Scout Campers

The sign Zach made for our returning scouters

Patiently awaiting the return . . .

Mason and his HEAVY pack - but he did it! He carried that thing for

two days! Way to go Mason!

Two good looking boys! Well, they may be good looking -but the smell left A LOT

to be desired!

This summer has been crazy! And it started off with a bang. Mason turned 12, then two days later, he and Aaron were headed to Camp Oljato (Scout camp). We decided to let Mason go up for the first few days alone, so he could bond with the other boys. I really didn't think it would be a big deal for me, but as it turned out, that first night I was sick to my stomach and couldn't sleep! I've read a ton of books on how to raise your children and help them to learn and grow. But no one has ever written the book on how to begin to let your children go! It was a lot harder for me than I thought it would be! However, Mason did AWESOME! He earned 6 merit badges total - which is a ton! He set a goal for six, and totally rocked it! He came home with Dad talking non-stop about all the fun adventures they had! It was a great intro into the scouting program for Mason! And now he's set some new goals for himself: he really wants to get his Eagle by 16! Mason is an amazing young boy, and I know that if he sets his mind to it, he can totally accomplish anything he wants! I have to add that while it was great to physically watch him mature and grow, I was a bit weepy. I have so much more compassion now for my parents. It's really hard to watch your children grow up and in some ways, grow away from you. It's a totally good thing, and needs to happen. But, in all truth, it's just going way too fast for me! As the boys grow, the clock doesn't slow down any - in fact, it just speeds up! BUT, I am so grateful that I've been given the opportunity to be here on this earth with these kids, and be given the chance to be their mom! What a great life it is!