The Sari Diaries- Tuesday 6/20/17

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

I write to you after our first full day at #TheRanch2017, and let me tell you, it was a good one! As campers continued settling into camp life, it was fun to watch the excitement around CRC. Below are some details about the awesomeness that was DAY 2…enjoy!

The fun really all began before breakfast this morning. Cliff did his first wake-up over the loud speaker and we were lucky enough to hear “Nina Pretty Ballerina” as everyone began getting ready for the day. He also did a Seven Wonders Quiz Show and a couple campers got through the first round. Before breakfast was officially called, I heard some laughter outside my office window. I looked out to see five A-Frame campers hanging out on the playground ready to start their day. It made me so happy to see our campers enthusiastic to get things going!

After breakfast we had activity rotations. Campers went from swimming to dance to horseback riding to tennis, and even found time to learn about the procedures at waterskiing, climbing/ropes and trampball. All of that was to prepare for sign-ups this afternoon which went very smoothly. As campers came into the lodge with their age group, they were eager to decide which activities to take and when. Everybody left the lodge with a smile on their face- we have a camp full of people who cannot wait for the first day of activities tomorrow!

As I am writing this, I am realizing just how much was accomplished today…there is so much left to tell! Okay, I know…I should just get to the point.

Soooo, after sign-ups, we had our Big and Little Sister reveal. This morning big sisters found out who their little sisters were and wrote them a note with a little bit about themselves. Throughout the day, little sisters were speculating about who could be their big sister. I had Emma E, Sam S, Alex G and Sabrina M in my office telling me all about who they suspected their big sisters were and why they thought that. Just before dinner, all big sisters were called to different locations to meet their little sisters. It was cute to see the excitement from both the little AND big sisters…the scene was just adorable! To make it even better, we had a big and little sister BBQ for dinner. All around the patio, younger campers were talking and laughing with their big sisters while enjoying most people’s favorite meal at CRC!

The day ended with the opening of Tan & White. When new campers got back to their cabins after dinner, their beds were decorated with either red or white streamers, balloons and a sign to congratulate them on being a Tan or White. We then all gathered at the Center Fire Circle to kick it off…once the Neutrals announced the teams, Tans headed to the South Field and Whites to the North. They learned cheers, and voted for their sachems (captains) before heading back to the Center Fire Circle. As he does annually, Donny Quay stopped by to give us permission to officially begin the Tan and White games. After a bit of controversy on if he was going to allow the games to go on, Sarah D and Julia E convinced him that both teams had the sportsmanship and spirit necessary. They participated in a dance-off against the male staff as the whole camp cheered for them. Finally, Sachems from both teams were announced- it is a group of well-deserving leaders who we are excited to see take on this role!

My day ended with walking around both Colt and Wrangler Village. The highlight for me was in Copper Stripes. I walked into them having a teeth-brushing party. They were all (including counselors) brushing their teeth while singing and dancing to the music play. I plan to go back at some point this summer to join them for one of these parties…it should be a good time :).

And I guess that’s all for now. It was an action-packed day around here and we loved every minute of it. I am confident that tomorrow will bring even more fun as our daily activities begin. Goodnight to all of you- thanks for reading!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari