Girls Camp 2014!

 This summer I had the wonderful opportunity to go to girls' camp!! I may not have had the opportunity to be there the entire week, but I drove up as much as I could! During this week, I had work and varsity volleyball try-outs/practice so while I wasn't at practice or work, I got to drive up to girls camp and hang out with all of my girls!! I was over the 3rd years however, I sadly never got to meet any of the girls in my year because I drove up later in the day and missed all hikes/certifications but it was alright because I knew most of the girls in the 3rd years. They are all in Merrimack so I'm super close with all of them and I love them all so much!! Also it was fun going around to a bunch of random girls stating, "Hi I've never met you but I'm your 3rd year YCL" haha When I went up, I got to go to Bishop's night and had dinner and dessert with my Peterborough Ward, I drove up and did crafts, spent time with all of my friends, and performed in a spiritual play. It was a real life re-enactment of the tree of life and the iron rod. The play started out with 3 girls at church learning about the tree of life. Then as we walk, we hold onto a rope or the "iron rod". All of a sudden, I hear something in the distance, become distracted, and then start falling away from the rope and pull away and walk toward a party. At the party I get pressured and then rejected by the people at the party. At that point, I'm lost in a cloud of darkness and the fog machine is cued. Then after a people song was sung, my friends, my "mom", and my "YW leader" call to me and direct me to return back to them. Although I am reluctant because I am ashamed, I eventually find my way back to my family and friends. We then end in an embrace. This play was so powerful! It taught that through the help and support of friends and family, we can be guided back on the right path and hold onto the iron rod again. I felt this play's message during the embrace. It overwhelmed me and I felt of that love and assurety that we are never along. If we fall away from the rod or from the right path, we can return and we will always have the support of loved ones to direct us back onto that path. I also had the opportunity to drive up on an additional day (I went about 2 and a half days to girls camp) and I got to participate in SKITS! The YCLs did 5 skits in between all of the skits. My favorite ones were our P90X parody and the Hunger Games Skit. We also had a marriage counseling skit with characters from movies like Tarzan, Twilight, Frozen, etc. In the P90X skit, I was "Tony" or the trainer. I was doing the workouts while my "modifier" was sitting in chairs, sleeping, and snacking. My other assistant was a "beast at P90X" and ended up dying and having a funeral service during the workout. It as fantastic haha Then for our Girls Camp Hunger Games Skit, it started off with my going off to sleep, while girls "died" from falling into a lake (this legit happened, it was the best), eating too many rolls (our rolls at girls camp are SOOOO GOOOOOOD), eating the last snack at the Whitney store, eating the wrong berries, and etc. In the end once everyone was dead, I woke up, stood up, and said, "I won?" It was awesome! I love girls camp and the skits were all absolutely adorable and a ton of fun! Then I spent more time with my friends, we had PIZZA for dinner, we had testimony meeting, and then it was YCL night! We all slept in the mess hall together, raided the Whitney Store Snacks, raided the rolls and ice cream in the kitchen, and basically stayed up all night hanging out together and snacking! I love girls camp so much! I was sad I couldn't experience the entire week but hopefully next year I can attend the whole week and come closer to my girls! The theme this year was "Be Loyal to the Royal within you". This message basically is stating: Remember who you are. Keep on the path of righteousness, be virtuous, have integrity, make the right choices, etc. and remember that we are Daughters of God, Daughters of a King. We need to be loyal to that role and that responsibility that we have within us. We need to stand tall and be loyal to the royal within us.

Kiomara, Ashley, and I

Ashley, Zoe, Morgan and I

I love my Zoe (Gertrude) SO MUCH! This was the last time I got to see her before she goes off to college! I already miss her so much but I know she will do great things!!

Hanging out with my LOVELY LEADERS! Sister Jackson, Sister Reindeau, Sister Luhtjarv, and me mommy. If you look at my mom's face and my face....we are literally twins....

Singing Camp songs!

Rylee, Annie, and I hanging out on the golf cart

Katie, Claudia, Rachel and I!

Lindsay, Megan, Emily, Kayla, and I

Still wet from the play (lets just say I got rejected/water thrown at my face during the play)

I WILL NEVER LET GO! (Reenacting our reenactment ;))

My cute Merrimack girls (Alexis and Andrea)

The Peterborough Girls!!

The leaders' skit (form of Cinderella gaining integrity, choice and accountability, etc.)

Alexis and I

ANNIE!! I love this girl so much!

Saying goodbye to Megan!

Crashing Merrimack's cabin! I love these girls!

Sister Jarnagin and I!! I can't eve express how much I LOVE HER!

The YCLs raiding the Whitney store!