3 Girls and a Guy

LIVE LIKE YOU BELIEVE
13th Article of Faith-Chaste
Ship-Relationship
Port of Call-Italy/Red


Girls camp 2011, July 19-22. This year I really tried to get out of girls camp. Every summer for the past forever years, has revolved around girls camp. I really wanted to enjoy my summer this year. Camp takes so much time away from my children in the summer. Not only during camp but the 100 hours spent preparing camp before we get there. In February the YW's president asked me to stay as the camp director for another year. Renn gave her ultimatums during that conversation. I was to have less leaders, more committee, and a cook. I had a really bad attitude about camp for several months. I spent a lot of time boo hooing and complaining. Finally in May, I changed my attitude and camp was a success. I had less leaders, but I did not have a committee. A few weeks before camp, I had a friend volunteer to help me cook. She was a blessing. Above is the before picture of us smelling good and looking good. Not for long. This is ROUGH CAMP! Tents and no showers.

It was my second year going with Alex. She helped me prepare for camp. It's so nice having children that can help do projects and give ideas. Above, the girls were preparing for the snipe hunt. Last year was Alex's first, but this year she knew what was going on. This year it was more of a walk in the dark than scary. Last year our priesthood leader took them and scared the heck out of them. Cute tooth paste girls.

The first day, we set up four girls tents, and one leader tent. Then we decorated camp and made autograph books. Our camp was decorated like an Italian Bistro. We had red checkered table clothes, tissue paper flowers in vases on the tables, and Italian colored tissue balls hanging around. We made all the decor the day we got there.

The next day was the hike. The girls complained and complained. My Alex had twisted her ankle on the first day and reinjured it the morning before the hike. She didn't get to go to Mount Baldy with me. I was sad. I had some princesses with me on this hike. They asked every few minutes to go back. I had to keep giving them positive affirmations and encourage them to keep on. That was a full time job! The second years are DIVAS!

We made it to Mount Baldy. Savanna had never hiked before. She made it complaining the whole way. Haha. I've hiked to Mt. Baldy several times in my life. This is the place I grew up going to girls camp and have been a director here four times. On the way down, we ran. It was so fun running. The hike was uphill the whole way there, so it was easier to run down. We were almost to the end, when I ran into my Aunt's ward from Daybreak. I got to see Aunt Bonnie and her girls, Sarah and Elizabeth, and my piano teacher when I was little, Kris Bunnell. My mom's cousin, Debbie, was there from my Stake and we had a mini family reunion on the trail. I loved seeing fam there.

The stake planned a few fun activities. We were at a beach on a port of call for this pic somewhere! There were snow cones after!

Zipline is one of the highlights. All the girls, but one, did the zipline and almost every leader. Love the diapers we wear. Alex hung upside down and then the missionary man in charge told us no more hanging upside down!

We had skits, spell your name bum games(Rebecca's back side, we laughed so hard), question game, card games, songs, and smores. Morgan and Savanna got into widdling sticks for wands. Could it be that the Harry Potter movie had just come out.

Love Dean in the hot pink chair. He has four grown boys and has never been to girls camp. He doesn't even like camping. He was a real trooper and so much fun. He helped us out whenever we needed it. I think he was in shock!

Our skit was Bake Like You Believe. There was an angel food cake and the devil's food cake. One was more CHASTE than the other. It turned out cute thanks to Collette. She is a nonmember that comes with us. She made up the skit last year and this year. We love her. She even bore her testimony and we had some spiritual moments with her. She came to church when we got home. We will see how this goes. The missionaries are really anxious. Love Collette!

One night our stake added a new tradition. It was called lighting up the trees. Each ward in order would shine their flashlights up the large pine trees and sing a camp or church song. There was a special feeling as each ward sang their beautiful songs in this beautiful setting God created.

My Alex is always getting hurt or something is the matter. She is clumsy too. We had to baby her ankle the whole camp. Dean, our priesthood leader, made her a cane and the girls painted it. Mindy, my cook, wrapped it a few times and it felt better. Alex has been dancing for 10 years and is the clumsiest girl. Can you imagine how clumsy she would have been without dance? Haha. One day her whole tent got sick. Some of the leaders think they overdosed on DEET. There were lots of bugs this year because of the wet spring and summer. She was in the DIVA tent for sure, Savanna, Alex, Amber, and Emily. I'm sure Alex loved the extra attention.

We had several projects going on during the week. Washer necklaces, autograph scrapbook books, stenciling on their t shirts, different styles of hair, string in the hair, string bracelets, apron signing for the bishopric, widdling, skit practice, secret sisters and whatever else the girls came up with.

Camp was a huge success. The girls all got a long. We had fifteen girls in all and six leaders here and there. We had many pot guts and flying badgers(Nat Cook) that came to visit. The stake had a few spiritual firesides and classes during the day too. Rebecca gave one devotional one night and I gave the other. I hope the girls felt the spirit up at camp. I know our testimony meeting was amazing. Every girl bore their testimony and many tears were shed. I love having a small ward. It's so intimate and you get to know the girls better.

I have to mention our menu, fettucini, lasagna, Italian subs, crepes with all the fixins, chicken salad and croissants, lots of salads and fruit, pizza from Little Ceasars thanks to the bishopric, homemade cheesecake, smores, dutch oven cobblers and lots of snacks. All the leaders helped with the preparation of the food and so did the girls.

The YW presidency was a big help. They took a few of the jobs from my list of 100 things to do. I've done camp with a committee of four and now one pretty much on my own. I loved camp with a committee. It's much more enjoyable. The yw leaders sit back and relax, read books, talk, and take naps. One day I want to be one of them, but I'm not sure I could relax knowing how much the camp director does. Thanks to the leaders, Rebekah, Nat #2, Carol, Lori, Leslie (my everything), and Marnie. Leslie was there with me the whole time. I love that lady.

I'm so happy I got to do camp this year. Last year was a hard year at camp, and this year we turned it around. So many good feelings and spiritual experiences. I'm glad I'm going out with a great feeling for camp. I've always loved it since I was a teenager and I still do!

We are all packed up and headed home. Loved camp, but excited to enjoy the rest of my SUMMER stress free! We all stink!

I could not do camp without Renn's support and help. He helps me a ton before I go with packing and letting me do my thing. I knew the kids would be okay without me. Kaden went out to Roosevelt for the week. Abby and Adri had treat and activity bags for each day I was gone so they wouldn't get bored. Renn came home from work and took them bowling, to dinner, on bike rides and spent time with them. My mom is usually there to check in on them, but she is on her mission. I miss her! Thanks Aunt Ashley for checking in on them and taking them out for snow cones! Next year Abby will be at camp. Abby really wants me to go next year, but I think it will be a neat experience for Abby and Alex to be at camp without me together.

Girls camp provides the greatest place for testimonies to grow in young girls. I heard it said like this by one of my friends that gave me support all summer, "Before camp testimonies are like a match and during camp they have the opportunity to turn into a BONFIRE!" I know I felt my testimony turn into a bonfire at camp because of these girls and I hope they did also.