my church could beat up your church.

(in a very christ-like way of course:) 

this last weekend, mr. lesley and i headed out to buena vista with our church for our first ever group camping trip. 

it was delightful in so many ways.

saturday morning we spent around the campfire, 

chatting about life...

grilling waffles...

talking to and about todd the dog (dogs are like babies...they normally dominate conversation)...

and enjoying the cool temps and great company.

then it was time to part ways.

i joined the hiking group since i am so outdoorsy now.

oh, and i had to try out my new chacos. 

fortunately for me, our trip was just the right amount of time and just the right length. 

all the hardcore hikers either decided not to come or went along quietly with the rest of us.

and the hike was beautiful with a nearby stream and waterfalls lining the path.

perfect.

at the end of the hike, i was greeted by this little guy.

maybe it's a bit of a stretch, but i couldn't resist.

on the way back to the campsite, i snapped a few pics of the mountains.

have i mentioned yet how much i love living in colorado? 

in the afternoon, mr. lesley and ben helped our pastor set up his tent sans poles, 

(the boy scouts would be very proud, mr. lesley)

while i used my domestic skills to cook up some sammies for the boys. 

what can i say, i'm like a really good cook:)

after enjoying our sammies, mr. lesley, ben, and i headed out with a group to soak up the sun and the water.

while everyone took turns on the kyak, we enjoyed the views from the comfort of our camping chairs.

by the time we left the water, we just knew we had to have some of K's famous ice cream. 

i told everyone to show me their "excited" face. 

i guess they don't love ice cream as much as me.

what a shame.

we enjoyed our shakes and spent some much needed quality time in our hammock (thanks matt and leighann!) 

and yes, i rocked my chacos all weekend. 

i can't say i've broken them in yet, but i must say they made me feel very colorado.

(even though my sister thinks they are the ugliest things on planet earth.)

before dinner, mr. lesley FINALLY played some b-ball with me, while another group rocked it on the volleyball courts.

don't worry, i let mr. lesley win, so he could have some confidence going into our next game, where i'm sure to dominate. 

that evening we all came together to grill up our eats and chat around the picnic tables... 

and then it was time...

time for the most anticipated event of the day.

KARAOKE! 

since living in china, i have been a HUGE fan.

and as much as i loved rocking out with my chinese friends, i think colorado mountain town karaoke might be my new favorite. 

primary reason?

 kelli and her tech assistant chuck (yes, he had a mullet...duh). 

although she sang all day at church, she still had time to organize the event for the campground and fill in the gaps whenever someone wasn't signed up to sing. 

she just might be the one person i've met who loves karaoke more than me. 

maybe.

things started out slowly as i had to convince a few girls to stand up and sing "courtesy of the red, white, and blue" (thanks toby keith) with me, but once we got started there was no going back.

i was so proud of our group.

from "dancing queen" to "twinkle twinkle little star", we owned that stage.

i have to admit though, the two kids on the left below, were the real talents of the night (and sadly, they weren't from our church).

they sang "bohemian rhapsody" better than queen themselves.

when the girl walked to the front and the first thing she said from the mic was "who's ready to rock?", i knew it  was going to be good. 

they blew my mind.

from the facial expressions to the singing and the crowd involvement, i came so close to asking if they would mind if i cloned them. 

if my children don't karaoke, i don't know what i'll do. 

we spent the rest of the night around the fire, where i was deemed the "john the baptist" of karaoke, since my love for karaoke prepared the way for the rest of the group. 

i suggested we karaoke every sunday morning. 

can you imagine being a visitor? 

"come on up and lead us in "how great thou art!" 

in an ideal world i guess...

sunday morning we had church right there in the campground. 

we sang and shared the ways God has worked in our lives through this community.

it was such a rich, rich time. 

i could not ask for a better church family.

i am so blessed.