Thursday. Last day at Philmont

Thursday morning after breakfast I met the group of 18 other women who were going horse back riding. I had won the lottery. Fortunately, both my friends Janice and Deb did, too. Deb was on my ride. We took a short bus ride to the stables, and then a two-hour nose-to-tail ride through the sagebrush. I hadn't ridden for a long time and it took me back to the days of being a counselor at my uncle's dude ranch in Southern Utah where I took groups out on rides in similar country.
Deb and I donned our helmets.
My horse, Moon.
I had to put my reins around the horn while I took these daring shots on horseback :)


When we got back we picked up a box lunch and went outside on benches under a large tree for another women's session taught by the Dahlquists and Sr. Matsumori of the General Primary Presidency.

Then we got our group picture

and practiced our Silverado's song for the 'campfire' program that night.


Then we had a closing session with the men--which was like a graduation ceremony for them from finishing their training. Each man also got a hand carved wooden face neckerchief slide. Dave was in the men's choir that sang for that, and it sounded great.


We all went back to put finishing touches on our crafts and Dave, Andrea and I met the Maughan's for a tour of the Villa Philmonte. (Meaning mountain home of the Phillips.) It was the 1920s summer home of Waite Phillips who owned an oil company (and whose brothers started Phillips 66). He donated the home and the vast acreage to the Boy Scouts.







That night after dinner


we went to meet Daniel and the group of young people coming home from their 5-day trek.

They hiked with packs "not too far", Daniel said--about 30 miles.
Daniel with President Dahlquist, who commented on his great tenor voice


That night was a closing ceremony with skits and special numbers from each group.



Friday morning we got up and packed and said goodbye to Philmont.
Andrea said goodbye to a new friend.

How did Julia and Jocelyn manage to buy the exact same T-shirt?

We loved it!

Wednesday at Philmont

Wednesday morning Dave and I went to Choir practice at 6:30 am and then sang with the choir for the morning flag ceremony and devotional. They also honored all those who had served in the miliary or had children serving currently. There were about 50! It was quite impressive. It was also the day the cubscouts raised the flags, which was fun to see.

In the afternoon was a women's meeting by Bro. Dahlquist and his wife. He is the General YM leader, and I was very impressed with the concern he had for each person, and for strenthening families and young men. He talked about how women can touch their families. His wife spoke on taking time to renew ourselves--to wonder, and ponder.

That night was a children's parade. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera for all the darling costumes that children made there out of simple materials.

Then we got on our Western garb


and Western night began we had a picnic out on the lawn with food like Buffalo burgers, chicken, corn on the cob and watermelon.




Every family was given a frisbe, and the young people played on the lawn.

There was live banjo and guitar music, and at a table you could have your personal items branded with the Philmont brand.

Dave and I had our hats branded, and his new belt.

Then the Western dance started. We learned a couple fun line dances.


After the dance we went with the Maughan's to the Trading Post and ended the evening talking and laughing with them over ice cream cones.

Philmont-Tuesday

There was so much to do at Philmont that I want to write about each day.

Andrea went to the bulletin board for us and signed our family up for the Sunrise hike to Lover's Leap. Tuesday we arose at 4:00am and met the other hikers at 4:30 where we got a 'trail breakfast' to carry with us, and people carpooled to the site. We drove up the mountain with our friends, the Maughan's. The hike was considered moderately easy--1 1/4 miles--but it was all uphill, and at high altitude, and I considered it to be a fast pace. We had our flashlights. It had just rained and the trail was kind of muddy, and at times I took my time because the rocks were a bit slippery.

But the view was gorgeous. The essence of the legend is that a cavalryman fell in love with an Indian maiden there. They were both banned from seeing "the enemy". In their sorrow over their warring people they jumped off the ledge together. The Great Spirit turned them into hawks mid flight, who have a nest nearby.

That afternoon everyone had a free schedule, so the Maughan's came with us to the Kit Carson Museum. Kit Carson built the house (In 1856?) and it's on Philmont land. We had a very interesting tour of the hacienda.

Andrea listens to our tour guide who played the character of the man who bought the home from Kit Carson in the 1850s.

Then we went to the Boy Scout trading post to buy souvenirs, and into the town of Cimarron. There we looked at jewelry and trinkets and an art gallery.

At the side of the gallery we became part of the art.

That evening we all went to the handicrafts building. Dave stenciled himself a leather belt, I made some jewelry, and had also glazed a Pueblo Indian vase for Kara. (It has 2 openings and the bride and groom each drank from it representing unity.) Julia made jewelry and Andrea glazed a gecko and helped Dave with his belt.

That night we had homemade cobbler (like we had made in Dutch oven cooking class) and ice cream. We missed the dance and live band and the showing of "Follow me, Boys". There were lots of activities going on all the time--and yet it was very relaxing out there in the quiet desert.

Our week at Philmont-Monday

At Philmont, Dave attended training sessions during the mornings and afternoons. However, we got to eat all our meals together at the mess hall with Julia, Andrea and some of our old and new friends we met there.

Andrea was a Roper and in a group with girls her age for morning and afternoon activities. She went on a day hike, made an embossed leather bracelet, went on a pony ride, shot a beebee gun at a target, did archery and lots of games.


