Scout Camp

B is in the bright blue sweatshirt ...

B is 4th from the left. This is the group on the hike into camp

B is on the far right

B went to Boy Scout camp last week. [Thank you to my friend, Camie, for the pictures!! I really appreciate it!] The troop left EARLY Monday morning (3:45am). He said he had a better time than he thought he'd have at camp. He earned 4 merit badges. I told him that he had to get Environmental Science, but then he could pick which other ones he wanted to do. He did earn the Environmental Science one, along with Sculpture, Art, and Cooking. He also passed the very challenging swimming test on the 2nd try. Not all scouts pass it. He said that the water was freezing (58 degrees), and it was hard to breathe. He was happy to be home (Saturday afternoon). Happy for a clean, warm shower. Happy for a clean, flushing toilet. He admitted that he thought about hugging the toilet, he was so happy to see it! Also, he said he's going to have nightmares about "Big John". He shudders just talking about it! A highlight for him was the cash that we sent him to treat himself at the scout store. He LOVED the chocolate tacos! He enjoyed learning a few different card games, too. I'm so glad that he had fun, and that he returned safely. As for the rest of the family, we missed him ... but, it was a little eerie how quiet the house was while B was away .... hmmm ...

Hike in Folsom

Folsom Lake

Throwing logs into the water

Last Saturday, we went for a short family hike near Folsom Lake. The weather was beautiful. It was nice getting out of the house and spending time together. We saw butterflies, caterpillars, bumble bees, lots of wild flowers, and a few horses, too. Yes, there was a downside to sharing the trail with horses!!

What's Up, Doc!?!

When T heard that our we had "Rabbit Ears" for a plant, he decided that they could be HIS rabbit ears. We've had this particular plant at our home since we moved in. It is a transplant from G's childhood home. The leaves are SO SOFT ... like a rabbit's ear! So, G helped give T his rabbit ears. He put a dish towel in the waistband of his shorts and grabbed a carrot from the fridge. He had a great time until the rubber band started to feel really tight! Pretty creative, I must say!!

Birthday Follow-Up

G & B at The Golden Corral Restaurant for B's birthday. B LOVED the small cinnamon & sugar donuts.

N with Grandpa at dinner -- stuffed!!!

B waited all day to open his presents. His brothers gave him some Legos, and he got a card and some $$ from Boppi & Grandma Marie. The present from me and G was wrapped in 3 boxes, one in another! He got a real kick out of that! Especially seeing a huge rock in the box!
In the last of the 3 boxes, there was some serious cash for B! He couldn't believe it! He was not sure of what he wanted, so we decided to let him decide for himself. We were going to get him his own iPod, but he wasn't sure if that's what he wanted. We told him that he needs to really be mindful of how he wants to spend his money, and that we'd like to discuss it with him first. He seems okay with that.

One thing he KNEW he wanted was his cookie pizza! We were all so stuffed from the buffet dinner that we didn't actually eat any of it on his birthday. But we sang to him and he blew out the candles. We sure enjoyed it the day after!! I think he's had this for his birthday for the past 3 or 4 birthdays. He LOVES it. Happy Birthday, B!

I'm DONE with Middle School!!

N was officially promoted from Middle School on Wednesday, June 2nd. He has loved his time at this middle school. The staff is great!! Grandpa was able to join us for the promotion ceremonies, too! We had great seats in the bleachers, and could see N very well. It was a very nice ceremony. High School, here he comes!!!! Class of '14!


... Then I had to make a mad dash over to T's kindergarten picnic. That's another story ...

Happy 12th Birthday, B!!

HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, B!! It was much easier for me to find silly pictures of B than 'nice' ones because he's always being silly. As I've said before, he's the 'spice in the soup of our family'. And we can't imagine not having him in our family. Yes, he's silly, but he also has a tender heart and is very thoughtful. It's hard to believe that he's 12 years old today. Time flies. We love you, B!

My first 10K

N & J eating watermelon, waiting for me to cross the finish line

My dear friend, Kristin, came down to cheer me on. I saw her at the half-way point in my run and at the finish line. It meant a lot to me that she'd come and support me.
Me, after the race, with the family. It was nice to have them there. The boys had fun digging around in the dirt looking for bugs while they waited.
Here I am crossing the finish line ... finally!! You can see G in the background taking my picture. It was so nice to have him there encouraging me along the way, especially while I was about to take on another hill!

I DID IT!!!!

I'm coming around the bend here. This is at the half-way point (3.1 miles)
The trails were really nice, however, there were random people from the city taking their dogs on walks, kids in strollers, people on roller blades etc., that kind of got in the way here and there. They were nice, but I often had to loudly say, "Coming through!"
When N and I arrived, we saw some Elders! They are currently serving in Rocklin. We HAD to get a picture of them with N. I LOVED how they still wore their white shirts, ties and name tags. Way to go!
And, here I am before the race. [I cannot rearrange my pictures anymore on my blog! I don't know why, and it's frustrating!] So, I wanted to push myself a bit further than a 5K. So I ramped up my running a bit in the last while. I did not anticipate the hills on this course, which kicked my behind! I loved how this was NOT crowded at all. Just perfect. N came with me early to get settled and warmed-up. G came with his dad and the boys right before the race started. It was wonderful having the support there for me. It meant a lot. As I mentioned above, my friend Kristin came, too. I was really hoping to finish in 60 minutes, but the hills did me in and I finished in 67 minutes. Not too bad for my first 10K, with hills, too! I actually finished in the top half in my age category! =)