Cub Day Camp for DJ

Ok, so I had the toughest time dealing with the fact that DJ was actually old enough for Cub Day Camp this year! Granted, if you join Cub Scouts outside of our Church, you start around age 6 (I think), but within our Church, you start at age 8 (DJ actually went the week before his birthday since it was so close, and there were other boys who were in his grade going from our Ward...besides, he's sort of taller than the average 9 year old at this point anyway!).
I stayed at camp one day as a 'walker' for our group. They were a really good group of kids, and I had a lot of fun...not nearly as much fun as they had though! It was a 'Wild West' theme, and some of the activities were just wonderful!
1st photo: DJ ready to go (and wondering why we're wasting time taking pictures!).
2nd photo: Trying out the lasso he just made from the rope he made (read, twisted bailing twine) at one of the stations. The boys had tons of fun with this activity and we rarely had to tell them not to lasso each other even!

3rd photo: they had an archery range that DJ really loved (I missed most of this one as it was the closest station to a 'real' bathroom, and I took advantage!). They each got 2 turns with 4 or 5 arrows, he did pretty well, for it being the 1st time he's even held a bow & arrow!

4th & 5th photos: Then, they had the 'bucking bronco' station. If I knew how to upload video here, I'd put up one that I got of DJ! He rode like a pro, and took some of the harshest 'bucking' the leaders dealt out to our group! After 4 or 5 turns each, DJ finally landed on his face, and ended up with a slight bloody nose and some scratches on his face...he took it like a pro! I'm pretty sure this was the highlight of the entire week! I don't think having to leave early and go to his friend's house for me to pick him up due to a tornado watch was any more exciting! That storm was pretty scary looking, let me tell you! Thankfully, it turned out to be nothing more than a really nasty thunder/lightening storm.

He can't wait to do this again next year! Maybe I'll be 'better' about him going off all day long all week long next year!

Back To School, 2009

Ok, so things aren't going to be chronological much for a while, but I'm trying to get some pictures and basic info in here before I forget what happened this past year!

Back to school: Ariel's a Junior now (can you even believe it!), Tori's a Freshman (again...yikes!), DJ's in 3rd grade and Jr's in 1st grade. They grow up SO incredibly fast! Just looking at these pictures makes me realize how much Tori's hair has grown out, and that Jr's hair has been cut since this picture (and is growing out again...she's decided, again, that she wants it long).

The 1st picture of DJ & Jr is my favorite one for over-all photogenic qualities, but the 2nd one is a better picture of Jr as far as 'seeing' her.

Now, my 'fashionable' teens had to be slightly more creative in their posing, so you'll see more personality in these pictures.

Here's hoping I get more things posted on my blog with the coming year. I'm not making it a 'New Year's Resolution', as I've yet to keep one of those for more than a month or two. I'm just trying to put it more in the fore-front of my mind in my list of organizing my time.