Morgan's Scout Camp Experience

This blog entry is by Morgan. It is to satisfy one requirement for the Communications Merit Badge, which is a required merit badge in the BSA. The following articles and information are his words and efforts.



Hi! My name is Morgan. I'm writing this blog for my communications merit badge. I want to share about my most recent experiences at scout camp. There are three parts I will write about, so please sit back and enjoy.

Part One: My Favorite Merit Badge
My favorite merit badge class was Welding. We learned about different machines and types of welding. We learned that welding can be a dangerous job, so we learned about things to wear to protect yourself while doing welding. We made a really cool statue by welding together two metals to form a fleur-de-lis, which is a scout symbol. It's really heavy! I'm proud of it though.
This class took a while to complete because we only had one machine to work with and six students learning together. We had to take turns! I got my turn on the last day of the week. I had two friends take the class with me, Anthony and Jacob. They had a good time too and also made statues. I would highly recommend this class to other scouts looking at a class schedule for scout camp.

 Part Two: The Silver Tomahawk Tribe
The very best part of camp for me was when I was called out by the Silver Tomahawks. They are a group of older boys who want to serve others at all times, like the scout oath says. It is a lot like the Order of the Arrow, but our area has a unique situation that allows for two groups to function the same way. Only one group gets to be named "OA", so the other is called The Silver Tomahawk Tribe. I was elected by my troop to participate as a Silver Tomahawk. All the scouts at camp sat together in front of the river, and the chapter chief stepped forward. He called my named first out of everybody there. One of the tribesmen came to get me and take me to the front where the chief was. All the others who were elected were also called. When we were all gathered, we were taken to the woods for our ordeal. To be elected, you have to have attended at least 3 scout camps, be at least 1st Class rank, and have received your camping merit badge. I am still new to the tribe, so I have a lot to learn, but I'm really excited to participate with them. They are some really cool guys!



Part Three: Why I Think You Should Be a Boy Scout Too
Scouting teaches you to serve other people at all times, to put others before yourself. When you can think like this, it makes you feel good about yourself. It teaches you how to work and become productive in our world. In this way and others, scouting prepares you for life. While you learn, you also make new friends and grow into a good person who knows how to have fun. There are a lot of opportunities to learn what you WANT to learn and to be recognized for the good things you do. Where else can you learn to ride horseback, to canoe, go repelling, do some kayaking and camp cooking all in the same week? If you would like to have awesome experiences, I encourage you to visit this website (https://beascout.scouting.org/)and find a scout unit near you. Good luck and Happy Scouting!

-Morgan Bailey, T107

Random Thoughts

I'm having a 'blah day' today and since putting your thoughts on facebook rarely produces anything positive, I figured I would flush out my feelings on my blog. It's easier, since pretty much only Mama reads it anymore anyway......and she's been waiting since November last year!

So anyway, I have random thoughts. Stupid things keep me from sleeping well, keep my feelings stirred up (frequently in a negative way) and seem to need a little purging now and then. That almost ALWAYS gets me trouble (and likely will this time too) but its a risk I guess I just have to take in hopes of a good nights sleep at least for one night. Make sure you're sitting comfortably and grab hold of the armrests...it might be a crazy ride!

Thought of a Random Nature #1:
People suck!
Yeah that is a nasty sounding phrase, especially if you dig into it and recognize the likely true meaning it holds, but truth isn't always pretty, and I can prove it!


Told ya.
Why do people have to outdo each other? Why can't we all just BE, instead of having to be MORE THAN YOU? I hate that one-upping mentality.
And why is necessary to be rude to others? It's bad enough when the rudeness comes from a stranger (such as people coming in the herb shop telling me I don't know my job), but when its loved ones being rude to those they are bound to by blood..... come on... really? *sigh*
I have to stand by that statement: people suck.

Thought of a Random Nature #2:
My grandkids are adorable. They are the cutest, sweetest, most entertaining and loving children. Ok Jarom is, but Sierra is only 2 months old. It won't be long till she's loving and entertaining too. And what makes them THE BEST is how much they love ME. No conditions or expectations out of them... they just love me, period. Babies must not be people yet. They aren't in the "suck" category at all.
  See?

