Day 479 - Camp Sunshine weekend

     It's been a fun and exciting weekend as Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Ga. became Camp Sunshine.  All four of us are exhausted, but we now have lots of cherished memories to take forward with us.  Camp Sunshine is a non-profit charity that specializes in providing resources and entertainment for families that have children battling cancer.  I've mentioned them on the blog before, but if you want to find out more please check out this link:  Camp Sunshine - About Us.

One of two lakes at Camp Twin Lakes.

Grabbing a snack before heading to the cabin for the evening.

     Let's backup to Evan's appointment on Friday.  During this latest round of chemo Evan received Vincristine, IVIG, Pentamidine, Dexamethasone (steroids) and a spinal tap of Methotrexate.  His counts were slightly higher than normal for this phase of chemo.  To help suppress his bone marrow functionality a bit more the medical team has decided to increase his daily Mercaptopurine.  No one appeared to be alarmed.  It seems this is fairly common due to children gaining weight and growing, so dosages need to be adjusted accordingly.

Ideally his ANC should be closer to 1.0.

     Shortly after his appointment the family and I powered through rush hour traffic to head over to Camp Sunshine.  The weekend seemed to go by in a whirlwind, but we tried to soak in as much as we could.  Although the pictures don't capture everything, we did fishing, archery, kickball, arts and crafts, cooking, paddle boating, dodgeball, basketball and putt-putt.  The campers were made up entirely of other children and families facing, or having faced, the same challenges as we have.  Activities are designed for fun and interaction, so even if you're shy it forces you to come out of your shell to meet others.

Speed golf Evan style.

He preferred shooting his bow a bit un-traditional.

He was spinning quickly, thus the blur.

Fishing on the dock.

Evan caught a brim.

     Evan's favorite event was probably the parents vs kids kickball game.  I'm happy to report the kids won 21 - 5.  The highlight for Evan was getting a hit and scoring a run for his team (we arrived after the game had already started).  His team made sure he felt the love for helping and he was so proud to contribute.  It will be one of my all-time favorite memories of him smiling from ear to ear and hearing him talk about it afterwards.  Nolan was loving all over everyone so it's tough for him to pick a favorite memory.  I'll help select for him; it was probably playing frisbee with one of the other counselors in the gym, while Evan chased us around with a dodgeball.

Nolan dancing with one of the counselors.

Nolan caught a catfish.

The bandanna is for kids who were able to catch a fish.

Cooking class.

     Camp Sunshine had photographers walking around all weekend to capture these special moments.  When the photos are available I'll make sure to post them in a separate blog. We're so thankful to all the counselors, volunteers and staff who helped make this weekend so spectacular.  Our poor feet are still aching from walking, but this is a small price to pay for helping us forget our problems for a weekend and allowing us to grow closer and stronger as a family.  

Heading back for the evening show and s'mores.

Petting the catfish that Nolan caught.

Taking brother to the next activity.

Improv session.  The boys are supposed to be slow-mo basketball players.

The dining hall at Camp Twin Lakes.