Camping with the Girls

If you know much about me, you know that I am not a camper. I really love the outdoors, and I love to hike and be in nature. But I like sleeping on a real bed. And having a decent bathroom to use. And I think that cooking in the great outdoors (and cleaning up after) is a lot of work and a pain in the neck. And I don't like freezing at night.

I think as penance for not liking Girl's Camp as a young woman I will forever and ever be in callings where I am involved in Girl's Camp.  I've gone to camp as a ward leader now at least 10 years. I guess I am supposed to go to camp until I LIKE it.

And I have to admit that I do like it now. I never thought I would say that. Some of the things that were hard for me as a youth (some of the social issues) are a moot point now that I am a leader, and I really enjoy finding and trying to help girls who are feeling left out at camp. I was never a fan of the silly Girl's Camp songs (with lots of silly actions) - I just wasn't a "silly song" sort of girl! I still don't sing along with gusto, but I enjoy watching the girls have fun and I can see that the silliness plays a role in bonding.  I have a lot more perspective on the value of being uncomfortable - cold, dirty, surrounded by bugs. I can see that allowing ourselves to be pushed out of our comfort zones and do hard things is helpful. By a few days into camp each year I can see the difference as most of the girls (and leaders) stop caring altogether about how we look. And all the distractions that usually consume us are gone. The superficial largely falls away, and in the absence of such concerns there is space and time for us to feel deeper things. And there is so much to feel out in nature. There are so many times that the Spirit can speak to us. I also like the way that camp can be a great "leveler," breaking down some of the cliquishness between the girls.

I think it has been helpful for me as leader that I didn't always like Girl's Camp in the past. Because I understand that not every aspect of camp traditions are going to work for every girl. There is nothing that says that certification in all years of camp is a requirement for exaltation. I think that camp, like all church programs, it is a tool which can be very helpful in the overall goal of bringing people to Christ. Sometimes modifications to the programs have to be made to meet the needs of individuals, but that is exactly the way that Christ ministers to us. One of my favorite things about camp is the the chance to get to know individual girls on a level that is more difficult to manage at home. There are lots of opportunities to serve and to love.

Here are a few images from our camp this year. The overall stake camp theme was about recognizing and acting on the whisperings of the Spirit. Each ward chose a fun ward theme that correlated. We were "Seekers of Truth" - and we were all about Harry Potter.   It was so much fun! Our camp was Griffindor Tower and there were signs posted all around camp with words of wisdom from Dumbledore.

Each of the tents had a name. For instance, the first year campers were the "Dobbies."  Our leader tent was the "Ministry of Magic."

We gave all the girls Harry Potter scarves, which came in handy on the really cold nights and evenings. Camping in June in the Northwest can be a chilly and wet experience.  We were lucky, though . . . no severe weather events (like last year), and only a little bit of rain. I think some of the girls were disappointed because last year was so EXCITING (fire, lightning strikes, flash floods, etc.). We leaders appreciated the calm and mostly drama-free week.

Bailey rode the bus to camp (a 4 hour bus ride) rather than riding in my car. She wanted to be with her friends! I am so happy that Bailey enjoys camp so much. She won the "Happy Camper" award on the last day of camp because she loves everything about camp and is always happy to be involved and participating.

One of the first nights the girls all participated in "color war." Bailey (far right) is a 3rd year, and their color is red. The levels also write and perform a new cheer or song every day. The girls camp with their wards but spend much of the day in certification and levels activities with girls their age from the entire stake.

There is a really cold but beautiful glacier lake next to the camp. We canoed several times, once with the entire ward. Notice that we are all wearing jackets to get into the boats. We were highly motivated to not fall into the cold water!

 

 Both Bailey and I ended up with soggy rears after canoeing across the lake to a small island.

On the last day we were huddled by the fire because it was pretty chilly. One of the young women ran up to me and begged me (using her very best puppy dog eyes) to be her partner for a canoe race. Well, that was the last thing I wanted to do. It was cold and windy and I was tired and . .  . I agreed to go. And I was glad I did. It was really hard, especially when the wind pushed us the wrong way, but it felt good to overcome, and it was a great opportunity to talk to the young woman. And we didn't even come in last in the race. We were third to last. So, thanks for pushing me out of my comfort zone!  Below, starting the race and struggling to turn the boat to face the right direction.
A favorite camp tradition - braiding hair. I love to braid the girl's hair at camp. It means they are a captive audience for a few minutes and we get to talk while I braid.

Another fun tradition - setting hair in rag curls. Once the rags were removed, everyone's hair looked as curly as my hair is naturally!

