vacation pics

We are back from our week of boy scout camping.  It was great.  We survived and enjoyed ourselves.  The pictures are limited, but I am going to try to upload a ton more over the weekend.

The boys, after church on Sunday, before we headed out.  Our first stop was the Air force Museum which is about an hour away from us.  We got to look at planes, rockets and space shuttles.  We had lunch there and then were back on the road. 

Second stop was Brighton, MI.  We stayed at a group camp site near a lake.  My tent mate and I learned how to set up an 8 person tent and we learned that adults eat first on the boy scout trips!!  The worst part was the bathrooms- pit toilets- YUCK!!

I found out that Rocket is the troop chaplain- so he leads all the prayers at meal time and before bed- though he can ask others to lead prayers too.  I was so proud of him

Day 2 we drove to Sleeping Bear Dunes.  This is our campsite.  My tent is the red and black one in the middle.  It was nice to have a huge tent to sleep in.  My tent mate and I learned that being closer together is better for keeping warm- it was cold and windy here.

This is the main dune behind our tent.  About 400 feet.  The boys hiked up to the sandy area and then over the top to see the lake.  The hike was too steep for me, so I walked a 1/2 mile to the left and found another way up. 

My view at the top- in the very back, you can see the lake.  I could have hiked out some more, but it was getting late.  I was just happy to have climbed up the dune to see the lake.  Definitely worth the work/exercise to get up the dune.

This is the view from the dune overlook- I was here on Thursday while the boys and leaders were camping on North Manitou island. 

The boys getting ready to go to the island.  I was with them until about 10 minutes before they loaded onto the boat.  Then I drove 45 minutes to the cabin I was staying at Wednesday night through Friday morning.  The weather forecast for Wednesday night was RAIN, RAIN and more RAIN.   I was really worried about the boys.

Thursday, I had lunch on the beach- I sent this picture to my work colleague.  I don't think she appreciated me too much.  At this point, my BFF, E and her youngest daughter C were with me.  C and I had a wonderful time walking on the beach finding rocks.  I have the rocks sitting on my shelf in my office now.

Friday morning, I drove back to the dock to pick up the boys (I was one of the drives in our caravan).  So excited to see the boys come off the boat. 

Another view of the dune and the lake from Thursday.  I could stay here all day- so long as the sun was shining.

Lake on Friday.

Beach on Thursday- where we ate lunch.

The dune from the beach for lunch

Thursday night, we went to the drive in movie.  I had a new blanket to keep me warm

Rocket on Friday night at the beach near our campsite. He is showing me that he got in the water and got wet- he had taken off his shoes and socks to get in the lake.

Rocket and his buddy E getting off the boat.

Once the boys got off the boat, we drove 1.5 hours south to another beach for our camp that night.  We passed right by the cabin I stayed while they were on the island!  The boys reported that the island was fine, except for the "teeth with wings" AKA black flies.  Those things BITE and they hurt a lot. 

Saturday morning, we got up early and headed home- 9 hours of driving.  I was exhausted, the boys were exhausted, my co pilot was exhausted.  Of course, exhausted boys meant 2 hours of them sleeping in the car and then they were wide awake and talking/being loud for the rest of the trip.

We got home around 7 pm on Saturday evening.  Rocket slept 12 hours Saturday night and Sunday night.  I slept 10 hours each night.  Thankfully we were going into the 4th of July holiday (Tuesday) and I took vacation on Monday.  I don't think I could have worked at all on Monday.

Boy scout tradition (Roses, buds, thorns AKA what was good, what are you looking forward too, and what didn't you like)

Roses: seeing the dunes, being with Rocket

Buds: I want to go back and camp here some more

thorns: all the driving- I think I need to be a passenger next time

More pictures to come from the trip.

Love and hugs,

Deb

Scout Camp

Rocket and his troop headed to Boy Scout Camp this past week.  Camp is about 30 minutes from our house, so I was able to go up 2 times this week to see him and volunteer as a parent helper (his request).  They left on Sunday and my first day up there was Tuesday.  This is them at breakfast.

The boys were working on merit badges all week, so lots of hiking.  I am walking past the lake to go find them after breakfast.  My feet were killing me after this day of walking everywhere.

I finally found them, they were working on the Geocaching  merit badge and had been back in the woods.

By the way, this week is the hottest week so far this summer  Tuesday it was about 95 F (36C)

Heading back to the second merit badge- Natural World

Waiting for the counselor for this badge.  I ended up leaving this area right after this- too many bugs biting me even though I put on bug spray.

