Scout Mania!

The month of June has been filled with fun Scouting adventures.

Connor spent his 8th birthday at the Omaha Zoo, participating in an overnight camping trip. The Scouts got to spend the night in the zoo's aquarium, surrounded by sharks and sting-rays. Connor and Brandon secured a coveted spot in the shark tunnel, where they watched the sharks swim above them throughout the night:

The campout also included two hikes, where the boys and their guests got to learn more about the zoo and all that animals that live there. At 12:11 pm on Sunday, June 13th, we stopped right in the middle of the desert habitat so I could kiss our birthday boy at the precise moment he entered the world (rest assured, no one we knew was around). It was awesome.

Look! A lion!

The girls and I stayed in a nearby hotel while the boys soaked up the overnight experience. We toured the zoo together as a family the morning after the campout. We had never been to the Omaha Zoo before and it was a great experience! You could see many of the animals right up close.

The morning after we got home from Omaha, summer Scout camp began. For Boy Scouts, it is a day camp at the Platte County Fairgrounds. The boys and their Scout Leaders spent 4 days out in the heat and dust, doing all sorts of manly things, including shooting BB guns and bows and arrows. Here is a picture of Connor's Den:

Playing marbles at a station:

Looking good! Connor calls this his "Indiana Jones" hat:

The evolution of a marksman:

Connor was in HEAVEN. He came home every day literally covered (head to toe) in mud and grime. I am learning that in a boy's world, the dirtier you are when you come home, the better the experience was. :)