And here is proof - I did not care about makeup or hair or anything for a week. It was great. I was in my tent, the Ministry of Magic. The same tent where spiders came down from the ceiling onto my head twice in a week. Yeah. And I survived.

It was a great week. Our YW Presidency just changed, but I get to stay in as Mia Maid counselor, so I'll be there again next year!

My thoughts about Trek

I didn't get to go on our stake's Pioneer Trek this time (Dan and I hope to go next time - in four years - when we will have two kids "trekking").  But, I have some thoughts about it as an observer of my kids who have endured the rigorous four day re-creation of the pioneer journey across the country to Utah.

Two days ago Bailey returned from Trek. She was, um . . . . . very tired, very dirty, and very, very, bug bitten. Poor thing - the mosquitoes enjoyed a feast on her face and back.  I'm sure there were over a hundred bites. It took her awhile to be able to talk about the good things that happened because was so bothered about the way the bites had affected her face.  (I really think that in a few years she'll wish she had let me take a picture of  her "after trek" look.  It will be funny to her then, but it's not funny now, so no pictures).

Little by little we have heard many of her stories. She sums it up by saying, "it was really hard, but good." And last night Dan, Bailey, and I attended a Trek fireside. The kids wore their (washed) pioneer clothes, laughed along with the speakers about lots of inside jokes from the adventures, and watched a DVD which compiled footage and pictures from the Trek.

We saw movie clips and pictures of the youth from our Stake pulling and pushing handcarts with all their might through the weedy, desolate ground in Southeastern Washington. The cameras captured many smiles, determination despite exhaustion, and much evidence of youth working together, supporting each other, and not complaining.  I couldn't help it - tears ran down my face. It was so inspiring to see the youth being examples of perseverance and cooperation.

I am really impressed by the whole concept of Trek, which didn't exist when I was growing up. Our stake is one of many that holds a pioneer trek experience for the youth. First of all, I'm impressed that these LDS youth agree to go on something which will be so obviously challenging, dirty, and uncomfortable. They didn't have to attend, but they did. And they wore bulky, old-fashioned clothing, left all the conveniences of home behind, slept on the ground with no tent, and carried all their belongings in a single bucket.  That is just impressive, really. In this selfish world they chose to be unselfish and do something really hard. They willingly participated in and learned from a re-enactment of the struggles of pioneer ancestors. They bonded, they cried, they struggled, and a lot of them say they even had some fun.

The organizers of our Trek worked hard to incorporate some fun, "light" moments and activities, and I'm sure that made the experience even more enjoyable. But, I think that Trek is valuable even if it doesn't qualify as an overall fun activity. There's a lot of good in recognizing the incredible sacrifices made by the pioneers. On another level, I think that by struggling and being uncomfortable we learn more about ourselves and our ability to do hard things. These are the lessons that create our character.

When we were helping Bailey prepare for Trek we researched our own pioneer ancestors to find Bailey a story that would be meaningful for her. She chose to "walk" for Amy Sumner Porter, who endured much in the trek from Nauvoo before dying, along with her newborn twins, in Winter Quarters, Nebraska.  Her grave is the only one marked today in the Winter Quarters cemetery.

Amy's story is an incredible example of sacrifice, but our research turned up one story after another of  relatives who gave up everything, often leaving their homelands and families in Europe forever, to come to America to worship their religion with fellow Saints. I felt real stirrings in my soul as I thought about my ancestors who gave up so much so that they and their children and their children's children could live the gospel fully and be near a temple. I felt really impressed that I want to cherish the gospel the same way and pass on the same desire to my children.  In the testimony meeting yesterday one of the youth referenced a quote from one of the pioneers who said: "everything we have sacrificed will be worth it if our descendants continue on in the faith."

So, on this Pioneer Day I am glad that Bailey is back home safe and sound, happy that she was able to experience some truly life-altering things, and grateful for the example of my pioneer ancestors.  I'll do my best to honor them.

Hot cocoa in July

Really and truly . . . we were heading back from errands today and I shivered and thought about how I would like to get home and make myself some hot cocoa. It was 59 degrees and raining. Summer has mostly eluded us in the Northwest.  Now, I'm not really complaining, because I know that most of the U.S. is struggling through the worst heat/humidity wave in years. I don't wish for that challenge. But, we do long for just a little sustained sunshine (definition: more than a few hours). And my tomato plants would also really appreciate some warmth.  Maybe in August?

