Oh, no, honey. I'm not showing these pix because this was a huge event in Eve's summer. I'm posting these pix because this was a huge event in Linda's sumer - the Stake leaders took complete leave of their senses and asked me to head up to Camp Joseph and handle the crafting duties for this year's edition of Girls' Camp...the irony is so dang thick you could do something with it that you would ordinarily do with thick substances.
This year's theme was Seekers XIII, after the 13th Article of Faith...having thoroughly disdained and/or suffered camp myself as an early teen, and any camping experience thereafter, it was just funny to experience such joy - I'm gonna lay it out there: there were showers and inside toilets and mirrors and electricity and I slept with an actual, not vinyl, but actual roof over my head, cooks on staff to keep us all straight-up spoiled (so fabulous!). I kept the make-up at home, thank you very much, keeping the spirit of the thing.
And who wouldn't, for these representative faces? I'm not a camper, but I've always had the wish to be wherever my kids were, and if I can do Cub day camp, I can do this. Kinda. I mean, the book 'What Not To Do at Girls' Camp' could practically write itself: don't buy new hiking shoes thinking you can 'break them in' on site, don't forget your pillow, don't overbuy, don't underbuy, don't forget your Diet Coke, and on and on.
So here's what I cobbled together: paper bag scrapbooks (I bit the bullet and accepted the inevitable: my days of actual paper-and-adhesive scrapping are ovah. Donate all 400+ sheets of paper to these girls and let them make some memories). Yup. I know. I've got that glow of sainthood. Note to self: next year, if they're brave enough to have me, more glue sticks.
Much fun was had with friendship bracelets, and these bad boys: flip flops and uninflated balloons. Next year, note to self: not so many flippin' balloons. Seriously. The stake currently has enough in surplus to last them at least one or two youth conferences wherein the sole activity could be water balloon-throwing, and nothing else. A two- or three-day conference, at that.
Camp songs are just a kick in the pants: here the Foothills seekers of Peace are bellowing 'Princess Pat', you know, the proud creator of the 'Ring of Bamboo.' A ring of bamboo? Now what is that? It's something made by the Princess Pat. Hello!
Belly was just thrilled to be hooked up with adults who knew how to French braid.
See that laminated card attached to her 'bear whistle'? (I kid you not, every girl had one. Real bears in the vicinity. Thanks to the Parker stake and their disastrous food policy one week prior. No incidents, however). A full-on detailed schedule of everywhere everyone had to be: they were so amazingly organized, with such impressive YCLs...oh, camp has come a long way, baby. Not one know-tying or fire-starting or tent-erecting rotation, it was all testimony and self-esteem and introspection trust-building, what's actually needed in their lives.
Being entertained. The best part of helping with crafts was that I could just be a floater the majority of the day, and watch my princess girl have one of the best weeks of her life, and get excited about the group of kids with which she gets to come of age. Reassuring.
Eve and Delaney, 'Singin' in the Rain'. Knees together, bottoms out, thumbs up, tongues out.
Eve, Desi, and disturbing inflated gloves, following a particularly rigorous bathroom cleansing.
The Seekers of Peace, leaders, YCLs and all. You get all teary-eyed for the love of them...
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