If I Had a Money Tree...

 I found myself at Cabela's yesterday where I saw these darling T-shirts.  If I had loads of money I would buy each of these for the Stake YW leaders for Girls' Camp.  They were so cute!

God Protects The Stupid--OR--Tender Mercies From The Road

Three of us in the YW presidency returned at noon today from Fish Lake where we visited a Girls' Camp that did a bike trip there. 

(Tender Mercy #1)
They had a tremendous crash the morning before we arrived yesterday.  The YW that crashed had not done the same preparation as most of  the others who rode, but she wanted to participate and took a big hill on the up side, only to (naturally) want to do the easier down hill.  The downhill got the best of her as when we arrived she was in the hospital in Richfield.

By the time we left their campsite that evening, we had learned (thank heavens for cell phones) that she didn't have a concussion, and had only a couple of little spots on her face that required just a few stitches.  She had her banged up knees cleaned and wrappped  but after looking at her knees then the doctors didn't need to send her to the Provo hospital for further work that were originally suspected.  She was on her way home for resting and recuperation.

Heavenlyy Father loves His daughters and protects them at Girls' Camp.

(Tender Mercy #2)
As the three of us rolled back into to town I heard and felt a strange sound behind the driver's side wheel on my Durango.  It was a metallic clicking or snapping sound when I turned the wheels right or left more than about 40 degrees either way.  Once I  got the other ladies home, and The Girl to work, I dropped the car at the our local mechanic.  After a quick call to Mom and Dad at the shop back home, the suspected diagnosis is a wheel bearing gone out, a misaligned brake linkage, or a potential axel problem.  Lewis the Mechanic will give me a call when they figure out what it really is.

We were out in the middle of nearly nowhere.  If the damage was immediate, we could have been stuck out with out any help, cell coverage, or a way home.  Instead, God protects the stupid--(me!)--and allows us to get home safely and THEN have this be an issue.

I'll keep you updated as I know more--on either Tender Mercy story.

One Reason for the Vacation

Since we aren't really taking a family vacation this summer, I took full advantage of the chance to enjoy a couple of days away from home to visit two girls' camps this week.  Plus the added lazy day withteh girlfriends and you have the extent of my vacation this summer.

One of the camps we visited was out on Flaming Gorge.  It was our ward's camp, where The Girl spent hte week.

What cute girls, right?!  They look like they are having a good time and are ready for some more fun!

The Girl tried to give them Frist Aid practice by attempting to chop off her finger.  She was chopping onions and the knife slipped.  She was fine, but it really detracts from her manicure.

Look at this beautiful place!

From East to West...Camp Ritchie is the Best!

Today on Facebook, I ran across a fan group for CAMP RITCHIE. This was the girls' camp I went to for 10 years in a row. Holy cow! When was this put up--and by whom?! I gotta leave a note.

Why, you may ask, in the middle of winter, Christmas vacation, and this week would I be thinking of Camp Ritchie? Good question. I am not sure of the answer.

A lot of good things happen at girls' camp. Any girls' camp. Good things happen when girls get together with the pure intent to strengthen their testimonies, develop skills, build friendships, and do all that in the beauties of nature. Add a lake and a you have a lot of good memories, and good things happening.

I first went to Camp Ritchie the week I turned 13. My mom had gone the year before as a leader. I didn't get to go then because my birthday was the week after camp. I was told I had to be 12 to go. So the following year, camp was the week of my birthday and I was a yearling.

We had probably 5 or 6 high schools in our stake at home and it was like fresh air any time the youth from the whole stake got to be together. Camp was no different. I loved the girls I knew from camp. It was always fun and a little unexpected when I ran across a camp friend at a speech tourney or a football game or something for school, outside of church.

While I know I had a basic testimony before I went to camp each year, I know that my testimony of Jesus Christ was deepened and strengthened at camp. There was a feeling of peace and love at that place that I have never felt in the same degree since. There was a lot of silliness and singing and pranking, but it was always done in love and when you were the "butt" of such a prank, you knew you were accepted and loved! It was an honor to fetch your bra or undies from the flagpole!

Rolling through the 200 plus people signed on the Facebook group as "Fans of Camp Ritchie" was like hearing voices from the past. Our stake wasn't the only one to feel that Camp Ritchie was "our camp"--every stake that used that lovely piece of land felt that way. And the fun part is, we still feel that way. The comments posted reflected the same sentiments. From oldies like myself to the very fresh, newbies that are still attending Camp Ritchie.

I am happy for the nostalgic feelings and the fondness I remember when I think of that place, those girls, our leaders, the fun. Not a bad feeling to recollect int he middle of the week, in the smack of winter and from under the snow.

Back from Camp

Well, our Girls' Camp experience is over for another year. The Girl celebrated her birthday yesterday at camp and is now officially a TEENAGER! The girls in her camp did a great job making her day really special. It was "high-adventure" day that afternoon so she got to try a lot of really fun things--the Zip line and Archery--to name a few.

I'm elbow deep in campfire smelling laundry and seriously sleep deprived, but overall I'm glad to have the chance to go to Camp. It was fun to go on a year that The Girl was there and get to watch her blossoming into such a great kid, I mean, young woman.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, The Boy and Genius golfer had a fun few days as bachelors! They ate when they wanted, they golfed and The Boy made $52.25 in his dad's "Putting for Dough" game! (From that total, he may be making some changes in the rules!) They had a great time.

We have two more days of swimming. The Boy's finals are today and The Girl's are tomorrow. I'll miss the swim team and the fun kids I got to work with in the Bull Pen, but I'll be happy to have a couple of weeks to sleep in a bit before school starts and we get mired into a rut and routine again.

Remembering Camp Ritchie

With Girls' Camp time nearing at my house, I have been remembering the decade that I attended camp myself. I did five years at Camp Ritchie just south of Lake Tahoe in California as a "girl" then five more during college as a "leader". Those were some good times.

Girls' Camp has dramatically changed since I was a girl. Then, we did more adventure camping. Now, the focus is on the warm, fuzzy feelings that camp can offer. I understand the purpose is not to produce or reinforce Boy Scout abilities for the uterus and ovaries set. But I feel like the girls now are getting a little gypped.

The Girl is the same year at camp this year as I was in this photo (that's me in the navy and gray striped shirt). This was our cabin--we camped in levels as a stake. Here, they camp with their wards and only do their certification as a level. In fact, one year the stake here tried Level Camp and it is still recalled as "THAT year" in the conversations of those who tried it. I loved it that way, but I didn't know any better, and frankly, it was so much more fun to get together with girls from 5 or 6 different high schools that made up our stake. The girls don't have the opportunity for that here. Another difference about living in Utah Valley, I suppose.

I just hope The Girl gets the same feelings at camp as I did. I strengthened my testimony, I strengthened my friendships, and I strengthened my self confidence. I felt like I had really achieved something of value after we returned from a week at camp.

I guess that the perceived goal hasn't really changed after all. Girls' Camp should be a place for young women to draw closer to their Heavenly Father and enjoy the beauties of nature and have some fun together. Looking at it like that, I guess camp hasn't changed all the much after all.