Isaac was one of a few boy scouts from troop 813 who qualified and got voted to go through the Order of the Arrow Ordeal. I dropped him off Thursday night to head out to EMEG (Dubai's nature preserve with whom the scouts have a very symbiotic relationship) with the other participating scouts and parents. There were also members of troops from Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Qatar joining them. After accepting the challenge and hearing that it would require two nights of camping (one without a tent in the sand) and 24 hours of little food and no talking, it was an honor he wished he could avoid. But he soldiered through.
The girls were eager to go on a campout with the jeep, but we had to miss the first night in order to attend Jessica's gymnastics competition. After her fabulous success, we picked up sandwiches and drove straight to EMEG to join Isaac and our friends. Isaac was happy to see us, knowing he was 1/2 through. He sequestered his Precalculus book in the jeep. He had brought it to be productive during the enforced period of silence, but Stephanie kept trying to tease him and take it away. After we unloaded and pitched our tents, Jessica ran off with Aleaha (whom we had brought along) and Adam and Sarah whom had been wondering what was taking us so long. Makenna met up joined a few friends and played speed. I sat down with Michele and Stephanie, my scout mom friends, to unwind a bit and hear all about the visiting OA officials from Germany.
After dinner, Makenna and the adults joined in watching the OA induction ceremony. We wisely left the little ones back at camp--they could never have sat still for so long with all the tempting sand, water, seashells and open space.
Jess and Aleaha were going to share Jessica's green tent, but Aleaha was sleeping too loud and Jess ended up in the Jeep with the windows cracked. That was a problem because a bunch of mosquitoes got in and ate her alive. On the drive home the next day, Isaac, Makenna, Jess and Aleaha successfully squashed more than a dozen and required many wet wipes to clean up all of Jessica's splattered blood.
Makenna and I shared the humungous air mattress in Isaac's old tent and learned that it is very bouncy every time either of us shifts at all. We have plans to change up the sleeping arrangements in time for the next campout in the fall. Makenna took a few pictures first thing in the morning Saturday.
We helped make breakfast, then packed camp and started the drive home with the mosquitoes, new white sash in tow. The jeep was fantastic.
The girls were eager to go on a campout with the jeep, but we had to miss the first night in order to attend Jessica's gymnastics competition. After her fabulous success, we picked up sandwiches and drove straight to EMEG to join Isaac and our friends. Isaac was happy to see us, knowing he was 1/2 through. He sequestered his Precalculus book in the jeep. He had brought it to be productive during the enforced period of silence, but Stephanie kept trying to tease him and take it away. After we unloaded and pitched our tents, Jessica ran off with Aleaha (whom we had brought along) and Adam and Sarah whom had been wondering what was taking us so long. Makenna met up joined a few friends and played speed. I sat down with Michele and Stephanie, my scout mom friends, to unwind a bit and hear all about the visiting OA officials from Germany.
After dinner, Makenna and the adults joined in watching the OA induction ceremony. We wisely left the little ones back at camp--they could never have sat still for so long with all the tempting sand, water, seashells and open space.
Jess and Aleaha were going to share Jessica's green tent, but Aleaha was sleeping too loud and Jess ended up in the Jeep with the windows cracked. That was a problem because a bunch of mosquitoes got in and ate her alive. On the drive home the next day, Isaac, Makenna, Jess and Aleaha successfully squashed more than a dozen and required many wet wipes to clean up all of Jessica's splattered blood.
Makenna and I shared the humungous air mattress in Isaac's old tent and learned that it is very bouncy every time either of us shifts at all. We have plans to change up the sleeping arrangements in time for the next campout in the fall. Makenna took a few pictures first thing in the morning Saturday.
We helped make breakfast, then packed camp and started the drive home with the mosquitoes, new white sash in tow. The jeep was fantastic.
Jess walking towards Makenna's shadow.
Sunrise behind a battered UAE flag.
Michele packing up the "grinch bag".
I'm in purple, and Aleaha and Jess are talking by the table.
Panoramic view with our set up on the left. I think Kuwait is over on the right.
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