The Campout

Since our husbands were on a scout campout together, Rubi, Marci and I got together Friday night for some girl time. We made yummy s'mores cupcakes :


and watched Amélie:


What an absolutely darling movie. Loved it. I should watch more foreign films. We should also have more girl's nights while our husbands are at scouts. It was so fun!

I got home late, after 1:00, and snuggled into bed for a restless night. (I hear things when Klane's gone.) A while later, the bell rang. Slightly disoriented, I got out of bed to check the intercom and see who was outside. There was no one there, but at the edge of the screen I could see the door closing. Whoever rang had gotten inside. I assumed it was someone who forgot their keys, and someone else buzzed them in. A little unnerved, I bolted the door and got back in bed.

A few minutes later, I heard a bump at the door. Then someone fiddling with the handle. Then the door opening. After my heart jumped out of my chest, I realized it was Klane.

"What are you doing here?" I said.

"We just finished playing video games at the church, and they had enough leaders that they didn't need me to camp with them," he said.

"You scared me! Don't do that!" (I am ornery when I'm half asleep.)

"I'm sorry," (He knows I'm ornery when I'm half asleep.) "I buzzed you so you'd know I was coming."

"Oh. Thanks." I guess that made sense. Just not to my sleepy brain. I'm laughing now. Of course it was Klane.

So the scouts camped in their snow caves outside, and Klane got to come home after a few hours of Playstation and sleep in his bed! I'd say he got a pretty good deal there. It's kind of ironic since Klane actually loves winter camping, and most people are less than excited about sleeping outside in sub-freezing temperatures. But I'd say we were both happy with the way things turned out.

can you spot our ward's scouts?

You can click to enlarge these pics from the stake Court of Honor on Sunday. It isn't too hard to point out the Harlem 1st ward. Oh boy, do we love our scouts. Even though they forget their shirts, make loud comments during the Stake President's closing remarks, and are physically incapable of all holding still for a picture at the same time. Yes, we love them. They make me laugh. They are very entertaining and keep their leaders on their toes.

I especially love their reaction when the congregation gave them a round of applause for their merit badges. Half of them had their backs to the crowd, some were more excited:

I wish Klane was in this but he's behind the camera. I was laughing so hard at him trying to get everyone's attention at the same time. They all have ADHD, I swear. Maybe it was the root beer floats. I thought it was so funny I took this video. You can hear me giggling.

Honestly though, these boys are making great progress in the scouting program and the church, and Klane has had a lot of fun spending Sundays and Friday nights with them. They may not fully understand the concept of reverence (or the concept of not swearing during Sunday school!), but they're good kids.

It has been so much fun being able to serve in the church in this area and help build up a ward that's fairly new. Klane's home teaching partner is the sweetest 19-year-old black guy named Lawrence, who was recently baptized this summer. He used to live in the Bronx and was heavily involved in gangs and had a really difficult (and downright scary) life. But when he almost got arrested, he decided to turn it around, moved to Harlem to escape his old friends, and eventually joined the church.

Tonight we had him over for dinner and Klane helped him put together a resume so he can get a good job. He is so cute and polite, and kind of shy, until you get him talking about sports, especially Boston teams. He and Klane have a bond since they're both Red Sox fans. :) Anyway, this is such a unique place and it's been a fun, new, exciting experience to be here as members of the church.

klane's first ny scout campout

Highlights:

~ Klane teaches scouts how to cook a perfect hot dog over ideal cooking coals. Scouts decide it's taking too long and cook their dogs over the camp stove instead.

~ Klane teaches scouts how to toast a perfect marshmallow over above-mentioned coals. Scouts become impatient and burn marshmallows. However, a few catch on and produce perfect lightly toasted mallows.

~ The group walks near the lake, and the leaders point out constellations. Some of the scouts don't know what stars are (aside from 'tiny lights in the sky') and leaders explain they're actually giant balls of gas burning billions of miles away, to much awe and amazement.

~ A discussion ensues while looking up at the heavens. Topics include God, the universe, the priesthood... and aliens.

~ Klane gets minimal amount of sleep while making sure scouts stay in their tents and out of trouble.

~ Klane announces he'll be fixing Egg McMuffins for breakfast and asks how they like their fried eggs cooked. Scouts have no idea what an Egg McMuffin is, and don't know what he means by asking how they like their eggs. He attempts to explain, they say 'we don't care, just cook them.' The first scout is served an egg over easy and proclaims that his egg isn't cooked because the yellow part is all runny. (?)

~ The scouts discuss music with their leaders. Klane impresses them by revealing that he loves Kanye and the occasional Tupac.



I asked Klane for more details, but he passed out on the bed before I got much more out of him. He's now been snoring for about 90 minutes. I do know he had a lot of fun, and that they also got to go swimming. I'm sure he's going to have a blast with this calling!