This has been a wonderfully busy weekend.  One of those weekends that I wasn't sure would happen way back when Darren was so sick.  I count my blessings daily, and I have many right now.

1.  Scout Camporee—Matt, as a Tenderfoot in Boy Scouts, got to enjoy a weekend of camping and fun at Smithville Lake.  Apparently this is a big deal campout, with troops from all over KC there to enjoy some fun.  Matt got to tent with the Barrett twins, and he designed a skit and actually asked Mikey to be involved.  EARLY Saturday morning, Darren and Mikey left for the second day and night of Camporee.  As a WEBELOS, Mikey is now qualified to do this campout on the second night.  Darren's felt guilty because he wasn't well enough to go to WEBELOS camp with Mikey over the summer, so they went.  I guess Mikey tried to catch a catapulted crabapple;  a nearly hand breaking experience. They slept out in the ICE cold (although Matt said they had bonfires throughout camp, as well as hot chocolate available at all times...Darren said the cold ground is STILL a cold ground).  They had a blast, and came home smelling of campfire and cold.

2.  Friday night, we went to the Grain Valley football game to see Trace play.  He was amazing, as always.  I am sad that my precious nephew is growing up so fast, but I'm so proud of the young man he's become!  It will be interesting to see where he signs for college next year.  MIZZOU...ARE YOU LISTENING!?!?!  Just sayin'...It was just me, Mikey and Darren at the game.  We took Cruiser, too, and he had a BLAST!  Got to see my sister; a rare and wonderful treat.

3.  Saturday—Emily had another competitive softball tryout. She doesn't feel very confident about this one.  I am really concerned that she won't find a team.  She isn't the greatest because she hasn't been coached in 2 seasons.  She needs a team where the coaches will teach and enhance what the players know.  It's hard to find that.  The coaches, understandably, are looking for the best of the best.  It's been a frustrating experience, but when we find the RIGHT team, it will be worth the effort.  After tryouts, she and I went to lunch, then shopping at World Marketplace.  I love that place!  We bought a Whirleypopper and when we got home, we made homemade kettle corn.  The stuff at the fairs is good...homemade is even better.  I'll have the recipe on the Domestic Greatness blog sometime soon.  I have to dust the cobwebs off of that one, too!  We ended up at the Hart's house last night so the lovebirds could spend time together, and so Mike, Lesli and I watched KU lose, then we watched MU lose.  Yeah...not the greatest night.  When Em and I got home, we snuggled and had a sleepover, just the two of us girls (and Cruiser LOL).

4.  Today, we welcomed the boys home.  It was so good seeing them again!  Emily had a walkabout for her Silver Award in Girl Scouts, then she had her Court of Awards.  She earned the Dreams to Reality award, an IPs in Understanding Yourself, Camping, Sports for Life, Games for Life and Your Own Business.  Unfortunately, I couldn't go to the Court of Awards, because the boys and I had Praise in Motion.  We finished choreographing everything (finally) and are now down to the business of making it even more amazing than it already is.  We have an incredible group of dancers this year.

So there are many things I learned this weekend.

* Family is precious, and we should celebrate each other daily.
* Time spent with loved ones is time worth spending.
* What your children learn as Scouts will carry them through anything.

Isn't life sweet?