Shaving Cream Wars - Labor Day 2008 Submitted by: Jim Ford - 10/21/08 1:46 pm

Shaving Cream Wars - Labor Day 2008 What do you get when you combine 150 water balloons, 4 cans of shaving cream, 30 flour bombs, 2 water cannons, and a ton of silly string? A war for both little and big kids alike! For the past 26 years our closest friends and family have gathered at Lake DeGray in Arkansas for Labor Day Weekend. We're just a small group of close church friends and our families and we have a blast! Driving in from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, we meet up Friday evening at Camp of the Pines; an old church camp many of us attended as campers and some of our parents either helped build or administor. The camp is located on the far side of the lake in a little alcove. We stay in cabins in the woods. Screens for windows, no electricity, and wooden pallets with camp-style mattresses on top for bedding. Need to use the bathroom or brush your teeth? Better be prepared to hike up the trail. With campsite names like Kaddahadacho, Cahinio, Tiak, and Nasoni, you get the distinct feeling an Indian theme was used. The adults spend the nights talking, playing cards, and drinking beer. It's a tradition that the kids wake up one of the adults with pots and pans in the morning. This year you see John John rising to the sounds of his children, nieces, and friends. We do a lot of eating, socializing, swimming, etc. We rented a ski boat and party barge for some real fun! My nephew Phillip is really good at wake boarding. Haley and her friends had a great time on the tube!! The girls really enjoyed their time together and Haley even pretended to drive the boat. Even I got in on the watersports action with a little skiing. It's been a few years and it only took a few minutes before every muscle in my body was sore! This year, my friend Jamie and her daughters came with us. I took Caitlin out for a little boat ride then dumped us in the 2 feet of water! Ha ha. Many hours are spent catching up with each other, telling old stories, and just feeling great with your family. Hiking the trails, exploring nature, and making new memories. Something I really wish we had pictures of, is the water balloon fight. A tradition started by the "reverend bishop" Joe Sheeler from the very beginning, this year my friend Jamie and I with the help of the little girls put together an arsenal of weapons to use against the boys. We hid it in various spots by the pavillion/kitchen area and waited for the rough and tumble boys to show up. The ambush went off great! Until the kids decided to turn on me! Then my brother runs up and gooses me with shaving cream! Flour is everywhere, mud, water, shaving cream, grass... it was a mess! I ended up taking a shower with my clothes on. Next time I won't use self-rising flour. Oh lord! We had an incredible time! My favorite part of the weekend is going to the Worship Area. My Mom loved being at camp. She helped with the camp many years. When she died back in 1989, we flew in our friend Joe's plane and spread her ashes over the camp and lake so she could be a part of it. Being at the worship area where I can reflect really makes me feel like Mom is there. I took Haley for the first time this year and we talked about her Grandma. We both cried a few tears of joy. We've had our event at Camp Alabama in Choudrant, Louisiana a few times. And over the years we've lost some dear loved ones, friends have come and gone.. and come back, and a new generation of kids have come to know the joys of this annual weekend. It's a major part of my childhood and continues to be as an adult. Log in and leave some comments or go to my pictures page to get more details on many of the pics you see here.

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Alice Libert - 10/21/08 2:01 pm

You are nuts!

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