Happy Campers 2026

 

I'm not going to lie - I look forward to writing this post every year because I SO ENJOY the all the camp prep and I know the time to do it is fleeting!  All three kids left for Sky Ranch on Sunday and the excitement level was HIGH!

Sunday morning we did our normal church routine and then came home around noon to change, eat some lunch, and do a last minute check of everyone's stuff before hitting the road to Van. G was doing her thing and going through her trunk when she had a surprise visitor drop by with a special care package and some camper mail. 

Someone noted that she is part of the green team for Zion's cup and surprised her accordingly ;) 

We did a few last minute checks and then loaded the car to make the two hour drive east to Sky Ranch.

We'd been in the car for about 15 minutes when I realized we hadn't taken our annual "stacked trunks in front of the garage door" photo. So when we pulled into the gas station for a few drinks and a bathroom break we had to make it happen ;) It's Luke's last year for camp so we couldn't skip!

Most kids at Sky Ranch pack in a trunk (it's not required - but it's super easy for them to use and keep track of their things throughout the week), but Mason and Luke are both part of their leadership programming so while we drop them off in Van, Texas - they take charter buses to Sky Ranch's Colorado locations and there's just not room for all those trunks in the bottom of the bus.

Peach peace tea is our road trip drink of choice ;) 

Once you get to Sky Ranch things move quickly ;) You're greeted at your car by a whole crew of counselors who load your luggage onto these wagons and then you're off to the cabins! 

G was our first drop-off and I SWEAR when I see her by her cabin sign I have flashbacks to her first year (2020)...

One last pic of all three...

... and then our next stop was dropping Mason off. 

... followed by dropping Luke off for the last time EVER. So surreal!

After we got the kids all situated we headed to the Legacy Center to drop off their camper mail. Griffin can get care packages on Tuesday and Thursday so I packed her little treats up in these paper bags that I decorated with acrylic paint markers...

... and this is the kind of stuff I fill her bags with. Lots of fun and yummy snacks to share, something fun to share with her friends (these are light-up rings for one of the theme nights) and a quick little note.

G can also get flat envelopes any day of the week so I throw in a few little cards with printed photos and decorate those envelopes as well.  They have like a quiet time in the afternoon and mail gets passed out at that time so it's fun to have photos to look through and share with her friends.

The boys could each get one shoebox size package (again, the space constraints) and theirs I just jam packed with snacks and treats ;) They both packed a deck of cards, a set of poker chips and other games in their backpacks so this is just fun stuff for them and to share with their friends. 

I decorated their boxes because it's tradition at this point...

... PACKED with snacks ;) 

Our trunk-packing method really hasn't changed since 2018. It's daily outfits (shorts, shirt, underwear, etc) all in a gallon ziplock bag labeled for the day. We try to coordinate theme nights with what they wear during the day to cut down on things to pack (i.e. G has Mission Impossible on Wednesday night where they wear all black... so Wednesday's outfit includes black shorts so she just has to change her shirt).

Her trunk is way cuter than either of the boys ever was ;) She likes to put photos in the lid, has a cute little letterboard, and packs Jellycats to put on her bed ;) 

These little hooks were a tip I got from my friend Jeni and they're a game changer! She hangs them from her bunk and it gives her a place to hang wet towels, swimsuits, etc.  She brings extras to share and they're always a hit.

Daily outfits go in bags and then so do theme night accessories. It prevents them from having to dig through things and even though she packs herself she still asks me to write on the bags for her ;)

Have you ever seen anything cuter?!?!?! 

In addition to the trunk she takes a laundry bag with her bedding in it and then throughout the week dirty clothes go in the laundry bag and the trunk usually comes home filled with all of her night event stuff and bedding crammed in it.

The boys each take one of these duffels - they hold a ton, have padded backpack straps and look brand new after multiple years of use. They also use them for church camp, school trips, etc. They also have a backpack and laundry bag for bedding.

They have graduated from the daily ziplock bags and instead just use packing cubes and it works out perfectly for them.

Okay! Well - there's all the prep for sending off some very happy campers ;) If you have any questions on sending your kids off or any of the prep I do don't hesitate to reach out! I know how daunting the process can be! 

HAPPY Tuesday, friends!