Fwd: [KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES] Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Bloomers <crogys@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jun 22, 2010 at 11:44 AM
Subject: [KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES] Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are
To: crogys@gmail.com

With Academy and Girls camp constantly on my mind for the past month, it's been hard for me to get anywhere near the blog, but they are now both over and I feel like summer can officially begin, if the weather would ever cooperate, and the sun would stop playing hide and seek.  What is this, Seattle?

Leadership Academy was wonderful (and like Mikayla described it, spiritually exhausting).  In 24 hours the girls listened to 11 talks, 11 special musical numbers, participated in a solo experience, a missionary service project and a testimony meeting. Over half of the talks and all of the musical numbers were prepared by young women.  The depth and scope was amazing.  I never cease to be surprised by the spiritual maturity of many of our youth.  We had 48 y.w. (16-18) attending, and because of the manageable numbers, the older ages and the spiritual atmosphere, we had no problems.

Girls camp, which followed right on the heels of Academy was more fraught with administrative headaches (we had 195 young women 12-17).  There were pranks, homesickness, emotional issues, illness, and freezing cold temperatures to keep us busy.  We also had a group of over 100 hikers (including Mikayla and Eden) lost for a few scary hours.  They left at 9:00 a.m. for what was supposed to be a 5 mile hike.  Because they were certifying on the trail and because the group was so large and varied in their physical abilities, those leaders who were back at camp weren't worried when the group didn't show up for lunch.  We had walkie talkie's in camp, but were not aware that any of the leaders had taken one on the hike, so had turned all of ours off during free time for the girls.  At 1:30 the stake Y.W. president turned hers on in anticipation of climbing up to help with the repelling group.  Literally 3 seconds later, we heard a voice say, "we are definitely lost!".  We later found out that though the group had been lost for two hours, that was the very first attempt at contacting us, as the leader had forgotten that her walkie talkie was in her bag, and only remembered after the group had said a prayer.  Apparently they had wandered off the path to hike on a road, but when the road dead-ended, they weren't able to relocate the trail.  They were hiking in a burn area and the temperatures had grown warm and with no shade they had all run out of water early.  We got the message up to the repelling group and one of the men who were helping took a walkie talkie and started hiking to the highest point he could find and told the group to do the same.  I asked the camp leader to gather as many girls as she could and say a prayer and then two other stake leaders and I, jumped into a car and headed to a neighbor cabin in search of a good map and familiarity with the area.  We acquired a bull horn and directions to logging roads and suggestions to go talk to the forest service, but within 10 minutes, as we were driving away from the neighbors home, we heard the message that the group was able to hear the man who had hiked up yelling and minutes later were able to get a visual.  However, the group was so far away, it was another hour and a half before we got the last hiker back into camp.  The group was exhausted, dehydrated, sore from holding their arms over their heads through poison oak and walking for what we figured was close to 12 miles, but not one of them was "beat".  We all knew that their rescue had been a direct answer to prayers.  That evening, which was Bishops Night, we were privelaged to have Elder Gary Walker (our area authority) visit and speak.  He shared some intimately personal experiences with the first presidency and the quorum of the twelve and explained some of the processes of how callings and inspiration come.  He was very careful about what he said, but left us with no doubt that those 15 men all have interactions and relationships that are more personal than we may sometimes think, with  the Godhead.  It was a unique and beautiful opportunity that only some recognized for what it was. Afterward, every testimony from our ward, included spiritual lessons learned from the hike incident, so the day ended on a positive note.  All in all, I think the majority of the y.w. came back from camp with strengthened testimonies, and stronger relationships with each other and with us, which was the goal.  That part of girls camp, I love. I do not want to go camping again for another year; that part I don't love.  But, we'll see what I have to sacrifice this summer to please my family :)

Mikayla and Eden are wanting to start a Mother/Daughter book club this summer.  We are having a little bit of trouble coming up with a list because we all want to read new books and the ones I want them to read, I've already read and the ones they want me to read, they've already read.  Right now we are all immersed separately in Jane Austen and  Charles Dickens but I'm sure we'll come up with something brilliant to read together. Summer reading is my absolutely most anticipated activity during the break.  I'm just waiting for the sun to come out permanently so we can schedule some hammock time:)

Celebrating Fred's 43rd Birthday!

Kindergarten Graduation

Last day of school with Eden's friends; all wearing their artistic shirt creations

Superman:  Up, up and away!

GIRLS CAMP:
Service Project

Lites vs. Leaders football game

Lily and Sophie playing in one of our many rainstorms;
It filled the common area in minutes

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Posted By Bloomers to KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES at 6/22/2010 11:44:00 AM