Our presidency, the Stake Camp Committee, and the Stake YCLs met bright and early Monday morning to head up to Girl's Camp!!
We got everything set up and then met at the amphitheater for the Kickoff.
I think it's pretty cool that President Jones stays at Girls Camp the whole time. He loves the youth and is so accessible and relatable to them. I enjoy the time with him and Angela there!
We got the pavilion set up for the Stake dinner and then it was time to cook.
I loved Jenee's apron. :)
After dinner, we had Family Night. President Searle and Lori did the lesson, President Jones and Angela did a Q&A on the patio, and President Chai and Kara did games on a lawn. We split the girls up by their classes and they rotated through each activity. It was so interesting to see the questions submitted by each age group, and to hear Mike and Angela's answers. I think the girls really liked the smaller atmosphere and getting to discuss things with the Stake President and his wife on their level.
Tessa and Audrey got to wear the Granny Pants during the games. Haha!
We finished the night off with root beer floats and the Lake Sing.
Tuesday morning we got everything ready for a service project.
We took a couple pictures with our Stake shirts on.
This was a really fun group of ladies!! I worried a little before camp since it was a new Camp Committee and I didn't know a lot of them, but we had a great time together!
The service project was amazing!! We did 5 different projects, and Shauntell really wanted the girls to be able to understand why we were doing them and how it will impact the people we were serving. She had different women from our stake share their personal stories of when/how each project has affected them and their family. Then the girls got to choose which project(s) they worked on. It was really interesting to watch the girls know just what project they wanted to work on after hearing the stories, and hear some of the girls tell us why that one touched them. Shauntell also had a station for the girls to write ideas of what they can do for their own Personal Ministry. She shared ideas of teenagers using their talents and ideas to serve/minister to others and encouraged them to start serving in whatever way they can when they got home from camp. It was such a powerful and impactful way to approach a service project. I loved it!!
That night the Stake leaders were eating dinner in the pavilion. The 1st Ward girls and leaders stormed in singing the Mission Impossible theme song and kidnapped Shauntell. They left a note saying they had taken our leader and we had to come find her. We fished some bandanas out of our gear, borrowed water guns from 2nd Ward, and filled up water balloons. We surrounded the 1st Ward camp and attacked with water balloons and then stormed in with the water guns. They said we had to complete three challenges, and whoever won 2 out of the 3 got to keep Shauntell. We rap battled Disney songs, and then did two different camp cheer/song things. We won 2 challenges and got to take Shauntell with us.
When we left the campsite we realized we still had water balloons left, so we threw the rest at them. Haha. Summer and Brimley grabbed their big water jug and came running at us. We all ran screaming, until Angelique slipped on the rocks and fell. We all froze, until Angelique assured us she was fine. Jenee took one for the team at that point and let the girls dump the water jug on her. It was a super fun surprise to our night! We got some good laughs throughout it all!!
The next morning was Skits. Shauntell switched it up this year and let the wards choose a skit or a lip sync to one of the Strive to Be songs. 3rd Ward did a lip sync of course! :) Lip syncs are a big tradition in our ward. Theirs was super cute!
The stake leaders chose a lip sync too. We planned it right after we rescued Shauntell the night before. One of the camp cheer/song things that we did with 1st Ward was Itsy Bitsy Spider. It has actions for each line of the song, so we decided to use those actions as some of our dance moves. We were laughing so hard making up the dance, it was a blast!
We were all laughing about how our daughters were going to be so embarrassed by their moms dancing to a boy band-type song. Turns out they were all just surprised by how well we could actually dance. Hahaha! The stake YCLs give out awards to each ward after the skits, and they gave us the Most In Sync. They said they were shocked with how well us old ladies danced. So funny!!
We had the Lake Party that afternoon and it was a lot of fun. They had line dancing in the pavilion and I love that President Jones and Angela danced too. I don't think that's in either of their comfort zones, but if the youth want them to, they're up for it.
It was fun to look through the pictures the ward leaders took. I loved seeing Tessa working hard setting up her tent with Jane, Sophia, and Audrey.
I was helping at axe throwing when 3rd Ward came. It was fun to get that time with Tessa and the ward.
Cleaning the biffy :)
Tessa loved the Faith Walk that the ward did. Hazel, Julia, Meg, Afton, and Jane each talked to the girls as if they were a woman from the scriptures (ex. Esther).
She said it was really cool to hear the women's stories and learn from the older girls in that way.
I'm so grateful that Tessa has these girls to look up to. They are such great examples of believing and living the Gospel and treating others with kindness.
It's not Girls Camp if there's not a braid train!
Two of my favorites!!
I got to spend Wendesday evening with 3rd Ward. The Bishopric brought pizzas for dinner, we played games, and we had testimony meeting. I love the time I get to be back with the ward!
Fires weren't allowed this year, and so they decorated jars and put fairy lights in them. As each girl shared her testimony, she would light her fairy lights. It was awesome to see the circle light up as the night went on and we each shared our testimony with each other. It's so special to be there and get to hear Tessa share hers.
When Afton came to the pavilion to get breakfast Thursday morning, she told me they had an epic photoshoot in the biffy after testimony meeting. She said they were laughing their heads off, and couldn't wait until the leaders shared all the pictures when we got home. She was right, they were pretty amazing!! Haha. I picked a few to put on here.
Afton folded herself up inside the garbage can!
I love that Audrey got a picture of Jane trying to help Afton out after she was legitimately stuck in the garbage can. Ha!
I love this picture of Megan. She was the leader there who had the phone. Tess said she was on the ground laughing so hard, but also telling them to be quiet since it was so late. Sometimes it's hard to be the leader and feel like you need to be the adult, but also find it hilarious what the girls are doing!!
Tessa and I both loved Girls Camp this year! I'm so glad I get to go during these years Tessa is there!
