Young Womens Camp

I am the Stake Young Women's Camp director this year. Last year I was the assistant director and really had no clue what I was doing, but this year I was the leader and boy, did I learn a lot! I can't even estimate the amount of hours I've put into thinking about and planning camp. I felt a particular burden to make camp amazing this year because it was Carmen's first year of camp. My kids have heard me talk about how amazing camp is for years now, and here she finally was coming with me...and I was in charge!  I prayed a lot that Carmen would love camp as much as I do. This was my 13th year attending girls camp. 

Here I am loaded up in my van with all sorts of camp paraphernalia and super excited for an awesome week.

We were at a brand new location this year, which I was excited about but also equally nervous to see how everything would play out. It's super hard to plan something on this scale, without ever having done it in this location before. I had visited the camp several times throughout the planning process, but still had a hard time envisioning how it was going to go. But Camp Blue Ridge was amazing and the staff that works there are very kind people.

We did a lot of new things this year... new location means new activities. I enlisted the help of my dad to teach the girls how to do lashing with ropes. Their challenge was to lash a raft that would safely and effectively get them across the lake and back. I were nervous how "fun" of an activity this would be, but I think it was a HUGE hit, especially the big competition we had at the end of the week.

We also had rock climbing available to us this year. Also, a huge hit among everyone.  All the pictures I have were given to me by other leaders, because I was so busy running around taking care of everything. But there in the teal shirt is Carmen rock climbing!

 The rest of these are mostly from Carmen's leader of the 1st year girls hanging out. We affectionately called our golf cart "Jose".

 Carmen and a friend on the hike to a waterfall.

 Ready for skits

Some of the amazing women who helped me pull off camp! Both ladies on the ends were part of our food team and the other in the middle was my assistant, who really help me hold it all together.

These poor girls... Carmen along the my assistants two daughters were left to close up camp with us. After a long and exhausting week at camp, we had to clean and pack up everything and leave the site better than we found it. These 3 girls ended up doing A LOT of dishes and sweeping a lot of floors.

And here was Carmen on our ride home. I felt the same way and actually thought I'd have to pull over and take a little nap just in order to make it home safely. I didn't...but I really wanted to, and probably should have. I think it's safe to say she had a good time.