Pioneer Girl

Bailey is off on a Pioneer Trek, along with all the youth in our Stake. They are somewhere in the desert in southeastern Washington. She is pulling a handcart all day ( along with her "pioneer family"), sleeping in the open air for three nights, eating pioneer-style food, and changing clothes only once in four days.  She was excited and a little scared as she departed on her adventure. But Brandon had told her that Trek is a great and potentially life-changing experience. I'm sure it will be.  But right now I'm a little worried about my little girl. I hope she is holding up okay and not hurting.

She was allowed to take only the bare essentials - packed in a 5 gallon bucket.

The day before she left we took some pictures in her Trek outfits.  She makes a great pioneer girl!

Now, this was funny. I walked into the room to see Bailey, still in her Trek clothes, playing with her ipod touch. That was a strange juxtaposition of old-fashioned and new-technology.

What we did while the girls were away

July has been an interesting month.  Dan and I are remembering what it was like to have only one child . . . .

• the evenings are very quiet
• the house doesn't get as messy
• we have time to give our "only" child all the attention he can handle
• it is too quiet and a little lonely

Both Bailey and Aubrey have been busy or out of town for most of the month.  Bailey returned from a week at Girl's Camp and then left the next day to Utah for two weeks. She attended EFY at BYU with her cousin Ashlyn and then spent an additional week visiting with her cousin Mianna. Below, saying goodbye at the airport.

The same day, Aubrey left with the Yates family to spend a week along the Oregon Coast. Below, a picture of one our waterfall hikes just before they left.

So, Joseph, a week with no siblings at home.  What do you want to do?

"I want to go on fun adventures and eat yummy food." (That means several trips to the frozen yogurt shop.)

"I want to do lots and lots of puzzles with my Dad.  Big puzzles, not baby puzzles."

"I want to see a parade for the 4th of July and get my face painted like Spiderman and pretend that sparklers are pirate swords."

"I want to create lots of costumes for characters. Because I have a great imagination, you know. This is the "Pirates of the Caribbean" costume I made up."

 "Two kinds of spy or secret agent outfits.  Don't I look awesome?"

 "I miss playing with my sisters. But it was fun to have the house and my mom and dad to myself!"

Change of plans

This is what I planned to do today:

1.  Help Bailey pack for Trek (she leaves early tomorrow morning).

2.  Clean up the breakfast dishes, straighten the house, and do some laundry.

3.  Pay attention to Joseph and make sure his brain is still working - read to him, do workbooks together, etc.  Too much TV and video games over the last busy week may have caused irreparable damage

4.  Run errands.

5. Work in the yard.

6.  Maybe even re-read the rest of the 7th Harry Potter book before I see the movie sometime soon.


This was my reality today:

1.  Help Bailey pack for Trek.

2.  Clean up the kitchen after breakfast and . . . . . WHAT??????

3.  Discover mouse droppings on the floor in the pantry.

4.  Spend over 4 hours taking everything out of the big pantry (it is really deep and runs back under the stairs), clean up LOTS of DISGUSTING mouse poop, sanitize every surface in the pantry with bleach water and Lysol, throw away bag after bag of food which was open in the pantry.

And that's about it. My plans for the day went out the window with the discovery of our unwanted rodent visitors. Instead of doing brain boosting activities with his mother, Joseph watched hour after hour of Magic School Bus and Arthur and played plenty of Wii games.  After our mouse episode last year, I thought I had paid my dues. Apparently not. Click here for the story.

Good thing I have had lots of years of being the mother and cleaning up gross things.  It's a necessary talent.  I am so disgusted by the thought of rodents in my house and I'm feeling like a domestic failure for somehow attracting the creatures again.

The exterminator is scheduled to come on Saturday.  I had Dan set traps for the mice in my incredibly clean pantry and kitchen tonight.  He will have to be the one to check the traps in the morning.  I absolutely draw the line at removing dead or dying animals from the premises.

Disgusting.

**Update the next morning**  One mouse successfully caught and killed.  More to go?

The $12 Balloon

Yesterday afternoon I found Aubrey doing this . . . .

 . . .balancing on top of the banister, trying to get down a birthday balloon which has been hanging out at the top of our entryway ceiling for 7 weeks. She tried again and again and again, each time perfecting her retrieval plan. What finally worked: balancing on the banister while using Joseph's long pincer hand toy to grab the balloon string. She put sticky packing tape on either side of the pincers to increase the grabbability factor.  Hurray - it worked!  

Except, as she grabbed onto the balloon the string came loose and the balloon floated back up to the 30 foot ceiling, this time with no long string to grab!

