Girls Camp

A couple weeks ago I got to go to girls camp.  I serve as a counselor in the Young Womens program in my church, and every year a camp is held for all the girls in our stake, ages 12-18.


And I have to admit I was a little nervous because it's been years since I've camped.

I also regard foundation in the same way I do a shirt...I never leave the house without it.

So needless to say, I was curious to find out how far I'd come in the last ten years....yeah ten!


The other part of me was excited because I would have a break from all the mommy-related responsibilities of taking care of home and kids (and husband). 

Elon and I drove down together the first night because it was "Bishops Night", and he got to give the girls a little fireside meeting after they did their skits. He gave them a great message.  I hope they thought it was as great as I did.

Then he left me there....with the elements....and the most beautiful girls ever.  Seriously, these girls were SO pretty...each and every one of them.  There were about 85.

Lucky for us a scout camp left before we got there and they left behind a big tent they had used. 

It became known as the "ugly tent" and it housed all the food and mail boxes:

 Anne brought her pop-up camper and shared it with Tara, Amy, and I.  And boy was I ever grateful to have that as my sleeping quarters!

...because starting at midnight that night, the rains came...and about three quarters of our super cute tent dwellers got soaked.

But to our amazement...the inhabitants of one of the wettest tents (our first-year girls), woke up with smiles stretched across their faces and the desire to go swimming in the lake! 

 
 























My niece, Leah (on the right) is actually a second-year girl.

Unfortunately the clouds never lifted and the forecast looked wet for the remainder of camp, so our stake leader made the ultra-tough decision to cut it one day short.  

But from what I saw, the girls were extremely mature about that decision.  

So that last day, all of the activities that the YCL's (youth camp leaders) had planned for these girls were put into action.  And boy did it look like they had a blast.

Then I think the favorite activity that the YCL's did for these girls was the spiritual one at the end that involved blind folding all of them, and then sending them out to search for something. 

After hopelessly wondering around for a while, alone, and no doubt discouraged, they heard distant singing.  Each one walked toward the sound where they were then embraced by a youth leader. They were "home".

It was the spiritual parallel that really touched these girls to the core. 

While these activities were happening, I got to work with these lovely ladies to take down camp:

 Sue (above, left) helped with the food.  She had the girls eating like the queens that they are:

Here is Anne "mopping" herself out of the pop-up.  

Why?

...because she's a princess. ;)

Camp ended with a testimony meeting that tugged at my heart strings and had my eyes swimming by the end of it.  I am so blessed to work with these amazing girls.  The way they treat themselves and each other reveals their heightened perspective that is so needed in the world we live in today.  

The whole time I was there, I felt nourished and fed by their example.

Oh...and a little ways in, I forgot to care that I wasn't wearing foundation. :)

I came home to a pristine clean house, and the best hugs ever from my handsome husband and adorable little ones.

I swear those two grew while I was gone.