And Now For a Report In Which We All Go To Girl's Camp

I got home from Utah and went directly to Girl's Camp. I did not pass GO and I certainly did not collect $200. Luckily I had the foresight to get the majority of my camp junk packed and ready to go before I left for Minnesota and Utah. I just had a few minor things left to do. Travis helped me grocery shop and pack up. Last summer our area went from having two stakes to three stakes and we are in the newly created Jacksonville South stake. So we have girls from both stakes coming together with all their own ideas and traditions with camp. We were unable to get either camp that the other stakes had previously used and so we found a new-to-us place in Georgia, not too far away. It is owned by Woodsmen of the World (?) and is a tiny island in a salt marsh that feeds into the ocean. We were told to expect rustic. It was. But it was really nice. I liked it very much. It was pretty there, the cabins are close together, and they are also close to the bathrooms that weren't too bad, themselves. My job at camp this year was the same as last year - I was the level 2 camp instructor. I taught classes to the 2nd year girls and certified them in all the criteria in the camp manual. I had 22 girls, the biggest group there!! I also assisted a cabin mom as we are required to have 2 adults per cabin.

This was a special year in that it is Morgan's last year at camp AND it is Maddie's first year. So all the girls were there!! One night, Travis was up there too as the nightly Priesthood watchman. It was a family event. The girls have asked that I not use this picture for our Christmas card so I'll post it here instead.

This is what the cabins looked like and they sleep 11-14 girls pretty comfortably. As you can see, there isn't much grass. The biggest drawback was the dirt. I will say, though, that due to its location, we didn't have one tick!!

Here is Maddie with her friends from our ward. Maddie made friends quickly and had a great experience at camp. Like her sisters, she will be a Girl's Camp fanatic.
On the last day, awards were given out and all three girls were voted Camp Comedian for their level!! One night, I posted on Facebook "Why is it that my girls are the loudest ones in the camp?" and got a reply from a high school friend, "Maybe because their mom is, too." I can't tell you all how much fun it was to see them all there having the time of their lives.

Here is Rozzie (in red) in her skit. It was a Toy Story skit and she was Jessie.

Here is Maddie in a "Faith Factor" contest. The other girl is trying to tie a tie properly.

Rozzie is seen here in the orange shorts dancing for her "lost" item. To get your item from the lost and found, you must sing and dance "The Squirrel Song." Roz is leading the group, but she forgot to turn around to shake her bushy tail.

When all was said and done and we were saying goodbye, Morgan shed many tears. She has loved camp so much the past six years. It has been her favorite summer activity. It has served her well and taught her many skills. She has made so many great friends. She was asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting about Girl's Camp - a real 10 minute talk - and she outlined the many things she has gained from her six years of Girl's Camp. She gave such a good talk and we heard from many people how good it was: well planned; well executed; easily understood; and very relevant. She had small anecdotes for each point she made. We were proud parents!!