Prayer and Priorities

Scout camp for the Deacons is this week. Earlier this year, we talked to Matthew about going, knowing that a weeklong camp has some definite challenges for a food allergy kid, and he decided he wanted to go. Kevin planned to go with him for the first half of the week to help him get everything established. Once that was decided, our brains went on to other things and because our current deacon advisor is not much inclined to plan in advance, two weeks ago we got the reminder about camp including the medical forms, etc. that needed to be done before camp. That kind of sent us into a frenzy and we madly completed the paperwork, planned a menu, made a shopping list and purchased everything he would need. Saturday was the prep for camp day and neither Kevin nor Matthew could really get moving on getting anything ready. As they talked about how reluctant they both felt where camping prep was concerned, they ended up on their knees asking whether Matthew was supposed to go to camp. The answer they both got was no. Matthew was not supposed to go.

I think we all felt more at ease once that decision was made. Kevin realized that this is something Matthew has never done and while he knows how to cook and stay safe at home, food prep while camping is an entirely different beast, one that he’s never done. We think he needs some training on how to do that before we drop him off in the wilderness and tell him to stay safe.

Matthew felt fine about the whole thing except for the temple trip the deacons had planned for this evening. Matthew has always been very temple focused. He wants to be there and has wanted to be there since long before he was old enough to go. He has also always been interested in visiting a variety of different temples. So not being able to go to the Payson Temple was a blow. After further discussion, it was decided that Kevin would drive Matthew down for the temple trip portion of the camp. Matthew was very happy about that.

Matthew has been such a great example of making the temple a priority in our lives. He goes as often as he can get there (which is just about as often as he can convince one of his brothers to let him go with them on one of their trips) and is always bummed when he can’t go for one reason or another. I know that life gets busy and as he gets older he have more and more responsibilities that he have to juggle, but I hope his love for the temple never wanes and that his enthusiasm will spread to all those around him. I, for one, could learn something about where my priorities should lie from my amazing twelve-year-old.

A Scouting We Will Go

Nathan got home yesterday from a week long scout camp. He was filthy and exhausted. When he woke up this morning he was still wearing his glasses. He was so tired that he forgot to take them off when he went to bed last night. Of course, this evening he also informed us that he’d been sleeping with his glasses on all week because he couldn’t find his glasses case. When he got home, he discovered the case in his pillow case which meant that he was sleeping on the glasses case all week. He told us stories about several of the other boys lighting their farts on fire and wondering if the girls do that at their camps. Let me reassure you that girls definitely do not do that at camp….or anywhere. Nor do we belch the alphabet and then cheer. Or attempt to shove our entire fist into our mouth. (I’ve seen this done. Teenage boys are kind of…I’m not exactly sure what teenage boys are but I’d better figure it out because I have a couple.) Or sleep with our glasses on all week because we can’t find the glasses case that is underneath our head. In spite of the eye rolling elements of his camp, Nathan did have a great time. I’ll let him tell you about it:

Monday I left my scoutmaster’s house at 7:15 in the morning. It was drizzling here when we left, so I hoped it wasn’t raining up at camp. The camp we were going to was called camp Steiner. We drove for around an hour to get to camp Steiner. I was told that this camp was the highest scout camp in the U.S. with an elevation of 10,400 feet. When I got there, we set up camp and ate a light lunch. Then, in the pouring rain, I went and started taking the environmental science merit badge. I came back to camp soaked to the bone and ended the day.

Tuesday was better than Monday. The rain stopped and the weather was nice. Went to environmental science in the morning and had nature in the afternoon. In the evening, the camp staff did an honor trail that talked about the scout law. That was really cool.

Wednesday I had classes, but some fun stuff happened. The camp did this thing called chain gang, which was a service project. I was the only one out of my whole troop who went, so the activity director had to put me with somebody else. I got to help prep potatoes for a scoutmaster meal later in the week. As a thanks, I got a 2011 camp Steiner patch. The service was really fun. Wednesday evening I had to go fishing. (That was because I didn’t have any fishing gear and couldn’t be at camp alone.) So, my troop leader was helping a troop member with his pole, so I got to use my leader’s pole. I cast it out and caught a fish! My leader had to put down the other pole, release the fish, take pictures, etc. So I threw the line out again and caught another fish. My leader, after he put down the other pole, helped with the fish again, said: “Dude! Give me my pole so that I can catch some fish!” So I did. I was really happy. :-)

On Friday evening, it rained, then sleeted, then snowed! It was crazy!

