Grace Manor- thank you

I got a thank you today from Grace Manor for our service.
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Thank You so much Amy we are greatly indebted to you here at Grace Manor for brightening the lives of so many seniors who do not have loved ones to charish Christmas with. We truly do appreciate all you do.

Thank A Million,
From the bottom of our hearts
Daniel and staff

Adopt a Grandparent (service project)

We did our 2nd annual Adopt a Grandparent program that I set up with the rest home. This year we had 16 more boxes than we did last year.
Here is more info about the program from last year. And here is one more post about it from last year.

After our Christmas party we loaded up our girls and met the rest of the SU at the rest home.

This year I decided instead of having us go door to door that we would come at the end of lunch and sing in the dining room. That would cut down on the chaos in the halls (which you can see in these pictures from last year).

The residents were so nice. As you can see in this picture below one of them wore the Christmas craft the girls made them on their head.


The girls sang Christmas songs and had their presents ready to pass out.

Here are some of the residents opening their gifts and showing me what they received.

Daniel (the Activities Director) took the girls whose recipients weren't in the lunch room to their rooms. This lady was so precious. She told Samantha that it was her birthday and Jesus birthday and she was 94 years old. She kept smelling the gifts and letting us know they had an odor to them. She clarified that it was a pleasant odor. It got the girls giggling that she liked smelling her gift. Daniel told us as we were leaving that she has no family. So, no one to visit her.

Now an update on Samantha: Thursday (Dec. 11th) Samantha didn't feel well. Her stomach hurt so much. It would hurt after she took her medicine. She had the same problem on Friday and that was her best friends slumber party. I talked to the mom about Sam's issue with her stomach and the medicine and we decided to let her go ahead. Sounds like she had fun at the sleepover. Then she was dropped off in the morning at the GS Christmas party. She was doing well to start with but by the time we got to the rest home I noticed Samantha had withdrawn from everyone. Her friends noticed also. Samantha told me her stomach hurt so badly and that she was in a lot of pain and felt weird. She did make it through the "adopt-a-grandparent" project. When we got home she spent the rest of the afternoon resting at home.

Currently she is making sure she eats enough food before she takes her medicine to help keep her from getting sick to her stomach.

Girl Scout Christmas Party

We had our annual Christmas party on Sat. 13th.


The girls did several crafts and played games.
One of the games they played was a 3-legged race with huge Christmas stockings.

This next game was decorate your leaders. The girls broke into two teams and each team had the same supplies. They decorated us with all the supplies.

Not sure if you can tell but I have bows on my shoes. The girls had a great time making Jill and I look like a beautiful Christmas present.

This year instead of doing a cookie exchange and recipe book we did an ornament exchange. The girls did a cake walk and when you land on the number that was called ...then you got to pick a wrapped ornament. We did not do where you steal the ornament from each other.

Scavenger Hunt- #5

6. Picture with an animal

 

8. Create a public work of art

 

3. Do exactly what the sign says
DROP OFF ONLY

 

Scavenger Hunt- #4

5. "I can't believe we all fit in here!"

 

14. Make yourselves appear really small

 

12. Campaign for an unlikely cause -- higher prices outside a discount store?
"NO H2Oing"

 

Scavenger Hunt- #3

9. Capture your reflection in an unexpected place

 

15. Can you find us?

 

2. Catalog pose

 

Scavenger Hunt- #2

7. Take your picture with someone in uniform

 

13. An unsual perspective -- could be everyone's shoes, or the just top of their head

 

10. Spell something in people
STOP

 

Scavenger Hunt- #1

1. Scene from a Disney movie (explaining it afterwards is half the fun!)
This is a scene from HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

 

11. Mimic a statue

 

4. Most creative use of ‘leap-frog'

 

Girl Scout- Kick Off

On Sunday afternoon we had our annual kick off for scouts.
We did a photo scavenger hunt, ate pizza and had ice cream sundaes.Photo

Scavenger Hunt

The only rule is that EVERYONE (except the person behind the camera) has to be in each picture somewhere. Rotate photographers so everyone can participate.
The key to the hunt is creativity, and the result is new friends, new memories and some really great pictures. Have Fun!

