Well, it's been a little while since I updated my blog, mostly because I was so busy trying to get ready for Girls Camp and trying not to freak out that I actually had to go. I somehow got out of it when I was in Young Women's a few years ago (as a leader, I never got out of it as a YW, even though I'm sure I would have liked to). I was the assistant camp director this year and I was in charge of all the food for our ward, among other things. But it was the food that had me stressed, especially because a week and a half before camp I got an email saying we were not allowed to have fires this year!! After planning a whole menu involving cooking over the fire, it was a little distressing. And what is a camp without fire, I ask you? But it all worked out for the best and I am repenting for my bad attitude. I guess my biggest concern was that the girls would turn up their noses at the food and be ungrateful and hard to get to help when it was their turn... I could not have been more wrong. The girls in our ward are AMAZING and I am not even kidding. The entire time I did not hear one single complaint or have one meal preparation or clean-up when I didn't have girls flocking to the cooking area asking, "What can I do to help?" even when it wasn't their turn. And not only that, every single thing that I served was met with, "This is my favorite salad in the whole world! It's even better than my mom's!" and "Did you go to cooking school? You should be a gourmet chef!" and "This is the best food we've ever had at Girls Camp!" So, they might be a little delusional, considering the fact that we were eating food like sloppy joes and taco salad, but I personally don't care if people are crazy as long as they are nice. They made me feel so appreciated and so welcome. I feel like inviting them all over for dinner at my house every night, except that would mean I would have to cook, and I am a little burned out on that right now. But the whole experience of going to Girls Camp just could not have been better. And I was prepared for the worst, believe me. I thought of every possible thing that could go wrong: I won't sleep at night (I was the only leader that slept well), everyone will hate the food (they at least pretended to like it), it will be hotter than 4 foxes fighting in a forest fire and all the food will go bad (it rained almost every day and never got too hot), I'll be too tired because I'm 7 months pregnant (I felt great), I'll feel like an idiot because I don't know anybody and they all know each other (everyone was so nice), etc. etc. etc. It just was really good. Plus, it was a very spiritual camp where there were several faith-promoting things that happened that I know made a big impression on the girls, because they made a big impression on me. I'll just tell you one since this is getting a little lengthy: The last night we had Ardeth Kapp speak (hello, the Pella ward would be lucky to get Henry Baker) and as we sat through the opening part of the meeting, dark clouds were gathering and there was thunder coming from every direction. This exact thing happened the day before and we had a downpour that lasted at least 40 minutes, complete with lightening and hail (I was in the leader's tent at the time and enjoyed it thoroughly - I told you I was blessed). So I was prepared to head back to camp when the meeting got rained out. However, right before Sister Kapp's turn to speak, the Stake Young Women's President got up and said, over the thunder, "We'd like to ask the Stake President to come up and give a blessing on the elements, so the meeting can go on." She said it like she was asking him to do something as simple as move his car. I was like, oh dear. He's not magic. This is going to be really great for the girls when we are all drenched in about 4 minutes. But the SP, bless his little cowboy heart, got up and prayed that "the clouds would be moved and the meeting would go on without incident and without delay". Then I was really nervous because I had expected him to say something like, "Please bless that the meeting can go on if it is thy will, and that we won't get hit by lightening on our way back to our tents." But, oh ye of little faith, within about 10 minutes, the clouds literally cleared and by the time Sister Kapp was about half way done with her talk, there was a blue sky with high white wispy clouds overhead. There were still clouds around the horizon and faint thunder in the distance for effect but otherwise it was beautiful, complete with chirping birds and chattering squirrels. I was hardly paying attention to what she was saying because I was so busy watching the sky the whole time. It was amazing. The weather stayed perfect until exactly midnight when we were just finishing up our ward testimony meeting around the campfire (another miracle at Zuckerman's, we could have fire after all because of the rain the day before), and then it rained most of the night. I could not believe it. Anyway, I only took a few pictures at camp, which I am regretting now, but here they are. This is the sign that I made for our ward, which is kind of gay, but it survived the rain somehow. And then a few of the girls and other leaders. Nicest people in the world!
I was actually a little sad to go home....
