The Boys Are Back in Town

 Hubby and M- are back after 12 days and close to 140 miles of hiking at the Philmont Scout Ranch!

Warning - lots of photos in this post and since I wasn't there I am going on the boys commentary of their experience.  But, I know a lot of you are awaiting some photos from their trip:)  Enjoy!  If you aren't a scout, you're gonna wish you were as this is some gorgeous country!

Arrival at the Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico (3 hours from our house) - I can't even estimate the acreage, but it is immense!  Most, if not all, donated by Waite Phillips a self-made millionaire who valued the benefits of the Boy Scouts.

Inspection of packs at the Trailbound Camp.  There is also a Homebound camp for those returning from their journey.  There were about 2200 boys from all over the country on treks during same period of time the boys hiked.  Honestly, when I picked them up I felt a bit overwhelmed with the multitude of teenage boys!  There are girls too - but not nearly as many.

Packing up the food for next few days and getting it in the bear bags.  When setting up camp, they adhere to something called the "bear-muda" triangle to stay safe from bears - thankfully they only saw signs of bear no actual bears.  

Look at all the packs lined up and ready to get on the trail. 

On the bus to get dropped at the trail for the beginning of the adventure!  How happy do they look?  Honestly, Michael has wanted to hike Philmont since he was a boy scout.  To do it with his son - priceless!

And they are off!  Their crew consisted of 8 boys and 4 adults.  M- was the youngest by by 2 years.

Their trek consisted of many stops and programs along the way.  Staff dress in 1800's period clothing and the kids get to do a multitude of activities.  Sadly, some were rained out so they didn't get to do as much as they might have.  1st stop, the spar poles.  

There's M- at the top!

Here he is at the blacksmith making a hook.

The crew in miner attire - they went in an old mine and had to find their way out in the dark.

More hiking - does this even look like New Mexico?!  Such beauty - if it didn't mean I had to have no shower and wear no deodorant and pee in the woods for 12 days, I'd be all about getting out here!

Hatchet throwing - I guess M- was the only one in his group to land the target:)

Hubby shooting the black powder rifle.

Packing up more food for the next 5 days. 

In the distance - Mt. Baldy (ha ha great name for the mountain without the trees).  That's where they are headed.

On top of Mt. Baldy.  This makes me want to start singing "On Top of Old Smokey... all covered with cheese... I lost my poor meatball"... Okay I digress:)

The boys

Again - the beauty of New Mexico... pretty amazing.

A C.O.P.E course - exercise in trust (M-'s falling)

Selfie on top of the Tooth of Time

The last day has taken it's toll - waiting for the bus to head back to Homebound camp

Here's E-!  We drove out to pick them up and enjoy the closing campfire.  Stayed at the Haunted St. James Hotel...more on that from E- later.  Let's just say I didn't sleep!  Many deaths there - gun shot holes in the ceiling.  Many famous people stayed there - Annie Oakley, Jesse James, Billy the Kid, Kit Carson.  Very cool.

An experience of a lifetime!  So glad they got to do this and happy to have the family home again:)

Home and off again!

My kids came home!  

M- still looking a little tired after a week of being in charge of 27 kids and dealing with theft, fights, and knife issues!  There is reason to worry about the state of the world when 11 year olds have these issues at scout camp.  Other than the issues, he won the FitBit weekly contest with 117,000 steps, lost a little weight (bad food), got a little sunburned and bug-bitten, earned all of his merit badges, gained a few nicknames (Hawkeye for Archery, American Sniper for Rifle shooting, and Note Boy for taking so many notes in First Aid), and learned a lot!  He also got the Golden Arrow for the best archery score in the entire camp:)

E- had more than a blast at her Summer Workshop.  I can't even really describe how fantastic this experience is.... definitely check out her blog as you'll get a better idea of what goes on at a writing workshop.  The creativity of these teens that come to Kansas for a week from all over the country (and some other countries) is amazing.  They sing, dance, dress up (cosplay), learn, write, laugh, cry and share their talents.  Mr. and Mrs. S (founders of the OYAN program and the workshop) are amazing.  The concept of the One Year Adventure Novel, the Forum, the webinars, the summer workshop... I can't praise it enough.  If you homeschool you gotta check it out.  If you don't and you want an excellent writing program you gotta check it out.  If you are an adult who wants to write a novel - check it out!  

