Girls Camp

Girls Camp this year had the theme, "There's no place like home." I was fortunate to be able to attend as a tent mom.  It was a wonderful week!! The spirit is so strong there at Buck's Lake... it truly is sacred ground!  I was so lucky that I got to swim the lake twice!  Every day when the girls had activity time, I took full advantage. I did the obstacle course (which was much harder than I expected) and found a young woman stuck at the top of one of the climbing things. She was crying and paralyzed with fear.  My co-tent mom, Valerie, and I encouraged her and stood on both sides to help her feel safe.  She made it down and hugged us commenting on how we really could do anything together, but it was harder alone. The costumes were outrageous!!  The skits adorable, and I made it to sunrise seminary and shiver shivery... every morning. I promised my girls if they did it, I would... I never dreamed they would do it!! But it was such a great way to start each day.

The second morning, we woke up to no water!! Priesthood gathered us at campfire and said something was wrong with the pump and we would have to flush the toilets with buckets of water.  So we promptly did the bucket brigade.  We lined all the girls and women from the bathroom to the lake (a very steep hill) and filled up a dozen garbage cans with lake water in order to have it available. Everyone worked together, singing and laughing, no complaining.  When we were finished, the pump began working.  It was pretty funny, but also a powerful lesson to us that we really could do hard things together, and attitude is everything.

Feelings were particularly fresh having just split our wards and stake. It was hard to not be a part of the ward I knew and loved, but it was also a great way to start to get to know some of the ladies in my new ward.  On ward night when the bishops came up, I actually cried when I saw my old bishop... he did too.  He said he missed Brian ever day! He was a great counselor! On the last night, Angela Robinson planned a very spiritual campfire using the songs from my youth. As they sang, I swear I heard the voices of all the women and girls from the past, singing together.  I could see all the girls I went with, up there as moms and leaders, her parents, the Abbots, whom I love so much, were there, I could even hear my sister's voice! The whole experience was so beautiful and overwhelming.

Because of the stake split, we had 16 bishops there the last night, and Angela had them do a hilarious dance!! We cried with laughter rooting them on.  I managed to get every single charm for my necklace. I'm not very competitive, but it turns out I'll move mountains for a little shrink a dink.  I did the choir, I made plarn (plastic yarn), I did archery, obstacle course, rock wall, swam the lake, first aid, helped with chores, campfire, and everything in between. I was spiritually fed, and a week off electronics served me well too!!

I was so happy to see my family! Argenta barely left my side for a week! I'm so grateful I got to attend for the last full stake camp. I was beautiful.