The YMCA of the Rockies- this Girl's Magical Place

My Beloved YMCA of the Rockies



Chuck's Bench without the snowThe View from Chuck's Bench Julie Day and Dave and Tama Vaughn at the Alumni Ice Cream Social

The Flyin' A's- Great Texified Jazz Concert

The Trail to Bible PointA Breathtaking View from Bible Point

The Ratty Notebook, Bible and Pen are still there!

A Typical Y View

Marlene and Lynn in the New Craft Shop with our new Necklaces on

5 K Run- Gail telling us where to go... what else is new?!?!

The Walkers featuring Alumni Board Chair Rick Taylor

Breakfast with Betsy, Super Deb and Molly B's- how many of you remember the day of the Esterrito?!?!?

Cook- Out the first night with dear friends Gail and John... notice I didn't say "old"?

Dan was wonderful enough to allow me to travel to my beloved YMCA of the Rockies this week after our Synergy Staff Retreat to spend 2 and a half days at the 2009 Alumni Staff reunion. Dan is very busy getting the summer cattle so he had to stay home to "man" the ranch! It was a delight for me to be in my beloved Estes Park.... most of you know I spend four summers working at the Y Camp in my college years ('74, '77, '78 and '81). There was a reunion back in 2007 and there were over 500 of us. This time there were only about 60 of us but it was still wonderful. I can hardly remember a time in my adult life with two days to myself! I could get hooked on this program....

The thing about the Y Camp is that no matter if you don't know or remember the other staff there is a bond... often one in Christ that helps you bridge the boundaries of time and past. So we did all sorts of fun things starting with an Alumni Cook-out at the Lower Cook-out. Gail and John were there... friends of 35 years now.... still funny and cocky and young at heart even if we look a bit different now.... smile. Then breakfast at Molly B's with new friends, Betsy and Deb, and old friend, Marlene. Betsy loves to read and tell amazingly funny stories.... Deb and Marlene are busy running up and down mountians. Marlene has climbed all but 3 of the peaks above 10,000 in the Rocky Mountian National Park of which there are 125. She plans to pick off the last three this summer at 56 years old!?!? WOW... I stand in awe.... Then Marlene and I went to the brand new Craft Shop and beaded for the afternoon. I could harldly leave. I worked there one summer you will recall! That night was the alumni talent show and I sang "Thankful". The Flyin' A's performed and one of the staff did a slide show that would have even impressed son-in-law Ben. The second day was my hike up Bible Point with a word from the Lord along the way.... He has a way of speaking to you when your mind is freed doesn't He?!?! Then the Fun Run... actually 5.k walk with friends followed by an ice cream social.... what's wrong with that picture?!?! Then a complete Flyin' A's concert and headed for home the next day.... sorry I couldn't move the pictures in a better order this time but the computer wouldn't cooperate.

I pray that you each have a special place like the Y camp in your life. It has always been a place of healing and renewal for me ever since I was 19 years old after the summer that Brian got hurt. It is a place that cries out to the glory and majesty of God. You can't help but feel His greatness and His presence in this place. It does my heart good to see so many families there enjoying their children... doing active and engaging things with them. It brought me back many fine memories of my own five in their younger days! I hope that Dan and I can take our Grandchildren there someday and watch them be awed by God's creation. Bless the YMCA of the Rockies and may each person who goes there draw closer to Jesus!