Off to YW Camp!

Thursday, July 16, 2015

Because our stake did a Pioneer Trek this year, they only did a short, 2-night camp for YW camp (apparently there have been some years where they don't do a camp at all - which I think is a bummer for the 12 & 13 year olds that aren't allowed on trek). Blondie was super excited/nervous to go and M&M was excited to have her younger sister there with her. They met up on Thursday morning and then returned Saturday afternoon.

Blondie turns 12!

July 14 & 15, 2015

Wait, what?!? We had cake for Blondie's birthday a day early because DH was going to be leaving on her birthday to go up to scout camp with the Deacons. And Blondie's birthday was a day before the YW camp for our stake! So her birthday was pretty low key this year but she was super excited to move up to Young Women's and to be able to go to camp! Blondie opened a few presents on the 14th and then most of them she opened on her birthday before DH left for camp.

Stake Pioneer Trek 2015

Wednesday, June 24 - Saturday, June 27

Before pictures

They are back!

 Not excited to get pictures taken...

Hey, we got some smiles!

It was super hot on the day that they returned and they were super tired and just wanted to go home and shower and go to bed!

New Beginnings 2015

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

It is weird to think that Blondie will be turning 12 later this year!! She was invited to attend New Beginnings with the Young Women and she will turn 12 the day before YW camp this summer!

We have a new driver!!

Friday, January 23, 2015

We have a rule in our family that the girls need to earn their YW Personal Progress medallion before they can get their driver's license. So M&M hasn't been terribly motivated lately to get her license but we have gradually been pushing her more and more and told her that if she earned it before her senior year of high school we would try and get a 3rd car for the family so that she can drive it to school and not have to be driven to and from school every day.

So on January 23 - almost 6 months after she turned 16 - she finally finished everything up and since there was no school that day because it was the end of the semester, I took her to the DMV to get her license.

Here are a couple of pictures of her on Saturday, driving solo for the first time! Unfortunately she has not figured out how to drive a stick shift yet so the van is the only car she can drive right now...

YW Camp 2014

July 9-12

I was able to go to YW Camp again with M&M this year.  This year I was able to go and stay for the whole time.  It was a lot of fun!  We did river rafting, rifle shooting and horseback riding - in addition to all of the usual camp stuff!  The weather was pretty good except for one evening where a huge storm came up quickly and it POURED for a good 45 minutes or so.  We were tent camping so everyone went and sat in the car until the storm passed.

I was put in charge of one of the crafts that we made - washer necklaces.  I don't have any pictures from camp but when I get to it I will take some pictures of the ones that I made and describe how we did them.  They turned out really cute and the YW LOVED making them.

Thanks to DH who worked some from home and to my parents who helped out as well.  Also thanks to Luke for helping out at home too.

Youth Family History Challenge

In addition to my calling in YW, I was asked back in July to head up a family history challenge for our youth in the ward.  I initially had a committee of youth that helped come up with some ideas and goals and then we went ahead with it.  We had a kickoff in October when DH and I taught a combined YM/YW lesson on family history and what it involves (which was unfortunately interrupted with a fire alarm) and then we had a point system set up for the youth to earn points by doing specific things regarding family history.  We had one of our mutual nights where we taught 3 different mini classes on some specific family history topics that the youth could work on.  We had a rewards jar made where the youth would put pom-pom balls to represent the points that they have earned and then if they fill the jar by the middle of January they would earn a carnival type party.

Things started out a little rough and I think I made it a little too complicated at first, but then the holidays hit and we had several weeks where we didn't have any mutual activities at all because of the holidays so we decided to extend the challenge into March.  After the new year I changed things up a bit and printed out a specific weekly challenge for the youth to try and focus on each week - simple things like writing in your journal to finding an ancestor in the 1920, 1930 or 1940 U.S. census - with specific instructions on how to do it.  We have also tried to have a family history moment in YW and on mutual nights where one of the youth talks about something they have done with family history.

I think overall it has been a success for the youth.  We have heard stories of the youth coming home from an activity and getting their parents involved in looking things up on the internet.  We took a trip to the family history library where the youth were able to print out 9 generation fan charts so they could see where the holes are in their family.  We have also heard stories of grandparents being interviewed and families hearing stories and things that they had never heard before.

This is one reason that I have been behind in blogging lately.  This challenge has been somewhat time consuming for me and sometimes when I do have free time I find myself wanting to get onto the familysearch.org website and do some family history work instead!  Right now I am in the middle of planning the rewards activity which will be next Wednesday for our mutual night.  We are going to do a life-sized board game with the youth in "family" teams and it will be as if they are on a pioneer trek across the plains to Utah.  Hopefully it will go off well and the youth will enjoy it!  I will try and get someone to take pictures for me so I can blog about it more in detail.

