Summer camp:

It is 7:30am and in less than 3 hours we will be loading up vehicles heading for Hume Lake San Diego! It seems like so long ago that we began promoting camp...but at that same time I can't believe it is already time to go. I was thinking this morning that for over a decade I have been measuring time by summer camp...I have been to a lot of weeks of camp. The camp I grew up going to was called "Woodland Lakes Christian Camp". I have a lot of fun memories about camp...How about you?

Counting down:

I am now less than 24 hours away from leaving for camp. There are dozens of things still left to do...mostly just double checking forms and permission slips and reservations, but I always have this haunting feeling that there is something that I have forgotten. I have never forgotten anything big...it is usually deodorant or a towel...or underwear. Have you ever forgotten anything funny on a big trip?
This year is a little more nerve racking because we are going two weeks back to back. First High School and then Jr. High. We will have one day in between to come home do laundry and then head back to San Diego.
The other thing I am counting down to...I am going to be an uncle again anytime now! By brother Micah and his wife Junko are going to have a little girl any day now. We are very excited to meet the newest addition to the McSwain family.

Swimming!

Growing up in Cincinnati not many people had a pool, and if they did it was an above ground pool! But out west in California, it seems like everybody has a pool...except us! Today though, our friends the Thomas' let us go swimming in their pool. We had a blast, it was the first time that the family got to swim together! Isabella loves swimming she would have floated around all day. We had to make her get out so we could put more sunscreen on her!

My Girls:

I took this picture on Sunday afternoon. I am blessed with two California Girls...I had a great fathers day...I got a new hat and a new grill! I am very excited, I don't know if there are many people that like to BBQ a lot...I do...and I am going to get to do a lot of it now because I got a sweet new BBQ from my awesome wife!

Fathers Day

Fathers day! Today is my first! I have to be honest...it is a little overwhelming, kids don't come with manuals. Maybe because I work with students I see the results (more often bad than good) of what fathers can do to there kids. In April I heard Andy Stanley say this about fathers at a conference..."My only unique role in life is to be Isabella's father" That is heavy...there are a lot of things that I will do in life...different jobs etc. but only one unique just to me!

I love my little girl!!!

Family Adventure to Malibu

Last Saturday we loaded up the car and headed west! We live about 30 miles from Malibu, and we thought we should try going to the beach. I say try because I have never taken our family to the beach with the intention to stay several hours...we have just made quick trips. But I have to say I think we did awesome! We managed to only have to make one trip from the car...I figured out how to set up the baby shade/half tent in a reasonable amount of time, and we had a blast! Isabella loved it she played the whole time and she loved watching the sea gulls and the other people playing at the beach. We are so blessed to live so close to the beach, I sure we will be making more trips to Malibu. (as long as we can afford the gas...thats for another post)

Did I really just say that?

So...around 1:00 today I am talking to Kristin on the phone...the usual...how is work, how was your morning...then I offer up some sweet information. "Isabella pooped this morning...yeah a lot...it was kinda greenish...ohhhh it smelled awful, yeah she finally got it out!" Never, ever, ever did I think that I would have that conversation, and never, ever did I ever think that a conversation about poop would be the highlight of my day...but today was a slow, boring Monday, and there was nothing that could top a good poop story!

Prescription Drugs

A month ago I went back to Visalia to do a funeral for a student who was in my youth group. He had taken some prescription drugs that one of his friends gave him...they were from his parents medicine cabinet. They weren't bought from a dealer or by illegal means. Parents, your job is difficult, I learn this everyday more and more, there is no handbook on how to be a parent or raise children. My friend sent me this from Fox News...after our conversation about Cory's funeral. Parent, Please watch this and act on it!

Diving in!

Sundays are pretty routine. Every week is almost the same thing, and I work hard at making it that way, so people...leaders/students/band knows what to expect and where they fit in to the Morning program. This Sunday was different. I didn't have to speak this week and I was in town to hear the person that spoke. He did awesome, Kevin, one of the newest Jr. high leaders did a great job communicating. He really connected with the students and communicated the message! I am so blessed that he is on our team.
Second, I had three Jr. high girls talk to me after the service about getting baptized! It was a great day...