I now attempt to highlight our Girls Camp experience last week by showing pics that still allow for anonymity. Not an easy task, I tell you. I came home with over 700 pictures–GREAT pictures that show teen girls posing, crafting, goofing off, working, hiking, reading, dancing, singing, and hugging–and am limited to a handful that don’t show faces.
I make the attempt, though, because I got to spend the week at camp with two of my daughters. The experience brought me closer to them, and to their friends. Hangin’ with teen girls makes me feel young. And, wonder of it all, they don’t consider me an old fogey, or old-fashioned, or a nerd (or so they say).
Camp highlights:
Some of the banners that greet visitors to Heber Valley Camp
*We chose to be pirates as part of our theme for the week. We decorated our camp accordingly.
*Each ward had to decorate a banner to display in their camp and in the amphitheater during group Stake time. Blame the misspelling on Hub!
*On the first day of camp our ward was the only ward not scheduled to go to the challenge course or the lake. So, being the pirates that we were, we raided the other camps and left our mini flags everywhere. The girls got quite creative, leaving the flags in the bathrooms, the fire pits, in trees, stuck in the ground, and, in the camps that had flag poles, they hoisted our mini to the top.
*The wildlife showed no fear of humans.
Sharing a pancake.
*We spent one morning hiking.
*At one point girls were given the choice to continue on up to the “top” or to return to camp. Those of us who chose to go to the top were treated to a view of Legacy Lake.
*One afternoon we spent at the challenge course. Girls participated in “Object Retrieval” and “Blind Tag.” They worked at team building and balancing and trust. The favorite of all of the girls was the giant swing. And they really cheered when, after chanting my name over and over and over…and over, they talked me into trying it as well. And once it worked for me, they tried it on their other leaders with success too.
Someone on the giant swing.
*One morning leaders were given a cd picked out randomly with a song on it that we were told to make a skit out of by evening. The song we were given was “Lollipop.” We had to use whatever we had in camp to make props. Hula Hoops, beach towels, and duct tape did the trick.
A giant lollipop.
*The girls were creative, as usual, and came up with a darling skit that required some girls to be the legs of other girls, while they danced and sang “Lollipop.” Sorry, no pics here–too many faces shown–but, trust me, the skit was a hit!
*One day we got to hike to Legacy Lake and go canoeing.
Pond on the way to Legacy Lake.
*We made crafts. There were painted frames, bracelets, coloring projects, and flip-flops. Since I had a brain fart the day we made the flip-flops and didn’t gather enough fabric in my colors of choice for two flip-flops, I ended up having two mismatched flip-flops and had to endure the good-natured teasing of 22 teenage girls for the rest of the week. I have informed them that I have started a trend. You just watch…mismatched flip-flops will be the next hot item!
*We built campfires at night and made s’mores. We sang songs, both silly and spiritual. We visited and joked around every day. We heard a lecture from the camp naturalists about the local wildlife and plants and learned that a moose can weigh up to 1,300 pounds! We looked at the stars. We got chased by bees. Every day the girls read scriptures and wrote in their journals, one day they each found a spot in the woods to read and journal alone.
Friendships were strengthened. Secrets were shared. Embarrassing moments were created. Unity was fostered. It felt like God was close. All of the goals of camp were met.
Yes, camp was a success!
Kweenmama's Kastle 