On a Dragonfly's Wings

06/23/2026

Day 2 - Self-Management
We started the day journaling our thoughts and feelings and then sped things up with some super fun team relay races of all kinds. This helps us learn how to work together to accomplish goals and to lean on each other for support.😊

We spent some time talking about healthy coping mechanisms. What activities help us self-regulate?

All the campers today had an opportunity to create three different types of fidgets: slime, worry stones, and glitter jars.

And we spent an hour learning breathing, meditation and movement through yoga.

We watched new friendships being born and a million acts of kindness today. What a great Tuesday🥰

Special thank you’s today:
Studio 8 Fitness - Stacey, your yoga helped campers and adults regulate today. It was fantastic!!!

Square One Eats & Treats - protein packed breakfast started our day in a healthy fueled way. Thank you for your gracious breakfast today!

Mike's Pizza and Catering - Pasta for lunch! We had kids going back for thirds🙌 It was a hit! Thank you for fueling our bodies for the rest of the camp day.

📸coming later so keep an eye out!

06/22/2026

Day 1 - Self-Awareness
Today our campers spent a lot of time getting to know each other, decorate and do some writing in their new journals, dance and have some fun with cardio drumming, and practiced sensory experiences with bells and 5-4-3-2-1.

AND.... we all got the opportunity to love and be loved by several amazing therapy dogs brought to us by Fur Angels. All the snuggles happened today and it was good for all of us. ☺️

Make sure to take a look at all the camper pictures today to see all the fun we had! Thanks Photography by Mari 📸

Special thanks today goes out to:
Mueva Fitness - Karissa Ritthaler you were the absolute BESTEST!!!!!
Mike's Pizza and Catering - Fantastic lunch that kept our kids fueled and ready to go all day long!
Fur Angels and all the dog handlers - we loved on Kevin, Hamilton, Star, Charlie, Polly, and Gordie! Oh my!🥰

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

We are welcoming 65 kiddos to Camp Dragonfly this morning.😊 It’s going to be an amazing week!

06/21/2026

On this Father's Day we celebrate and pray for all the dad's out there grieving the loss of a child. Thinking of you and sending tons of love💙

06/20/2026

I have tried a million times to write something about this day…this exact day, 7 years after Kola went to heaven, but all I have are tears.

The expanse of my grief is so immense that some moments I feel it will swallow me whole.

I really thought I was moving through this better this month, yet in reality, I wasn’t. I don’t think we can ever move through the loss of losing a child, it simply isn’t possible.

This sucks. I don’t have anything better to say.

We miss you every single day.
💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

06/17/2026

“Loving people as they are, for all they are, is su***de prevention.”🌈

Credit:

06/16/2026

Rest in peace dear one.💙

With Nikolai’s 7-year death date looming, this hits even harder. And I pray that the parents do not read the comments on this news piece.

The stigma, falsehoods, and cruelty with which some people keyboard warrior….. I have no words.

Do better. Be better.

06/15/2026

I’m a great listener. I actually pride myself on this.

I’ve learned over the past four years how important it is to be heard, to have your feelings validated.

I have also learned the importance of sitting in someone else’s space. Because honestly, most times that’s all we really want is to just feel.

However, that listener may not always be the same person. We need different people in our lives to fulfill specific needs.

I know exactly who to go to when I need a God-filled conversation, to swear like a sailor, to laugh, to dream, to cry. All of these people are different and all extremely important.

And if you are a listener, make sure you have someone who is a listener too. It’s a skill and not everyone has it. Know who it is in your life and don’t be afraid to reach out because your feelings matter too and YOU need to be heard.💙

06/14/2026

Have you ever wondered why our organization is called On a Dragonfly's Wings? Here’s the answer…

Within days after Nikolai's death, I started to see dragonflies. I've never noticed dragonflies before, but they started to show up and the more intense my grief, the more I saw them.

We see dragonflies at strange times of year and in places you wouldn’t expect (hot springs in Yellowstone). Nikolai is showing up for us in a way we know it’s him.💙

There are many interpretations of the spiritual nature of dragonflies and what they represent; however when I saw this image and description literally a week after Nikolai's death, I just knew.

Nikolai's life the year or so prior to his death was full of darkness - depression and pain. I truly believe that when he died he transcended from darkness into light. The light of heaven. The light of eternal life without pain. The dragonfly represents Nikolai and his journey. Our family's journey.💙