Walter and I have always wanted to go to Spirit West Coast and this year we did.   We went as “camp cooks” for the high school group at church.   We took the kids, bought a tent and away we went.   There was 18 of us total in our group, 4 adults, 12 teens and Ben and Becca.  

The first night when we finally arrived in Monterey, setting our tent up in the dark, being tired because the night before we had been up until 1:30 am, got up at 5:30 and driving all day to get there, I was positive that this was the biggest mistake we had ever made.   I was glad that most of the teens had went down to the pre-festivities that went on Wednesday night because Walter and I got into a few “power struggles”, not arguments, but we weren’t the best example of the Fruit of the Spirit living out in our life.   About 11:00 when we finally where ready to crawl into our sleeping bags for the night I told Walter that the next day we where going to go into Monterey and I didn’t care how much money I had to spend, I was getting a hotel room the next day!    As my little family held hands and prayed my prayer was that I would be able to sleep and not hear the extra noise that always seems to keep me awake.   The Lord was faithful to answer my prayer and I slept wonderfully all night until 7:00 the next morning.  Usually I can’t sleep ANYWHERE the first night well, I always seem to wake up every few hours all night long.

After that rocky first night, the rest of the weekend was amazing.   Ben and Becca where wonderful.  I was really starting to fret and worry about their schedule being off, but the kids did great, there was only one night that we had to leave one of the concerts early because Becca was having a breakdown and just cried herself to sleep in the stroller as we went back to camp.  

There are many more stories to come in the next few days, with pictures.