Girl Scout Campout-Day 2

Last night I was able to go and have some dessert with a fellow blogging friend and we talked about how we have not been keeping up with our blogs. So, here I am, when I should be cleaning, doing laundry and preparing for the 30 or so guests that will be in my home in less than 2 days, me-I'm updating my blog.

We wrapped up our first night of camping with a lovely campfire and smores. The girls entertained us with singing and skits.

Have you ever seen a more exhausted child?

Brenna was having a blast as she performed with her fellow Daises. I was very impressed at how Brenna jumped right in and definitely earned her keep over the weekend. She was out, in the pitch black night, gathering firewood, breaking the long branches and stacking them by the fire. Someone complimented her by saying she would make an excellent Brownie. All of the hard work made both of them very tired, so we turned in rather early.

It got very cold that night and after Avery fell off of her cot, every move they made seemed to wake me up. Then there was the 747 that was headed for our camp at 500mph. Well, it wasn't really a 747. I didn't find this out until I heard the train whistle blow and realized it was an actual train. I think the tracks must have been 20 feet behind our tent. Boy that think was loud!!

These two look like they got a good nights sleep!

Part of camping is "leaving no trace". The girls must leave things to appear as if they were never there. Due to Avery's complaining before breakfast, she earned the privilege of cleaning the latrines. I don't think we will hear complaining again, at least for a little while.

The morning was cool and crisp and I wish I could have stayed out there all day. The air was still and the leaves were changing. There was a peace that seemed to wrap around us like a blanket. The light was warm on our faces and God's beauty poured out like sweet honey. We are so blessed to escape this concrete jungle where we reside and spend time surrounded by His breathtaking creations.

The morning ended with the girls receiving their earned patches. We loaded up our wagons and took our gear to the car and said goodbye to the exciting time of learning and fellowship we experienced over the last two days.

Camping with Girl Scouts- Day One

Avery started her camping on Friday night and Brenna and I joined her at lunch time on Saturday. When Brenna and I arrived the troop had just returned from a nature hike. We all sat down for a lunch of ham roll-ups, carrots and celery and chips. Once lunch was over the girls had "turtle time" or down time. Most of the girls worked on the skits for later that night. The girls and I moved all of our gear into our platform tent and made our beds for the night.

It was really nice to see the girls getting along so well and having so much fun.

One game that caught on quickly was a version of "Ring Around the Rosie". All of the girls walked around the campfire on the benches. The largest gap was where Brenna is crossing in this picture (the one with the red jacket tied around her waist). It was really fun to watch them try to cross it. Avery and Brenna had it pretty easy since they are the tallest of the bunch. Some of our smaller girls had to really focus to make the jump.

The highlight of this camp-out was the Love, Hug and Groom activity. This is where the girls were able to tour this horse barn and love, hug and groom some very sweet horses.

After the barn tour, the girls put on their hair nets and helmets to join the horses.
Brenna really soaked up the entire experience, Avery on the other hand was less enthusiastic. I think a lot of it had to do with my presence. We all know how our children act differently when we are around and this was a classic example.
I really wish we could arrange for Brenna to do this on a regular basis. You never know, maybe a horse is in her future!
The very first time Avery camped with Girl Scouts, their camp was not far from this location. I couldn't help but be in awe at the beauty God had created in this little spot on the world. It was really hard to capture on camera.
Avery was not feeling very well after the tour so we found a picnic table for her to lay down on and I took a few photos.

Hallo-Whine!!

Our day started with Cooper and I going to vote. Early voting went very quickly and easily. After voting it was off to Brenna's school for pumpkin decorating. Cooper enjoys doing the activities along with everyone else. He's going to have experienced Kindergarten and First Grade before he even gets there.

For dinner last night we had these "Mummy Dogs", which is a hot dog wrapped in strips of crescent rolls, and we also had pepperoni that we called "scabs". I know, GROSS!!! But the kids loved it!

After dinner, I got the kids all dressed up, again. We made a few changes from last time. Cooper got a coat of green paint on his face since he didn't want to wear his mask. Brenna also changed her mind from Little Red Riding Hood to a Veterinarian. We used Avery's doctor costume from last year and doctored up a bear to finish off the look.

Our first stop was our church's Family Fun night. The kids played games like "Daniel in the Lions Den", "David and Goliath", and "Fisher's of Men". This is the only picture from the church. I was not able to take any pictures because I was working at our Sunday School's game booth and Tony would not take pictures for me! Moving on...

Now I have the camera and we are at Tonya and David's to take the kids trick-or-treating in their neighborhood with their cousin Quintin. At the very first house we came to, the lady had a turtle that her dog decided to play with and wanted to show the kids. She asked Brenna if she could help repair it's shell and asked Cooper if he was related. It was funny.

How do you get 6-8 kids to look at a camera to get one nice photo on Halloween night? You don't. Here is the best result of my attempt. Now it's off to more houses.

During our trek around the neighborhood, we met up with the local volunteer fire department. They were passing out candy to the kids and helped keep their eye out for smoking jack-o-lanterns.

On our way to the next few houses is when we started loosing the kids. No, they didn't get lost, they began to whine and complain. Their feet hurt and their bags were too heavy! Have you ever heard of such a thing? When I was a kid, it was our parents dragging us home because they were tired! Brenna even said, "Mom, you know the fire department could of helped us out." I asked her how and she replied, "They could of given us a ride home!"

We finally made it back to Tonya's and the kids sat on the curb looking exhausted and pitiful. We invited Quintin over to spend the night and they all fell asleep in the car. Last night was a lot of fun and I'm glad that it only comes once a year.