Stauffer Camping 2019 and Longs Park fireworks

Happy Independence Day!  It's a hot, beautiful day here, although we had a foggy start.

So last week I was busy preparing for our annual Stauffer Camping weekend, and now I want to take the time to write all about it so I don't forget the good time we had. 

On Friday I left here around 11:15 and headed out to pick up some grands.  The Grandma wagon was loaded down!

There is major construction on 322 about ten miles from State College, and Dick noticed online that there might be an hour or two hold-up.  So I reluctantly used a suggested detour, first of all going over to Pine Grove Mills near Anthony and Lori's place, going over the mountain and across to Belleville (not to be confused with Bellefonte, which is our address), then eventually over to 322.  It took so long that way, and I felt tense the whole time because I was unfamiliar with all the hills and curves.  But at least it wasn't raining. 

I got to Destiny's house near Columbia around 2:45.  I was so glad for her company because I was getting sleepy by that time.  However, she had gotten off work at 6:30 AM and had not yet slept, trying to conform to our sleep-at-night schedule.  As we talked, her answers were becoming mono-syllables and I looked over and saw her eyes looking droopy.  I said, "Just let yourself take a nap, Destiny!" I was so happy she wanted to come spend the weekend with us.

I was in Duncannon a bit before 4:30 to pick up Sammy and Bianca, and from there it was only 15 minutes to Camp Hebron.  Dick was there and already had our camper all set up.  It's rare for us to be among the first to arrive, but Dick had taken a vacation day, so that made all the difference.    I walked with the kids to the playground and the lake.  Eventually others came and we had a nice evening, especially when it was time for roasting hot dogs and making S'mores. 

It was a really hot night and we certainly did not need to worry about staying warm in our camper as we had some years. 

It was our turn to provide breakfast Saturday morning for about 35 people, so I was up quite early making sure the Kuering was ready to go.  We put the sausages I had fried earlier in the week into two cast iron pots to heat over the fire.  The blueberry sauce went into another pot.  We had brought both our electric griddle as well as Anthony and Lori's, so we got busy making the pancakes on those and keeping them warm in my big slow cooker.   We were ready to go at 8:30 and everyone declared it a delicious breakfast, which is always good to hear after all the work!

Jess and Bjorn were there and took the kids up to the pool around noon.  Dick and I joined them a little later.  Unfortunately, the forecast was calling for dangerous storms.  Because of that, Anthony and Lori decided not to come down to camp for the day as they usually do.  And sure enough, while we were at the pool the sky started getting dark, then there were rumbles of thunder, and after a while they made everyone get out of the pool.  But we were there long enough for Bjorn to do some really great swim instruction with Sammy. 

I got these adorable pics of our sister-in-law Carolyn with two of her grandbabies.  I had to laugh at baby Liz doing a yoga pose in her carrier!

It did storm pretty hard, but thankfully not the dangerous winds they were forecasting.  The kids and I hung out in the camper for an hour or more.  Sammy had his tablet, Bianca her toys, and Destiny some puzzles.  I even napped part of the time.  It was actually really nice and relaxing.

At some point that day Dick took the kids to see a huge stuffed snapping turtle in a building at the camp.  Dick has a history with that turtle!  He was on the camp staff the summer before our wedding in 1971 when that turtle met its demise.  I am not sure how that happened, but it's a huge one you would not have wanted to meet in the lake!

Around 5:30 we had dinner around the big table, provided by Steve and Faye.  Delicious pulled turkey sandwiches with various vegetable salads.  The only picture I got that meal was this one of Destiny across the table from me!  Now I'm hungry for that broccoli and cauliflower salad she's got there, haha!

The kids kept hoping to back to the pool, but alas, another storm was brewing, one which never really came.  Jess and Bjorn took the kids up to the gym for a while instead.  Those two were a GODSEND!! 

So with shortened time at the pool, a lot more game playing occurred this year.  Even I got to play games!  We had the craziest time playing Encore.  Coming up with songs that contain certain words sounded like such a cinch to me, but wow!  It's not as easy as it sounds when you're on a timer.  I resorted to making songs up, haha!!

Sammy and Bianca had so much fun with our niece Laura's children.  They were in Jess and Bjorn's wedding together and got to know each other quite well because of that. 

That evening we had S'mores again and whatever else we could rustle up from other snacks.  Our kids were tired and very ready to go to sleep that night.  So was I!

On Sunday morning Jim and Carolyn provided a delicious breakfast of fried potatoes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.  Then we got things set up for "church" around the campfire.  It was our turn to lead the service this year.  Dick used to bring a guitar along, but the arthritis in his fingers keeps him from being able to play anything but a bass guitar anymore.  So we brought my portable keyboard along.  I first led some familiar worship choruses and children's songs.  Dear Bianca "felt" it, and did her adorable choreography as we sang!  Sammy enjoys following along with the lyrics now that he can read.  

Here's a video Destiny took of one of Bianca's favorite songs from preschool.

Then Laura and Jess took the kids to do an activity, and the rest of us sang a couple of acapella favorites.  Dick put his phone on a chair facing the treetops as we sang "It Is Well with my Soul."

