Girls Camp

Another thing I got to share with Maisie this year was Girls Camp! It's a bit of a different feeling having one of your own girls there with you, but it was a lot of fun to see Maisie continue her young women growth.

We had a fairy tale theme this year, and we had chosen to use Sleeping Beauty as our particular fairy tale. However, we decided it needed to be rewritten in order to make Sleeping Beauty not be so passive as to her rescue. In our version, she helps the prince get through the forest of thorns and fight the dragon.

One other change we made is to have eight fairies total, each representing one of the values. The girls picked their favorite color, and prior to camp, we did a little photoshoot, with the color of their fairy featuring prominently. We only have four girls, so the four of us leaders got to be a color as well.

We framed these pictures and placed them on dowels at the entrance to our campsite. We got a lot of positive feedback from these pictures from people all over the stake; girls would show up randomly so that they could get a look at them. They turned out better than we could have imagined.

We spent time together as a ward, and also as a stake, hiking, crafting, attending workshops, you name it.

But one of my most favorite things are the skits. I love the chance to see the girls blossom up there when they make people laugh.

Maisie even got her own special round of applause after her particularly good delivery of her line. And then again when she showed some serious sass as the princess who saved herself.

My mom wasn't able to come to camp this year, but we requested her special salad. She even sent along a prize for me!

I love my young women. I've learned so much from this calling, and am so grateful to be in it. I can't imagine myself in another place.

These girls are truly amazing, and I count myself blessed to be able to associate with them.