Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda

Peter spent the last week in Palmyra, New York at Boy Scout camp. We were nervous to send him so far away for a whole week, especially since he would need to depend on others for his food. Bryan and Peter spent the two weeks leading up to camp preparing. They made sure he had all the required camping supplies, sprayed all of Peter's clothes and sleeping bag with permethrin, and stocked him up with a week's worth of canned food just in case the food in the cafeteria was not a safe option.

Last Monday, Peter came in during the wee hours of the morning to say goodbye to Topher. I got a hug too.

Then Bryan and Cooper (because he wanted to see Peter off) delivered Peter to our church building at 4:45 in the morning.

Bryan and I worried about Peter and kept telling ourselves that no news was good news. On Wednesday afternoon we got a treat. The boys spent time on their own that day, praying and pondering in the Sacred Grove. Peter specifically asked one of his leaders to send this picture to me.

We missed Peter while he was gone. On Wednesday night Cooper told me that he was having trouble remembering what Peter looked like. I pointed out the many pictures of Peter we have around the house. Then Cooper said he was also starting to forget what Peter sounded like. I certainly felt his absence. Peter has become quite helpful around the house. He's great at cleaning the kitchen, he can hold Topher if I need him to, and he's even started changing wet diapers. I hadn't realized how much I've come to rely on Peter until he wasn't here for a week. I know Bryan missed hanging out with Peter in the evenings after the other kids were in bed.

By Saturday afternoon, we were all eager to have Peter back. Bryan sent me this picture from the pickup.

Peter was exhausted (he took a rare nap after church on Sunday, proof of how tired he was even after a full night's sleep), filthy (two showers were required), and sunburned. What he was not was covered in bug bites. Apparently two of the other boys had fifty bites each. Peter, who is usually a magnet for mosquitoes, had three. The time it took to cover everything in permethrin was well worth it.

Peter had a wonderful time. He did actually eat some of the food served at camp (breakfast and hot dogs) and also ate almost the entire supply we sent with him. He was able to watch the Hill Cumorah Pagent and have some sweet spiritual experiences. He's convinced that Sophie grew taller during his six day absence, but I think he's the one that grew. He seems older, a little more mature than when he left, more of a young man than a kid.

I suspect that's the true purpose of camp.