Scenes from a Week of Joyful Noise

We just returned from an amazing week at Booher Family Music Camp!  We decided early this year, upon learning of it, that we would make this our family vacation for the year.  I haven't been so inclined to tent camp with babies and little children.  I know they love the adventure.  I just don't love the work.  Nor do I like not sleeping well on the hard ground and hearing strange noises outside my tent.  Tender Warrior and I have done a fair bit of camping in our time.  And even some wilderness camping.  But with a family to care for, it's not so appealing.  Though I adore being in God's creation and the quiet, I just find the work and the dirt overwhelming at this stage of life.  I do like yurt camping together.  Because I just like that door that can lock and that little heater, and that shelter from the rain, you know.

I was willing to make the concession to tent camp on this one.  Do you want to know what was a major motivation for me (no puns intended..really)??  FOOD!  That's right!  I would not need to plan food for an entire week!  (Insert happy dance here).  And I don't mean just food to get by.  We were downright treated to the very best camp food in the country.  I was told it would be so, and it was true.   The kitchen crew that served was a huge blessing.  And we had nutritious, home-cooked style food in abundance.  I hear that Grandma B. goes to great measure to ensure the food is good.  There are rules here.  Like "No macaroni and cheese or spaghetti and meatballs."  I wish I had taken pictures of food.  Because there were glorious salads, fresh fruit, amazing entrees, hearty breakfasts, homemade biscuits like I've never had, and amazing homemade cinnamon rolls. 

Food was truly secondary though.  I relished the idea that our family could have some good quality music lessons together under some of the very best musicians in the country.  Tender Warrior took his guitar and Country Girl, Adventure Girl, and Young Warrior took their violins.  This mama doesn't have so much time to devote to music lessons at this stage, though I treasure making music.  I grew up with the clarinet.  Because it was the only instrument we owned and I was the oldest, so when band came around, that's what there was to play.  I was good, as far as band goes.  But I never loved it.  I always wished I could play flute or something beautiful.  I was surprised to see one clarinet player (who doubles as a fiddle player) at camp.  And I thought to myself, "Wow!  I never knew one could make this kind of music with a clarinet!"  Now, I am thankful we own many different musical instruments, so I get opportunities to play here and there.  Even though I feel handicapped because I can only read music and don't have a solid foundation in chords and theory.

I did steal a few moments to play in this beautiful place.

And he would be my favorite back-up musician...he's had this guitar for 20 years and this is the first time he really had opportunity to take lessons.  I was so happy to see him learn to play it more and enjoy it so much (even if his fingers were mighty sore at the end of the week).

Most days during classes, I stayed at camp with the littles.  They started to want fiddle lessons too, when they saw the young children's class.  They got to play a bit in between other classes.  We did lots of fun things and enjoyed the quiet of the day while the majority of campers were away at classes at a nearby school.  Here's someone I know and love who wants to be a photographer.

These country scenes just make me LONG to have property like this.  It is one of our dreams.

And the music...oh yes, the music!  Spectacular!  God gave those Booher brothers amazing talent and they are using it for His glory!  And so are many others who gathered there.  It's quite a showcase of talent.

 And at camp, there are always recreational activities.  Ultimate frisbee, volleyball, foosball, a fun run, playing in the creek....

And a very nice tree swing from a giant oak tree.

Each night there were either jam sessions or family music nights of various kinds.  The band scramble was a highlight for all.  Students from various instruments were put together in a band with instructors and they had to come up with a creative music arrangement with only 2 afternoons to practice.  Here are my favorite cowboys who were part of the band, "The Lone-Star Rangers."  They sang and played, "Deep in the Heart of Texas."

And everyone together on final concert night.

And for the historical dance-loving mama that I am, YES!  There was even a ceili dance (that's Irish, if you didn't know).  I love a good ceili, though some of those moves are super high energy.  There was one dance we just had to watch because it was too advanced and confusing, especially for my favorite dance partner.  But we all got to do the Virginia Reel and all were delighted (yes, I know that's not Irish.  But it is historical and it counts one hundred percent in my book of dancing and was all the better for my resident Civil War history buffs).  Sorry, we were too busy dancing to take photos.  When we weren't dancing and took photos of that "Posties Jig" (I think that's what it was called), the people were spinning around so fast that they just look like kind of a blur anyway).

Wonderful memories for all to take home.   And it's been fun to be inspired and come home to lots of music practice.  Our hope is God will use it in some way in our lives and family to be a light to others.  I think we're ready for next year (even though we will miss one of our favorite Booher families who will be spending some time serving in South America for the next two years). 

I am grateful for that little bit of stretching outside of my comfort zone.  You can't really beat camping in a group or place like this.  To put children to bed with nighttime serenades just outside the tent can't really be topped.  And that stunning moonlight from the full moon.  Something about the scene and the setting reminded me of when I was at running camp as a teen (now that was entirely roughing it!)  I was even treated to a couple of long moonlight walks hand-in-hand with my Tender Warrior.  Now I wish I had a photo of that.