So two weeks ago I hit the Big 50th Birthday. Now what? I decided I should start counting backwards(probably easier to remember). And how did I spend my special day? Ordering porta potties for a Boy Scout Rappelling and Zipline camping trip. And I was trying not to lose my cool when discussing finances for the trip with a very control freak boy scout leader(he wanted to pay for everything ahead of time-food and portapotty, but I did not yet have a final head count to divide the amount). Anyway, I was busy at Scott's meeting collecting permission slips, liability forms and checks and answering questions that I did not have answers to because we did not do this trip last year. Scott just joined this troop in February. And Tom and I found out that they left a lot of information out that they should have told us(like exactly how much responsibility was left up to us). Tom was busy loading my van with tons of camping and cooking gear. He ended up cooking for about 25 adults-2 breakfasts(hot), 2 bagged lunches and 1 dinner. (It's a good thing I have some very large cooking pots!)It is a big contest to see who can make the best food. Tom made Italian Wedding Soup, Chicken Jambalaya and Cherry Chocolate Dutch Oven Cobbler for dinner on Sat. The soup was the big hit. We were all so hungry, we had Tom serve dinner before 5pm. I guess being outside and hiking up mountains and climbing down ropes and sitting in the cold and dark and wet makes you very hungry! Breakfast included Egg McToms and lots of tasty sandwiches for lunch.

Tom headed up to our campground on Friday afternoon after prepping the food items and loading the van. He wanted to get there before dark. He spent Thursday afternoon shopping for food items. Scott and I did not make the Friday night camping since Scott was in his late night religious badge class until 9pm. I did not want to try and drive down country roads late at night looking for a few boy scouts in their tents out in a farm field. As it was, I got lost on Saturday morning. Stupid GPS. But we arrived in plenty of time to hike up a very steep mountain. It was so steep, they actually carved steps into the granite to get to the summit. I headed off with the boys. Tom stayed at the campsite cooking all day. I was not about to try rapelling(especially since I am currently failing the boy scout medical exam). But Scott was brave and he tried it-way to go Scott! Needless to say, that first step off the mountain cliff is very scary, but the rest of the way down looks like fun. He was brave enough to try it twice. On Sunday we all broke camp after breakfast and headed over to a zipline/ropes course. Scott had actually been there before with a YMCA summer camp outing so he was familiar with the run. He was able to get in 3 runs since we had 34 people and just 2 hrs.

Tom meanwhile packed up and headed home instead to unpack and clean all the pots and pans and our tent and sleeping bags. It was cold and wet all weekend, overcast and I believe it even snowed that evening! We adults ended up going to bed early on SAturday night after singing a few campfire songs around the bonfire and eating our dessert and drinking hot chocolate. I enjoyed hearing the girls from the Venture group singing Girl Scout songs. Boy Scouts usually just do skits, but noone had anything planned. Girl SCouts always have songs to sing! That Sunday afternoon, Scott and I had to empty out our car and I got started on laundry. Scott got started on his homework.

On Monday, Tom was headed off to Salt Lake City for the week. We had celebrated my birthday with the neighbors at a surprise birthday party that Tom organized and our neighbors hosted. On Tuesday night, Scott, Tom and I went out to dinner and I opened my gifts. I was very happy to get a new Swatch watch, OT earrings and tickets to see Straight No Chaser-the Accopella singing group. They are in town this year for one night only. I think we are sitting in the basement! Of course it is sold out. The group is from Indy and we both really enjoy their music, especially their holiday concert. So we try to catch them at Christmas any time they come to town. And I think Tom has caught the traveling bug from Allison and I as we can't stop talking about our European trip this past summer. Tom wants to go on a cruise or travel overseas and go on a cruise. Whatever. Like I have time to squeeze that in! Next summer we plan on traveling to Indy for Eric Seitz's wedding in June, and then travel up around Lake Michigan through Wisconsin and Michigan. And I really don't have that much vacation with my new job so I will have to save up. I already plan on using the first of my time off this Christmas to travel with the family to Florida.

I did get some volunteer time in at Scott's school. This will be the last year that we have to put in 30 hrs of volunteer time. I helped out with grandparents day. The school invites all the grandparents to come visit in the morning. First we fill them up with donuts and coffee and then send them off to get lost looking for their grandkids classrooms. They get to spend some time seeing what the kids are learning and then we all meet in the church for a prayer service. We have enough grandparents to fill up the entire church, so the kids have to squeeze in around them. Then each class puts on a small presentation-a song, a prayer, a video presentation or music presentation. It was a very nice program and all the grandparents loved seeing their grandkids in action -from preschool to 8th grade. I put Scott to work helping pass out coffee and assisting the music director with the songs. And he only had a little technological issue with the buttons!

This past week Scott and I were on our own as Tom had left for Salt Lake City on Monday. I was busy picking Scott up from school at his Lego Club meeting and getting him to choir early in the morning. And he had a paper to write for his health class and a science test to study for. Turns out he was not feeling well on Monday and I left him home Tuesday with a fever. He got through some of his studies and wrote his paper, but he had a ton of classwork to catch up with the next day. Plus we had boy scouts(we left early to get home so he could study for his science test). His semester is coming to an end so the teachers fill up their schedule. He also had a religion test and spelling test to make up. Turns out I had to come home early on Thursday as my blood pressure shot up in the morning. I took a second pill and emailed my doctor since she was out of town. I have a follow up appointment next week, but for now I am taking a stronger dose. Which made me very tired, so I spent most of this weekend sleeping and napping.

But when I was awake I was busy cleaning and shopping. We were going to host our neighbors for turkey day, but I think they felt sorry for me and bowed out. So we are going to have our friend John Dutton over(from California originally) and of course, Allison is coming home on Tuesday. So lots of food shopping and cleaning. I even had enough energy to clean out a few closets and drop off some more of the kids old clothes to the consignment store. And I did have a little fun when I went out to play Bingo Friday night for the high school fund raiser. Sadly this was the first year I did not win anything(it was because Allison is no longer there). Just wait until next year when SCott attends high school!

And SCott was busy babysitting our neighbor's son while they went to a matinee of Jersey Boys, so Tom decided we should all go and see the new Thor movie. Of course, that did me in for the rest of the night.
And speaking of night, I still have more paperwork to take care of for our boy scout troop(counting and separating checks). So enjoy our camping photos!

 The Thrill of Victory!!! (at the bottom of the hill)

 The first step is the hardest!

 Scott looks like a pro!

 Zipline fun!

 The long climb

 Rappelling wall

Here we are at BAse Camp Alpha on our Boy Scout Rappelling/Zipline weekend. I got live action shots of Scott rappelling for his first time, along with a couple runs on the zip line(you have to bring your gear back with you after traveling across a ravine). And here are the steps up the mountain we used to get to the top.