New calling

Sunday, September 22

I was called in today right after BYC meeting to meet with a member of the bishopric.  I thought maybe the whole YW presidency was going to be released since they have been serving about 3 years now.  And even though I am not in the presidency, it may affect my calling as Beehive Advisor.  Well, I was told that they were going to be releasing the YW 2nd counselor and asked if I would be willing to serve in that calling and one of the current MiaMaid advisors would be put in as the Beehive Advisor to take my spot.  (The current 2nd counselor has been serving in YW for over 4 years I believe.)

So now my life has gotten quite a bit busier.  I never realized how much more the YW presidency does that the advisors usually don't have to worry about...

YW Camp

July 29-Aug 2

It turned out nice that I was going up to YW camp a day late because two girls from our ward were sick with a stomach flu and weren't able to leave on Monday so they came up with me on Tuesday.  Tuesday was going to be their big hike so I wanted to make it up there in time for that.  It was about an hour and a half drive so we left around 8:00 in the morning.  Our ward went to Heber Valley Campground this year which is a beautiful church-owned YW camp located in the mountains east of Heber.  It has cabins with bunks for sleeping on and awesome pavilions for activities and eating.  Plus a lot of food prep facilities which was really nice too.  There were also flush toilets and showers which are always a plus.

So I arrived Tuesday morning (M&M's birthday) in time for the hike.  We went on the hike and then had some activities later that day.  I ended up not feeling well right around dinner time so I had to lay down for a little bit.  I'm not sure if it was some altitude sickness, dehydration or just general tiredness from the hiking and getting up early that morning.  After laying down for a bit though I felt fine and was fine the rest of my time there.

Wednesday morning we did some service for the camp area.  Some of the girls helped with some wood stacking (the priesthood leaders did the chopping) while the rest of the girls went around cleaning the cabins inside and out.  After lunch we went to an activity course that involved some games of trust and cooperation and a giant rope swing.  The girls were split up into smaller groups and rotated between the different stations.

Thursday morning we hiked down to the lake and went canoeing.  That was a lot of fun!  I left that evening after dinner so that I wouldn't get back too late.  Kay's first day of kindergarten was Friday morning and I wanted to be back in time for that.  After I left the girls had a testimony meeting and then they packed up and left Friday morning.  I'm glad that I was able to go for most of the camp.  It was neat being able to be there with M&M and the other girls and leaders from our ward!

A moose with a baby that we saw from the trail while hiking

A game of partner tag - which was incredibly slippery on the gravel.

These were some cooperation & trust activities that the girls had to work on together.

On this rope one the girls have a partner and they slowly inch their way down the rope as it gets farther apart.  Supposedly if you really trust your partner you can continue to lean on each other until you reach the other side which is very far apart.  I think that M&M and her partner got pretty close to the farthest with the ones that I saw.

M&M waiting for her turn on the rope swing.  She was not looking forward to it being her turn and I could tell as I was watching her sitting there.

M&M on the rope swing.  I wish that I had taken video of her on the swing instead of pictures.  One of the workers at the rope swing was rating the girls on their screams as they went on the swing and he gave M&M a '10' because she screamed so loud and was absolutely terrified to go on the swing!  I'm proud of her that she went through with it!  The leaders were also given a chance to go and it was a lot of fun.  A little scary because they lift you so high, but definitely an adrenaline rush when they let you go.

M&M with the two girls that she canoed with.

M&M's canoe leaving the shore.

A picture of all of the YW after we went canoeing.  One boat capsized so a couple of the girls were soaked.

One of the many deer encounters while we were there.  The deer would just wander through the camp areas anytime of day.

A picture of the camp area as I was leaving.  It was a beautiful sight from up above the evening that I left.

First day of school - Kitty & Blondie

Monday, July 29

Blondie and Kitty missed the first two days of school because of the N family reunion.  Blondie in particular was very stressed out on her first day because of that.  I know that they were not the only ones that were in that position and we have had both of their teachers before and I had contacted them beforehand so I wasn't too concerned for them.  I had the girls take the bus to school and then I drove over there and met them and helped them find where their classes line up.  I even ran into both of the teachers and we talked briefly.  Blondie is in 5th grade this year and has the same teacher that Luke had.  She is a really nice teacher and I really like her.  Kitty is in the 3rd grade and has the same teacher that M&M and Blondie had.  She is a super, super nice teacher and I am excited to have Kitty in her class.  (Her husband was also M&M's soccer coach for a season.)

Monday was also crazy because M&M left for YW camp and I took Kay into school to meet her kindergarten teacher and have some testing done.  She is super excited to start kindergarten and meet new kids!  Because of the younger kids starting school I decided to go up to YW camp a day later and I will only be staying for 2 nights because Kay's first day of school is Friday.