Issue 116

Girls Camp by Whitney

This week I was at my stake girls camp. The theme was "A.R.M.Y." (A Righteous Mormon Youth.) The entire stake was there and each ward got a different color of camouage for their shirts. My ward got "savage orange." On the little slip of paper that had a sample of the pattern it looked good but when we actually got the shirts the result was horrendous. It was orange, brown yellow and black. it looked like someone had thrown up on them after eating a burnt hot dog. Luckily we only had to wear them the last day to the closing ceremonies.

Other than that it was a blast. I was a YCL (youth camp leader) so I was able to help plan the camp and help when we got to camp. I helped at the giant zipline and taught a class with one of my friends about what to do if for poisoning and broken limbs and severe bleeding (apparently I scared all the beehives to death with my spiel about stomach wounds) and instructed at archery. (I love archery and have had professional instruction so that one was especially fun for me.)

Our ward got the best campsite, instead of the sagebrush and aspen campgrounds the others got, we had giant pines and real shade trees with deer and squirrils. It was great but cold in the morning and the squirrils kept waking us up. :)

I loved being there and cant wait for next year when it is ward camp instead of stake camp. IT WAS AWSOME!!!!

Issue 115

BLAB by Steve L.

well...

Week long scout camp, with fifteen scouts and no flushable toilets within four miles.

'nuff said.

Okay, mom says I have to say more. Well it all started 5 o clock in the morning. All the scouts gathered at our house and piled in to the cars. Then we slept all the way there. We arrived at our campsite and set up. It was a really pretty site, right next to Bear Lake. It was awesome, because we got to swim every day. Well the next week was pretty packed with merit badge classes. I think the funnest was climbing. We got to repel off a sixty foot vertical wall, with nothing but a rope keeping me from falling to my death. Ya, that's what scouts consider fun. Ya, we're lunatics. Well as far as merit badges go, I earned the wood-carving, photography, pioneering, leather-work and climbing merit badges. For wood carving we carved a carved a cylinder, a neckerchief slide, and a letter, which turned up being an S, which turned out cracking, which ended up as the bear lake monster. For pioneering, we built a bridge out of wood and rope, nothing else. And then there was that rattle-snake. It crept into our camp, and killed four kids before the staff got it with a shovel. Yep, just a typical day in the typical week a a scout camp. (yes, the rattlesnake was real).

Note from mom: No actual children died on this camp!

Issue 114

R & R at the Bluebird Inn

Steve and I realized that it had been way too long since we got away on a "non-working" vacation, so we got away to a beautiful Bed and Breakfast on the Idaho side of Bear Lake. We did all the things we love to talk about doing, but rarely get around to. Like golfing, biking, boating, jet skiing (twice - it was my favorite part!), dinner theater and just spending lots of unscheduled time together. We breakfasted with a fun couple from New York that invited us on their chartered boat around the lake with a marine biologist and former mayor as a tour guide. We learned many interesting things about the lake, including all about the Bear Lake Monster! The Inn was charming and the breakfasts were truly gourmet (we wish we had a picture for you.) If anyone is looking for a romantic place to reconnect - try the Bluebird Inn!

Issue 113

Happy Birthday Daniel!

I can't believe you're 11!

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad!

Last week I was deciding between playing, sleeping and cleaning this week, after producing the Family Festival. We went to see the penguins at the Aquarium, the Days of '47 floats at the preview, out to lunch, played with cousins and went swimming at the Scera pool. The picture below is proof that I did a little sleeping too. As for the house cleaning . . . . . . .

Issue 112

Big Sigh

(Big Sigh . . . ) Event done, goal accomplished. Boy, that's a good feeling! Vendors, sponsors, knights battles and tea parties, carnival, yummy food, managing volunteers and info booths, a tribute and a concert, set up and clean up - a lot goes into a fund raiser! I had an amazing committee this year and the Family Festival fundraiser for the non-profit I volunteer with, was a great success.

Now, I just can't decide if I should scrub the house top to bottom, connect with my patient children on a field trip everyday or just sleep! Probably all three.

Issue 111

Room with a View

Well, as much view as you get from a basement. Steve (Dad) has finished framing a new bedroom for Whitney in the Basement. He has really enjoyed the creating process (and I also think he's enjoyed whacking things.) The kids have all taken turns helping in the basement. The HVAC and electrical will hopefully be finished this week. Our goal is to have the 3 older children in their own rooms by the start of the new school year. Steve L. and Daniel have shared a room for almost eleven years. Steve L. is serious about his scholar studies and we are excited to be gaining a new room in our house so both boys can have more privacy and creative space. We'll post pictures when it's done!

Issue 110

Bear Lake Fun!

34 people + s'mores + jet skiing + sail boating + sunburns + beach time + talent shows + leather work with Grandpa + Aunt Emily's Hog song + late night burgers and shakes + campfires + hiking with Uncle Dave + 42 miles of shoreline + flirty aprons + pelicans + mini golf + swimming pools and playgrounds + four-man bikes + yummy food + a cactus pinata + jiffy pop popcorn + church at the park + 28" pizza = 1 amazing family reunion at Bear Lake!