Our Side of the Tracks: JULY 2k19: Scout Camp

Once upon a time in 2k18 I went to scout camp because Chuck needed a second leader, and I'm a sucker. Cue this year, same situation, still a sucker. Extra fun though because Clyde was there AND Willy Boy as well!

Will, testing out the hammock. Crucial task.

Four pretty awesome scouts under our care for the week!

First order of the day (after tent set up): swim tests!

Wellllll, swim tests for three of us.

Insta caption: Not super sure how I keep finding myself in these situations 🤔😅. One last Scout camp, let’s do this thing! ⚜️🏕🚣🏼‍♂️🦌🙌🏼

Let's be honest: I come for the food.

Very excited that Will has the chance to learn rifle shooting from the man, the myth, the legend: Calvin.

Homework! Those merit badges don't earn themselves ;).

Yes I spent a lot of time in the hammock, why do you ask?

I spy with my little eye a cute moody teenager...

Not super sure what my end goal was here, some kind of random pose or picture with Will?

The opening fire bowl was worth the price of admission if only for Will's reaction and laughter and giggling. He is SO funny to watch:

Polar Bear Plunge, year 2, let's get it.

Before:

After:

Insta caption: Nothing like a brisk walk 💃🏻 to the waterfront circa 630am followed by a Polar Bear Plunge 🥶 to get some Izatts awake and alert for the day! Bonus: I’m also counting it as my shower for today. 🚿🙌🏼 Scoutmaster Chuck tells the boys it’s totally okay and awesome to be dirty at Scout Camp but every day it has to be new dirt starting on a clean surface ☺️

Will was delighted each and every time we happened upon a deer!

I mean, nature DOES look good on me....

Me, documenting the beautiful skies and trees while I rest in the hammock...

Chuck down at the waterfront documenting some boys in their canoe merit badge class!

Met up at the shooting range, where else?

Scout camp lands over the Fourth of July? Cool, I got nails for that.

Will loved open chess time in the lodge!

Pause for a deer photo op...

Backkkk to chess.

And the shooting range!

Clyde doing some climbing...

Chuck is VERY mean and scared us and made a video and I may have screamed a lot and possibly directed one finger at Chuck and it maybe wasn't like a thumbs up if ya know what I mean.

Clyde at the shooting range.

Clyde doing the lifesaving merit badge:

Got talked into attempting the swim test.

I make it look so graceful and effortless, am I right?

Taking a quick break to see if the nice young man watching me would accept a bribe and let me quit early. He said no.

It's cool though, I persevered and passed the dumb thing. Have I mentioned I'm not a strong swimmer?

Chuck surprised me with this and it's probably one of the most romantic gestures I've ever received.

We all love Calvin and benefit from his wisdom and amazing teaching!

First nails, then fake eyelashes. It's a whole new Scout Camp!

Dramatic lashes necessitate dramatic selfies. Also, Chuck put these on me. Romantic gesture just ahead of cookie dough ice cream for those keeping track.

Waterfront selfie for these two, heading out to canoe.

Happy teenager because I agreed to head down to the climbing wall with him.

Pretty sure this was painful for all involved... me, people who had to watch me....

Reason #312 to let your mama tag along to Scout camp haha:

Aaaaand reason #313: late night catching up on the new Dude Perfect!

Super cool flag burning ceremony.

Camp shut down for the 4th of July evening, so we piled the kids up and headed into McCall... the state park... Ponderosa? I forget.

Insta caption: Scout camp survival pro tip: if you’re tired and grumpy Thursday night, everyone is happy to let you sleep in Friday morning and Chuck will even bring you breakfast in tent 😋🥣🥛⛺️... be warned though, you may feel compelled to apologize for your “possibly” “irrational” “behavior” 😬🤦🏻‍♀️. We’re enjoying our last day up here in McCall 🌲🌲🌲 and so so grateful to Grandma Pam for adhering to every wish and demand that Carma and Jack come up with in our absence- including a road trip to Utah! You’re amazing mama!

I look slightly more human haha.

Last minute rifle shooting to get enough qualifying targets!

Timely fortune!

End of the Bull Run competition - some canoeing....

and bonus points if your leaders are dumb enough to do a belly flop.

Okay, my technique was a little sketchy. BELLY FLOPS ARE DANGEROUS OK?

The boys teamed up with some other random troop and did awesome in the competition, super proud!

We opted to let Will take an afternoon nap in the hammock - probably our smartest choice ever. Scout camp is looong and tiring and by Friday, things can be a little rough!

I wrote a HILARIOUS skit in case you were wondering. To really appreciate the humor, you have to be well versed in the game Mafia and also the classic camp skit about how to not get mugged.

Insta caption: Okay, one more quick thing from scout camp and then I’m done- I was SO impressed with these four scouts for performing a skit at the closing fire bowl on Friday night. We opted for an original composition (penned by yours truly) that played off Mafia and the ‘how to avoid a mugging’ skit done by the staff earlier in the week. It was SO fun and the boys all did awesome and they loved hearing the audience laugh and receiving compliments that night and the next morning before we left. We were kind of a ragtag troop up there- this was only one of three times we even busted out the class A uniforms 😏 so this was troop 101’s time to shine and they did!!

Loved the closing fire bowl - awesome way to end the week.

Delicious breakfast Saturday morning as we all packed up:

And one last photo op with Calvin :).

And then we were home! We beat Carma and Jack, which meant we had to make a sign of course:

A few pictures from their adventures with the amazing Grandma Pam - they stayed in Nampa for a couple days and then road tripped to Kaysville to visit at the Smiths':