Natasha trip to Wood Badge 4/20-22/13 & 5/18-20/13

Gilwell Field

I got to go to Wood Badge this spring and had the best time of my life. Well okay so the first weekend I only blacked out 150 plus times in the 3 days. I don't remember much about it other then it was totally crazy. But everyone on staff told me that it is meant to be that way. I do remember some stuff and took some pictures. I am part of the Fox patrol. We picked up on a lot of the exercises that they had for us. We did a communication exercise that we learned to communicate with each other quickly. The staff put on a great campfire. They even had Baden-Powell come tell his story. Wow that was awesome. We shot one of our own in to space. Foxy rocked in flight. I was able to be part of the largest LDS group to go through the course we had 16 members of the church there.

Joe, Mary, Rick, (Foxy in the rocket) Justin, Chris

Natasha

 Nate Barlow at the launching pad

 President Cowley 

Jeremy Enz 

 

 Before flight

Foxy in flight

  Justin holding Foxy after flight

John Harkey (course director)

Staff Camp fire

Baden-Powell

Second weekend was a blast. I enjoyed the weekend camping and cooking all of our meals. It was not as crazy as first weekend. I did have my tickets completed so there was no worries there. I only blacked out 90 or so times too. Yeah! Fox patrol had the patrol campfire program and it was prefect. Heavenly Father surely answered my prayer. I put it together over the 4 weeks we had off. All the patrols did great. Mondays flag ceremony was a very special one they flew John Harkey's dads veterans flag from his casket over Gilwell field. It was just beautiful. His father was a course director over wood badge as well. what a neat family tradition. While waiting for our banquet lunch John came up and started to chat with Jenny and I. He gave the kids their critter until they get to go through wood badge for themselves. So Kaelobbe, Brieanna, Jonathan, and Cristian are all Boboxes and Baby #5 is a fox (just because I was 10 weeks first weekend and 14 weeks second weekend and then it will be helping me as I work on my tickets.)

 Field activity (ski's)

Fox Patrol Campfire Program

 The Fishburn's (Bear Patrol)

Bobwhite Patrol

 Beaver Patrol (Jenny Pitcher)

Eagle Patrol

Owl Patrol

Chris adding the ashes from past wood badge campfires

Luau after campfire

 John Harkey trying to hit me with a beach ball

 he succeeded the 2nd time

after the fox patrol did flag ceremony. It was one foggy morning.

Patrol campfire on Sunday night

singing camp songs. We even tried to get all the patrols to sing Gilwell song (but we only got the beavers to sing with us)

 yep that is my glow in the dark bubbles. They were lots of fun.

 the night sky from our campfire

 Our campfire

Last days flag ceremony

 John Harkey's Fathers flag from his casket flew for the last and only time 

 SPL (Dave)- Scoutmaster (John Harkey)- Me

Scoutmaster (John Harkey)- Me- Fox Troop Guide (Steve)

Closing Flag Ceremony 

 passing the flag on the John

Easter Pictures at Eagle Creek Park 2013

2013 holiday letter

Happy Holidays Everyone,
December 30, 2012
This year just came and went. It was crazy at our house between doctor’s
appointments, school, scouts, and achievement day girl. Here are some
highlights that happened with our family.
#1 received his arrow of light in cub scouts on the 25th of August. He finished cubs with his Bobcat, Wolf with 1 gold and 9 silver arrows, Bear with 1 gold and 10 silver arrows, Webelos with all 20 activity pins. He started scouts in November and has had fun getting 5 merit badges before Christmas.

#2 learned to sew (she is wearing her apron she made while helping me bake), and
practicing her crochet. She has been on the honor roll in school and continues
to have a love of learning.

#3 started kindergarten and loving every minute he spends learning. He also was able to sit down and learn to sew with his class room friend Barney.
 
#4 has loved his time at home alone with mommy and has had a lot of visits to see doctors. He loves to show off in front of people. He spends most of the time smiling when he is feeling well. He will be going in for his 6th upper GI scope on January 8th to see if his ee (eosinophilic esophagitis) is under control.
 
Josh has been hard at work working on completing his Wood Badge tickets. He completed and received his certificate just this month. He also stocked our freezer with a good size buck. He sure has had a grand time hunting this year.
  
Natasha has been there for the kids as well as Josh as they have been working on projects. She has enjoyed looking for new foods to make that everyone like that fall in the food restrictions of Cristian and her. She has been able to help out with the kids in school.

We hope you have a wonderful New Year with many blessings.
Love the Bokish “6”

  

Merry Christmas

 Last night Santa delivered 7,060,919,100 gifts to all the boys and girls all through out the world. With a crazy night like that I know that he took time to remember the birth of the Christ child. Last night as I was reading to my kids our Christmas stories Brie chose one that talked about the Christ child. The story was taken from the Shepard's view and how they were poor and had nothing to give to the king of all the world. We learned that the greatest gift at Christmas is the gift of love and service. I think that I am going to have to start a new tradition next year with the kids. I will let you know later what I come up with. 

So on to the fun of our Christmas. The kids all received all sports safety helmets. They should be ready to take on the scooter, skateboards, roller blades, and bikes in the spring. Josh and I got a food grinder for meat. Boy do I see work in my future. I picked up a new hobby I started to knit. Just started to day. We had friends over for Christmas lunch and then went to their house to watch the movie Brave. I made brown pudding for the fist time and the kids loved it and want it every year.

I hope you enjoy some of our pictures today. 

Christmas Eve fun

Christmas Day

Breakfast (cinnamon rolls-muffins-hot chocolate-wassail) 

Me eating a major NO (I was sick all day after that cinnamon roll)

Making brown pudding