Thought of a Random Nature #3:
Cats are stupid.
Yes I said it, and I'll say it again. Cats are stupid.
Not for a second do I mean they aren't intelligent. On the contrary! They are very intelligent! They are the royalty of spite! Seriously! And they start it at an early age. Example: we have 2 kittens. They aren't even full grown things yet, but as soon as they decide we humans aren't treating them like the royalty they clearly know themselves to be,.... they run their little selves into a corner, or under furniture, or in some hidden area of the house and THEY POOP! Why do they do this? It doesn't get them anything they want, in fact, it only makes their problems bigger, yet they do it to spite me every time. They don't even care WHO has disrespected them......punishment to humans is imminent! I so totally understand why the Chinese eat cats.

I should name her Kung Po.
Thought of a Random Nature #4:
Celery does not belong in chicken pot pie. NO IT DOESN'T! Stop putting it in there! For real... celery can go in dressing for Thanksgiving dinner or you can eat it fresh and raw. That's all!

Manti's Wedding

I'll have to post this saga in segments. There is just too much info to do it all at once. Besides, I took approximately 500 pictures from the time we left Georgia. Picking which to post and resizing for this blog... takes time and energy. I'm low on both.

Anyway, the wedding specifically is the point of this post, so here we go!

Sheryl had asked me to make her a white buckskin dress for her wedding dress to wear at the temple. I had never met her face to face, so making her a dress was near impossible until I could meet her. We drove for 3 days to get to Albuquerque. I slept a night and the next day, Sheryl came to help me start working on her dress. I started working on it on it Tuesday. Wednesday we had somewhere to be, someone to meet, ...stuff to do. So we worked together. The motel housekeeping was stunned to see the mess we made in the floor, but thankfully she vaccuumed it anyway.

 

We worked Tuesday until suppertime, then Wednesday we were busy. Thursday, she had a lot to do with other arrangements, but she jumped back into it with me and nearly finished it. Friday, I did the last couple things to it and handed it over. She likes it I think :)

 

I was super thankful to Mama for making Manti's shirt. He's pretty pleased with it too. Of course, his modeling talent needs practice....

 

Saturday morning, they went to the Albuquerque Temple at 10am. They had an interview and some time there together, and then they got dressed in their wedding clothes. I was walked to the sealing room where I waited. I was so moved watching my son walk in to the room and sit down next to me to wait for his ceremony to begin. I cried. And of course, it was moving for me to see Sheryl in the dress she and I worked so hard on.

After the ceremony, we all went outside and waited for the couple. It seemed to take forever for them to come out! Later, Manti told me that the reason for that and for the hassle he gave me about making the dress "just right" was because the temple president was getting a picture so he could use it as a guideline to show other women that may wish to wear a buckskin dress into the temple in the future. I was wowed to think that little nobody me helped him have a visual standard to set for others in the future. Talk about an honor! And thank goodness I didn't know that beforehand! I would have stressed even more and doubted myself through the whole thing!

They did come out, and look at that smile!
    


Her family came too and were there for pictures. This one is of all the kids (well, except for 2 of Sheryl's siblings that are missing from the pic because they couldn't make it). That's a lot of family! 


This little girl is Sheryl's baby sister. Jared has claimed her. Seriously... he says this is HIS girl. He held hands with her, took care of her every 'need' and cried when he had to go home to Georgia and leave her in New Mexico. The boy is lovestruck! He had me print this picture out so he can keep it in his room with him and look at it....constantly.....and remind us that she's sooooo pretty.


So next was the reception. The cake was decorated like a traditional Navajo wedding basket. That ceremony happened later and because it was dark and a brand new experience for me, no pictures were taken (by me, at least). They told me they wanted to put their wedding clothes back on and take a picture of themselves, so maybe that will happen. They were absolutely stunning! But back to the reception....
They posed for a moment for a picture...


And then they went after each other. Both had chipmunk cheeks filled full of cake they had crammed into each others mouths. It was quite a funny moment. There IS a video of it in existence and we're going to try to get that available to show too.

The Navajo ceremony was gorgeous and awe-inspiring and memorable and.... purely awesome! It was so wonderful seeing them bind their families to them, and we were overjoyed to be included.

I'll say this:
I've learned that we are a ceremonial people. No matter what culture you are, what religion you claim, what race you are,....doesn't matter. We all are ceremonious. We have ceremonies for weddings, for baptisms, for deaths,....and its how we value those ceremonies and live up to those promises made and love and support offered that will guide us to be the people we truly are. We put on faces all the time, but those faces aren't always true indicators of WHO we are. Our value of those ceremonies does indicate who we are....really!
Think on that next time you find yourself in a ceremonial situation. What value do you place on this event? What does you level of value at that moment tell us about who you are?
Something to think on :)

Cicada Obsession

 

This is Jared. 

