Reach for the Stars

Ireland Rocks and these kiddos were amazing! I wanted to give you some highlights of the 'everyday life' at camp.

These are the little Spanish boys of cottage 9. The adults in the picture would be their interpreters and 'caras'. (Cara is the Irish word for friend!). This picture was taken in their cottage, which is very cozy! You can see the fireplace in the background... and with Ireland being only 50-60 degrees and rainy even in June, a fire is the perfect way to turn in for the night!

Scandinavians canoeing. I was highly impressed by this group of kids even more than the others for some reason. They were just beautifully humble, and they took care of the other kids before themselves. It's awesome to watch warm fuzzy moments unfold.

The boys love archery!

Some of the Greek boys. They danced all week! Look at the hair on the one in the black.

Girls aren't the only ones who like to play dress up!

Dancing, Dancing, and more Dancing. Reach for the Stars was a song the we danced to after every meal in the dining hall. It was my favorite dance because it has the 'airplane' move and you get to jump! I love the dancing.

This is Tamara, the doctor from Georgia. These are some of her gorgeous girls!

Russian boys in their red hats. All of the Russians wore these hats... easy to distinguish.

It's hard to pinpoint one thing that makes Barretstown magical. I think that it's more of the little moments everyday. The children are exposed to activities they've never done before, and they are able to experience these things with people they can truly identify with. As a nurse, I am so grateful for this opportunity of perspective. While I am treating people, often times I only see them as sick and hurting and/or on their way out of our world. These children are beautiful, despite the effects of their treatment, and their bodies have healed amazingly. They have so much energy, and they are so functional. Way to go Barretstown!