Aubrey and I laughed and laughed, and then I told her that obviously that was the end of her balloon retrieval adventures. I mean, there was no way she could get the balloon down from the top of the super high ceiling.  No way in the world. She said, "How much will you pay me if I get it down?"  I laughed some more and told her that there is no way to get it down.  "Will you give me $5 if I get it down?"  I agreed, knowing my money was safe.  

She put her problem solving skills to work (motivated by monetary reward). After working for about 10 minutes she asked, "Will you give me $10 if I get it down?"  I agreed - there was no way to get the balloon. I remembered painting this part of the entryway years ago, and to get up to the very top where the balloon was hanging out I had to balance super high on a very tall ladder while reaching above my head with a long extension roller brush.

Another 10 minutes passed and her inventions were getting more and more creative. Now I was intrigued. Was she really going to solve this apparently unsolvable problem? Somehow she got me to up the promised payment to $12.

And then she tried this . . .

 
She stood on the overlook landing above and hooked a long series of tubes (from our Marbleworks game) to the end of the vacuum tube with packing tape. She reached out for the balloon about 20 feet away, hoping to suck it toward her.  Three times she had to stop to add more length to her vacuum invention.

And then it worked. She solved the balloon problem and earned $12 in the process.  Impressive, Aubrey!

Seamstress in Training

Near the end of school Aubrey had one last big project to complete. She studied a person from the Revolutionary War time period and then needed to make an "artifact" to represent the person. She decided that she wanted to draw a picture of the individual and then sew a Colonial-style doll dress.

Gulp. That meant that I needed to teach her how to sew a doll dress. 

Let's review my sewing history . . .

I learned to sew when I was young. I took 4-H classes and even sewed a blue ribbon-level vest and skirt for the Grant County Fair when I was 10 years old. However, that blue ribbon could mostly be attributed to my mom's excellent seamstress skills, as she helped me significantly.

I thought sewing was frustrating and painstakingly tedious. And I didn't feel like I could do it well enough to be successful, so I didn't continue trying.

Fast forward almost 20 years. I was a Mom of two young kids. I was perfectly capable of performing all necessary sewing tasks, such as mending and sewing on buttons, but I didn't feel comfortable sewing for fun and that bothered me. So, I signed up for a sewing class in AZ, along with my sister-in-law Lindsey. I learned (or re-learned) a lot during the class, and I completed two main projects: costumes for my kids for Halloween and a Sunday dress for Bailey, who was about 2 years old.  I was pretty darn proud of myself.

Below, Bailey's "Hershey's Kiss" costume and pretty Sunday dress.

     

And that was it. Shortly after finishing these projects we moved to Utah and began a new phase of our lives, with a growing family, a husband who traveled a lot, and busy church callings. Other than sewing patches and badges onto Scout uniforms (grrrrrrr - not fun) and a few simple costumes for plays, etc., I didn't attempt any more sewing projects and I forgot just about everything I had learned.

So, fast forward another decade, and Aubrey's school project struck some terror into my heart. I didn't know if I remembered enough about sewing to teach her how to create an end product which would meet her highly discriminating tastes.

I laid out my limitations to Aubrey and told her that we would take it step by step. First we researched online until we found a simple doll dress pattern which she liked.  She followed the directions online and traced the pattern onto graph paper and cut it out.

Then we spent most of a day carefully following all the instructions. We had to stop to look up a few sewing tutorials on youtube along the way to refresh my memory.

Aubrey was a very patient seamstress. She might have inherited the sewing gene from both of her grandmothers. It certainly skipped my generation!  By the end of the day this is what we created:

We are very proud of ourselves.

Even more than learning to sew, I hope that my children learn a more important lesson.
That they can learn anything, no matter how daunting.
That it's okay to feel uncomfortable and unsure at first, and anything can be mastered if they take it step by step and ask for help when needed.
That things don't need to be perfect. Good enough is usually just fine.
I really believe that with this attitude they can accomplish anything and approach new experiences with confidence.

Beary Happy

Joseph's birthday present from Grandma and Grandpa Springer this year was money for a trip to Build-a-Bear for the very first time. Aubrey used some of her birthday money to make a bear, too.

Helping the bear get stuffed and then rubbing the heart like this:

Spin around three times,
Jump up and down,
Put it in front of one eye, (so your bear can see what you see)
And rub in on your knee, (so your bear can run fast )
And put it to your heart (so your bear feels your love)
Rub it in between your hands and give it a kiss....


Fluffing and "washing" their bears.



Choosing an outfit and dressing the bears:

Aubrey couldn't decide between three outfits, so she tried them all on her bear.

The finished products:

Naming the bears (Brenner and Abby) and heading for home.