Family Camp

Note: This blog was started just after family camp, but took a little longer to complete than planned.  Family camp was the weekend of May 20th – 22nd.

We were all very excited on Friday to head to Camp Kindle for the Kids Cancer Care Foundation’s Family Camp weekend.  We didn’t get a lot of information about what was going on this weekend, except it was a Wild West theme, and we knew there would be a lot of great families out there.  The last family camp was an incredible opportunity for the kids to enjoy camp and for us to make some great connections and get the support we didn’t know we needed.

We left for camp earlier than we planned.  That was a bit of a shock to us as we are almost always running late when we try to load up the car and the kids.  We stopped for supper in Cochrane and made it to camp just before 7pm.  We were greeted by some of the Calgary KCCFA staff and some of the great volunteers.  They quickly got us settled into the new dorm and we found out that Blair was going to be looking after us this weekend.  Blair was Ryley’s counsellor last summer at camp and is a cancer survivor himself.  He was great all weekend making sure we were looked after and that the kids had a great time.

Shortly everyone started showing up including the bus from Edmonton.  It was great seeing and reconnecting with all the friends we had met at the last camp, at other events and at Jamie’s Preschool.  There were also a few staff members from Calgary there as well as all the camp staff and the volunteers.  We had a light snack and then went down to the field to play some soccer and other games as we couldn’t have a fire due to the fire ban.  All of us had a great time running around and having fun.  Once we thought we had tired the kids out we put them to bed with the volunteers looking after them and we went to adult time.  We had a great time learning stuff about the other parents (and grandparents) at camp.  It was interesting to hear some of the fact about the other people that had nothing to do with cancer.  Found out there is another Dad there who is a Group Commissioner for scouts, coaches soccer and used to work for HP… it was a little creepy.  When we went to bed the kids were asleep, but we found out the next day that they just beat us to sleep.  They were up until midnight playing and talking.

Saturday morning at breakfast they set up the theme of the weekend.  The evil mayor had been taking everything from the townsfolk including teddy bears and blankets for years.  The cowboy was going to help us all train to rob the bank and take everything back that was rightfully ours.  We had all day to work through a number of stations to learn skills and collect items to assist us.  Ryley wanted to start at archery so we headed down the hill to the archery range and waited while they set up.  Ryley was one of the first few kids and did pretty good.  He was getting the range, but not the aim yet.  We then headed over the the team pull and the Flying Squirrel.  Karlee was in front of Ryley in line and was hooked into the harness and ready to go.  The Flying Squirrel is a pretty gentle ride, but a lot of fun for the kids.  They have a harness on and are hooked up to a rope going up to a pulley attached to a cable suspended between 2 poles about 25 feet up.  The kids run towards the pullers as they pull the rope.  The kids end up soaring up 25 feet and swinging back and forth.  We were a little worried about Karlee and if she would enjoy it, but she loved flying as did Ryley.  We then went over to the climbing wall and Mom made it all the way up.  This was her first time climbing so it was pretty exciting.  Both Dad and Ryley also had a quick climb too.
 
After lunch we headed up the hill to get the gold out of the snake pit and to make some snake oil tonic.  The snake oil tonic was fun.  There were 3 ropes attached about 20 feet up a tree attached to a central point.  We each got on a rope and pulled to get a cup into 3 buckets placed on poles of different heights in the middle.  It was great fun and required us to work together.  We then went down to the old time photo studio and had some pictures taken in western garb.  Finally we went to the theatre and played charades.  Ryley loved acting stuff out and guessing and thankfully there were some great volunteers to help Karlee.  We then headed back to the archery and flying squirrel as the kids wanted to go again.
 
Afterwards we returned to the main camp and helped “rob” the bank.  The kids loved chasing the volunteers around and finding the gold.  After supper the kids went to their specific activities and the adults went down to try the high ropes course.  Mom did a great job getting up 25 feet in the air and walking around all the obstacles.  She was a trooper stepping outside her comfort zone and having a great time trying something new.  Dad did a great job climbing up to the top and hanging onto the pole unable to move any further.  On the plus side he did get some good pictures from up there.
 
Once the kids were in bed another great night was had bonding with all the parents.  The next morning was a chance to share some of the great memories that we had made this weekend during the Magical Moments.  Some of the parents, volunteers and staff got pretty emotional during this, but it was a great time to share with everyone.  They also presented the new Family Camp beads to the kids for the beaded journey.