place on earth. The song made me breathe deeper and I thought, "that's exactly how I feel at Mount Carmel...like I'm breathing deeper."

Mount Carmel is located in Alexandria Minnesota and has been teaching the Bible to all ages for seventy five years. Both sets of my grandparents took their children there when they were little. My parents met through this camp and I have many of my happiest memories at this place.

The camp was founded by the Lutheran Bible Institute, with a focused mission on teaching the scriptures. Today I would consider this place to be a kingdom camp. All denominations are represented. Jesus is the common ground.

Well, I want to share this goodness. And I could not be more excited about this next part.

Troy and Sara Groves are coming this summer to lead a mini week. From a Tuesday night to a Friday afternoon we will gather and learn from two of my favorite theologians. The mini week that Troy and Sara are leading will have three morning sessions: 1) Marriage, 2) Faith and art, and 3) Parenting and technology (Actually, not totally positive on #3...I think it's something like that.)

I AM SO EXCITED! And they're excited too. And I just want to be sure the whole world knows this is happening. Because I would love for you to consider bringing your family.

To summarize, here are the bullets:

• Mount Carmel Family Bible Camp, Alexandria, MN
• July 16-19
• Speakers Troy and Sara Groves
• Call Deb at Mount Carmel to register: 320-846-2744

Maybe you have another family you like hanging out with that would like to join you. Maybe you have family who live out of town and this could serve as a little mini reunion. Maybe your folks would love to spend some time with their grandkids, and this way you can all enjoy each other while having lots of space too. Maybe you want to come alone or with your spouse. You figure that out. I just want you to come!

The dates are Tuesday evening, July 16th- Friday, July 19th

The website hasn't been updated in a long time, so if you're interested, I'm going to send you right to Deb, the lovely camp registrar who is wonderful and can answer all your questions. Her email is deb@mountcarmelministries.com and the camp phone number is 320-846-2744. Ask for Deb. You'll love her.

And I'd be happy to answer your questions too! Leave a comment or drop me a line: beccagroves (at) gmail (dot) com

I've got more to say, but as it turns out, I have more videos to share this week... I'll tell more (daily schedule, lodging options, the thing I love best about Mount Carmel) as the week continues.

And at the risk of sounding like an urgent infomercial, I would encourage you to call soon. My biggest fear (and greatest hope) is that this week fills up fast! So don't delay! Call Deb today!

***
Two last things:
If you'd like to go for a full week of camp, this is also an option. The Saturday-Tuesday before Troy and Sara's week, Peder Eide will be teaching and leading worship. We had him out at the camp I worked at in Nebraska and loved him. Super upbeat, spirited worship leader.

And if this week doesn't work for you, you can click here to see the whole schedule (I'll write more about this later this week...there are some AMAZING presenters this summer)

And finally, if you happen to know who sings the song on this video, would you kindly tell me? I got it as a gift, tossed the liner cover and can't figure it out for the life of me. I would like to give due credit for a gorgeous song.

all sorts of random

First off, I have a dear friend from Mount Carmel who used to be my camp counselor. And she's pure joy to know. I just got her family Christmas card and at the bottom was the sneaky announcement: Love, (the family) ...and baby #4. Ah! So excited! Such happy, happy news!

I learned a new skill this week...video slide shows. I bought Premiere Elements two years ago and have wanted to make videos for so long. So this week I have been working on a few slide shows set to music and love remembering how empowering it feels to learn something new. Yes, it is technology and yes, I did yell and tell Rory that computers are so stupid, but yes, I pushed through and have some cool videos to show for my patience with technology.

Speaking of patience. I got out Grandma B's sewing machine and sewed the hanging paper stars for Elsie's nursery. I took out the machine with a bit of trepidation, but Grandma had it all set for me. The bobbin was loaded, the needle was threaded and all I had to do was hit the pedal. Can't explain how close and hugged I felt while using her sewing machine.

Four links I want to pass along. I read these this week and was inspired. Just wanted to pass along the inspiration.

1. This post from Elise Blaha on goals and to-do lists is awesome. I have filled up my planner already and I feel so empowered. Which is how I always feel when I'm reading Elise's blog.

2. I love this writing on resolutions.

3. Complete and wondrous eye candy. I don't know if I've ever seen trees so lovely. Pictures taken by my friend Nancy.

4. I'm not even sure what I'm looking at, but it makes me want a drum carder of my own!

And I'll leave you with a few Ivar quotes, and a bonus Rory quote to round out the randomness.

Yesterday we went on a family adventure to the nearby Meat Locker. It was awesome. Rory spent $30 of his Christmas money on ground beef, smoked jerky sticks, three kinds of brats and a jar of bbq sauce. He commented, "I can think of no better use for my Christmas money than meat."

On the drive back we saw some Llama's. We stopped to watch them and then drove on. Ivar was frustrated that we hadn't seen an animal in 30 seconds and was crying for More Cows and Horses! Rory told him that was enough. We would have to be patient and look out our window. So then Ivar turned on his falsetto voice and said nicely to me, "More Llamas please, Mama. More Llamas please."

And finally, at bedtime I was telling Ivar that Grandma is my mama. He thought for a moment and then shot back, "Oh. Grandpa is my mama."