Camping...Camping...and Cleaning

As usual, I threatened my "guys" (Ira & Brayden) with their lives that if they are going to leave me behind from the fun activity they were going on, they had better take lots of pictures. It is all about the picture you know! ;0)

While I was missing Ira like crazy, he was enjoying the beautiful Wyoming backcountry (the Wind Rivers area). I have to say...after seeing these pictures, I am even more jealous. It looks like the type of trip that I would LOVE. They canoed into their camp spot, hiked, fished, and whatever else six guys do when their in the backcountry (I'd imagine that probably includes stupid jokes, belching, and other unmentionables to the civilized world).

Three leaders (Ira, and pictured below - Paul and Darrell), chaparoned three boys. Did it really take all three leaders?...probably not - but KNOW that they liked the exuse to get to go.

I missed this scruffy guy so much, and was so glad when he came strolling through the door!

Another adventure... Brayden went backpacking with the big boys and one girl, (his Uncles and cousins and his girl cousin Tiana). They drove to the Sawtooth mountains and started their hike to Hell Roaring Lake. It is a beautiful mountain lake, surrounded by several other lakes and waterfalls in the Sawtooth mountain range. The lake was beautiful, but they wanted to continue on to the next lake (Imogene Lake), and apparently, it was totally worth the extra hike. They enjoyed a good day and a half of fishing, swimming and being eaten alive by mosquitoes.

Brayden really needed to catch this fish for his fishing merit badge. PERSERVEARANCE!

They swam the freezing cold water to this island. While on this island, they had a bald eagle flying circles above their heads. Then it swooped down, grabbed a fish from the water right by them and then flew away.

Cousins and friends: Zac, Brayden & Nathan

Being the worrisome mom that I am, I was so worried sending Brayden for his very first (long) backpacking trip, and especially sending him without his dad. Ira was going on his own adventure, and wasn't able to go with Brayden. I wasn't sure that Brayden could make it carrying such a heavy load. But I was told that he'd be OK. So I reluctantly helped him pack his backpack and sent him out the door under his Uncles watchful eye (thank you Derrick and Shawn!). When the trip was over, I was told that Brayden hiked like he "had something to prove". I told him that that's what I had been told, and he said, "well, I did have something to prove." I asked him who he was proving something to (thinking he wanted to be as tough as the other guys). What he said really surprised me, he said, "I wanted to prove something to you, that I could do this hike." My response...surprise mingled with pride mingled with sadness because:

1. (Surprise) Me?? Why me?...did my worrying give him the impression that he wasn't capable?

2. (sadness) he's growing up and can do things on his own without mommy babysitting him

3. (pride) he accomplished something difficult that he set out to do.

Way to go Brayden!

While the big boys in my family were doing all of that...I was doing this...

It may not look like much to ya'll, but it took me three days (yes, I said THREE days) to clean my kitchen and organize it. I wish I had taken a before and after picture, but I didn't think about it (a moment to remember...ME forgetting to take a picture!). I emptied all the cupboards, cleaned them, threw many things away, got containers for all my stuff so that now everything has a "home", and if it doesn't...it goes in the garbage (thanks Mary for the moral support). I knew that my never-ending cluttered home was causing me great anxiety, and I can't even tell you just how happy it makes me feel to be organized and not totally humiliated everytime someone comes to my home. AND this is only the beginning...watch out garbage man, you will be working over time at my house! HAPPY, HAPPY, JOY, JOY!