Girl's Camp (as a "tent mom")

Fun facts about girl's camp you may not know.

1. Girl's camp is THE PLACE to scream. A. because there are lots and LOTS of bugs. B. Because it's in the woods and no one can hear you over 100 yards away. C. There are no cell phones, so if you want to contact your bestie, you just scream their name. Also, it's just the best way to express how you feel as a girl, and since you are surrounded by all girls, they all understand sometimes you just hafta scream. If you're happy, sad, scared, mad...

2. If you think girls are all dainty and cute and never burp, fart, get dirty, or go without make-up, think again. That's all I will say on that subject.

3. It's cool to wear all types and colors of pajama bottoms for every occasion.

4. French braids are the most "in" hairstyle for once in their lives.

5. Showering is optional, and in some cases, people are looked down upon if they shower "too much", which is pretty much more than 1 time.

6. If you feel like doing anything that is totally random, like laughing maniacally, or yelling like Tarzan, camp is definitely the place to do it.

7. Camp is where we get trained to handle boys. We go through an obstacle course (this teaches us how to "run away"), we do archery (self defense), we learn how to cook outdoors (still in the kitchen, even when we are outside) and climb a rock wall (again, how to "run away").

8. In my personal opinion, camp is better than EFY. I've been to EFY. I thought it was a fun week, but camp puts it to shame. We are outside in some of the most beautiful mountain scenery around, we are with leaders that love and care about us and have put in hours and hours of planning to make it a good week, we are with the local people in the church who are our support system, and there are no boys so for once, the girls aren't worried about who likes who, if they look cute enough...

I had a great time being a tent mom at camp. A lot of people didn't take me seriously, thinking I was too young to be a tent mom, one of my own girls wasn't sure why I was there and thought maybe I was just some random person who wanted to go to camp. Another lady thought I was one of the campers, not leaders. The most recurrent comment I got was, and I'm not making this up, "you are so pretty, how are you not married yet?" That made me feel good and sad at the same time, haha. But now I'm betrothed to at least 4 peoples' brothers, uncles, and sons. One girl even took to calling me "sister" all week because she is convinced I am going to marry her brother. My favorite though was when it was time to check out of camp, the girls needed one of their tent moms to tell the cooks that their campsites were all clean so the cooks would give the girls breakfast. I walked up there and told one of the cooks that my girls could eat and she just stared at me like, "so?" Then one of my girls said, "she's our tent mom." And the cook laughed and was like, "oooooh," and gave them their food.

I also had an awesome co-tent mom. Tracy. She was so hilarious and nice and easy to hang out with, I was glad I had her there because she picked up all my slack since I had no idea what I was doing.

My cute girls practicing their fourth year song

1st years on their hike

little Sidney loved everything

Cousins Shelby and Sidney got to be 1st years together

Catniss braid was the "in" style

Cute Mom on the 1st year hike

Sidney did "shiver shivery" every day. It's where you get up at 6:30 a.m. and go dip in the lake.
Pretty chilly.

Team Virtue for the relay race. Made up of a bunch leaders. We were total champs.

Melissa had a great hairstyle :)

Tjaden and CJ, 2 of my cute girls

Melissa decided she didn't want her hair like that.

Sidney enjoying the freezing butt lake.

We got bored waiting for my dad to arrive on the last night.

Still bored.

Testimony meeting by the lake with Bishop Stoddard.

A family affair. Cousins Katy, Lauren, Shelby, and myself, Sidney, Mom and Dad.
My camera lens was totally filthy.

By the campfire on our last night.

Cute Ashley

Cute girls Gabby, Sydney, Bri, CJ, Tjaden, Ariel, Sammy, Marissa, Melissa, and Ashley

I gave them my camera and ended up with some pretty golden photos.

Gabby and funniest girl at camp Lakan.

I learned a lot about these girls though. I admire them so much for being as strong as they are in this world that is getting worse and worse to live in, especially for those trying to live a higher law. These girls just had such great testimonies and they were willing to share them and they stand out to their friends as a light. I learned that sometimes it seems like those raised in the church, me included, can get a little too comfortable, take a little too much for granted, while other girls have terrible family lives, nothing to go home to, but they still stay strong and learn to carry on. I took it home in my heart that I will complain less, listen more, and never be judgmental of anyone else's situation.

Being a girl's camp "tent mom" was totally worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Peace and blessings!