Young Women

 I had the privilege of attending Young Women's Camp this year..... ss the camp nurse. When I was first asked, my girls were ecstatic and I was pretty nervous. Yes, I am a nurse. Yes, I have an active license, which I have kept up with continuing education. But, A LONG time ago I made the decision to stay at home full time rather than try and work part time. It has been a long time since I have worked so I am often hesitant to tell people I am a nurse. I guess that cat is now out of the bag. Let's just say I have spent the last 6 months doing a lot of reviewing and studying, all in the hopes that if I was prepared the Lord would help me out when I needed it.

Camp went great, all the girls survived. They returned home tired, dirty, grateful they didn't have to haul anymore lake water to flush the toilets, and many on a spiritual high. I couldn't believe how fast camp went. Saturday evening, as I sat, trying to stay awake as my family watched a movie, it was hard to believe that camp was even a reality. Had I really just survived a week of managing medication for over 200 girls, burns, cuts, nose bleeds, sprained knees and ankles, stomach upset, cramps, dehydration, headaches, asthma and a concussion? Not to mention emotional support for leaders and girls that just needed to talk. I had a hard time believing that all that had really happened.   I knew that the only way I had made it through was with Lord's help. Being camp nurse was something I grew and learned from. Boy did it come with a lot of responsibility and anxiety if I truly would be prepared for the unknown.

On top of all this, two weeks before camp I was called into the bishop's office and called to serve as the YW president of our ward. I had kind of thought that I was needing to refresh my nursing skills so that I could be the camp nurse for a few years. I know my girls wanted this, especially Minnie for next year would be her first year at girls camp. Little did I know the Lord didn't call me to be the camp nurse for the first aid portion, but so I could learn about the Young Women's program. I have never served with the Young Women since I was a YW myself (we won't say how many years that's been). The past six months, as I have sat in meetings with various stake leaders, I have learned about the YW program. I have seen how to run meetings and how to work with the youth to help them be leaders. There were times that I left those meeting thinking how grateful I wasn't actually in YW for it is so busy and a lot to do. What a responsibility to be a teacher and role model for these choice daughters of God. I was so grateful that wasn't my current calling. Apparently the Lord didn't agree.

The YW in our ward knew that the YW president was going to be changed the Sunday after camp because the previous YW president had already moved just a couple weeks before camp. It was a fun experience to be at camp and listen to various conversations as they speculated. The Stake cabin and our ward's cabin were close to each other so I was able to visit my ward often. How grateful I was for this. It gave me a chance to get to know some of the girls. While I was at camp, I had a pretty powerful witness that this wasn't just coincidence. This was further reinforced when my husband told me that my  first counselor shared with my him that a few weeks before camp she had the thought that the new YW president would be able to be at camp but not as a current leader. She didn't know it was me who was the new president at that time and really wasn't sure what this meant.

I am grateful for the Lord's plan in my life at this time. I know that serving as YW president is what the Lord wants for me and he saw a way to prepare me for this. Most days I waffle between feeling extremely overwhelmed and inadequate but I have great counselors, good YW, the Lord is in charge. I pray I'll be able to know his will. I am thrilled to be able to have a calling where I get to associate with my girls. We are all looking forward to camp next year. I'm sure next year will still be laden with responsibility, just different and hopefully just as fun.

Trying Something New

This Spring Bud Boy played T-ball. He really enjoyed it. He learned lots. It was so neat to see him go from knowing nothing about baseball to where he could bat the ball while the coach pitched to him. His favorite thing was to catch ground balls. He was thrilled to give Dad a mitt for Father's Day and they spent a lot of time out throwing grounders.

Baseball wasn't the only thing these two have spent time practicing together.

We let him practice on an old, beat up bike that could handle a few falls. This weekend he was pretty excited to be good enough to take the training wheels off his cars bike.

Now Bud Boy is learning all about soccer. This age is fun to watch. They spend the first 20 minutes of the game practicing and then have a 20 minute game playing 4 against 4. Bud Boy loves to get a GOOD running start before he kicks the ball. One time it was his turn to kick off the game and he had backed up almost to the goal post.

