No Place Like Home

I am so far behind in posting about Girls' Camp.  It is not even funny.  At this point, I have waited so long that I don't think I can wrap my brain around the experience and really do it justice.

But, here it goes...

 First of all, I feel so blessed to have been at Girls' Camp with amazing leaders.  Our President, Dana Hicken is awesome and the girls love her.  The Camp Director, Jerilyn Arnold is just so funny and laid back and exactly what we needed for this camp.  I loved getting a chance to really get know Kristen Buhler, our Mia Maid Adviser and our Secretary, Kayla Parry.  

 We couldn't have asked for better Priesthood holders to accompany us.  Rod Moffitt and Matt and Jeff Hicken were all fun and helpful.  They cooked, helped put up tents, rescued girls from snakes and were especially helpful while kayaking!

Rod make a great Camp Cook.  He ended up with the nickname Big Mama, which will probably stick with him.  Emma Rivera was originally supposed to be our camp cook and her nickname is Big Mama.  She moved, so we bequeathed the camp cook t-shirt to Rod.  He wore it well and the girls loved calling him Big Mama - especially in public.

The girls were so great.  We had rain much of our trip.  They spent a lot of time in the mess hall, but not one girl complained.  They smiled and enjoyed the time together.  There was no drama.  We mixed up the girls and they did really well together.  We had all different age groups in tents together.  Frisco 7th Ward has the best girls.

The theme for our girls' camp was "Come Unto Christ For There's No Place Like Home."  Everything was Wizard of Oz.  It was so much fun!

We had one clear day.  We made the most of it by kayaking, ziplining and enjoying the rock climbing wall.  It was all so much fun.  So many of the girls conquered fears that day.

I was kayaking illegally for awhile!  I was so busy helping all the girls that I didn't realize that I forgot to grab a life jacket for myself.  Thankfully, Rod found a nice and dirty one hanging in a tree for me to keep in my kayak.  At least, I had it in the kayak so I wasn't breaking any laws!

The girls were great kayakers.  The scenery was beautiful, the weather was excellent and the water was calm.  What more could you ask for?

Everyone had a great time!

The girls said that they really enjoyed Ward Camp, because it gave them an opportunity to really bond with the girls in their Ward.  It also gave them time to take camp slow and easy and enjoy one another.  Despite the fact that we had to come back a day early, we had bad weather and wet tents, everyone loved girls' camp.  I am so thankful that I was able to go for the first time.  I am also thankful that I was able to go with my daughter.

Once we got home we were able to enjoy a testimony meeting at the Moffitt's home.  Such a sweet experience it was. The spirit was surely felt that night. 

Having the opportunity to go to girls' camp gave me a great appreciation and love for the girls we serve and the leaders that I serve with.  I didn't think that I could love these girls and leaders any more than I already did.  Until you spend four days with a group of people, you can't help but have a deeper love and appreciation for them.

Note:  All pictures were borrowed from Dana Hicken and Jerilyn Arnold.  I didn't take a single picture at Girls' Camp!