Girls Camp

For the past few weeks my life has been revolving around planning & preparing for Girls Camp. Although it was a blast.... I'm very happy to say that it is OVER! Alot of stress & work was involved!!!!!!!!
Every other year our stake has decided to have each ward do their own girls camp. So this year was our ward. A camp director didn't really pan out for us, & so since I'm the young women president, that lot kind of fell on me. Although I do have to say that much of the planning/responsibilities were very nicely picked up by my amazing counselors. I've been blessed with an AMAZING presidency!!!!!!!! Sean was our cook/camp puter-upper, & a priesthood member so he did alot of work too. We went "camping" camping with tents & all, so it was alot of fun. I do have to say that I don't think that I would ever want to be a young women president/camp director/mom all at the same time again!
We left Wednesday- Sean was planning on going up Tuesday to have everything set up for us, but as luck had it... the transmission on the truck went out on Sunday. Be-a-utiful! So the awesome transmission men worked their butts off & got it to us at about 6pm Tuesday night. In order to tow anything, they ask you to put 100 miles on it... so we didnt' really get to start packing everything up til about 11pm. You can imagine what our house looked like when we left.

We don't have alot of active young women, & at the last minute one girl couldn't come, so we had 5 girls this year. Our theme was "Survivor". & we had planned alot in "tribes", but even though we had 5 girls, they were really awesome about working together & we substituted a leader for the lacking group a few times.
We taught certifications & then had "challenges" to to test their knowledge & then we did alot of just fun challenges too. It was a blast :)

Here are the girls after building an emergency shelter....
This was their "tower of babel" challenge. I stole my sister Nancie's idea & they had to built towers out of spaghetti (dry of course) & marshmallows.

Here is Brother Johnson & Sammy.. matching camo & all.

Oh my gosh!!! Sams "schedule" was obliterated last week. We are still recovering! He's woken up every morning at the same time we did at girls camp since we got home :( I just want to sleep in!!!!!!!

There was so much going on all the time that he barely ate at meals & his naps were seriously wacko! Here he is all crashed while we were out hiking.

One of our challenges was to make an outfit out of brown paper bags, crete paper, tape & toilet paper.. oh & anything laying around in nature. Me & Sister Rapier got paired together & since shes a ridiculously amazing seamstress.. I just did what she told me to. Please! Blow this next picture up & really look at it... she's hilarious!!!
yes, that is a pine tree bustle.

more of the girls & the outfits...

One night we had some amazing spaghetti for dinner. however, there was a little misjudgment on how much spaghetti was needed... needless to say... Red was in heaven!

the girls really loved having Red around because he was our "protector". He always followed everyone to the bathrooms at night to keep watch & he made everyone a little happier :)





April & Nichelle before the hike..

We hiked though some beautiful areas along a little creek the second day.

One of the priesthood brethren thought it would be great to play a trick on the girls (what is girls camp without a little fun?) He brought a gorilla suit.

On the hike when some leaders were pointing out tracks, brother Johnson was so kind as to remind the girls that they could be gorilla track, because they werent' uncommon in this area.. ha ha.

That night Brother Duce (who had sustained a dirt bike injury the previous week) excused himself to his trailer early to rest. & then the noises started. The wierd calls & branches cracking. The girls were nice & scared to a good point when he snuck up in the suit behind them. I definitely haven't heard that many screams all at once in awhile. One was my own, although I knew it was coming... silly. They all laughed alot about it!

It did rain a bit the first day or two, but it just made the weather all the more pleasant.


On the third day we hiked down to the Blue Ridge Resevoir & went swimming.

There were 3 babies with us... & it was alot of fun... & entertainment as well.. Sam & Charlie were about as dirty as any two baby boys could be! We gave Charlie the spic n span award at the end of camp. his mom thought that was pretty funny.

Brittany started a fire all by herself with flint & steel & it lasted 9 hours... she is very proud & will tell anyone who wants to hear the story!

the 3 musketeers. Amalie, Sam & Charlie

Friday our bishopric came up & we had an awesome dinner ( stakes & potatoes!!) dessert (cupcakes & pie) . We played a few games & then had an awesome devotional!! Sister Elsberry gave an awesome devotional on choice & accountability & then we had a testimony meeting. It was really nice! & there is something really awesome about sitting around a campfire with your ward family.

Here is Sam with Sister Uliberri, our bishops wife.

Here is Sean & Brother Duce packing up the last day... ready to head home!

I did this 2 years ago & I thought I was stressed out then. I remember I went by my parents house to pick up a few things we were borrowing & unloaded my emotions on my dad (he's always good for a good cry-listen). He told me this... the only thing that really matters is that these girls have fun & feel the spirit... don't stress the rest. I had to keep telling myself that over & over again this year. What a wise dad I have :)

I think it went well. I was able to have fun with the girl... teach them a few things... & I bore them my testimony Friday night.

You know the scriptures tell us that we as a church are one body in Christ. That together, we make up the church. This past week testified that to me as I watched those with talents in areas better than my own make our camp the best it could be. What an amazing thing to be able to learn that we need each member to truly make it all work! and what an amazing feeling to know that we are divine daughters of God and that he needs me, each one of us, to help build up the kingdom. Every day when we said the yw theme it made me a little emotional.

Today I'm just starting to clean up the house...