Arise And Shine Forth Fight Song

I am our ward's official team mascot, Sunny.

Camp planning has begun! I am so giddy-excited for camp this year. The young women's presidency in our ward decided to use a tailgate party/sports theme for our New Beginnings program and the girls thought it would be great to carry that throughout the whole year, including up at camp this summer.

The camp theme for our stake this year is D.O.T.S. (Depend on the Savior) and we wanted to have something that would fall under this same idea for our ward but still keep with the sports theme. We decided on:

Choose The Right Team: We're on the Lord's Side!

I wrote our ward's 'fight song' based on the church's annual theme for the youth all over the world, "Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations" (D&C 115:5). I think it turned out pretty good - and I got approval from ElemenoB and Thumbelina just to be sure.

If you want to sing along, it's written to the tune of BYU's Cougar Fight Song.

(Our) Ward YW Fight Song
(sung to the tune of the BYU Fight Song)

Rise, all loyal daughters, and be a light to all you know
We'll decide to choose the right everywhere we go.
Kindness, faith, virtue -
These we all value
Be a light and let it shine bright
Come on, (our) ward, it's up to you!

(chorus)
A-rise and shine forth, this is the time
to be a light to every nation.
A-rise and shine forth, now is the time
to be a shining-forth sensation!
A-rise and shine, our spirits will climb
As faith is built on firm foundations.

Every single day - if there's a will, then there's a way!
We'll show the world what's good and what's true.
And be examples in all we do!

RAH, RAH, RAH-RAH-RAH,
RAH, RAH, RAH-RAH-RAH,
RAH, RAH, RAH-RAH-RAH,

GOOOOOOOO (OUR) WARD!

My Own Camp Experience

Last week was another week for my two oldest girls to attend their summer Young Women's Camp up at MIA Shalom. I was able to remain involved in helping to plan the camp, including writing some fun cheers for the Adult Camp Leaders to perform at each flag ceremony. (Cheering about the inevitable clogged *biffy to the tune of 'Thriller', anyone? I love coming up with this stuff.) However, Baby X and I would not have survived without each other this time around so I remained here at home.

I was a bit melancholy as I rushed my girls out the door on Tuesday morning to board the buses that would transport them up to camp. As I stepped out the door I found a colorful bag waiting for me. I love surprises! I couldn't wait to get back home and peek inside.

Here is what I found:

A camp sweatshirt, a clipboard with each day's schedule and activities, a box of treats, a whole bunch of envelopes and a sweet note from my thoughtful friend Michelle who had put it all together for me.
Each envelope was labeled with a day and a time when I was to open it. Inside each one was a quote tag which corresponded with whatever was happening at that time. We collect these tags on keyrings each year. I was so excited that I would still have this year's tags to add to my collection!

Throughout the day on Tuesday I found myself looking at the schedule to see what was going on up at camp. By lunch time I decided that I was going to have my own camp experience! I tried to do something which corresponded with what was going on at camp right here at home each day.


I studied my scriptures during Scripture Study time. I let the kids play in the kiddie pool in our backyard during Waterfront. I watched some uplifting Mormon Messages during Golden Hours. I sang some songs with my kids during the Musical Morningside and Singing Around the Lake. The night of the Star Party I put on my camp sweatshirt and sat on my back porch to gaze at the heavens once my kids were snug in bed. I even did biffy duty daily! And throughout each day I opened my envelopes and enjoyed reading my tags.


When my girls came home on Saturday ElemenoB told me that camp was awesome - but she likes it better when I'm there. (Which of course totally made my day.) I could say the same thing about my week. It was awesome to feel the spirit of camp here in my home, but I am already looking forward to next year when I get to actually be there again.




*biffy = Bathroom In Forest For You. Or at least that's what the girls tell me.

All Hail Camp MIA Shalom

The next to last day of camp was overcast and cool.

I held out the selfish hope that we would be blessed with even just a wee bit of thunder and lightning, but to no avail.

When the time came for our closing flag ceremony early that evening, the storm clouds quickly came rolling in...
They were moving in a manner that all but promised a torrential downpour. And before we knew it, there was indeed a deluge falling from the heavens.

But not of rain...

Catching Up

Holy mackerel.

I have written at least 14 blog posts in my head over the last week, but I can't get them written out in the same way they play out in my mind.

