Girls' camp

I loved stake girls' camp so much two years ago that I asked the stake presidency if I could take another stab at being stake camp director this year. Besides, I actually had a daughter at girls' camp this year, so that just meant I could experience it with Rebekah.

Because Darby is under construction this year, we got to give Pasa-la-coma a go. It turned out to be a beautiful area for our girls and leaders. And since the church has released a new camp guide, we also got to implement it in our camp.

The YCLs and stake leaders went to camp on Monday, August 6, with everyone else coming up the next day and staying through Friday, August 10. Our theme: Neverland.

My assistants (Julie Beck and Elisabeth Haroldsen) and I laughing together before our spiritual program Tuesday. 

A few of the girls that I asked to participate in the spiritual program. Each ward had selected a scripture, talk, poem or song that includes the word "never" as their spiritual theme. I then asked a girl from each of the 8 wards to come up with something (a musical number, family history story, etc.) that would tie in to their ward theme.

Rebekah telling about her Great-Uncle Chris. She interviewed Grandma Susan and Grandma Hendricks, then wrote a narrative that included details from the farm accident that led to his death as well as their testimonies of his work beyond the grave.  

 Grandma Scott (the stake YW president), Andrea, Rebekah and Isabella (another camper from our ward) on the Sunrise Hike. The 2-mile hike led steeply up a hill so we could watch the sun rise together. We had to meet at 4:30 to get up there in time.

Family selfie after the sunrise. Rebekah, Andrea, Grandpa Scott and Grandma Scott.  

 Andrea explaining the scavenger hunt to the Nature Trail hikers. This 3-mile hike started at the upper amphitheater and followed a bunch of signs that informed about plants, geology and the like. 

Grandma Scott and Andrea at the top of the Nature Trail. 

Rebekah helping to unload wood. Each camper was asked to perform one hour of service for the camp. We had campers loading and unloading wood, picking up litter, moving rocks out of trails and digging up invasive weeds. 

Rebekah trying out Uncle T's kayak in the lake. 

Grandpa Scott hauling the kayak out of the lake.  

Andrea and her root beer. It's the only thing that kept me going with the long days and work required to coordinate a stake girls' camp. 

Rebekah chasing Grandpa Dennis out of the girls' camp. She was supposed to tell him something, but he didn't hear her behind him. She ran several hundred yards in flip flops to catch up to him. 

Seth giving Andrea a hug upon his arrival at girls' camp for bishop's night. Having a husband in the bishopric has its perks. 

Seth playing the ukulele while Andrea sings around the campfire. 

All seven of the girls from our ward who attended camp. 

Andrea and Rebekah by the campfire before testimony meeting.

North Leigh Creek/Tetonia camping/biking/family reunion

By the time it reached August and we hadn't de-winterized the trailer, we decided we needed to remedy the situation by going camping. We found out we had an Egbert family reunion the same weekend we had planned to go, so we found a beautiful site that would allow us to do both.

On Thursday, August 2 we hauled the trailer up to North Leigh Creek and found a great spot to park it. We got everything set up and went to bed.

The next day, we spent a good deal of time tracking down the right place for us to get on the Ashton to Tetonia Rail Trail, then decided to go the opposite way we had been planning on so we could have the wind at our backs. We started in Tetonia and ended up just north of the Bitch Creek Trestle, biking about 10 miles.

Seth pulling Winnie in the Weehoo with Bekah in the background. 

 Riding across a bridge.

At the Bitch Creek Trestle. 

 Seth and Andrea selfie.

We spent some time playing in the creek before dinner.

 Analee and Winnie in the creek.

Then played some games as a family.

Our trailer and the family gathered around the card table. 

 Another angle. Winnie used the target as a little table to go with her little chair.

 Both Bekah and Seth took turns grabbing my camera and taking pictures.

Winnie shot the whistling styrofoam arrow. 

 Seth blowing on Miriam's stomach.

On Saturday, we spent some time shooting stumps before we loaded up the trailer and pulled it back in to Tetonia for the reunion.