Me in the woods on Tuesday.

After lunch is siesta time (basically an hour to let the boys rest).  Our boys had a troop talk.  There were a few boys who were struggling with homesickness.  I wa surprised Rocket was not one of them.  All week long he said he was fine. (other parents volunteered too and I would check with them on his status- clearly I was not fine).

In the afternoon, the youngest boys (or first year scouts) had a program to help them work through their requirements for rank.  This was very disorganized and very much needs an overhaul.  The boys spent a lot of time sitting based on the 2 days I saw of this class.

Rocket's section of the class.

Friday, I went back out.  The boys have to be class A uniforms for dinner each night.  this was taken by another mom as I left before dinner on Friday.

Friday was a very humid day- about 93 F, but with heat a humidity, it felt like 100+ F (40C).  By the time I was out there from 7:30- 5 pm, I was exhausted.  At lunch, the sky opened  up and it poured rain.  I will talk more about that later.

Friday evening was a presentation for parents at the lake.  It looks beautiful.

Rocket in his tent on Tuesday. 

Playing games Friday afternoon at camp

Rocket volunteered to be a skit (a play) at the Friday night closing ceremonies. 

Rocket and Mom on Tuesday.

The Trailblazers on Friday- making silly faces

The camp after lunch when the rain was still coming down.  So lunch is around 12 noon.  The boys head to the parade field after their morning merit badges, they line up by troop and there are some announcements, then they are dismissed by categories (changes each day) to lunch in the dinning hall.  On Friday, I went to the lifesaving merit badge to get some pictures of a few of the boys in the troop.  The pool is right next to the parade field, so I sat under a tree (in the shade) to wait for the troop to get to the field for lunch.  As I was sitting there, the thunder started.  The staff must have seen lightening because they told everyone at the field to go ahead inside the dinning hall.  As I got into the building, the heavens opened up and sheets of rain came pouring down.  There are assigned tables for each troop, so I headed to the one for our troop and waited for the rest of the troop.  Some of the boys were clear across the lake at Archery, so I was hoping they had their rain ponchos.  As they came in to lunch, it was clear they did not.  Some boys had to shelter in place in the shower house until the lightening stopped (about 15 minutes) and then run  up to the dinning hall in the rain.  There were some very wet boys and leaders.

The rain poured all through lunch and then slowed to a drizzle as we left to head back to camp for siesta.  Thankfully some of the leaders had been at camp when the rain started and they closed up all the boys tents or they would have been sleeping on beds/sleeping bags.

Siesta time is game time.  The boys are playing RISK.  Rocket has asked for this game for his birthday.

 

Rocket got home at 9:30 am on Saturday morning.  I had him unpack his bag while I sorted it into piles for the laundry, he took a shower and then headed to bed for a nap.  I let him sleep for 3 hours before I got him up.  He is covered in bug bites and has some skin issues because his shoes and socks got wet (even though he had 2 pairs of shoes and about 9 pairs of socks, he only wore 1 pair of shoes all week).  Good thing he gets to stay home this week- it will give his skin time to heal.

 

Well, it is time for me to get him up for church.  Love and hugs,

Deb

Leaving for Boy Scout Camp

Rocket has been preparing for Boy Scout Camp for the last few weeks.  We spent this week making lists, finishing laundry and writing his name on all his clothes. He will be gone for 6 days- coming home on Saturday.

 

He is going with 3 of his friends from school and one of the friend's older brother, along with most of his troop.  It is going to be an adventure.  He asked me to go up 2 times to help out this week.  It is different then cub scout camp- the boys will be working on different merit badges (though Rocket and his buddies picked some  of the same merit badges), so the adults are there to just make sure they get to meals and aren't staying in the tents when they should be at merit badge stations.  I am heading out on Tuesday and Friday and I promised Rocket I would not follow him around.  I did get him to agree that I could come quickly observe to get pictures for the other parents.

Rocket and his tent mate. I am not sure how much sleeping they will get this week.

Their senior patrol leader.  Also, one of the young men that I hope our new exchange student will become friends with once they are introduced.  D is very excited about our coming exchange student and is keen to meet him.

The boys getting together and getting away from the parents

 

The trailer all packed up.

Getting them organized, final instructions and prepping for the final photo for the parents.

Final picture- all ready to go

Loading up the bus with boys

And they're off.

Be safe, have fun, see you soon

 

Love and hugs,

Deb