survivors

Tomorrow is the big day for my surgery on both knees and I can't wait!  I should have done this months ago and don't know why I put it off until I can hardly walk.  From what everyone tells me, I'll feel better in a few days than I did before, so bring it on!  Doug's taking the day off tomorrow for the surgery, then Denise is going to come and hold my hand on the day after.  I'm hoping to be functional by Thursday! This darned old pain is a great reminder to appreciate my body when it's feeling GREAT!  I think that my biggest concern about this surgery is wanting a quick recovery so that I can get in the pool and start walking again! 

We enjoyed Buddy's visit this weekend for a few hours as he popped in and out between wedding festivities and preparations.  His best friend asked him to be Best Man at his wedding, so Buddy made a quick trip home, leaving Liza in Arizona with Buddy's mom and sister.  How ironic!  But, it was great to see him and to send him home with some goodies for Liza and he to enjoy!  I hope that he saved some fresh cherries for Lizard!

Everyone came home from camp with dirty faces and big smiles.  Quayd had big stories to share of his Wilderness Survival experience, where he spent the night out under the stars.  He said that he imagined that he was a Survivor contestant and "went for it!"  He loved it!  I was so proud that he came home as one of the only two boys who earned six merit badges while at camp!  We worked on his "map" toward being an Eagle Scout after he got home.  He'll begin working on his Life Scout rank after his upcoming Board of Review.  He has the service hours at Star Rank and the final five Eagle Scout required badges and then it will be the big Eagle Project!  So, Quayd should be an Eagle Scout by this time next year.  He wants to spend the summer working at the scout camp.  I'm so not ready to send him away for the summer, but Doug thinks it would be a great experience for him. Quayd has talked about it for two years now.  We'll see.  First, I have to get past the big Kings Peak hike,  the highest mountain in Utah,  in August!  This mom is so not ready for this, but it's time to put on my big girl panties and realize that he is growing up! 

Grace came home from camp equally dirty and with a bigger smile.  The girls camp theme actually was Survivor ~ Be Bright,Be Strong, Be True (instead of Outwit, Outsmart, Outlast. ) Apparently, when they got to camp, they divided into teams and were given real Survivor buffs and t-shirts and even made Survivor team flags.  From what the leaders (and Doug) told me, Grace about flipped! While our family LOVES Survivor, Grace is the biggest fan!  She loves watching the challenges!  So, this was a little dream come true for her, minus yucky Survivor food and being voted off!  The leaders had gone all out, putting together Survivor challenges, which she hasn't stop talking about.  However, the highlight of Gracie's camp experience was her devotional.  She hadn't realized that she would have to share a devotional thought and spent much time, nervously, preparing her own little spiritual thought to share with the other girls and leaders at camp.  She said that she felt so good as she prepared it and even better when she shared it.  I was touched hearing about that.  As much fun as she had, she said that the camp was a "real spiritual experience" for her.  I do love having such wonderful youth leaders for our children!  My wishful, but doubtful that it would ever happen, would be for these women to remain the leaders until both my girls graduate from High School!  They are beyond wonderful women!

Thanks to Trish, our Young Women's President, for taking these above camp photos and sending them to me so quickly for the blog!  And when Grace got home, she had to have a picture of her in her buff...

 It's good to have everyone home. We have two Corbridge Reunions, one at the ranch and one in our own back yard, and Doug and Quayd's backpacking trip to King's Peak left on our calendar.  Other than those three events, we will hopefully just spend the rest of the summer taking it easy together close to home...and I like it like that!

The best things in life aren't things. 

Comments

[susan]

i don't know what a buff is. can you tell I don't watch that show? I remember when Jordan worked the summer at scout camp. He loved it. It helped that he was an Eagle before he turned 14. Lots of time to serve and play. Good for your kids...they are wonderful. my oldest grandson finished his Eagle project already. And the next oldest grandson is Life. If i've figure correctly, he'll be 13 in september. I love when the boys love scouts enough to get busy and earn in order to continue to serve and be an example. Tell Q to 'go for it' all...

[Nicole]

You are blessed to have such great kids! Grace has such gorgeous hair, I hope she doesn't decide to cut it! Praying for your knee surgery and especially to be back on your feet quickly.

[Pamela K.]

Love the camp pictures! Wish I could join them. :-) Prayers sent up that your knee surgery will go well and that you will have a very speedy recovery. ((HUGS))