Isn't he cute? 

He looks so sweet and innocent, sitting underneath that huge tree, playing with ....

umm... whatever he is playing with.

And then,....

he stands....and gently turns around to face me....

I'm sure it's just temporary.
It's a boy thing, and they grow out of it, ... right?
RIGHT?????
That was yesterday.....

 

This nightmare is today.

I won't even show you the one he put in my hair.

Baby Homecoming

I am so tired, I can't believe I'm blogging instead of sleeping! But I'm blogging, because my family should get to see these "firsts" photographed. I wish you could be here. You would be eating up this baby love!!!

We kept it quiet. We've known since last week that Jarom would be coming home today. We didn't advertise it because he's become rather popular with people who are anxious to meet him and have fallen in love with his photos... that's not to say that the rest of his family are any more popular than they ever were, but JAROM is! So to protect him and his parents from the accidental insensitivities of people, we just didn't announce when he was coming home. It was very nice having it strictly a family moment.

So this morning, representatives from the company that will be supplying him with oxygen came and got his system installed and notes all over the doors to tell people about the use of oxygen. (oh yikes,...they heat with propane in old space heaters,... hmm...) So the oxygen guys left and shortly after, Mesa and John packed up a diaper bag for the first time and headed to Atlanta. They went through some last minute preparations and training info with the hospital staff and Mesa packed up all his belongings (he's gotten quite a collection! He's popular with the nursing staff too!) Then they started home. When they left the hospital, Mesa called me and I loaded up my gang and we went to her house. I had a key, so we went inside and I started cooking. I made teriyaki chicken, rice, green beans, French bread and a citrus fruit salad. I got a frozen key lime pie for dessert. It was all SO good. It got done about half an hour before they got home, but that was ok....it meant I could sit on the sofa and stare out the window watching for their car...yes...30 minutes and I barely blinked. When I saw their car, I yelled THEY'RE HERE!! and jumped up with my camera and ran out the door. I was on their porch before they were on their road! I took a few pictures of them first getting him out. Then I got pics of him settling in,....pics of him with his uncles...pics him trying on new hats....pics of him cuddling up with his grandma and going to sleep..... So time to share!!

Scout Camp--It's Easier!

After all the craziness of pregnancy, a baby came, and more craziness followed....I'm lucky to still have something I'm calling sanity! I have to just let that stuff sit a bit and decide later what to say on that subject,....or maybe I'll wait till the little man comes home and THEN put something on here. Seriously...enough drama and difficulty and stress for 14 lifetimes! So moving on to a different subject:

Morgan went to camp!

 

This is him and his best friend, Adrian. This is the same expression Morgan has had on his face for 2 weeks now. Yes,.. he is happy! He has almost everything he ever wanted in life right this minute! I did say ALMOST....horseback riding happens on Wednesday! Then he'll have everything he wants.

Morgan has a very thoughtful scoutmaster who has taken a good many pictures and shared them. I think that has made all the difference for me. I still have moments I think to myself "what have you done? That blonde streak in your hair is affecting you too much!" (Ok the blonde hair is another blog entry....we're not talking about that one just yet.) I have always had such a hard time letting my babies out in the world where the mean people are that thrive on hurting innocent people. And everytime my kids have gotten out of my sight and reach, its happened. Of course, its also happened right under nose....and we're not talking about that either....so I'm trying to be a grown-up here and let the kids have more experiences without me hovering as much. Besides, I'm getting old and nobody has gotten me a hovercraft or a hover round,...so hovering is slowing down.

Back to the subject,... look at this boy.

   

See how comfortable he looks supporting and safeguarding his patrol mates?

 

And they are giving him the same support so he can find out if the sky is the limit.

Check him out.... TREADING WATER!
*Pat on the back for Uncle Roger*

This does not look comfortable...nor comforting.... it does seem necessary because look what happened next!!!

    

And he's in a basketweaving class, as well as woodworking and art and swimming and horsemanship.

 

If you had a part in making sure this little boy went to scout camp, I hope you can see some of the return on your investment. I'm so proud of him, and so thrilled for him. Tomorrow his dream comes true and he meets the horses. I'm sure he will be sad to have to come home this weekend!

Baby Bump

It's finally happened....Mesa is starting to show. Let the gray hairs move in. I guess I'm ready :)

15 weeks

 

17 weeks

20 weeks

23 1/2 weeks