This is R.E.A.Life: July 2013

In case you think this post is short and undetailed...well you're right. I'm really excited to work on the next post so I just did this one quickly. Don't worry, it'll be worth it!

I can't believe it. This summer I went to my last year of stake girls camp. Some days I still feel like a 12 year old beehive again but then I look back and realize that I really have grow since then. My first year of camp I had no idea what I was actually going to go do. I asked people what you do at camp and never got a clear answer until I got there. And to think, this was the second year that I was a YCL that knew what was going on. Or at least I was supposed to.

I got less pictures this year at both camp and youth conference because my mom usually had my cameras. And I'm to lazy to figure out a way to get pictures from other peoples cameras this year.

Day one, June 3, the YCL's went to camp. We brought our wards gear and stuff and put it in the ward campsites. We did some other preparations to get ready for all the campers the next day and then headed to the shooting range. We got to shoot semi-automatic and bolt-action rifles.

I absolutely love shooting by the way.

The next morning we greeted our campers at the curb by the main office of the camp. After everyone was there and settled, we took a group picture. Shortly after that, the 3rd years, who I was over, left for the shooting range. There wasn't enough transportation for the YCL's to go so we were able to stay back at camp and have a little free time. When the girls got back it was their free time so the YCL free time was just longer. When that enjoyably long break was over, the 3rd years (when I say that, I include us YCL's too) hiked over to our certification area which was at the other side of the camp over half a mile away. We did some certification activities and then hiked back to main camp.

After dinner we hiked to a pavilion that was almost as far as our certification area where the YCLs did a skit about the rules of camp. Along with minimal pictures this year, I got less video because I didn't have tripod and I was having battery problems. My mom did get most of the rules skit but its chopped up a lot.

After the skit, Elder and Sister Deshler, who came to visit, also spoke to us.

After breakfast the next morning we started the low ropes course. Unfortunately it started to rain so we ended early. In fact it rained all day. My shoes got completely soaked, which made me absolutely miserable. During pool time for the 3rd years me and a couple of my cabin mates decided to just chill in our cabin rather than try to swim in the cold rain. Emily F. decided to paint because she had brought the materials (only an artist would think to randomly bring paint to camp) and she painted a dino on my leg.

Shortly before it was time to go, I decided to put dry socks on, wrap my feet in pieces of plastic (from ripping apart a trash bag, as seen below) and then put my sopping shoes back on. I was a happier camper for the rest of the day.

Next up on the to-do list: more certification. This meant slopping through the mud to our certification point. We got that over with as soon as we could so that we could get back for free time. After dinner we did our skits and talent show. Our wards skit was a Wizard of Oz parody. Our talent was a "serious" (but actually hilarious) ribbon routine to The Final Countdown. And then the KC1st & 3rd YCL's did a tongue twister in Tagalog. Sadly, no video footage of any of it.

The last full day at camp we ate breakfast, did the last of our certification, had singing time, ate lunch and then it was pool time. I decided to brave the water this time. I jumped in and out so fast you would have thought something bit me. It was super cold and I was not about to stay in there. So instead I went to showered off and then sunbathed. Minus the sun part because the clouds conveniently came out right about that time. For the afternoon activity the 3rd years went zip lining. Because the YCLs already done that, we just got to sit there and watch.

With free time and dinner over, it was time for Bishops Survivor night, a challenge course to show our bishops what we had learned during the week. Some of the events were starting a fire with a magnifying glass (aka the-sun-was-too-low-so-we-used-a-match), making a sling, using a compass, and even making a stretcher...upon which we carried our bishop. We ended up placing 2nd or 3rd I believe.

The next morning was spent packing up and leaving. For me, never to return as a camper. I'm sure I'll be back though. Someday...

Then there was youth conference starting the last Thursday of June. Despite having the temple celebration a year ago, I guess some of the leaders were ready to put together another large gathering. Although not quite to that scale, a tri-stake youth conference is still a big thing to plan and put together. My mom helped with the food so that's mostly what I have pictures of. I posted more about the food on the family blog.

The highlight of the conference was that Brad Wilcox came for two of the days. He spoke to us as the main speaker at the devotional before the dance on the first night. The most memorable part of the talk was when he explained "advanced" church dance etiquette. It was very similar to a talk at EFY last year, just longer, more detailed and even funnier. The dance was pretty good and not as crowded as I thought it would be. My host family was super nice. My roommates consisted of one girl from my ward, 2 from Olathe and 2 others from Lenexa. When we arrived at the house, our host mom made us popcorn and root beer floats.

Our first activity the next morning were workshops, the first one being another talk from Brother Wilcox about why standards are not limiting but freeing. After his talk, we split up into 3 large groups to rotate through the other workshops. One was given by the Hendricksons about the temple celebration and where we are to go from there, another was about an amazing conversion story, and the last one was a youth panel talking about For the Strength of Youth.
After lunch, we went with our host home groups to service projects around the area. My particular group went downtown to a place called Jewish Vocational Center, a place that helps immigrants and refugees start a life in the U.S. We sorted donated clothes for a few hours and got a lot done. We went straight back to our host home and chilled out for awhile until it was time to meet back at the Lenexa Stake center where we ate dinner.

For the evening activity, we went to Worlds of Fun. We went on school buses where we had to sit 3 to a seat. It was only for a couple hours but my group of about 10 was able to get to all the big roller coasters. There weren't really any lines to complain about at any of the rides.

The last morning we went swimming at Black Bob Bay. It was kind of cold so I didn't get in until the very end. For lunch, we walked over to the pavilion across the street and ate hamburgers.

Afterwords most people went back to their host home but I decided to stay with my mom and go home with her, take a shower there and make sure I was ready for my quickly approaching adventure of going to Philmont. We hurried back to the Olathe stake center where the testimony meeting had already begun. It was scheduled for two hours which, initially, sounded like a painfully long time but ended up being a great meeting.

For dinner: pizza. This is where the sheer multitude of food looked and really was extremely daunting. The kitchen looked like a castle made out of pizza boxes. We had one last dance before it was all over but I had to leave pretty early to catch a train to New Mexico where my next adventure started...

For a few years now, my parents and I, sometimes along with another friend, went to a Japanese Steak House for my birthday. I haven't really had a birthday party since I was maybe 11 or 12 either. So to change things up, I decided to have a little birthday party where we made sushi.