Julia was a Bronco along with a friend from Maryland. They did COPE activities (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) which are team building. One was to climb a 55-foot telephone pole and launch off the zip line. They also had a day hike where they saw a dinosaur footprint and some Anasazi Indian ruins.



MONDAY
I was a Silverado. We signed up for various activities that interested us. On Monday I attended a Dutch oven cooking class.




That evening was Family Home Evening. We had a meeting at the ampitheater and every family was part of the parade where we introduced our family and displayed our family banner that we had made.
We made our banner before we came, and we all helped color and make it. The banner has our family flag that we developed several years ago. The 8 stars in the heart represent unity in our family of Dave and I, and our 6 children. The 3 stripes represent Faith, Purity/Integrity, and Respect.

Arriving at Philmont-July 5-6, 2008

Earlier this month we attended an LDS week of Boy Scout training at Philmont in Cimarron, New Mexico. Several of the general Young Men leaders of the church from Salt Lake conducted the various sessions.
Philmont has 129,000 acres and is the largest youth camp in the world. They send out about 32,000 scouts each summer to 750 camping areas located in the vast area. There is a base camp for the boys with a mess hall and trading post. Across the road is the Training area for leaders and their families--which is where we stayed along with about 500 other people, including two families who are friends from Maryland.

We were met as we pulled up in our van (after 30+ hours of driving) by Brother Burgess, the 1st Counselor in the General Young Men's Presidency. We were assigned our tents--which are on concrete and have cots. Dave and I had a tent, and Julia and Andrea had one next to us.


Daniel left almost immediately for his backpacking trip with his crew of guys.
Daniel near our tent in South Tent City before leaving on his trip.

He was pretty loaded down with his gear as well as group items like pots and food.



I had been asked (by a phone call from the Young Men's Presidency), to be the Relief Society President for the week. I met my two counselors that day; Marsha from Utah and Annette from Arizona and we coordinated for our Sunday meeting.

Sunday morning we greeted about 100 women, and we each taught part of a scriptural lesson. The husbands in training are 'stake' leaders in our church and responsible for a large group of young men and scouts. Each of these women also seemed accomplished. Also in our group were some of the women general leaders or wives of general leaders in our church. It was an interesting experience for me to conduct that meeting.

Dave and I also got up at 6:30am most mornings for Choir practice and we performed at church later that day. The rest of Sunday was leisurely and we enjoyed the time as a family.

The church leaders, including Brother Dahlquist, General Young Men's President, then went up on the mountain to conduct church services with those away from base camp, including Daniel. Bro. Dahlquist asked for volunteers to speak and sing at their meeting. Daniel sang in a small group and --jumping ahead--when they came back Bro. Dahlquist told us that Daniel had a great tenor voice. (And he's right.)

Daniel, just off the mountain after 5 days of backpacking, gets a compliment from Bro. Dahlquist.

Road Trip West

For vacation this year, Dave was invited to attend Boy Scout Training at the famous-to- scouters Philmont in New Mexico. They allow families to come, and we decided that despite gas prices our best option was to drive out the 2000+ miles.

We headed out in the evening of July 3 about 7pm and drove through the night--well, Dave did, mostly. Dan and I drove a little. About noon we arrived in St. Louis where we stopped in to see his sister Patty and her daughter Emily.

Patty with David, Daniel, Julia and Andrea

We continued driving that day (with a 3-hour traffic delay in St. Louis) and stayed in Kansas City that night.

Then we drove through Kansas all the next day until we hit Colorado. We stayed our 4th of July in a small desert town of Trinidad, which had no fireworks, but we were all happy for a bed.



The next morning we went for a swim, loaded up on hats and sunglasses and droved the last couple hours to Cimarron, New Mexico for our exciting adventure.

Oriole's game

We went to Mormon Night at the Oriole's baseball game in Baltimore. In our church Monday nights are reserved for family time, so it was a great family activity as well as a chance to enjoy a ball game and see friends.
Dan shows his hat and glove signed by the Oriole's Mormon pitcher, Jeremy Guthrie.

Here we are after the game with a friend of Julia's (right) who is now living in Hong Kong.

Father's Day

Andrea made her Dad breakfast in bed. Then at church the young women presented him (and the the other men) with this tie and a treat.

Andrea had him wear this matching hat for the family party where he opened fun gifts and cards from Dan, Julia and Andrea in his workroom that Andrea had decorated. He also got a letter from James the day before, and was able to talk to Erika (in China) and Kara (in Colorado.)
It was nice weather for eating dinner on the deck.

Our six children are lucky to have such a great dad.

And so am I.

Happy Father's Day to all.

5th Grade Celebration

Wednesday was Andrea's celebration ceremony for finishing elementary school.

She had a speaking part on the program.

They sang.

Andrea was awarded various awards including 'Overall Achievement'.

With Dad

With her friend

With Mom. After having children in this school continuously for 15 years, we now say goodbye. (Although the middle school is in the same building.)

Cooling off on a Hot Day

After working in the yard on a very hot Saturday, Dave cooled off with Andrea--and Julia's help.

Mock Congressional Hearing

Andrea's fifth grade class held a mock congressional hearing last week. They had distinguished guests and letters from state delegates.


Andrea and her classmates had studied constitutional issues and became 'experts'. For part of the day adult 'judges' came and asked the 'expert panel' questions. They did a great job.