Happily Ever After...: The Lord Is My Light Girls Camp 2016

Girls Camp was really awesome this year! Everything went so smoothly and everyone got along so well! I really don't think we could have asked for better. Although we were keeping mental notes all week of what we will do differently next year.

I volunteered to drive the trailer again this year because nobody else was going to. Jami, Nate and I picked it up from the Roundy's a couple days before and started loading it the night before. It was so exciting! There was a lot of happiness and a lot of stress in the air :). I went over to Jami's early the next morning to load all the last minute stuff/food. I had been so nervous the night before and had to psych myself up for the trailer and everything, but that morning I was feeling really good. That was a relief.

Everyone met at the Burton Chapel, we had a little devotional and instructions from Alana- this is when I first learned how cool Alana was- she really was perfect for the job. Total inspiration on Jami's part.

Then we headed down south for American Fork Canyon. I probably shouldn't go into detail about this, but I"m going to. Just before we pulled into the parking lot for Timp cave, I realized this was going to be a very difficult spot to get out of when we leave. I hesitated parking there, but everyone was insistent. Imagine that- the people who have no idea how to back up a trailer insisted that I pull into a very difficult parking lot and I listened. Duh. So anyway- I decided I needed to back up and turn around BEFORE the parking lot got anymore filled up with cars. Nobody agreed, but I was doing it anyway. So I began turning around. This is always interesting with people who don't know what's going on. They try to help, which is nice, but it ends up just being annoying. All I really needed was someone to tell me when to stop. So anyway- took me about 15 minutes, but I was able to 250,000,000 point turn my way out of there :). I couldn't have done it without Bro. Larsen's help, that's for sure! But I did it!! I was so proud of myself! I feel bad I didn't just accept his offer to do it himself, but I really wanted to try it and knew I could do it! I did just fine too! Would have taken anyone a while- it's actually kind of a miracle it worked! So anyway. That got my blood boiling :). Adrenaline really.

SO after that drama, we went over to the little river and killed time and ate lunch. I took a lot of pictures too.

It was so fun that Emma Forbes came back from Texas for one last camp with us! She's such a good girl. I miss having her around.

And cute Ruby chose our ward over her new one for Girls camp this year :). That was a lot of fun especially for charity and Kelly.

Allena is so awesome! I just love this girl. We totally have this awesome connection, I totally feel like we have lots in common. Love the girl though :)

It felt like Michelle was really comfortable this year, she was a lot of fun!

It was fun that we got to bring Cassidy since she was turning 12 in a couple weeks! Kelly was so glad!

So we went and hiked up to Timpanogas Cave, I'm proud to say I made it without passing out or making too much of a fool out of myself. I really wasn't sure how it was going to go. I probably scared everyone with my purple face, but I really was okay. Good times though. The cave was cool as always and it was fun to relate the darkness in the cave and the small bits of light to our theme this year- good one camp director and YCLs. I had fun talking with different girls on the way up and down. I felt like it was a great time for all the girls to bond. My knees were killing me when I got to the bottom. My hips were okay though and that was my biggest concern!

After the Timp hike we drove out of American Fork canyon and over to Provo canyon to head on up to Rock Canyon Campground. This place was WAAAAAAAAAY out of the way and a very long dirt road later we were there. We did stop at this awesome view to take pictures, but apparently I don't have the picture of the view? hmmm. weird. Anyway- I had to pee so bad, I was exTREMEly anxious to get back in the car and keep driving. Not to mention I was pulling the trailer up and down some pretty steep dirt roads. Pretty freaky. We did make it though! And all with my engine light on. And in one piece! One giant, connected piece!

While we were at the cave we had learned that it was probably going to rain so it wasn't a surprise when, as we were QUICKLY setting up camp, the really big grey clouds came rolling in. It's amazing how fast you can put up tents when dry sleeping equipment is at stake. Course that didn't stop the Beehives and Laurels from fighting over a tent spot. I have to side with the Beehives on that one- you can't still someone's spot and then order them to put your tent on it! Crazy Laurels. But all was well. We checked tent drama off the list and didn't ever have to worry about it again!

We all bonded during the rain as the Laurels prepared dinner and we (anyone willing)held up the canopy thing the scouts call an easy up :). That was so much fun :). Lots of good laughs!

I loved that the YCLs delegated some of the devotionals to the younger girls. Gave them some ownership.

I stayed up late talking with my friends all night long. I hope They can all forgive me for being so chatty. It was fun though :).

There was all kinds of drama with the bathrooms and the stuff that should have ended up in the little garbage can.

I'm still laughing about Queen Lisa's air mattress... HILARIOUS!

I wish I had documented things better, but now it's been almost a month and I can't remember much. Oh well, I did get lots of pictures and video.

