Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Camping? Yup...Camping :/

For most of you who know me, you know I'm not much of an outdoor-sy person? I mean, I'm all for a nice walk or playing some "one-on-one hoop" (haha!) outside, but when it comes to camping or hiking..well, they're just not my cup of tea. So when Ben and I were asked a couple of months ago to be youth Team Leaders for the upcoming Stake Youth Conference where we would be camping..I was a little wary. But we agreed and got pretty stoked about it. Well..then a couple weeks ago, Ben and I were released as wolf and bear cub scout den leaders (we had been in for almost two years and were getting a little burnt out.) I was then asked to be the new Young Women's Beehive Adviser! Yay! (For those who may not know what this is, it basically means I am an adviser over 12 and 13 girls) Super exciting, right? I know. Well it turns out, Girls Camp was just right around the corner and they would love for me to come. So wait..more camping? And for a whole week?!? And just a couple days after camping for youth conference?!?!?!?

Remember when I'm said I'm not an outdoor-sy person? Well suffice to say that went out the window! So iin the last week and a half, I went camping for youth conference and Girls Camp...I was a little nervous to say the least!


But off we went to youth conference! We were the leaders of a group of about 8 kids..which eventually dwindled fown to 6 kids when two of our kids got sick and had to go home (yeah, doesn't exactly bode well for our future children, huh?) The weekend was filled with a service project, one horrible night's sleep, the "amazing race," and some NASTY sunburns. Unfortunately we didn't really get any pictures...but there were a few "choice" pictures of us taken by other people:


I look pretty happy to be there, huh? And check out the buurrrnnn!!



Ben being his Pirate-y Self!

We were looking pretty excellent, yeah? All in all it was a pretty fun experience, but we were feeling pretty beat afterwards.


Sadly, I did not get much of a break because 3 days after we got home I left for Girls Camp - SIDENOTE: Ben actually went to Girls Camp the night before I left to be one of the priesthood there and we only got to see each other for about 15 minutes on Tuesday morning before I left to go and when he got home.


Girls Camp was so much fun! I remember hating a lot of things about Girls Camp growing up, and believe me..there were stull a couple things I could have done without, but mostly it was just fun!! Until.. Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon is when things start to go down hill. It started raining..hard. Very very hard. And the toilets stopped working..and then it hailed on Thursday morning. And finally by afternoon on Thursday we were leaing early! Some people were calling us wimps, but frankly, we saw no point in sitting in wet clothes, wet shoes, wet tents, wet sleeping bags and being miserable. So we came home early and did testimony meeting down at the church. It was really great!


Despite all the fun I had, it was so nice coming home to my nice warm bed and my amazing husband! He had put Operation Clean the House for Kelsie in action while I was away which was so sweet of him, and definitely helped me relax when I got home. It had been Ben and I first nights away from each other since we've been married, and that was a bit hard to adjust to, but we braved through it!


I also didn't take any pictures of me at Girls Camp, but this is one Tammy took of the both of us:



My sister-in-law/the YW president Tammy and me!


We were both just so happy to have had the opportunity to help at each of these events and hopefully help the youth in our ward and stake make some great memories!