Girl's Camp at Heber Valley

Girls camp this year was at Heber Valley. What a beautiful place. I have had the privilege of going there 3 times, Sari has gone twice, and this year, we made it a family event. It was the most perfect place for Shawnie to have her first girls camp experience, and in spite of her stubbornly saying for weeks before hand that she. wasn't. going. and. we. can't. make. her. she had an amazing time, created lots of new friendships, felt the spirit of that mountain, and had her testimony strengthened. The highlight of her week was the challenge course swing. This girl and her dare-devil spirit...



Sari also had a great time with her friends and wasn't too very frustrated that everywhere she turned she found a member of her family. It's so fun to see her interact with the girls in the ward. She always recognizes the ones that need pulled in and steps right up to pull them in. She taught everyone a game that she learned at EFY that was the biggest hit of the week. I never did completely figure it out. It takes too many brain cells but is an absolute riot!

Keith was ultra-helpful and the girls all enjoyed having him there. I will admit, it was a pretty challenging year for me, wearing way too many hats as the assistant camp director, beehive advisor and personal servant and facilitator to the princess. I think I'm getting old, because it took me a couple of weeks to get over the after camp slump this year. Although, that could have been the all-nighter that the beehives pulled playing 'grandma's underpants' and jump roping with glow sticks and having silly string wars...

Girls Camp 09

A few weeks ago I was privileged to go to girls camp for the second time. We went to Heber Valley and had a wonderful time. We were each assigned a yurt to sleep in and then we picked a bunk. We then went on a five mile hike that turned out to be seven and that was all up hill!

The next day we did the boating. We picked a canoe and went out. After a while of being on the water they blew a horn signaling silence, no one spoke, paddled or made noise as we all saw God's creations. His peace was there as well as the spirit, after two minutes we began to boat again.

On Wednesday we did the Challenge Course, we walked across a tight rope 50 feet in the air and we did a trust fall. It was hard for our minds, hearts, and bodies.

On Thursday we did the service project. We spread bark on the challenge course so falls wouldn’t hurt. We would load the wheel barrows and haul them up the mountain to the stations. It was hard, hot, and fun. I was privileged to be able to do two sessions of the project. I loved it. When the session was done, they would talk about how we were helping others and that we would never see the products, but others would be thankful. They then talked about how Heavenly Father knew each of us personally. I had heard that many times but before that it never clicked. He knew me. He loved me. I knew that up on that mountain and I know it now.

On Friday we went home, a long and trying bus ride! It was fun though; we played games and sang songs. I slept through part of the ride, another part I laughed at the water fight behind me. We had so much fun. We also learned as our theme to STAND.

-Sari