Family Fun at Flaming Gorge

I should have kept the alliteration going but I can't really change the name of Flaming Gorge. I think it's an appropriate title for an article in Parenting magazine.
Enough about the title, and now a few words about the adventure.


Basically, the trip was rainy and overcast, but we still had a lot of fun. It was our first excursion up to the north country and we never knew it was so beautiful.The first day we went to a reservoir for some fishing. Kell and Ana trailed in the little raft just off-shore. Poor little Kell was fighting sickness, and kept falling asleep in the boat. When we made it to the Gorge, it was about five in the afternoon. Surprisingly, the water was warm. Some members of our family stayed ashore and looked pretty while others braved the water.My family kept telling me to not swim too far. I obeyed since I didn't want to worry my husband.The Gorge wasn't the only place we encountered water. Will and I went on a mountain bike ride around the rim while the rest of the kin was off fishing. The trail was supposed to be beginner, but we overcame many rocks and obstacles, such as flooding.

Here's a picture of what went on most of the time--a lot of fishing. My family was die-hard and the rain didn't deter them.
Ana is a little cutie, but constantly has to be entertained, especially in the car. We could only play "I Spy" so many times. The rain eventually drove us to the car and Will helped Kell get past the start menu on the Gameboy. He was practicing his Daddy skills.

A Return to Girl's Camp

So I thought I was finished with girl's camp when I graduated high school. I must admit I was a little weary of returning since sleeping in cabins and doing crafts isn't exactly my idea of camping. But I came to realize that the purpose of girl's camp isn't to fine-tune our primitive living skills; rather, it's to help us draw closer to Christ and form more meaningful relationships with our ward. I guess it could be deemed a success, since both aims were accomplished.
Camp was a little tricky since we didn't actually have a camp director, our YW's President got pregnant and couldn't come up, and none of the leaders could stay for the entire time. We managed to pull it off, however. I realized the close bonds that form at camp are not limited to the girls, and I enjoyed heart-to-heart talks with the other leaders. There is something about being in nature, having no showers, and sleeping in the same room with three other women that really makes or breaks friendships. Fortunately, I learned a lot about others' life experiences and developed greater respect for the women I work with. Suffice it to say, sleepovers still exist, even after you're married, you just have to go to girl's camp. I also loved being with the girls and getting to know them better. They were willing to help out with camp duties and did a great job with skits and the service project. The Blind Walk, (for all the Badger Staffers) was a great hit and a very powerful experience for them. Despite the canoeing and the pranks, the best part of camp was hearing their testimonies.
I came home utterly exhausted and humbled. Mostly because I stayed up late and then went running in the morning with Joylynn (who kicked my trash up those mountain hills). The humbling was due to my lack of endurance uphill, as well as hearing the trials that others faced in their lives and recognizing what great examples I have around me.