Cub Camp 2011

This year when deciding where to go for Cub Day Camp (either Camp Discovery or Camp Lewis), my husband asked me just what we got for $90/boy or $1700/ward? My response was, "Two days of Archery and two days of BB Guns." To which he responded, "Could you do it yourself cheaper?" Heck, yes! So it was decided that we would offer our own Cub Day Camp to be held up at Camp Currie, run by our Young Men, with me in charge. Now every Cub Scout knows that if Sister Mueller is involved things usually don't work out quite to plan. I must say that didn't happen this time. YEAH!

I was worried two weeks ago that I wasn't going to have enough Young Men to staff the 5 classes we were offering each day. But by last week, I knew I would have plenty. Towards the end of the week I had Young Men coming out of the woodwork asking, "Sister Mueller, do you still need me? Can I come and help?" I wasn't going to turn any of them down. So by Friday I had a surplus of Young Men, which was all good. I think I counted 28 Young Men that helped in some way this week, even if they came for only one day.

We had 18 of our Cub Scouts attend, and there were 22 from the Prune Hill ward. Sister Southerland and I met at Roundtable and over the last two years have become friends. When she heard that our ward was going to do our own camp, she asked if her ward could join? She and her assistant were a Godsend! I don't think I could have done it without them. I heard a lot of compliments from the adult leaders/parents, especially from Prune Hill. They were impressed that we could get 28 Young Men to give up a week of their time to help run a Cub Scout Camp. They were impressed that they all wore their Class A Uniform all week. They were impressed by their conduct and how the Cub Scouts just loved them. I must say that the Evergreen ward does have some very outstanding young men. Koodos to their parents and the Young Men's Program.

As it turned out, we had each Cub Scout pay only $45 instead of the $90. For this fee, they got 3 days of Archery, 3 days of BB Guns, a legitimate wooden tool box that they got to make, a wonderful Knot Board with samples of the various knots they learned to tie, a cool secret decoder, serveral chances to run across the rope monkey bridge, Bottle Rockets, Stomp Rockets, Stretcher races, a First Aid kit, a Solar System mobile, and a kite. It was a lot of fun. The boys also passed off a ton of things, and I know that they will remember this camp for a long time.

I will try to figure out how to post a slide show of pictures.

Trek 2011

This last week the two older boys, Edward and Andrew, got to experience one of the funnest youth activities the church does for them - a re-enactment of the Mormon trail, or a trek. The youth are dressed in pioneer garb, taken up to Mt. Hood and the Barlow Trail, given all their gear (which fits into a 5 gallon bucket) and a sleeping bag, and then they hike part of the same trial the pioneers did as they came into this land for 3 days. By the time they are done they are exhuasted, dirty, and hungry, but they have also been spiritually fed. It is a wonderful experience.

Jennifer has gone on two Treks before, but now that she is an adult, she had to stay behind. That just meant that she got to go up with Ed and I when we met the group to welcome them into "the Valley". Ed was helping with the final meal, cooking up over 250 lbs. of Manti Chicken and 11 cases of corn on the cob. I helped serve the corn, so I wasn't able to get a lot of pictures, so I was glad Jennifer was there to take some for me. The boys had a blast, as did most everyone who went along.

Life Goes On

Another update on Ma's condition: Last week I took her down to have an xray taken of her neck and then we went to meet with the surgeon who did her 2 operations. He said that things in her neck region were basically the same as the last time we met with him. That unless she starts experiencing more neurological symptoms and more drastic pain she can't cope with he won't be doing anymore surgeries.

From his office we headed back down to radiology for a CT scan of her body for the oncologist. We got the results of that when we met with him yesterday. According to him the chemotherapy is working! Tumors have shrunk everywhere with the exception of one in her liver, but that isn't worrying him at this time. We were all go-ahead for her next round of chemo, but her blood work came back and her platelets were too low so we had to reschedule for next Tuesday. The longer you take chemo, the longer it takes for your body to recoop and build back up those platelets. Thus she will now do chemo every 4 weeks instead of every 3 weeks.

It is good to see Ma continue to gain strength and hope. Thank you all for your continued prayers on her and our behalf.

