Pacific Union Camporee!!

One of the joys of being a Pathfinder are the annual camporee's that we get to attend.  Last years was just an Arizona Conference Camporee, so we got together with all the other Pathfinder clubs in AZ.  This years camporee was with the whole Pacific Union!  Pathfinders from Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California and even Hawaii all met in San Bernardino, CA for this huge event!  We were told that there were between 5,000-6,000 people.  We arrived at the camporee on Wednesday evening with just enough time to set up our tents, the group campsite and to have a sack lunch before it was time to hit the hay.  

How an AZ girl camps.  Five days of cool weather is too much on our wardrobe,
so what's a thinking girl do?  Why she wears her leg warmers with shorts!

Thursday and Friday were all about the fun!  There was lots of fun to be had and honors to be earned.  Jeremy and Marshall got the Cacti honor and Abby got the Seeds honor.  Marshall is also well on his way to a hot air balloon honor.  We have just a few things to do with him at home before he gets it.  He now has a new interest... the Hindenburg disaster.  The class was well taught, but to a target audience that was above his head... not necessarily in content, but in the method in which it was delivered.  Can you say "Beuller, Beuller?"  (At least to a 9 year old)  Thanks to my handy dandy i-phone I was able to pull up a photo of the airship exploding which woke him right up.  I plan to go a little more into the Chemistry and Physics that they were teaching, but in a more hands on approach so that he is interested enough to listen.  ;)

Who knew there were so many different subclasses and types of cacti?
We do now!

We were able to see and do a lot of really cool things.  There was even more that we didn't have time to do.  We saw a bmx bike show that had me covering my eyes for a good portion of the time.  Marshall saw a snake show and was able to pet a few snakes.  

This really cool animal show was put on by a man who trains animals for Hollywood.
This little guy is Levi who played Jack the Monkey on Pirates of the Caribbean.  He
was very cute.  We also saw a parrot, a bear cat (who was in We Bought a Zoo) and
a porcupine.  (NOT the one from Jonah. LOL!)

Nothing like some blow up obstacle courses to fire up the sibling rivalry.  Especially when one of the siblings is so competitive the other just can't help but get sucked in.  Just look at the concentration in her stance...

She was racing whoever they pinned her up against.  She almost always won.

Then fate had her up against her brother.  He wasn't about to let her win.
It was a heated race and to be honest, Jeremy and I were hoping for a tie.
Marshall pulled it out though... but just by a little.  ;)

Amelia getting ready to take on her friend Susanne.

And they're off!

That Meemers was going to win even if it meant she was spit out backwards.  ;)

We call this the:

I'mma gonna

Whoop

your

Behind  dance.

And... it worked.

Ding Ding!  Round 3!

The kids visited this park numerous times each day.
Amelia loved this wheel that would spin you as fast as you could stand it.

Marshall enjoyed testing out his balance by standing on this big circle while it rotated.

Lots of arm-shattering activities to be found.

Looks like I'm not the only one who doesn't sleep well in a tent.
This lady has no fear.  She laid like this for a long time.  Even with kids running all around her.
She was breathing.  I checked.

The zip line wasn't nearly as cool as Camp Yavapines, but still we stood in
the rather long line to give it a go.

That first step is a doozy, but that girl doesn't care!

Marshall took a few seconds to think about it...

but had no problem shoving off either.

Wooohooooo!

These little gophers were everywhere.
This guy was right outside of the Yuma Suns' camp.  He was popping up and grabbing the grass and pulling it back down into his burrow.  This is him with his cheeks empty...
I was told that they can't see during the day and sure enough, if you stood still, they may glance
in your direction, but they look at you like you are a tree, not a predator.  

Here he is with his cheeks stuffed full.
Little piggy!