Bud Boy also HATES to have the other team score. At this age they don't really have a goalie; in fact they aren't allowed to touch the ball at all. Bud Boy has unofficially taken on himself to be the goalie. He spends a lot of the game running back to protect the goal.

love his determination!

Labor Day

We were so busy this summer that we haven't made it up to our land once since we towed up the trailer. Hard to believe. We figured this would be a great way to spend Labor Day. You know, one last summer vacation.

After packing up, driving out of our neighborhood, remembering we had forgotten the helmets for the four wheeler, returning home, getting the helmets, driving up to our land, we reached our gate. Dad then said, "Oh no, I forgot the keys" (we won't mentioned that his wife had asked him as we were leaving if he had the keys-meaning the trailer and he immediately responded in the affirmative, thinking she was asking about the suburban keys).

Luckily, we were able to get permission from our neighbors to drive through their land and access our land through the back-way. After figuring out a way into the trailer we discovered the usually filled water tank was empty. We have water on our land but without the keys there's no way to turn it on. With 6 girls in a family having no water to run the toilet is a big issue. By this point the neighbors to the south of us just happened to come up to introduce themselves. They had an extra long hose and were willing to let us use their water to fill up our tanks.

We were so grateful to have nice neighbors so we could save ourselves a long drive back home with some very disappointed kids. Instead we were able to spend the  evening roasting marshmallows, as Tator wanted to do. Enjoyed listening to Princess jabber away to her brother about the fire.

And a little four wheeling the next day

Princess loved riding and would bring her helmet to dad whenever she heard it start up

Yuba

We were thrilled  to be invited to spend a day at the lake with some dear family friends. The day started out a little chilly and windy and we wondered if we would be able to get out on the lake with their boat. That didn't stop the kids from getting in the water.

She loved the water

We had brought some tubes that we all enjoyed playing with.

Eventually things warmed up and they were able to take the boat out. Jolly J tried knee boarding. Bud Boy loved riding in the boat and being the official flag person.

Tator just loved being in the water as much as possible.

Most of us each took a turn riding on the tube.

We also jumped off some cliffs. 

Minnie was pretty surprised that mom was going to go jump. Too many years of being pregnant or having small babies I guess so her adventurous side isn't known. Karebear, on the other hand, was pretty hesitant to jump. She finally did at the same time as mom. Her response was "some things you muster of the courage, do it and are grateful. That was not one of them."













As we all couldn't fit on the boat at the same time we enjoyed playing in the sand and visiting.

When did they get so grown-up?

What Did You Do This Summer?

Every year it's the same thing.
We head to Back to School Night.
The kids teachers ask, "How was your summer?"
"Good"
"What did you do?" or "Did you do anything fun?"
My kids respond with a shrug, "I don't know", or a blank stare.

The first year this happened I was offended. I thought we had a great summer! I had worked hard to make it fun and filled with things that we did. Many things note worthy of saying- "Hey we did this".

I have come to realize that my children felt the same way but at that current moment their minds went blank and they just didn't know what to say. They needed time to think and be reminded of what a fun summer they had just experienced.

So.... here you go kids........ Here's a re cap of our summer. Here's plenty of ideas you can use when that first writing assignment comes where you are asked to write about what you did this summer.

Some of us walked.......

 and walked.......

 and walked.....

While the rest of us rode the front runner 
to the Discovery Gateway.

The Zoo

complete with LEGO animals

Camps

Gotta love Camp Big Springs

Ward theme this year was Every Hero STANDS for Something

Plenty of time in the water

Celebrated Holidays

Thanks to his aunt's suggestion it's the first year he had no problem doing sparklers at our family 4th of July BBQ. We also enjoyed a BBQ with friends to celebrate the 24th but first a morning experiencing pioneer activities at the park.

 Family traditions-Christmas in July at Grandmas

Always includes some sort of photo shoot

 

Went to the "radio"

 And the race track.

Plenty of time spent experimenting with various hair styles,

actually made pretty cute curls when it was taken out

and babysitting this little cutie-

which was often spent dolling her up 
and doing photo shoots.

And let's not forget reading. Karebear about had to pick the librarian up off the floor when she turned in seven book reviews in one week. Got some pretty cool prizes too, thanks to the summer reading program.