Happy Birthday Andrew!

Andrew turned 14 yesterday. Wow! How time flies! I remember listening to him play with his toy cars, action figures, and space ships as they all battled good verses evil. He sat there making the sounds of the various vehicles and blasting noises as he entertained himself for hours on end. And that was just last week!

Andrew has always been his own person (some would say stubborn). Way back when he was attending preschool it was picture day and try as they might they could not get him to smile for the camera. He didn't even want to look up. By the time they finally took the shot it looked just like either a bad DMV shot or a mug shot. I loved it! It really captured Andrew's personality.

Over the years Andrew has learned to smile. He has forgone the long shaggy hair look for the more groomed style he wears now. This year for his birthday we bought him contacts. He has gone from the little boy who wouldn't look up, to the tall young man who is always right in the middle of the action.

Andrew has been known to be a challenge, but it is one that I have enjoyed. I love this young man with all my heart, and I'm glad that the Lord sent him to me. Happy Birthday Andrew!

WOW! Where does the time go?

This coming Sunday I'll be celebrating my 51st birthday. Okay, I actually won't be celebrating, but we will mark the day with cake I wager. I tend to get a bit somber around my birthdays. I get to thinking: This year I will have lived 3/4 of my life without my mother by my side. I've outlived her by 15 years! She died before her 37th birthday. My father made it to 53. He'd be 81 this year. I know that they are up in Heaven watching and waiting. I do look forward to that glorious reunion, but as the song goes, "Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go now." I love my family here on earth with every fiber in my body. As I watch my mother-in-law go through her trial with cancer up close and personal, I am reminded to treasure every day we have here on this earth with our loved ones.

I love you all very much!!!!

I Love the Oregon Coast!

We had a wonderful time at the beach last weekend. We couldn't have asked for more perfect weather. The sun shined, the wind hardly blew, and Jennifer and I were able to walk on the beach early in the morning collecting agates on Sunday as we worshipped God in our own way. I think Ma had a good time celebrating her 71st birthday as well.

Update on Ma's Condition

Ed's mother had a CT scan on Tuesday, April 19th. We then met with the radiologist and oncologist on Thursday, the 21st. The news was not good. The cancer has spread into her lungs and liver. She has terminal cancer. While the doctors didn't want to give us a time frame at this meeting, the oncologist had said 6 weeks ago that people with her type of cancer live on average 6 months. Ma has decided to fight as long as she can and will start chemo therapy on Tuesday, May 3rd. After 6 weeks, she will get another CT scan to check the progress. If the chemo is helping then she will continue, if not, then we'll have to figure out what to do next.

Both of my parents died of cancer. Mom from ovarian cancer when I was only 11 going on 12. Dad of lung cancer when I was 24 years old. Both only lived a year from the initial diagnosis despite the chemo and radiation. Ed's mom has battled cancer twice before. Ovarian cancer before I ever knew her, and breast cancer 9 years ago. While I have had both parents and a grandparent die while I was around, I was never there when it actually happened. I remember Dad coming home from the hospital and telling us kids that Mom had died. I visited with my father in the hospital just an hour before his death, my sister called me to let me know of his passing. The same thing happened with my grandmother. I had visited her as she lay dieing and told her that she needed to go, people were waiting for her on the other side of the veil. That it was going to be a grand reunion. As I drove home from the hospital, the nurse called to let me know she had died. I have always been thankful that I wasn't there when the final time came. Somehow it helped me get through the heart ache. I don't think I'm going to be able to miss out on this event this time.

The one thing I hope is that Ed's siblings and my family don't do what I and my family did to my mom during her last year on this earth. We kept thinking she'd beat the cancer and that she'd always be there. I read in her diary years later about her last Mother's Day. She had been expecting us to do something special. We were never ones to really do cards or gifts (I'm still not), but the only thing she got that day was a gift I had made at school. She was hurt, thinking that we would try to make her last Mother's Day memorable, we didn't. To us it was just another day. If I had a time machine I would go back to that day and really let her know how much she meant to me/us. Since there is no magical time machine, I pray that we all take the time to tell our loved ones how much we love them.