The next stuff I will tell I can’t put with a day, so it is probably out of order.

The camp hosted this thing called the Mountain Man Relay. It was just a big race. My troop had three different teams competing in the relay. After the relay, when they called the winners, my troop came in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd! It was really fun to get three awards.

At the trading post at camp, they were selling apple beer. My scout leader took a picture of me with the “beer.”

One of the merit badges I took was archery. I didn’t pass the shooting section the first time, so I had to go back and try again. Went back to try again, it was raining and so cold that my fingers went numb. I didn’t pass. (again):-(

I also took basket weaving merit badge. The basket making was really fun.

Overall I think Nathan had a good time. He was kind of anxious before he went because he'd never been away from home for that long, but he got over that pretty quickly once he was there. Next year will be a breeze!

“Hiking’s not for everyone. Notice the wilderness is mostly empty.” ― Sonja Yoerg

Kev and I aren’t really big fans of hiking, mainly because I have a tendency to feel crappy in the heat. As a result, our kids don’t have a lot of experience with stuff like that. So when Nathan’s scout troop planned a campout where they had to hike up to the camping spot and pack all their gear in, he really had no idea what he was getting in to. Nevertheless, we helped him gather up everything he would need and sent him on his way yesterday afternoon. When he arrived home around lunch time today, he told us that it didn’t go so well. His troop leader had never hiked that particular location before and while the hike was not long (only about a mile and a half), it was steep. Really steep. Which made things much, much harder. And with his inexperience, it was even harder for Nathan. It took him longer than the other boys to complete the hike and once he got to the top he spent the evening throwing up from heat and exertion. So definitely not his most enjoyable campout.

To his credit, once he got showered, ate something and started to feel better, he was able to laugh about it. I think being able to chuckle at his own crazy life is an awesome skill. And to be able to laugh so soon afterward is pretty amazing. (It always takes me way longer…I’m still not to the point where I can laugh about having the cops show up at our house after Matthew’s birthday party.) I think that it was a valuable experience for him. It allowed him to do something he has never done before, prove to himself that he can complete something hard (in spite of the unpleasant after effects), and learn that even tough things can be managed with laughter. In my opinion, that made it a successful trip for him…and because he was out in the wild no one had to clean up the vomit.

He Has Been Enlightened

Tonight Daniel received his Arrow of Light.  When he first started cub scouts, he didn’t really care all that much about it.  But over the past three years Daniel has really come to enjoy scouting.  Our Pack Leader asked us to tell share one way we have seen Daniel grow through scouting and I have to say that he has tried things that he never would have tried on his own.  He has always been interested in science in its various forms, but because of scouting I think his interests have diversified.  He has become aware of a whole world full of interesting things.  He still looks at them through the lens of a scientist, but three years ago he never would have been interested in archery or whittling.  He is more likely to try new things than he was before and his social skills have definitely grown through interactions with his den leaders and fellow cub scouts.  I’m very proud of him for his accomplishment and am anxiously awaiting the further expansion of his world through the many and varied activities of boy scouts.  Daniel is excited by what is to come as well.

Life's Lessons Aren't Always Easy

Tonight was the Pinewood Derby.  Daniel and Nathan have both spent the past week getting their cars ready.  Daniel was excited to race.  Nathan, having never done a derby before, wasn't sure if he was excited.  Rather than just having one winner for first, second, and third places, our troop opted to have three winners in each of three colors: blue, red, and white.  Essentially, they would have nine winners instead of only three.  When the boys got home after everything was over, Nathan informed me that he had tied for first place in the white category (that translates to 7th place).  He had not expected to win anything and was pleasantly surprised.  He was very gracious about it, not boastful or bragging.  I was pretty darn proud of how he handled a bit of success.

Daniel was disappointed that he didn't do better.  He was presented with a certificate for the most artistic car, but he was a bit upset.  For a kid who has been largely successful in his endeavors thus far, it was a bit tough not only not doing as well as he had hoped, but to have his little brother do better than he did.  Daniel is very used to doing things the other boys don't get to do and getting things they don't get.  It is just part and parcel of being the oldest.  But as the other boys get older, I'm afraid he's going to have to deal with not always being first in line for things.  And like everyone, he will learn that we don't always get to win.  And as his mother, I have to say that I think it is good for him to experience all the ups and downs that life has to offer.