Bits and pieces

Our church had its annual "Shopping Free" last week. I have helped with it for several years and last year found myself in charge of it. It is a great outreach into the community. Many people donate clothes, which we sort and arrange. We try to keep only clean, good quality clothes. Then we notify several community organizations, including an elementary school that the church has "adopted." Anyway, to make a long story short, we helped 55 families with free clothing. That number is down from years past, but it still feels good to see people walk out with some needed items. It was a lot of work--I was exhausted afterwards--but so worth it.

The girls and I spent most of the day having our "last hurrah" of summer. We had lunch with my friend, Holly, and her two daughters, then went to a local water park for some fun in the sun. It was horribly hot, but the kids loved it. Soon it is back to school and all the activities that go with that.

Speaking of heat, I sure hope we have a cool spell soon. It has been over 100 degrees for several days, with no relief in sight. Ugh! I shouldn't complain, because this summer has mostly been cooler than most. But, I am ready for fall.

Emily took a cool trip to Michigan. It was a Girl Scout camp with lots of cool stuff for her to do. The girls spent 3 days on a schooner, doing marine biology experiments. Emily's group had a research project where they noted the levels of zooplankton in the lake. They also got to learn how to operate the schooner. Emily's favorite part was raising the sails. Here is a picture taken on the boat.



And here is another one (I love this picture!):






And finally, a picture of her climbing a 40-ft. (!) tower at the camp:











After she got to the top, she took a zip line across the field! It's great to be a Girl Scout!