Scavenger hunt:
1. Scene from a Disney movie (explaining it afterwards is half the fun!)
2. Catalog pose
3. Do exactly what the sign says (any sign can work)
4. Most creative use of ‘leap-frog'
5. "I can't believe we all fit in here!"
6. Picture with an animal (the more unusual the better)
7. Take your picture with someone in uniform
8. Create a public work of art
9. Capture your reflection in an unexpected place
10. Spell something in people – family name, hello, SOS . . .
11. Mimic a statue -- fountains also work well
12. Campaign for an unlikely cause -- higher prices outside a discount store?
13. An unsual perspective -- could be everyone's shoes, or the just top of their heads. .
14. Make yourselves appear really small
15. Can you find us?

Please be back to the church by 5:00 pm

Parade

After the parade we got ready to head out for the MAX (light rail) to see the floats up close and the fleet week. I am embarrassed to say I must of look like a hick on the MAX. Once I got on I noticed it was crowded and I thought it would be a fun shot to get the girls all crunched together. All of sudden the MAX shot forward sending me flying backwards (almost falling over and taking one of the girls with me). I got a shot of something we couldn't make out; I'll take that over landing on my bottom.

 

We didn't go on any of the navy ships because the lines were long but we did walk along the water front and look at all of them. This is what we saw when we looked out in front of the fleets (machine guns).

 

Here is a float up close.

 

Group shot before we got back on the Max to get to our cars were we headed to the Llyod Center (mall). We were disappointed to find out that the ice wasn't ready to skate on it. I guess they drain all the ice and use it for part of the judging area for the Rose Festival. So, the girls shopped and then we went to dinner.

 

Rose Parade

This morning was the Rose Parade up North. So, for part of our Mystery Trip we took the older troop this morning. The girls met at our houses (mine and Jill's) at 6:15 am.

It always rains at the Rose Parade. Yes, one of the Chaperones has a black plastic garbage bag on her head to protect her from the rain. :)

 

I snapped a few shots as the floats passed by. It is amazing to think these floats are made with flowers and natural materials.

 

The Peacocks were fun to watch. We even saw one get its head stuck in a tree.

 

This was an all girl's marching band from Taiwan. I wish I would of gotten a better shot of their instruments because I hadn't seen some of them before.

 

Serving the homeless

On Saturday (the day before Mother's day) the scouts got up and made breakfast. Then the girls served the breakfast. They had to be at the church by 6:30 a.m.

The girls did an awesome job. Even though they were a little tired. 3 girls brought egg/sausage casserole and the other girls brought fruit and danishes.

 

Saturday Night's camp fire

I didn't make it to Friday nights camp fire because I was cleaning up the mess from the paper making. But I did attend Saturday night's camp fire.

Here is a shot of the "amphitheater" fire pit. Melinda is explaining the rules around the campfire (no running, etc).

 

I hosted the singing contest. It is where each troop gets up and sings a Girl Scout song. The rule is no other troop can use that song or they are eliminated. After 48 songs no one had been eliminated and we were ready for s'mores so we ended with everyone being "winners!"
This is Samantha's (far left) troop doing the "I'm Bring Home a Baby Bumblebee."

 

The fire was HOT! Maddie can hardly roast her marshmallow because of the heat.

 

1st post on camporee
2nd post on camporee

More Camporee Fun

I posted the schedule on my previous entry for the camporee.

The younger troop (Maddie's) slept in the lodge. I had us sleep with our heads towards the middle of the circle so no one felt left out and I could quickly see what each girl was doing.
Samantha and Michelle decided they didn't want to sleep in the yurts with Jill. They didn't like the thought of using out-houses so they also joined us in the lodge.

 

The Oregon coast is great because you find Banana Slugs everywhere. Since we are girl scouts we had to protect the forest natural decomposers by not stepping on them or pouring salt on them.

 

One of the best things we did at this camporee was "hire" a cook. He was wonderful. He prepared the meals and did the clean up. He was a neat guy.

 

The girls are looking in the water for salmanders. Maddie is the 2nd from the left.