Boy Scouts

Brock became a "real" Boy Scout when he turned 11.  This post was more exciting back when it really happened then it is today.  Since Brock became a Boy Scout the church has announced that they will end their Boy Scout program in a year and a half.  This was met by sadness in our home (well... 3 of us).  Brock was (and is) very excited to be a Boy Scout and has been looking forward to it for sometime.  Noah was really looking forward to being a scout and had big plans for earning merit badges (he will never be in the program) - and I have a strong testimony of Scouts and wanted both my boys to be Eagles.  There is a chance we may go into our won Scouting program once the church ends their program.  We will see.  Since the announcement it has really taken the wind out of cub scouting and boy scouting - since nothing really means anything now and no body is really working towards anything.  But regardless... I am going to do the post with the excitement that Brock felt that day.

Putting his Webelo pin and arrow of light pin on me.

He got to cross over the scouting bridge with his friend Dillon

But first they wrote their names on it.

We ceremoniously put his new neckerchief on.  (I asked our friend Brian to take pictures and he is a professional photographer - so he got a little carried away - but I included about 25% of what he took!)

Our Cub Scout and boy scout

His first day of Cub Scouts and his first day of Boy Scouts.

Brock turns 11!

On Saturday everyone stuck around to celebrate Brock's 11th birthday.  After you turn 8 you only get a friend party every other year.  It is kind of tough on their "off" year's because we don't live around family - so you don't really get a family party either.  Well... lucky Brock on his "off" year he got to have a great family party. 

For his birthday breakfast he chose milk mush and for dinner we all made our own pizzas.

After church we played a lot of games.

And he wanted the same ice cream sandwich ice cream cake he had last year.

With so much family he got some great presents too.  He got an MP3 player from us and a cool Bronco's hat from Dangie and 20 bucks from Leslie.  Plus money for college from the Herberts and...

This AWESOME gun from Grandma Hanna and Ashley.  He LOVES it.  Don't worry - it takes 8 D batteries!

Cute cute Brock.  Brock is such a great kid.  He is the perfect oldest child.  I don't know how we got so lucky.  He is not the kind of brother who teases or tortures.  He genuinely likes to ease people's burdens and make things easier.  However, this last year this side of him as come out slightly, and we don't know how to handle it.  Part of me wants to give him grace because it took 11 years to tease his younger siblings, and even then it is so mild - but the other part wonders where my Brock went.  He has also started to show a very funny sense of humor.  He has kind of become my bud around the house - he can sense my mood and stress level and tries to mitigate things.  He and I can be pretty sarcastic back and forth which just helps lighten the mood, for both of us.

Megan's Baptism

Megan's baptism was at 6:30 on Saturday night.  Right before her baptism she opened a gift from Grandma Brown.  It was a beautiful necklace.

We got to the church and took some pictures.

I don't know how other mom's get great pictures of their kids.  I have yet to EVER get one.

This baptism was a different experience for me - it being a girl.  I got to go help Megan change into her jumpsuit (which she did NOT want to go out in - she wanted to wear her pretty dress), and then I got to watch from the dressing room on the side of the stairs.  I will never forget watching from that angle - by myself, she seemed so small next to Jason, yet so big spiritually.  It was a tender moment for me.

We had some refreshments in the gym afterwards.

It was a great day.