Reunionited and it feels so good….
What better way to spend a New Years Eve-Eve than to spend it with family – and that’s exactly what the RRBC Summer Staff did on December 30 for our annual Winter Reunion.
It was an emotional time, as many of us have gone months without seeing each other, and we’re really like one big family. In fact, Karly was inconsolable.
Nobody is safe when I have a camera in hand. She’s lucky I didn’t Photoshop in some tears.
Anyway, the Winter Reunion is one of the most exciting times of the year. For one, it’s always an absolute delight to spend time with camp people, and after the grind of exams and holiday busy-ness, there is nothing more pleasant than the company of fellow RRBCers.
But the other reason why the Winter Reunion is one of the best times of the year is because Red Rock in the winter is AWESOME! You think you know camp after spending a week every summer there as a camper, but until you’ve been to camp in the winter, you haven’t truly experienced it. When you’re not huddled by the fire in Pine Lodge, you can spend time playing hockey, speeding down the tube slide, snow shoeing on the lake, and cross country skiing down the exhilarating trails the beautiful Whiteshell has to offer. As much as I like taking pictures, I wasn’t willing to snap shots of everything that was going on outside, because I didn’t want to miss out on experiencing it myself. But thankfully for you, I was able to take some time to document arguably the premier event of the Winter Reunion: the annual broomball tournament.
Due to the amount of people playing, this game is the definition of a gong show. A good illustration is this team’s last line of defence which is literally just a line of defence.
It may have been tough to score, but it certainly wasn’t impossible. At least I think that’s why Mitch is celebrating. But then again, he’s a pretty happy guy. Also one heck of a broomballer.
The Winter Reunion also meant that we were are reunited with camp food, something I’ve been craving for the last five months. But like everything at camp, as great as the food is, the people you’re enjoying it with are even better. But don’t tell Sarah she’s supposed to be having a good time. Also, someone tell Colin that the food is on the table. He looks five seconds away from eating Caleb.
It’s so funny how quickly the camp routines become a part of you once you step out of your car at Red Rock. There’s something so familiar about this place, and it’s a feeling that I don’t think will ever leave some of us camp lifers. For example, when Allan picks up the microphone, you can’t help but stop talking to listen to his wise words of “We need some people to help out the kitchen with cleanup”. If we’re lucky, sometimes he’ll start talking about how great U2 is.
Some things really never change when at Red Rock. For example, the camp kids are always adorable.
And Erik continues to make sweet faces in every picture that he’s in.
It was a beautiful weekend as far as weather goes, but the fun wasn’t all limited to the outside, as we all gathered together to participate in our “Used, but useful” gift exchange. It’s really hit or miss with this gift exchange. Sometimes you get a bag full of junk someone found in their drawer, and sometimes you get an old set of power tools.
If you’re really lucky, you can be like Caleb, and be the recipient of your very own cross stitch portrait of Jesus. It really is an amazing work of art, but it’s very large and awkward to pack, so it’s been passed down for the last three gift exchanges. We trust that Caleb will keep that tradition alive.
Regardless of how useful these gifts really are, at least someone was happy, as little Trenton got to play with his new friend: a big red plush dragon.
Overall, the Winter Reunion lived up to the hype, as everyone in attendance had a blast enjoying some good friends, and everything that camp has to offer in the wintertime. There’s going to be a very similar feeling in the air this weekend, as we will be putting on our Refuel Retreat for junior high and teens campers from last summer who will be spending the weekend living at camp and enjoying the wintertime. The Refuel Retreat is also a great opportunity for the campers to stay on track in their relationship with God, and we’re praying that God can do some amazing things through the event. Please also pray for safety on the roads, as there will be a lot of snow tonight, and pray that God can take care of us all throughout the weekend.
