Out to the Lake and Supporting Young Life

I had to snap this picture shortly after Whitley was dropped off at our house and send it to Stephie.  "Gilbert" the stuffed kitty had been left behind the day before and Whitley was very happy to be reunited.  =)

I was "housebound" on Thursday, as I had agreed to let Brayden take my vehicle to school knowing it would be a crazy evening of trying to get kids transported when we had other plans.  So Christi and Elsie came over in the morning to keep us company.  This bin they are playing in was made when I was their age - originally designed to be a rolling woodcart and given to my grandparents.  We repurposed it as a toy bin, and I think, after this morning, the girls would like to see it permanently repurposed as a form of entertainment.  ;)

Shortly after noon, Nancy came by to pick us up and take us out to her family's "Lake House" at Fern Ridge Reservoir.  I've never yet visited, so it seemed like a good choice, knowing the drive there and back would give Nancy and I some quality conversation time to catch up, and that Whitley would probably get a kick out of seeing the lake and exploring their home.

We did - and she did - as evidenced by how little time it took her to fall asleep when we got in the vehicle to go back home.  The Zenke Lake House was even cozier than I imagined - I can definitely see why they choose to retreat there so many weekends.

Later that evening, John and I had a bit of a "Date Night" as we were invited to attend "The Young Life Fundraiser".  (We actually thought it was an auction, but that's okay....)

I have to say, the food was DELICIOUS.  As were the hybrid oatmeal/brownie bars we scored during the Dessert Dash.  I definitely took a break in the pre-vacation dieting on this night.  

 

Nancy and I didn't even realize we'd be seeing each other in the evening until the very end of our visit.  She was included, last minute as Christy's husband, Sheldon, couldn't attend.

John and I were amused that Brayden made another brochure.  He's actually only attended one Young Life event - that being the weekend at Washington Family Camp.  But, hey, we'll take it. ;)

The Young Life Ministry is one that I respect, but haven't necessarily expected it to touch our family's lives too much.  However, as it turns out, each of our kids participate in a morning Bible Study with about 10 of their peers - that's each led by a Young Life staff person.  So, I was wrong - and we are very thankful for this ministry's involvement in our kids' lives.  They did a "Tonight Show" style of format to introduce some of their staff, keep us entertained, and help us recognize how the funds raised during this evening would be used.  They did a great job and it was a fun evening catching up with a lot of other folks seeking to support the ministry in Eugene.