This summer I spent 6 days as a volunteer counselor at our Girls Camp (church youth group). It was amazing, exhausting, super fun & very fulfilling, to say the least! Many years ago, I went through all 6 years as a youth myself. And have not been back since. So I was very excited to attend this year AND to be able to join Pat & Rebecca ~ the two amazing women that I serve with in the Young Women organization at our local church. Things have changed a bit since then, but not too much. It was a great week!
Our days & nights were full of walking & hiking the hills of the camp, doing chores, singing, certification (1st aid/CPR, constellation studies, campfire cooking, scripture study, service, making bedrolls), yummy food in the lodge, laughing, bug spray, getting to know our group, walking, cleaning, raking the forest floor, hula lessons, swimming, arts & crafts, rifle shooting, walking, more food in the lodge, nightly firesides, popsicles in the nurses lodge, late nights, 5-minute walks just to use the bathroom, secret sister deliveries, more singing, hugs, walking, flashlight scripture reading, extreme weather emergency prep, nature walks, skit night, flag, YCL's nighttime serenades, more walking, laughing at lunch table, bead collecting, clapping games, archery, devotionals ... shall I stop? That'll make your head spin. But it was GREAT!
Our wonderful accommodations. SO grateful for these lil' cabins!
Home Sweet Home for the next 6 days!
Our wonderful group!! Level 4's. What a great group of girls!
A panoramic shot of the lake from the view within the Amphitheater.
Our group banner.
This tree caught our attention on a hike.
Our Level 4 girls teaching the camp the clapping game "Seven". So fun!
Some of our Level 4's taking down the flag on Wednesday...
"The Lodge!" Food central & craft center in the back.
We did not have sleeping or eating arrangements like this when I attended camp many years ago. I am
very grateful that our stake has them here.
Just another day at camp! OK, and proof that there were small bits of time where Rebecca & I got to participate, too. :)
Hula & Skit night in The Tabernacle.
This participation was a little less voluntary! :)
But we really wanted to show our support to our girls! Plus, we had the amazing opportunity to have 2
very talented (& 1 professional) hula dancers attending camp with us. They were gracious to share their talents with us. Each level/group was shown/taught a hula dance to perform in between skits on Friday night.
A small glimpse of Camp. This was was of "Bountiful" - our area for Level 4's.
We had an artist among us. She drew her "fearless leaders!" Rebecca & me :)
Pat, Alli & Rebecca.
I love these two ladies!! This is our Young Women presidency. We were blessed to be able to share the camp experience together! I cherish the memories.
AND I would be remiss to mention that Jared was willing & able to take the week off of work to stay home w/ our boys during this time. Thank you HON!!! He & the boys had all sorts of fun adventures while I was away. I'm sure they hardly missed me. :)
Jonah at a pirate birthday party.
Jonah at a pirate birthday party.
The boys at the annual Kid Fun Run during the Hoyt 5K. This was May 2011.
Phew - we made it! My buddy Kim & I after surviving the May 2011 Hoyt 5K! No major feat for Kim, but I had not trained for this - just ran in Jared's place because he had tweaked his knee & couldn't run.
My cousin came across the old photo of my grandparents, Ruby & Claudell Johnson. I love them!!
Jared took this photo on our hike of Mount Wachusett this past spring. I have to find the one of both of us at the top. It's a beautiful setting though. Great place for a hike!
