Girls Camp

What an experience to be able to go to Girls Camp! I had such a good time!!! I thought for sure I'd be counting down the days until it was time to go home, but it was actually the opposite. I was a little sad when it neared the time to leave. To say we have a good group of girls is an understatement! Never in all my years have I seen a group of girls that get along so well and are so grounded in the gospel. It didn't matter what group of girls you put together because they were all friends. Age didn't matter, interests didn't matter, how long you've been in our ward didn't matter.... everyone included everyone. It was so refreshing! I spent the whole week up there and loved every single second. I enjoyed all the silliness. I enjoyed the food. I enjoyed making new friends in both the girls and the leaders. I enjoyed all the devotionals. I enjoyed being on that spiritual high. And the list goes on and on. There's so many things that I want to remember about my experience there and I'm so mad that I didn't keep a journal while I was there. So here's some pictures and stories of a few things that I don't want to forget...

We played Minute to Win it games, and the game I was in charge of was right in the path of the smoke from the fire. I looked like this the whole time we were playing.

Skit Night was definitely a night that I'll never forget. Not because it was so memorable, but because the girls and leaders won't ever let me live it down. I was in charge of skits and gave each group of girls a standard out of the For Strength of Youth pamphlet to center their skit around. And of course the leaders have to do a skit so I made up a little skit for us to do. I combined the left over standards that weren't used and had a setting where a group of girls (the one in the hat is our dearly beloved Bishop Hyer who was kind enough to take the place of a leader who had to leave last minute. I think that totally made the skit what it was though. We have an awesome bishop!!) anyway, they were sitting around talking about life and would talk about things that maybe went against the standards in the pamphlet. So, who other to save the day than the "For the Strength of Youth Woman!" (Yours truly) I put on a purple cape and dashed around the room saving the day. I think the shining moment though was when Kentina (the bishop) just didn't think she was as good as the girls she saw in the magazines. So myself and all the other girls (leaders) decided to teach her a lesson by doing an awesome lip syncing rendition of Firework by Katy Perry. Looking back at the video I've gotta ask myself, "What were you thinking?!" I REALLY got into it and have got to say I was a really good lip syncer. The things we'll do for the love of other people.

This is me, our camp cook Annie (one awesome cook and person), and our YW President Debbie (also as awesome as one can get). I don't really have any other pictures of the other leaders. Our Camp Advisor, Erin, is pictured in the skit picture with the bishop. I've got to say I probably learned more from her than anyone at girls camp. She's a very insightful person and gave me a new sense of hope for my struggles that I'd been facing.

Me and Lacee my Mia Maid advisor

Miss Gaby is our Laurel President and she does such a good job. She has such a strong testimony and such a sweet personality.

Our hike was pretty nonsenseful. There's two things that I had to throw my fish lips out on the girls. #1- They were SO messy. No one knew how to pick up after themselves. And #2- They were a bunch of whimpy girls when it came to the hike. Not two minutes into the hike they were complaining about how hot it was, they all of a sudden had these mysterious illnesses and wondered how far we had to go. I had never seen so many whiners in my life. It got so bad that one of the priesthood holders ended up making rounds picking up the girls on his four wheeler and bringing them to the top. Ridiculous!! I think there were only maybe 4 girls that actually made it the whole way.

Misty Lou.
I really grew to love this girl at camp. She's such a leader and such a kind person, not to mention her unwavering devotion in the gospel. She is such a straight arrow. She's such an example to me. The highlight of our friendship at camp though was when Erin and I were talking late one night (it was about 2:30) and we heard one of the doors open and someone say, "Are you guys awake? We have some questions." And then out comes 3 of the Laurel girls wanting to know all sorts of questions about life (mostly those types of questions concerning the birds and the bees). Hallelujah Erin was there. Between the two of us we answered their questions in the most respectful and reverent way we could. It was hilarious/awkward/eye opening. I'm glad that we, as YW Leaders were able to answer their burning questions instead of them finding out in some crude way (the way I did). And don't worry, we told them all to still talk to their parents about all of this and then we went to each of their parents later and let them know what was talked about. It was definitely a night that I'll never, and I'm sure those girls will never forget.

We went boating while we were there and it was really fun. It's always fun to just let loose and be a kid again.I rode on the Weenie Boat for the first time (side story... the girls didn't know the Weenie Man song!! I was shocked and appalled and immediately taught them while sitting around the camp fire the first night. They thought that was the most awesome song they had ever heard and it was sung the rest of the time at girls camp over and over and over. It was especially appropriate when we rode on the Weenie Boat). This was definitely the funnest thing I did while there. I loved being on the back because you got tons of air. This is also one of those things that I couldn't stop laughing on. I hadn't laughed that hard for that long in such a long time. My abs got a really good work out that day.

Sooooo, towards the end of the day Debbie and I were talked into riding this...
Neither of us really wanted to, but of course we both caved and got on. If I said it was fun I'd be lying. That thing was awful!!! The water was so choppy by this time and Debbie and I got tossed around like rag dolls. Our bodies were bending in ways that they shouldn't bend. My voice became hoarse because I was screaming so loud. Debbie and I were holding on for dear life and didn't dare let go to tell them to stop. Finally Debbie was brave enough to raise her arm up and the horrid ride was over....

While being pulled in closer to the boat a look of horror came across everyone's faces. Why? Because of this...

While being tossed around I had somehow given myself a shiner. I immediately put ice on it and as the day went on the swelling went down and ended up looking like this...

On the second to the last day there we had a hair day where everyone got their hair braided.

This is the Pebbles group who got their hair braided up the back and then put a floppy bun on top.

And then lastly, we went to Provo Falls to have our Personal Time and open our letters from home. This is always such a spiritual time for the girls. I too was able to have a spiritual experience there. I was able to reflect on my time at girls camp and record a few feelings I'd been having in my journal. I also got to read a letter from Matt where he said every right thing he could say. He said things that I definitely needed to hear. It was a perfect way to spend our last day at girls camp.

I'm so, so thankful that I'm in the YW's now. My life has changed since being called to this calling.
I'm happier.