So, until I am able to organize my thoughts into words, here is a little snippet of what I was able to enjoy up at Camp MIA Shalom all of last week - an amazing group of Youth Camp Leaders. They were an outstanding group of young women who worked together very well. This is a clip of the cheer they came up with for our last flag ceremony. (I love these girls!)



You see what I'm saying? Awesome.

Anticipation

I am up to my ears in camp stuff.

Half the food was purchased a couple of days ago, the rest will be bought the day before camp.

My kitchen and pantry floor, as well as my kitchen table and counter, are covered with bags of canned goods and peanut butter and various ingredients which will be magically transformed into some delicious camp meals next week.

All of the hamburger is cooked and frozen, but I still need to cook and shred the 20 pounds of chicken.

I need to experiment with a Dutch oven three times this week so I'll know what I'm doing when cooking up at camp. I'm not sure when I'll have time, but it needs to happen.

My devotionals are typed up and ready but part of my camp craft still needs to be cut into one-yard sections.

I have yet to collect enough ice chests to pack the perishable foods in. I also need to freeze some more juice bottles to keep things cold all next week.

I am constantly praying for at least one lightning storm while up at camp next week. I feel a bit selfish with this request, but the skies over MIA Shalom are amazing when the lightning flashes. And after a count of 1-one-thousand, 2-one-thousand, the earth shakes as the thunder booms... and all is right in my world.

The empty spaces in our kitchen and garage are filled with boxes and plastic bins - some filled, some empty. By next Monday evening these containers will be cleaned, packed and ready for a week of Camp MIA Shalom.

The empty space in my heart that yearns for my week in the outdoors - close to nature and God and 250 teenage girls - cannot wait to be filled.

5 days... and counting.

I am like a little kid who can't sleep the week before a trip to Disneyland.

The anticipation is killing me.

4th Year Hikers

Have I mentioned yet that I get to go to Young Women's Camp again this year?! June 23rd, baby!!

Do you know how SUPER-DE-DOOPER excited I am about this?! (The answer is: TOTALLY & COMPLETELY!)

If I've said it once, I'll say it a half a million more times, I LOVELOVELOVE CAMP!! There is no other place that helped shape my belief in and love for God than the mountains I went to every year as a young woman camper. Plus, where else can you be with hundreds of girls who have to live without a daily shower and blow dryer?? NOWHERE! It's AWESOME!

Sorry. I'll stop yelling now. I am just really, really happy I get to be a camper leader lady again this year. It's the BEST! (couldn't help that last shout-out.)

So... the real reason for this post. Every year the girls who are on their 4th year of being campers get to go on their own hike as a group. (click on those links for some hike fun from 2 years ago.) And, BONUS for me, I was invited to come along.

We hiked to Stewart Falls... which I would recommend to everyone.

Beautiful, green foliage and wildflowers blanketed the trail. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
Lucky for me, my hottie husband was able to join us. (I know! It just keeps getting better!)
We all made it to the falls and congregated there for a bit, enjoying granola bars and Red Vines and the sound of the waterfall cascading down behind us.
As we hiked back out through the aspens and ferns, I could not help but think once again of how remarkably gorgeous this earth is.
I can't wait to spend some more time with nature (and these young women!) up at camp.

In LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!! I can hardly wait.

Fun First Aid 101

This is me.

I am not a nurse, but I pretended I was smart like one at our regional young women's camp meeting last Saturday.

I got to teach a class on how to make teaching first aid FUN!

I was going to tell you all about it, but you hear from me all the time.

Boring.

So, guess what? I am feeling kind of famous because my friend Michelle did a whole post about me and she makes me sound pretty amazing.

I was going to post a link to her post, except that her blog is private.

So I just stole her post and here it is.

Oh, yeah... is this O.K. Michelle? (She'll say yes. I'm just going to post it.)

what's a Gerb?

(Gerb trying to take a picture of the sky--in the middle of a lightening storm

& in the middle of a field)

I would like to introduce you to one of my favorite people. Her name is Gerb!! You might ask, "What is a Gerb?" If I had to answer it, I would respond that "a Gerb" is a person who is excited about life--no matter what is going on in the world, she is looking for the excitement that brings smiles to every one's faces!!

Today, we had a our Regional Mia Shalom Meetings for young women's camp. Gerb was asked to teach first aid. Side note...Gerb is not a nurse--BUT, she was able to entertain a group of young women leaders and teach them how to teach first aid. She was hysterical when it came to the bruised, stabbed, scraped, cut fruit that she had prepared.