Then we sang #606, otherwise known as the Mennonite Anthem or Festival Doxology.  The Witmers sing this every time we're together.  I told the Stauffers that at my funeral, I want all the Stauffers and Witmers that are still living to sing this song together, so this was practice, hahahaha!   Niece Heather stood in the middle of the circle and took this video.  

I want to be sure to show these videos to Dad and Arlene.  This is the first year they were not at camp with us.  It felt sad.  I did email the #606 video to Dick's brother Bob and his wife Doris in Minnesota.  They replied that they really enjoyed it, but it was unsettling that they didn't know everyone in the video.  So I sent them a list of the people in the order they appeared in the video.  For anyone that curious, here's the list.  

Dick, Jim, Bjorn, Fred, Eric, Pete (Krista's husband), Mike, Krista, Jill (Josh's fiance), Lindsey, Carolyn, Kendra (Greg's wife), Greg, Mark (Laura's husband), Steve, Josh, Suzi (Eric's wife), Faye, me, Chrystal (Mike's wife), Deb.

After our singing we had a time of sharing and praying together.  Then Fred and Deb got busy prepping their Frogmore dinner (low country boil), the favorite meal of the weekend.  Last year Sammy and Bianca ate mostly corn.  This year Sammy ate mostly potatoes and Bianca ate mostly shimp.  Hmmm.  Which one might be cheaper to feed???

After lunch Bjorn and Jess took the kids up to the pool for a little while, and we helped to get things torn down, cleaned up, and put away.  Then we needed to hit the road.  But not for home this time.  Dick and I were actually going to be spending another night at camp.

We went to Columbia first to take Destiny home.  She would be starting her work week at 10:00 PM and wanted some down time at home before that.  

Then we went to a fun place called Oregon Dairy near Lancaster where we would be meeting Sam.  The kids had so much fun there. I wish I had thought to take pictures of the adorable little fawns. 

From there we headed toward Longs Park, our favorite place to watch fireworks.  But on the way we had to wait for the geese to cross the highway!  Someone should teach them to cross at the traffic light ahead, haha!!

Dick and I have a very long tradition of going to Longs Park the Sunday evening before July 4th.  They have a concert in the amphitheatre followed by the most phenomenal fireworks display we have ever seen anywhere.  We have of course needed to miss a few years since we moved to State College ten years ago, but we try to make it if at all possible.  

When we realized it was the Sunday evening after Stauffer camping, we decided Dick would take a vacation day on Monday.  Of course we envisioned some of our kids and grandkids joining us, as they have often done in the past.  And we certainly envisioned sitting with my sister Doris's big family, which we have always done in the past.  But believe it or not, NO ONE else of our regular people were able to go this year!!!  

I almost felt like not even going.  Just go back to Camp Hebron, pack up our stuff and go home.  But I'm so glad we decided to go and have a good time all by ourselves.  It was WONDERFUL to feel the excitement as we arrived.  The heat of the day gave way to a lovely humidity-free evening breeze.  We enjoyed ourselves so very, very much.  Even if we didn't even see that many people we knew, which surprised us.  

We had fun catching up with Dick's cousin Dave Stauffer and his wife Barb for a bit.  The concert by the army band "Pershing's Own" was FANTASTIC!!  The entire hillside was filled with people.

One of the last songs in the concert is always the 1812 Overture.  They used to set off live cannons during the song.  Now they use howitzers as  substitutes for the cannons, but they're still really loud, which we love.  Watch for the grandma conductor in my video!  Her enthusiasm was cracking me up!!

Then the fireworks began right in front of our faces!!  We LOVED it!!!

After it was over we had a very long wait to get out of the parking lot, but we had totally expected that, so it wasn't that big a deal.  When we finally got out of there we went to a nearby convenience store for a few things and headed back to Camp Hebron above Harrisburg, arriving at midnight.  It felt kinda weird to be the only campers there, but the host couple in their RV were nearby. 

We slept good and woke up to a beautiful day.  I had the entire bathhouse to myself!  Unfortunately the pick-up truck needed a repair, so Dick had to go for a part and then fix it.  Some vacation day, ha!

We did not want to go home via the detour we had used on Friday, so we went a different way, which turned out to be longer of course, but so beautiful and much easier driving.  Route 11/15 along the river and then Route 80 to Bellefonte.   I followed that little camper alllll the way home!

Of course, the work wasn't over once we got home.  Dick unloaded a bunch of stuff then headed over to mow at Anthony and Lori's.  I proceeded to slowly unpack and clean things up.  

As I cleaned up my old 48-year-old camping kettle kit, I reminisced how excited I was to be joining the Stauffer camping tradition when I got this as a premium for having a Tupperware or Stanley party the summer before our wedding!  And we are STILL using it!!  Of course, we use a lot of cast iron pots and griddles, and now electric ones too, but these things still heat water for dish washing, etc.  It's just a few pieces with an interchangeable handle and a frying pan that doubles as a lid for the big pot.  It all fits neatly together when putting it away.  

So another big weekend is history!