Skip to main content

The Last Barn Dance

Camp closing hasn't been sad for me.  I think in the middle of it all I'm just exhausted and ready for a new adventure.  But today all of that changed.

Every term we have a Barn Dance.  It started as just another party in 2001, but it was a party we never let go of and we have had one every term and every retreat for the past fifteen years.  The Barn Dance has become the KCO & KIVU trade mark.  Today so many of our alumni have been posting pictures and memories of both KIVU and of the Barn Dance.  I think the Barn Dance makes us all feel like a family and this last one has made us reflective. . . and it has made me a blubbering basket case.  I am sad.

Maggie was born here the day before we opened our gates the very first time.  This is the camp that made Andy and I jump out of the next (and the debate is still out whether we are falling or flying).  This place has grown me up and made me a better person. This place holds some of my fondest memories and some of my dearest friends.  This place is ours--it is Andy and I's place, it is the KCO and KIVU family's place--it is ours and I do love it and as of tonight I am super sad to that the gates are closing.  Who would have thought that the Barn Dance would have been what turned my tears on, but I'm thankful that it is the Barn Dance that turned the tears on.

Thanks friends and alumni for reminding me how much I love this place and how tightly I hold these treasured memories.

This pictures says everything I am feeling right now.  This is my old dog Jake.  He loved KCO, he loved the KCO parties (mostly because the guys would be cooking burgers out on the grill and they would flip him a couple), but I really think the Barn Dance was his favorite. (Jake was the best dog ever.)  So tonight the people are different.  The dog is different.  But the music hasn't changed much.  The dancing is the same.  The laughter is just as loud.  And my memories are making me smile through these tears that I cannot stop from flowing.

I love this place.  And I'm sad it is over.  What a great run!

Comments

Unknown said…
I miss K-CO :( I miss the Barn Dance, the songs, the laughter, and all of the wonderful people that I met during my time there! I wish I could go back and relive it all over again!
July 30, 2015 at 1:01 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They Made It!!!!

This is Kelly blogging for Jamie,and I just got off the phone with her. After traveling for 44 hours, they finally made it. I'm overjoyed by the news that they were able to MEET Ruk for the first time pretty soon after they arrived as well, and everything went GREAT!!! Jamie says he is VERY small... even smaller than Dax, and that he is probably a size 4... WOW! Jamie says that all his teeth are coming in and is not the toothless guy we have seen photos of. She also said that he was very sweet and affectionate with her, and that he called her mommy already. This is a great sign as it shows he is open and ready for a family!!! Jamie was told that all day long he was chatting away that he was going to meet his mommy today! Sniff, sniff!!! Hays and Ruk hit it off real well too and didn't have any of that awkward and shy first time to meet you syndrome. They played for over an hour, and Hays had a BALL with his rambunctious and playful brother, Ruk. Lots of hugging and kissing were...
11 comments
Read more

A Little Bit Of News From The Land Of A Thousand Hills. . .

I heard from Tim, my POA, today. Here is what his email said: We had a brief meeting, superior nun and was busy but favorable to adoption. She is encouraged by your heart especially with a second adoption. We have rescheduled to meet Saturday morning to finalize choice of the child. I shared your preferences and they don't have any issue with it. They told me that I need to proceed carefully especially with regards to other kids staying at the orphanage who may not get the chance of being adopted. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a picture of the boy that you may adopt! So. . .I'm assuming that Saturday means tomorrow. I am a little nervous! I am actually a lot nervous, but am trying to minimize that feeling by reminding myself that God knows the perfect child for our family! I'll be praying today!!!!!
9 comments
Read more

Recovering P31

What?  A recovering P31? Proverbs 31 describes the wife of noble character.  This wife gets up early and works hard all day long and isn't even tired when she finally retires from all of her work at night.  She is a servant to her husband and she makes him proud.  She is a fantastic mom and I'm sure, if there was Pinterest in the day, she would be the Pinterest-y-est of the moms.  She isn't afraid of hard work and she has the pantry stocked in the case of an emergency and she has her family ready for cold winters, famine and hard times.  She helps strangers and loved ones alike and she has her sights set beyond herself.  Her husband praises her and her children are grateful for her and call her blessed. Oh my gosh!  What a great lady!  I want to be like her!  So why am I a recovering P31 and why am I writing about it now when I'm not even a wife? (For starters, I think this kind of noble woman is a goal regardless of any woman's marital ...
2 comments
Read more