Thursday, November 13, 2008
Not So Young Anymore
Steven and I volunteered at Camp the first week of August while our girls were there. We were eager to pitch in and likewise prepared, to graciously (and humbly...) jump in where directed.
We were up at 5:40 every morning to help prepare breakfast for three sittings - an approx. total of 170 people. It was a real eye-opener for us! From the fear of under-feeding, to clumsily using enormous ladels, pots, and whisks (I felt like Gulliver trying to cook for the Brobdingnags), to prepping for lunch when it was only 9am, was a whole new world; and it gave us a great sense of appreciation for kitchen staff who labour daily feeding everyone.
Our shift in the kitchen was four hours long. We'd then shower, have lunch, and part ways to tackle our afternoon responsibilities. Steve's was to teach two hours of archery, and mine to tramp 50 acres in search of any photo ops. We'd met up at 3:30pm for tuck, and begin editing the photos I had taken. After supper we'd both photograph the evening program, and then would edit from 8pm - 10pm.
It was a joy to watch our girls loving the outdoors: from kayaking and canoeing to knee boarding and crafts, they enjoyed camp very much this year. It was interesting watching from a distance, how our Ab and Nat were being cared for under the loving, yet firm guidance of their young cabin leaders.
Which brings me to this post's title: We're in our early thrities, but I accept that we are not as a young as we used to be. We were wiped and whipped by the end of the week!
The energy, spontenaeity, control, and Christian leadership by the young cabin leaders and program staff was incredible, and we were very impressed.
There was a time, I think, when Steven and I had all of that immense, larger than life energy as well. Not so much now... lol
We were up at 5:40 every morning to help prepare breakfast for three sittings - an approx. total of 170 people. It was a real eye-opener for us! From the fear of under-feeding, to clumsily using enormous ladels, pots, and whisks (I felt like Gulliver trying to cook for the Brobdingnags), to prepping for lunch when it was only 9am, was a whole new world; and it gave us a great sense of appreciation for kitchen staff who labour daily feeding everyone.
Our shift in the kitchen was four hours long. We'd then shower, have lunch, and part ways to tackle our afternoon responsibilities. Steve's was to teach two hours of archery, and mine to tramp 50 acres in search of any photo ops. We'd met up at 3:30pm for tuck, and begin editing the photos I had taken. After supper we'd both photograph the evening program, and then would edit from 8pm - 10pm.
It was a joy to watch our girls loving the outdoors: from kayaking and canoeing to knee boarding and crafts, they enjoyed camp very much this year. It was interesting watching from a distance, how our Ab and Nat were being cared for under the loving, yet firm guidance of their young cabin leaders.
Which brings me to this post's title: We're in our early thrities, but I accept that we are not as a young as we used to be. We were wiped and whipped by the end of the week!
The energy, spontenaeity, control, and Christian leadership by the young cabin leaders and program staff was incredible, and we were very impressed.
There was a time, I think, when Steven and I had all of that immense, larger than life energy as well. Not so much now... lol
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Giving Back:
Steven and I have been incredibly blessed through our photography business. In five years we have been entrusted with photographing 79 weddings. We are already booked for 13 next year, and may just reach that 100 mark by the end of 2009.
I received a moment of enlightenment at Thanksgiving this year. We were at Camp IAWAH (located on Wolfe Lake, on the outskirts of Westport, Ontario, just north of Kingston), and during Camp's Thanksgiving celebration, it occurred to me that we have been blessed in order to be a blessing to others.
Because we love Camp so much we decided that a pecentage of our wedding bookings will be donated to IAWAH's CampKids Fund - a fund which lightens the load of financially-strapped families, who could not otherwise see their child enjoy a camp experience.
On another note, the idea of 'giving back' is a personal one for me: not only has my little family been recipients of many incredible, intangible moments at IAWAH, but as a child, I would not have been able to participate in many school or church outtings myself, if it were not for the financial aid provided by generous benefactors.
I am excited that Unveiled Photography will contribute, even in a small way, to a child's fond memory of summertime. I still remember many of my own.
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