(my little fruit friends)

Then, when it was time to create a compound fracture--that poor chocolate orange is...well, let's just say...it is no more. One lady asked Gerb if she liked horror films. Another asked if she was for hire. She told them that she would work for donuts. Gerb, you are one crazy friend and I am glad that you are my friend.

Sometimes, I think that when we teach youth about first aid, we are so serious. But, Gerb brought her personality with her and helped relate everyone to a fun way of learning!!! Thanks Gerb for taking on this assignment. You were simply fabulous!!! Great Job!!

(See? I sound all fun and amazing. Thanks, Michelle! I'll get you that $20 bucks later.)

I'm Going to Miss You!

It was with a heavy heart that I accompanied my 2 oldest girls to the buses this morning. The ones that take them off to Young Women's camp for 5 days.

Without me.

It's Thumbelina's first year of camp. I'm sure ElemenoB will take great care of her, but...

Who will make sure they sing camp songs? I mean, if you don't get crazy with camp songs, it's not the same experience. And is anyone besides myself brave enough to teach the girls "Midnight Train"? Will they still sing the banana song? Will they do the motions during flag ceremonies if I'm not there to break the "cool" barrier?

Who will take them on nice, long hikes? Not the wimpy ones where they walk around the lake and call it a day. I'm talking a hike to Lone Pine. Around the outer rim of the mountains surrounding MIA Shalom! Is someone going to do that if I'm not there?

Who's going to start the water fights in the canoes? The kind where you lure another canoe, preferably full of YW leaders, over to yours by talking really quietly so they have to get closer to hear you and then WHAMMO! you soak them to the core with one smooth motion of an oar in the water and paddle away as quick as you can. It's not as good without the water fights.

Is someone going to stay up all hours of the night with them, playing silly games and chatting and laughing and having a rip-roaring good time getting to know them?

I'm just saying...

I'm sure going to miss camp this year.

(and my girls)

Silent Sentinels

My favorite time of day is twilight - when the sun just begins to sink below the horizon, casting shadowy pictures all around. A close second would be midnight - when I am up in the mountains or in some place away from the bright lights of the world and the stars in the sky are countless and brilliant. I get to experience the night sky in all its beauty when I camp, which is one reason that I love to do so. Last year when I was lucky enough to attend Young Women's Camp with our church, I had time to enjoy the earth's beauty, in solitude, in the darkness.

The colors of midnight
Shroud the earth
Yet hope shines through
Tiny pinpricks of light
Revealing a fraction of heaven

Ode to Camp

Girl's Camp, how I love thee! Let me count the ways...

1. How often does a person such as I get to spend time being silly with her daughter and daughter's friends for 5 days? Not often enough.
2. The opportunity to hang out with the most amazing group of YCLs (Youth Camp Leaders) and ACLs (Adult Camp Leaders) was simply awesome. I love you, Big Booty No. 5!
3. The new friendships that were developed over the week at camp are ones I will always treasure. 4. Mother Nature and I got to be pretty good friends. She shared a few thunderstorms with me...
5. ...and sent some forest creatures to pose for pictures. (and one to pretend it was a YCL and emerge from the forest within hand's reach on Brownie Hike night - in the middle of a wicked shake-the-ground, light-up-the-sky kind of storm.)
6. The chance to hike on 4 different occasions, and see some amazing sights! Not to mention good friends to enjoy it all with. (Cami, you need to wear "The Deb" more often. **Pound-fist-on-shoulder, flash ILY sign** )
7. Who doesn't love the re-creation of camping accidents with mud and ketchup?
8. The water fight I instigated at the lake was a soaking good time for all, even if some wouldn't admit it right off.
9. I decided that I could trust our ward's YW enough to do the "trust fall". And guess what? They caught me! I love C's face here...apparently I wasn't the only one screaming as I fell. 10. I love nature, and its beauty surrounded me throughout my 5 days of camp.
The last time I was able to attend Young Women's Camp was 7 years ago. I am hoping we will not remain strangers for so long this time around. Happy Trails, until next time!

SUPER FLASH: NEW INFO!!
Check out Cami's and Courtney's websites for more Girl's Camp fun!

