Camping with teenage girls

Cedar Hollow Stake Girl's Camp 2018: Success.

I'd forgotten (over the last 25 years) that Girl's Camp has a special feeling and spirit that can't really be described.  This year was Stake Girl's Camp and we drove through Fairview Canyon to reach Mia Shalom.  Wow- so beautiful and amazing!

Things I learned:

• Hiking at 9500 feet in altitude is not as easy as I thought it would be.
• Dutch oven cooking times are very different at a high altitude and a lot of everything I'd practiced had to be adjusted.
• Washing your hair in sub-freezing spigot water is close to death and heaven at the same time.
• Cooking meals for a lot of people is kind of my thing, apparently, but I couldn't have done it without help.  I did deep-freeze 60 eggs.  Throwing them from 18 inches off the ground did not even crack the shell and they had to thaw 24 hours before we could use them.  
• Sleeping is impossible at girl's camp.  My cabin had 12 people, 10 crammed on hard floors (except for those brilliant souls who brought cots) and two (smart) souls who took the loft.  We had four sleep-talkers, one of those being an angry sleeper who yelled all night long and one who talked in a different language.  Two sisters talked to each other in their sleep.  We had an unbearable snorer, lots of giggles, and lots of midnight trips to the bathrooms.  Needless to say, I did not sleep AT ALL the first night, which contributed to the three hours of crying I did the next morning when I found the frozen eggs.  My friend drugged me the next two nights and I slept a TON better.
• Priesthood leaders are essential at camp.  Not only do they help with fires, coals, garbage runs, chopping wood, and making soda-runs to the gas station (40 minutes away), but they also provide the best entertainment. They topped the lip syncing contest, no questions asked.  
• It's a good thing to be around healthy teenagers.  This group of girls really gives me a lot of hope for the future.  Talk about goal-driven, easy-going, standing strong in their own shoes types of gals.  
• Serving projects while camping feels like fun and not work.  We  worked on so much for the camp rangers/missionaries as well as some local service projects we trekked up with us. Everyone is happy to pitch in with smiles.  Well, some of the girls sneaked off to play water-balloon baseball, but everyone else helped with smiles!
• Girls Camp traditions last and last over the years: secret sister gifts and notes, late night singing, Jedi hair braiding and re-braiding, and testimony meeting.  I am so proud of the girls and some of the deep, hard, and sensitive things they shared with each other during testimony night.  These brave girls talked about the hard challenges of life, pressures they feel, hardships in families and friends, and also their devotion to God and not giving up in life.
• I'd forgotten that camp callings are two-year callings.  I am excited to go back next year!!!

 I gave Bishop Jolley the joy of browning 15 pounds of chicken before I cooked them in the Dutch ovens.  We feasted during camp: ribs, chicken, gourmet pancakes, breakfast burritos, all fruits/veggies, hot chocolate, baked potato bars, pulled pork sandwiches, and more.  YUMMY!

The lip sync.  All the girls did amazing- we were really surprised with how much work and preparation they did getting ready. Taryn rocked it.  Our women leaders (including me) sang and danced to "This is Me"- I obviously couldn't get a picture of myself but apparently it was a hit.  Not as big of hit as our Priesthood leaders song and dance!

The green note is from Hannah Sorensen.  Her mom is my near and dear friend Grace.  I'm sooo glad her girls got to go to camp before they move to DC.  I hope my girls grow up to be like Hannah- so kind to everyone, always asking to help, always positive, and absolutely full of inner sass.