Last day ~ again!?!

Here it is the end of the month, again. How did that happen?!? {figuratively, folks! I do understand the passage of time!}  Yikes!!!!

Wrap up or high lights of the month:

• advanced green belt earned by Thing Two
• weekend camping trip for oldest
• survived Hurricane Sandy
• 15 hours without power
• 16 therapy sessions
• 4 baseball games
• several baseball practices
• 11 sessions of Tae Kwon Do (multiple classes per session)
• funeral in another state
• field trip to Cox Farm
• 4 Sunday services
• 2 times to play bass
• 4 Wednesday Night Services
• 1 doctors appointment
• major vehicle repair on one car (cheaper than buying a new and should give 3 or more years of life to the vehicle)
• 2 week days with all extra activities canceled (thank you Sandy)
• 4 Scout meetings
• 1 Court of Honor for 3 Eagle Scouts from Troop 2215
• folks birthdays (my parents were born 362 days apart)
• trip to Skyline Drive

Some how this doesn't sound as hectic as the last time I did a month wrap up, but still busy!  All that is left for today is school, some cleaning, and figuring out what to do tonight!

A Family Day

Every once in awhile you need a day off, a day to hang out without other responsibilities.

Our schedules have been full, by our choice, and then life throws a few extra things in there as well.  A lesson in being flexible!  A learning opportunity of how to juggle life's demands with grace and a smile.

We took today to hang out and do stuff together.  I made a quick trip to Wally World for normal life stuff and fun road trip food.  Boys wondered why I'd gotten Goldfish Pretzels, Milanos, and Pringles.   Kevin and I let them know we were going to see the mountains.  Got a "Going to see the mountains, that sounds boring!"  We headed out west for Sky Line Drive despite the rain.  Took a chance that it would still be worth it.  An opportunity to show Thing Two why a Sunday Drive can be a good thing.

 Periodically, when passing Markham, Virginia, I feel

obligated to take a picture of the sign.  Not sure if the Markham's

I come from are related to the ones that started this town.

 Small church with a pretty tree out front.

 Not sure if this was the first over look we stopped at.  Immediately

getting out of the car, could smell that someone had a fire going.  Lovely

smell!  Almost expected to hear a train too!

Thing Two exclaimed that it was an awesome view and said he was

glad we made the trip!

 Low hanging clouds everywhere we went.

 Some chilled boys where thankful for wearing blue jeans

and sweatshirts.  Fun to look over the edge of the mountains,

but was chilly as well.

 Lots of low clouds.  Lots of questions about what is in clouds!

At least I could ask the question back, "What does it feel like!"

Wonder how long Thing Two will remember that science lesson.

 Layers and layers of clouds today.

 So, I don't normally join in on the pictures.  I just don't like

pictures of myself, at all.  Read this article in Huffington Post

that made me realize I should be in more!

Yes, Charlotte was originally in photo too, but not her pretty end.

Got most cropped out but the tip of her tail that is white!

 Here is Charlotte, patrolling the wall.

 

The higher we got into the mountains, the more clouds we drove

through.  Neat experience.

On the way home, Thing Two need a pit stop.  We found a Shell Station that just happened to be next door to The Apple House.  If you are a part of Boy Scout Troop 2215, you'll understand why we stopped there instead.  Just about every time the Troop goes west to camp, they stop by the place for donuts.  Kevin even liked the donuts and he's not to keen on apple products.

Court of Honor

Troop 2215 had a Court of Honor (CoH) this evening.  At a CoH, Scouts who have achieved a new rank or who have received new merit badges are recognized.  Thing One was recognized for achieving his Scout rank as well as earning Swimming, First Aid, Canoeing, and Golf merit badges while at camp.

We're proud of our Scout!

Boy Scout Camp

We picked up Thing One from camp today.  They had a family time/BBQ and bonfire Friday evening and we'd gone up to check things out.  When leaving Camp Tuckahoe, we gave him the option of riding with the Troop or us.  He choose us.  Still made him help clean up though.  LOL!

He seems to have had a good time, not to many details shared; seems like he has to take some time to decompress after a very BUSY week.  We did hear that he'd been working hard all week and was able to complete the four merit badges he started there ~ Golf, Swimming, First Aid, and Canoeing.  It was also kind of nice to hear that the Scout Masters there had to remind him of the some things we've been doing for awhile.  It kind of felt good to look him in the eyes and say "See, your dad and I aren't to far off on what we expect out of you!"

It was kind of nice at the bonfire!  They started out with some of the instructors playing leap frog (I know a kids game, but keep reading).  Turns out their version turns into a competition.  After each round the guys get a bit higher, and higher, and higher.  If you can't make it over with a clean landing, you are out.  It got down to two guys left and they were asking for guys, from the audience, that were over 6'4" to come be jumped over.  This guy ended up raising his hands and arms to make a higher obstacle.  Also during the course of the evening, they gave away awards for various things (leadership by Scout Masters, camp entry way, belly flop award, and others I don't remember).  Think Troop 2215 came away with 5 or more.  Nice evening to see what our son had been doing all week.

Now back to the reality of life.  All the guys in the household are up at church and I'm home doing post camp laundry!  Suppose I'll take the laundry because it means I have a fairly quiet house with the only noises being a sleeping dog and a fan running (can't even hear the washer!).  Not such a bad bargain.  So I'm off to knit, wash, and have a quiet time.