2018 Riverside Bible Camp, Drop #1

So another year has passed and we again find ourselves dropping off one of the lads at Riverside Bible Camp. 

It gets easier every year because as a parent you can simply think about the independence that they are gaining in doing things on their own for 5 days, but along with that, you also feel like there's a huge hole where a certain piece of your heart has been.

It's no different this year except that the first drop of the season belongs to Caleb and so does the hole in the heart!  He's at adventure camp where he's staying in tents like what Robby stayed in back in 2015. 

He was excited as crap in the few days leading up to it, and was still excited on Sunday, but with just a hint of apprehention as this is his first "adventure" camp.

He will canoe.

He will ride a horse.

He will do a river stomp (providing the waters not too high/fast).

He will have a GREAT time and the drive home will be awesome as he tells us all about it.  Until then though, the hole in the heart is real!

After we got to the camp and Caleb was present and counted for, we walked up to the camp store and the official registration where they collect medicine/instructions, checks if you're delinquent, and a whole host of other things.  That takes place in the cafeteria where you also get a good hard whiff of that nights dessert.  It smelled like peanut butter, chocolate chip cookies! Robby is obviously in the middle of a fantastic story judging by his body English in the pic.

Heading back down to where we will leave our boy in the, hopefully, VERY capable hands of the camps counselors and leaders, that is the chapel straight ahead where I will no doubt post a follow-up post or two featuring the kids' worship in the final moments of the final day of camp.  It's my favorite!  Those kids are on fire for Christ and it shows!

The last photo with Caleb watching us as we pile into the vehicle to drive away.  Oh sure, I'm tearing up now but it's not because I'm worried about him, it's because he is so confident that his forever family will return with big hugs and kisses for him that HE is NOT WORRIED!!!  That is cool.  He is family and he knows it!

After that, it was a bit early for supper, which we had promised to Robby, so we went to Alluvial Brewing Company in Ames Iowa to sample their wares and play some Connect Four.  Good beer, great environment...  

I cannot WAIT to have our Caleb home again!