princess camp

girls' camp is finally over, it seems like it's been months in the planning, which i guess it has, but it still feels strange for it to have come and gone already. there were several times while we were there that i felt silly for having so much anxiety about how it would all turn out. things went so smoothly and everything was so fun that i ended up having a really fabulous time. except for sleeping in the cabin at night with the bugs, that part wasn't so great, but everything else really was. i'm grateful for the experiences i had at camp, i learned a lot about myself, and my daughter that made me smile. here are just a few of the things allie and i learned while at camp this year...

i love fire pit roasted bananas with marshmallows and chocolate chips smashed in, they look disgusting but oh man, they were so good! think, banana split without the ice cream. i loved wearing braids in my hair the whole time, it made me feel like a kid again. i especially loved that i was never the one doing the braids, it was so fun to have other people do my hair each day. i loved riding up to camp with these turkeys in my car laughing it up the whole time, but i didn't especially love getting lost on the way. we all cheered when we finally saw this sign! saran wrapping the toilets in the leaders cabin never gets old. luckily, no one fell for it! (i'm seriously choosing this awesome turquoise color for my next bathroom re-do!) nothing lifts your mood like loud obnoxious camp songs sung by silly girls strung out on too much sugar! allie doesn't really love having her photo taken (by me) when there are other people watching - i have several photos with this same look on her face - it says to me, "mom, you're so weird!" allie has bb gun skills - go girl! nothing says camp like everyone doing each other's hair, and tiny braids with beads, i think allie came home with four or more in her hair. mmmm smores, what is camping without smores? i learned that one is enough though, why do they have to be so incredibly messy? i've never laughed so hard in all my life than playing the "get up on that big fat pony" game with the girls. i learned that if i could laugh like that every day i would have abs of steel! camp is better with a big group of wonderful friends - i'm so grateful for this awesome ward! (notice how allie is about a head taller than all of them?!) shrink-a-dinks make a great camp craft as long as you're not using a convection oven that blows them all over the inside of the oven - doh! allie has rhythm, the cup game was so fun to watch and learn but it took me A LOT longer than the rest of the girls to finally get it down. girls' camp is more fun than scout camp because we eat yummy strawberry cupcakes and they don't! hot tamales are WAY better dipped in chocolate! YUM-O. i learned that i could combat homesickness by hugging this cutie patootie and immediately feel better. i'm so glad i got to experience her first year of camp with her, she is a real princess inside and out! and last of all...i learned that i CAN pull off something this big, this overwhelming as long as i spend enough time on my knees. i'm thankful for a loving heavenly father who knows exactly what i need and when i need it in my life. camp has been a fabulous experience for me, and hopefully everyone. it wouldn't have been the same though without such fantastic girls being enthusiastic about everything that i planned and smiling the whole time. i'm so lucky to get to know them all a little bit better and share some laughs with them this week. they really are princesses, hopefully they know it too. man i love these girls....