Girls Camp!

Right after Grandpa and Grandma left it was time for Girls Camp.  Ashley had a friend who moved away recently, come back to Illinois to go to camp with us, so she came over and spent the night at our house and then we were off to Camp!

Ashley and I always go up a day early.  All the leaders on the stake level go up early to get everything ready before the Young Women arrive.  I worked in the kitchen again this year and we use this day to buy all the food for 175 people for the week.  It is one long day of massive grocery shopping--it's exhausting.  Fortunately, the leaders who go early can bring their daughters if they have any, so it is a fun time for Ashley to hangout with friends and check out the camp before it officially begins. 

The theme for camp this year was "...the light within" which coordinates with the mutual theme of "Arise and Shine Forth."  The basic premise is that before you can arise and shine forth you have to kindle or develop the light within you. 

So camp this year from my perspective was:

1.  Hot (as usual in July) although not as hot as last year.

2.  Exhausting, but not because I was staying up all night with rowdy girls (our girls are so good) but because it is just physically exhausting and hard work to be on your feet preparing 3 meals a day plus snacks, non-stop for 4 days.

3.  So uplifiting.  I think if I learned anything it is that camp just fills you with love.  You just see the YW in a different light and learn to love and appreciate them even more.

4.  Hilarious.  Honestly, at camp because of my assignment I spend more time with other adults than I do with the Young Women.  Especially the kitchen staff.  This year there was 4 of us and seriously we had such a great time.  You have to keep it light when you are slaving away in a kitchen everyday.  Plus at some point you get so deliriously tired, everything is just funny.

5.  Hilarious.  Did I say that already?  Our ward basically staffs 75% of camp when it comes to adult leaders.  We had 10 ladies from our ward go this year.  I'm pretty sure that most of the immature and rowdy behavior came from us.  All I can say is that at one point a few of us had the most inappropriate laughing fit--you know the kind where you can't stop laughing, getting to the point you are crying.  Our Bishop came up for ward night and came over to talk to me and one of my counselors and we couldn't even speak we just burst out laughing right in his face.  I'm sure he thought we lost our minds, which by that night we probably had. 

Anyways, good time as alway at camp.  I think it was after I got home that the busyness of the summer finally hit me.  I literally felt like I hit a wall.  I'm not even sure I have completely recovered yet, but of course it was worth it and I am so glad that I know so many wonderful Young Women who have a love for camp and a strong desire to be there every year.  (I get a cd of camp pictures this weekend, so I'll update later with more pictures)


Ashley and friends on "tutu Tuesday"