Well, it's been a little while since I updated my blog, mostly because I was so busy trying to get ready for Girls Camp and trying not to freak out that I actually had to go. I somehow got out of it when I was in Young Women's a few years ago (as a leader, I never got out of it as a YW, even though I'm sure I would have liked to). I was the assistant camp director this year and I was in charge of all the food for our ward, among other things. But it was the food that had me stressed, especially because a week and a half before camp I got an email saying we were not allowed to have fires this year!! After planning a whole menu involving cooking over the fire, it was a little distressing. And what is a camp without fire, I ask you? But it all worked out for the best and I am repenting for my bad attitude. I guess my biggest concern was that the girls would turn up their noses at the food and be ungrateful and hard to get to help when it was their turn... I could not have been more wrong. The girls in our ward are AMAZING and I am not even kidding. The entire time I did not hear one single complaint or have one meal preparation or clean-up when I didn't have girls flocking to the cooking area asking, "What can I do to help?" even when it wasn't their turn. And not only that, every single thing that I served was met with, "This is my favorite salad in the whole world! It's even better than my mom's!" and "Did you go to cooking school? You should be a gourmet chef!" and "This is the best food we've ever had at Girls Camp!" So, they might be a little delusional, considering the fact that we were eating food like sloppy joes and taco salad, but I personally don't care if people are crazy as long as they are nice. They made me feel so appreciated and so welcome. I feel like inviting them all over for dinner at my house every night, except that would mean I would have to cook, and I am a little burned out on that right now. But the whole experience of going to Girls Camp just could not have been better. And I was prepared for the worst, believe me. I thought of every possible thing that could go wrong: I won't sleep at night (I was the only leader that slept well), everyone will hate the food (they at least pretended to like it), it will be hotter than 4 foxes fighting in a forest fire and all the food will go bad (it rained almost every day and never got too hot), I'll be too tired because I'm 7 months pregnant (I felt great), I'll feel like an idiot because I don't know anybody and they all know each other (everyone was so nice), etc. etc. etc. It just was really good. Plus, it was a very spiritual camp where there were several faith-promoting things that happened that I know made a big impression on the girls, because they made a big impression on me. I'll just tell you one since this is getting a little lengthy: The last night we had Ardeth Kapp speak (hello, the Pella ward would be lucky to get Henry Baker) and as we sat through the opening part of the meeting, dark clouds were gathering and there was thunder coming from every direction. This exact thing happened the day before and we had a downpour that lasted at least 40 minutes, complete with lightening and hail (I was in the leader's tent at the time and enjoyed it thoroughly - I told you I was blessed). So I was prepared to head back to camp when the meeting got rained out. However, right before Sister Kapp's turn to speak, the Stake Young Women's President got up and said, over the thunder, "We'd like to ask the Stake President to come up and give a blessing on the elements, so the meeting can go on." She said it like she was asking him to do something as simple as move his car. I was like, oh dear. He's not magic. This is going to be really great for the girls when we are all drenched in about 4 minutes. But the SP, bless his little cowboy heart, got up and prayed that "the clouds would be moved and the meeting would go on without incident and without delay". Then I was really nervous because I had expected him to say something like, "Please bless that the meeting can go on if it is thy will, and that we won't get hit by lightening on our way back to our tents." But, oh ye of little faith, within about 10 minutes, the clouds literally cleared and by the time Sister Kapp was about half way done with her talk, there was a blue sky with high white wispy clouds overhead. There were still clouds around the horizon and faint thunder in the distance for effect but otherwise it was beautiful, complete with chirping birds and chattering squirrels. I was hardly paying attention to what she was saying because I was so busy watching the sky the whole time. It was amazing. The weather stayed perfect until exactly midnight when we were just finishing up our ward testimony meeting around the campfire (another miracle at Zuckerman's, we could have fire after all because of the rain the day before), and then it rained most of the night. I could not believe it. Anyway, I only took a few pictures at camp, which I am regretting now, but here they are. This is the sign that I made for our ward, which is kind of gay, but it survived the rain somehow. And then a few of the girls and other leaders. Nicest people in the world! 
4 comments:
You are so brave. When Alison told me you were at camp, I couldn't believe it. You have such a good attitude about stuff like that, which makes you a great camp leader. And you should be a gourmet cook!
(PS Yeah I started a "real" blog because our computer was broken at home for like three months and I couldn't get to the cemerfamily.com web admin tool. It's much easier to write blogs at work anyway.)
good post! Loved the pictures. In all i bet it was pretty fun huh?
Way to stick it out - unlike me :)! I love hearing all about your camp experience. The pictures are cute too! And I liked the spiritual experience that happened..."oh ye of little faith" ha ha!
oh our little ampy, so brave & good spirited. whatever that means. im so glad you loved camp, it was just a little test of things to come...& good luck with the thing that came ha. You will be awesome! can i be a beehive in your ward? & it was sooo fun with dallin & luke, they are the smartest little boys alive. i miss them & you a ton.
Post a Comment