Girl's Camp 2012

This last week I had the opportunity to go up to girls camp....I haven't been to camp since I was a youth.

Being back there brought all the memories of my years going as a teenager. For 6 years I grew up rising through the ranks and learning leadership skills that I've used throughout my adult life. 

So fun to be a leader though, I got to talk to other ladies that I know and respect but only see in passing at church and I got to know a great group of girls. 

The theme for this year was BOOT camp or "Building Our Own Testimony"

Our cabin was France or Fort Paris.

Our cabin with our signature mustaches!

Our cabin mom was Brianna Reid, I was the cabin aunt and then we had Rachel Spencer, Alise Bradford, Aubrey, Yaretzi, Stephanie Smart, Jessie Ball, Clarissa, Diana, Asia, and Alexis.

On the side of our cabin we had this guy and he's saying "I mustache you a question...How strong is your testimony"

The week before camp a few of the older girls and us got together to work on decorations. I was impressed with the girls and their painting skills. They did it completely on their own. Way to go girls!

Here are the girls coming to camp ready to be hooked up with their cabins. 

Welcome to camp girls!

Camp was full of spiritual classes, crafts, singing at meals if you were caught with elbows on the table and a lot of the stuff I remembered at camp from before. 

I came to camp prepared to serve and help but I ended up getting a lot out of it myself. I found my own testimony being strengthened, I had just as much fun staying up and laughing with the girls and I appreciated the lighthearted pranks...luckily none that I was victim to.

I got to be able to help with camp certification. One of the relays I helped run was one where the girls had to make a stretcher out of a blanket and two boards. Every group made theirs a little different but somehow they pretty much all got them to work. 

One of the other classes I got to teach was "flip the tarp"

I asked the girls if they ever felt like life had turned upside down. Surprisingly a lot of them raised their hands. (Made me wonder what had gone on in their lives.)

I then read a story from a church magazine about a girl who had found strength in answered prayers when her life turned upside down. 

Then the group had to flip the tarp upside down without anyone stepping off of it.  

It was possible but it wasn't easy. The first group was not sure if it could be done and they kept asking me if it was REALLY possible. I assured them it was (though I hadn't seen it done) 

They kept working at it and sure enough they did it. 

After my rotation the girls got to go to the rock climbing wall. I never got to try it but it looked really fun.

One of the days we got to go to Big Bear Lake. I never got a packing list for some reason so I didn't even have a suit with me. After watching the other girls "encouraging" the leaders to swim with them in the freezing water I was glad I didn't have my suit. Sitting in the sun visiting was just fine with me.

It was a beautiful day!

On my last night there (I left a day early to get ready for our Utah trip) Jeff came up and spoke to us.

It brought back memories because my last year of girls camp Jeff came up and spoke at girls camp after his mission and I remember shaking his hand and saying thank you for speaking...never knew he would end up being my husband :)

Jeff did a great job like always. He did the speaking and I did the hand outs.

The theme for the day was Be all you can Be

The last night I was at camp I stayed up talking with the cabin mom and some of the girls in my cabin giggling about teachers in high school, hard math and embarassing moments...all the sudden it was 2:00 am!

Nothing like a way to end my time at camp like a giggling girls night.