M- and friends 

E- and friend for 20's night!  They had swing dancing!

And today, my boys left for Philmont!  If all goes as planned they will hike a little over 100 miles in 12 days.  It's monsoon season here and sadly a scout was killed in a freak flash flood accident a couple days ago (at Philmont).  Prayers and good thoughts are appreciated as they embark on their adventure.  E- and I will be picking them up at the end of the trek and that will be another adventure in and of itself as we are staying in a haunted hotel!  Wish me luck!

Philmont Bound!

When the Kids are Away... the Parents Will Play!

I met Michael in Santa Fe yesterday afternoon and we walked Canyon Road.  I'd never been there before - SO cool!  For those that don't know it is road filled with art galleries and a few pricey restaurants (like $90/plate stuff - yikes!).  Most of the galleries were about to close, so we just walked the road and checked the outside sculpture gardens.  Definitely want to go back and spend a day going in the galleries.

Such great photo opportunities - I couldn't resist!

Loved these gardens - so many twirly things and plants... so peaceful.

This one cracked me up!  Rock, Paper, Scissors -  haha.

This one just reminded me of E- and how she takes on life:)  Such joy!

This one's a little crazy - but kind of cool

This is how we'd like to be sitting around in NM this week - 106 degrees is a killer:)!

One of the galleries had a garden of paper crane sculptures - so beautiful

Michael liked Canyon Road too!

And what is a day in Santa Fe without a margarita or two?

Cheers my friends!

It's a busy summer!

I think I told you about a busy May in the last post... well, June has been just as nuts so hold on as I catch you up.

E- organized a raft trip on the Rio Grande (Taos Box) for the Venture Crew.  That's most of the new crew above and if you look close you'll find me too!  Yep - I braved the 17 mile trip with class 2,3,and 4 rapids, thunderstorms, heavy wind and rain and cold!  Super fun - I was just a "little" nervous, but in the end so glad I got to go:)  

June Court of Honor was eventful with  Michael getting beaded for Wood Badge, officially becoming the new Scoutmaster for our BSA Troop, E- earning her next Venture award (Discovery), and M- earning 4 merit badges and rank advancement to Life Scout (next step is Eagle!).

Wood Badge Beading

Yay for the Life Scout!

Someone's happy:)

Michael's getting pretty good with the microphone.

I'm just including this picture as the setting for this event is so cool - a local park.  Seriously, look at the mountain - doesn't even look real.  And yep, that's E- and M- up there front and center.

In between camps the kids were both home for a week of TKD and Hapkido classes.  E- got to flip her brother a few times.  No fun was had obviously!

Then it was off to Denver for E- to attend L.E.A.D. and her Steubenville of the Rockies conference.  This is her small group.  She came back super energized, excited and happy:)

While E- was in Denver, I baked up a deep dish cookie sundae... Oh My!  It is not a good thing to have this recipe.  

We celebrated Father's Day at the Corrales Farmers Market with maybe the best breakfast burritos in town....

And then drove Matthew to start his next camp (a week at Gorham).  He is the SPL (Senior Patrol Leader) so basically leading all the boys from his troop (about 30 of them) as well as working on merit badges in Life Saving, First Aid, Rifle Shooting, Pioneering, and Archery.

He looks so grown up!

Later that night, we picked up E- from her Denver trip and stayed up later than I like (midnight) doing laundry and re-packing for her next camp the following morning!

E- the traveler!  Leaving for OYAN (One Year Adventure Novel) Summer Writing Workshop in Kansas!  She's been in the airport more in one week than I've been in a couple years!  

So there's June.  Both kiddos come home on the same day which leaves Michael and I an entire week of couple time before he and M- head off to hike in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains at Philmont for 12 days.  

Here's to summer!