"Girls Camp 2009"

We survived another year at Girls Camp! It was different this year sitting on the other side of responsibilities. Two years ago for stake camp I was the stake camp director and Becky Johnson was my assistant. We were so busy the whole week we never stopped. This year as Stake Young Women’s President I called Kathy Wilkinson to be the Stake YW Camp director. She called her own committee and they planned the camp. We went to help and support. It was GREAT!!
Tuesday, we arrived early before any of the wards arrived and set up camp, organized and put on a big smile to great the arriving young women. As the wards began arriving and setting up camp it was about time for lunch, and guess who forgot to pack a sack lunch? The Stake YW Presidency, so off to town for lunch. We ate at “Steph’s Drive Inn.” I haven’t had a good cheese burger in a long time, and it tasted really good. When we got back to camp we arrived just in time for the opening Flag ceremony. What a great bunch of girls. As they all sat there together a great outpouring of love came over me. I didn’t know half of those young women, but I loved them. Introductions were made and the new stake camp director and her committee began by spelling their names out with their derrières. It was very funny. The girls loved it. After all the introductions the girls had some fun. They divided up into wards and rotated between different games, making crepe paper flowers, and making their journals. I helped the girls put the finishing touches (clear contact paper) on their journals. Next came dinner which was taco salad. It was yummy. After dinner the Mount Ensign Branch taught everyone salsa dancing and other Spanish dances. It was a lot of fun, although I don’t think my body was made to move like that. We had a closing devotional, took the flag down and went back to their wards for the evening.

Wednesday morning we began our day with flag ceremony and then a service project. We filled in ankle breakers (pot holes), cleared weeds, and gathered dead branches away from the camp sites. After the service project the girls went to three hours of certification. We relaxed that afternoon during free time by putting our chairs in the river and soaking our feet in the nice cool water. There were beautiful birds flying all around us and we even saw a musk rat and two fish jump. Thank heavens we didn’t see any snakes.

Becky & Dorthy

Jennifer & Bonnie

Jim arrived around 5:30 and we had dinner with our ward. At about 9:00 pm we put on our head lamps and hiked up the hills with Carl Page. We watched the sun go down, and by the time we made our steep climb up the last hill it was getting very dark. From the top of the mountain the stars filled the sky. We listened to Bro. Page and he pointed out the big dipper and told us to find another group of stars close by to be our own constellation to remember, and to look to for inspiration in the future. We waited a bit to see if we could see the “space station” flying by, but it wasn’t until we got back down the mountain did we see it. Those that waited behind said it looked so cool watching all the headlights coming down the side of the mountain. We were all tired and ready for bed once we got back, but we sat around the camp fire for a while.
Thursday, there was more certification and then we had the skits. They had prepared bags with props, a scripture hero, and a distraction the youth face these days. They had only 15 min. to prepare. They were great!!!! The Stake YW presidency was the “Daughter in laws of Lehi” – I was Bo Lehison. Although performing is not my bag it was a lot of fun and the girls enjoyed it.

"Grey Squirrel, Grey Squirrel, shake your bushy tail"

"Da Moose, Da Moose"

During free time we set up the slip and slide down the side of the hill. Joy Turnblom and her husband, Jennifer Cottle, Kathy Wilkinson, and I spent about an hour sliding down the hill seeing who could go the furthest. I won until Brother Turnblom’s final run beet me by about a foot. There were a few times I landed flipping backwards over my head. I turned my ankle, wrenched my neck and fell on my derrière so hard I didn’t think I would ever get up. I laughed so hard, but when we were done I was black from head to toe. My body hurt so bad the next day I didn’t think I would ever be the same. I’m just too old to have that kind of fun.

Jennifer Cottle

Kathy Wilkinson

We had a great night with President Eckman speaking to all the girls and then went back to the wards for a fireside and testimony meeting. Sister Brianna Buckley had asked that I bear my testimony. Our desire was to lead the girls in testimony so that they would have an example to bear pure testimony of Jesus Christ. I have been to many a girls’ camps, and I believe this was one of the most special testimony meetings I have ever attended. Our ward has a very special group of young women. They all bore such a sweet testimony. It was truly an exceptional evening. Before splitting up into wards they sang the camp theme song: “Firm in the Faith” I couldn’t finish the song I was crying so hard, and didn’t stop the rest of the evening. I can’t remember such a sweet feeling in a long time. About 11:30 we went back to our tents. It was the last night and it wouldn’t be girl’s camp without a few pranks. Becky and I made our way around the camp and it seemed though no one wanted to go to bed. About 1:30 we found the road down to the cabins was flooded out so we went to Elder and Sister Wall’s to let them know. We didn’t find out until the next morning that the damn on the irrigation canal was leaking and it posed very dangerous for the 3rd wards cabins so they were evacuated to the lodge for the night. The next morning after eating breakfast and taking down the flag the wards rushed to take down camp and head for home. We had all had a great time but were very tired and ready to go home. I watched the last car drive down the road and headed for the showers. Thanks to Kathy Wilkinson and her committee it was a great success!!

Becky Johnson, Jim and I stayed at camp Zarahemla for our ward outing that night. It seemed to be a good turnout and Keith, Sara, and Kate came up for dinner. I was so happy to see my little sunshine. We stayed up late that night singing around the camp fire, roasting marshmallows, star bursts and enjoying one another’s company. After breakfast the next morning Jim and I packed up and headed for home.

Kate enjoying camping