The second day we went down to the Provo river and floated it! That was a LOT of fun! I really want to take my kids to do that- at least the older ones :). It was really relaxing and also very entertaining at the same time. I loved spending time with the girls. I loved all the funny things that happened. Emily Porter folding in half. Hearing about Cassidy's big trauma. Laughing with Charity :). It was a fun activity.

WE were in charge of dinner that night as a Beehive class and I consented to doing dutch ovens for Kelly- she really wanted our Shepherd's Pie stuff- I don't know why we call it that- and it went well. I was worried about it because I don't really do the dutch oven cooking- Nate does, and there was a little difficulty getting things set up just right since the coals weren't burning the way I needed them to, but I made it work and it was REALLY good!

I think it was the next morning we did this cool thing with our journals- we sat in a big circle and wrote something nice in everyone's journals as we passed them around. That was neat and I LOVED reading what those sweet girls said to me. So fun! Totally made up for not having secret sisters this year.

I really love Jami! She's such a good friend and so nice to me all the time. Plus, I really love witnessing the mantle of the Young Women President calling. She has always been so good at following inspiration. It's really cool to know that things were from Heavenly Father. She's just so awesome too. I love working with her.

That last day we got to go rock climbing! This was when I had my emotional breakdown inside my head. I struggled a lot with the hike to the rock wall, it was very steep, downhill, and exTREMEly rocky! Like walking down a river with no water- rocky. It was so painful with my hips to go downhill like that. I had been looking forward to doing something useful down there, belaying the rock climbers, but when I got down there and found out I didn't fit in any of Jami's climbing harnesses, I just about lost it inside! It was SO embarrassing to have to keep telling people I didn't fit in them every time someone wanted to know why I wasn't doing the rock climbing since I was so excited to do it after missing it all last year... yeah, I had a major pitty party. I wish I could go back and handle that better inside. So I sat around taking pictures and talking with the girls which was a lot of fun, but I was ticked off at myself inside. I hate being fat. There are so many disadvantages. I NEED to lose weight! I'm trying SO HARD to too! I got a little irritated when we left because Alana (no offense to her- I think she was just following the rules) thought I needed another adult to help me keep track of the five girls that were coming with me to which I wanted to laugh and say- "I HAVE EIGHT KIDS UNDER 14!!! FIVE TEENAGE GIRLS IS LIKE A VACATION!!! I get the whoe reasoning behind it, but I was already on my last straw I think. So I ended up dragging Lyvia, Cassidy and myself out of that canyon with the excruciating pain of my dislocated hips- they were COMPLETELY out by the time I finished that hike- I couldn't hold back the tears!! It was SO PAINFUL!! Luckily I got some drugs in my when we got back to camp, or I might not have made it through the rest of the evening... that was SO HARD!!! SO PAINFUL!!

I just love the question ball- we need one of those for Playgroup or RS or something :).

I just love this picture! And Aubrey of course, but how cute is she!

Same with this one- so hilarious

Everybody did so well again this year! Kelly was so proud of herself! Charity did really great too! Lots of fun!

It was really cool to watch Jami putting up the line (forgot what it's called)- she really does it all. Very cool!

We were all so relieved that Olivia made it! I still think she just didn't want to do the Timp hike. Silly girl.

It is really fun how everyone just cheers each other on and gets so into it. Lots of good unifying going on.

So I think the crowning moment of Girls Camp was "the song thing". We did this awesome thing where the girls are all sitting in a big circle with their eyes closed. Then the leaders are sitting behind them. You play music about Christ's life- in chronological order and set things in the girls hands for them to touch while they think about different parts of his life. There was straw for his manger during Silent Night. A net during the song about him being a fisherman. There was a thorn, a giant nail, piece of bread, and sacrament cup. But I feel like I'm missing something. It was REALLY cool! I was a little skeptical and wasn't sure how it would go when I first heard about it, but it ended up being a MAJOR highlight for almost ALL of the girls. It was brought up in almost every testimony. And I don't think I can describe the Spirit that washed over me when I placed the straw in the girls' hands. Just the first item- brought tears to my eyes immediately. So cool! I need to remember that thing if I am ever in charge of girls camp. It was really effective.

So cool

Alana did a really great job on the fireside lesson. She did the whole worn out dollar thing, but related it to the Atonement. So cool! She did such a great job on the whole camp. I was really impressed. She and Jami both. It was a huge success.

Testimony meeting was of course awesome too. It's always such a neat experience. I love witnessing the growth of testimonies in such a beautiful way.

The last morning, everyone was ready to go, so we took down camp as fast as we could. Unfortunately while we were taking down Charity twisted her ankle. Took all of us to nurse her back to health :). It really was so sad. I think it's so cool that everyone stepped up to help. I only wish Kelly had gotten the same treatment for her knee. She had been in a lot of pain after the hike too. I'm not sure why it happens like that- but we love both girls and they both deserve the royal treatment.