Young Women and Spring Chicks

The past five years, I would feel just a tad bad for Ira when he "had" to go to all these camps and Youth Conferences as part of being the Bishop.  He would come home so tired, and "have" to turn around and go to another one in a week or two.  Well, now that the roles have been reversed and I'm the one who "has" to go to these things, while he holds down the fort - I can tell ya that I have a few years to make up of this "torture" to be even with him! :)

Before the summer even started, and I looked at my calendar - I was exhausted even thinking about it.  And now that it's here, I am even more exhausted. BUT, I am having a lot of fun with my family and with "my girls" in Young Womens.  I just love every one of them, and the leaders I work with.  

My first big youth adventure was YW camp. Seriously SO MUCH FUN!  We went to a girls home (cabin) in the mountains by Mantua.  

Our two camp leaders worked so hard and were so much fun.  I've always admired these two, and now I do even more.

Ruth Spendlove & Nicole Zollinger

I got a new camera for Mothers DAy/my birthday.  And this was the first time I really got to play with it much.  So this is one of the pictures I took.  LOVE my new "baby"

Our theme for camp was "STAR" (Stand for Truth And Righteousness).  Our girls had the great idea to make themselves into a star - so dang cute!

Our fearless leaders on the slip and slide.  I would be the neon girl who wants to stand out in the crowd :) 

The rest of the leaders

YOUTH CONFERENCE

After camp, the next week we turned around and went to Youth Conference for 3 days.

This time Brayden was part of the group.  He wasn't real excited about having his mom there amongst all of his friends.  But hopefully he'll get over that...SOON! 

We started the adventure out with water games.  I realized that I wasn't a spring chick anymore when I ran with all my might and plopped myself onto the slip n' slide and then hurt all over!  The slip n' slide at YW camp was downhill - it didn't require much running and jumping.  This one hurt a wee bit :)

And we did a ropes course where we did things that were really challenging, but they all had a lesson to be learned.

We climbed up on this stump and fell back into the arms of our friends.  I wasn't too worried - I knew they would catch me.

But when I got to this one - I got worried.  I climbed up the pole, and when I got up there, I froze.  I wanted to climb back down.  I was wearing a harness, but I couldn't get myself to let go of the pole, then climb out on the ledge.  I finally did, and then I was really frozen.  I just couldn't jump to that ring.  I kept asking the gal holding my safety harness if she was sure she had me.  After quite some time, I finally "jumped".  I wouldn't really call it jumping. It was more like falling, but either way - it got me off the platform!  The first picture was me terrified. The second picture is how it's supposed to be done...not me obviously. :)

We went to the Manti pageant.  This is my cute girls that went.  I really love this pageant, but I have to admit that I was so tired by this point, that I slept through the pageant.  A sure sign of me not being a spring chick anymore!

Darci Olsen, Alix Crossley, Nicky, 

Megan Winklaar

Brandi Poulsen, Nicky, Anna Russak, Clarinda Little

By the end of our weekend, I think Brayden was actually warming up to me being there...a little.

We also had workshops, a fireside, testimony meeting, and of course - a dance.  Talk about spring chick...you should have seen me and the other two leaders on the dance floor.  Boy oh boy...the things we do for our girls!  They wanted us to dance with them, and dance we did!  At that point, I had no doubt left that I'm DEFINENTLY NoT a spring chick!

BOATING

Today I went boating with my Laurels.  I hadn't been water skiing since I was about their age, so this was a long shot for me.  I first tried wake boarding (like snow boarding but on water).  That was a no-go.  So I tried skiing, and got up on my first try.  It was fun, till it wasn't (make sense?).  It really was fun, but once again my bones and muscles just couldn't go as long as I once used to.  But once we pulled the tube out...I could handle that one.  It was so much fun!  I loved it, and I loved being with our girls (Annie Olsen & Clarinda Little) and facing death in the face with them! LOL

This was our boat captain - Travis Earl.  He showed us how wake boarding is meant to be done.  It was fun watching him.