Fourth Year Campers Take a Hike: Part 2

If you have not read part one, STOP now, scroll down and read Part 1, then come back to this. We must have order. Unless you are one of those people who read the last chapter of a book first. In that case, I guess you are good to go. Now, back to the exciting 4th year hike!! Here is the entire group on the way back, minus my brother-in-law Seth who took this picture. Please don't look too closely at my legs, as you could easily be blinded. I would like to make a point here. Do you notice the overly-excited smile on my face? How my eyes are opened much too widely? This is planned. I have noticed in the past that most pictures I am in show my open mouth, closed eyes, or my puzzled expression. This is because I was not ready. I am now on constant alert, ready with a purposely silly grin so that my pictures look bad on purpose. Consistency is a beautiful thing. But, enough about me. Back to the hike! You are dying to hear about the casualty, I know. We are getting there, so hold your horses.

Here is one of my favorite spots on the hike. We had to hike through the rocky water for a bit to find the path again. Without getting too philosophical, isn't that a bit like life sometimes? And you know what? We all made it.

Here are all the girls, minus one who is standing behind me, at hike's end. Check out the wet jeans! And drenched heads! The hike back was more of a water-fight-waiting-to -happen than an organized hike. Every time we reached a stream crossing, people were getting wet. Did you notice the cool hats? It is a tradition at Young Women's Camp to receive a "bead" on your camp necklace for just about every camp activity you participate in. I did not award them beads, I gave them Fourth Year Hiker Hats that I found on clearance at K-Mart for 49 cents each! I am very proud of my bargains, people. And these hats became the perfect medium for scooping up and flinging water at other hikers.

Ok, you have waited long enough. The suspense is killing you! You must know, where is the casualty? Who died?! Children, gather around for a little story in wilderness survival. Or not survival. Rob, our fearless hike leader with the dry shoes, along with his lovely wife Cami and 3 Young Women hikers, drove at the head of the pack on our trip up the canyon to the trail head. From behind, we watched little animals run across the road and beneath Rob's car then surface, unscathed, on the other side.

Except for one.

This story is not for the squeamish. You have been warned.

One brave little squirrel/chipmunk/potgut (we will discuss the word "potgut" later) tried its hardest to reach the opposite side of the road, yet somehow did not. He did not get flattened as most small animals would when thrown into a match of nature vs. vehicle, but he did somehow become seriously injured. As I drove past in my SUV loaded full of Young Women Hikers, said animal was on his back at the side of the road, still moving. We all hoped the chipmunk (I am fairly certain this is what the animal is called, although others disagreed) made it, that he found his footing and ran off to join his friends on the other side of the road. But, alas, this was not to be. He simply joined his friends on the other side. We know this because we saw him there, unmoving, on the trip back down the canyon. Farewell, little chipmunk. May your life on the other side be filled with trees to scurry up and down and plentiful things to eat, as well as roads to run across without the danger you encountered today.

This is the end of our Fourth Year Hike story. But I have one last issue to address, and that is the term "pot gut". Is this a technical term? Or simply one invented by someone who didn't know the name of the furry creature? Because, as best I can tell, what Utahans refer to as a pot gut is commonly known as a "prairie dog" in other parts of the United States. It has a pot gut, but is it really called a pot gut? Please enlighten me if you have any insight on the matter.

Thank you, and good day.

Fourth Year Campers Take a Hike: Part 1

I was lucky enough this year to get the assignment of planning a hike for the girls who are in their fourth year of attending our stake Young Women's Camp. I love hiking, and seriously, people, we live in UTAH! My options were endless. I am also lucky enough to have some amazing adult leaders to help me out. We went to Santaquin Canyon, 13 young women and 5 leaders. And do you want to know what the really cool thing about this hike was? (Besides the fact that 13 was NOT an unlucky number?)
We crossed a stream 22 times each way!

Here we are at the first crossing. At this point, some girls are trying to stay dry and some girls are just enjoying the water! (It was cold, in case you were wondering.)

Here we are, most of the group, stopping mid-hike for a photo opportunity. Could you have resisted taking more photos than were necessary? Me either.

I must acknowledge our fearless leader, Rob, who did not get his shoes wet even once. Some people are born to maneuver over streams, and some are not. Rob is like a mountain goat. He has been known to defy gravity at times.

I was so sad for the girls who didn't join us on this hike! We walked next to or through this stream the whole way, friends. It doesn't get any better than that.

Crossing the stream became the highlights of the hike. No, I did not mistype. I said highlights because, did I mention, we crossed the stream a total of 44 times?!

Stay tuned for more pictures and details. The story gets pretty exciting, ladies and gentlemen! There are water fights. There is an unfortunate casualty. You won't want to miss it!!