Winnie shooting at her own imaginary targets while Seth points out the next target to Rebekah. 

 Seth with his bow.

Rebekah with hers. 

We parked the truck and trailer at the church and took the van to the Egbert homestead for lunch and a tour of the house my great-great-grandfather built.

Analee climbing one of the trees in the front yard. I climbed the same trees when I came to the reunions as a kid.

We also drove through the dry farm that my great-grandfather owned and made a stop at the Cache-Clawson cemetery before calling it a day and heading home.

Library parties

Our family attended three of the four Awesome August parties put on by the public library this summer. (The fourth one was held while I was at girls' camp.) The girls had lots of fun dressing up, playing games and eating treats.

 Winnie the cheetah at the jungle jamboree, Thursday, August 2.

Miriam the ring-tailed lemur making binoculars. (She was upset when people couldn't figure out what animal she was supposed to be.) 

Analee the tiger. 

Winnie and Miriam dressed up as ninjas for the ninja party, Thursday, August 16. 

My way of dressing up for the ninja party. Seth told me I had to send him a selfie from the party since I borrowed his T-shirt.

Analee the emo rocker at the rock star party, Thursday, August 23.

Winnie and Miriam with their guitars.

Random summer things

Trampoline sleepover, Wednesday, July 7

Seth reads a book to Miriam and Winnie on the trampoline at the start of their sleepover.  

Tautphaus Park Zoo and Funland, Saturday, July 14

Seth, Miriam, Analee and Winnie watch the otters play. 

Winnie hugs a goat at the petting zoo.

Four cute girls on a tiger statue.

Winnie rides the planes.

Rebekah and Analee on the Ferris Wheel.

Winnie gets sick, Sunday, July 22  

The kid had to take a day off of church and ended up napping on the living room sofa.

Picnic at the park, Tuesday, July 24 

Miriam, Winnie and Analee on the tractor at the park by the library.

Company picnic, Saturday, July 28

Winnie (with her ladybug) and Miriam (the wolf) at Seth's company picnic. Seth waited in line for more than an hour for these girls to get their faces painted. 

Seth learning in the slip simulator trying to keep his balance while getting plastic balls thrown at him.

Walking home from church, Sunday, July 29

Winnie picked currants at Grandma Susan's house on the way home.

Roaring Youth Jam, Saturday, August 11

Winnie with her pig puppet. Rebekah worked as a volunteer at the Youth Jam this year, and Analee opted not to go. Turns out to be quite the bust if you show up in the last couple of hours of the three-day event. A lot of the tents were in the process of being taken down while we were there.

Miriam drawing a deer.

Family home evening, Monday, August 27

Analee, Miriam, Rebekah and Winnie shoot marshmallows at the paper Goliath taped to the side of the shop. My ministering sister brought over the FHE lesson for our family to enjoy, including the rubber bands and marshmallows.

Summer hike #4: Tablerock

This is what we were working up to all summer: Tablerock (Table Mountain, if you're not a local) on Friday, August 17. It was Rebekah and Analee's first time. We went up The Face and down Huckleberry, about 11ish miles. Grandma Scott got a nasty case of altitude sickness, so we took it slow and easy. The weather was perfect. I vowed to myself not to wait another 9 years before hiking it again.

 Analee and Seth heading to the top.

 Rebekah and Analee taking a break on the trail.

 Seth (taking selfies) and the girls on the top. We waited for Grandma and Grandpa to make it the rest of the way.

Seth with the Tetons in the background. 

We made Analee take a bajillion pictures of us as we attempted to recreate this moment from 1999. It was Seth's first time hiking Tablerock. We didn't have the picture with us (nor did we think to look at it closely before hiking), so we did the best we could. 

Seth, Rebekah, Analee, Andrea, Grandma Scott and Grandpa Scott on top. 

Rebekah and Seth filling up water bottles with our purifier below the switchbacks. 

Rebekah and Analee preparing to pose for a photo by the major wreckage from an avalanche. We couldn't believe the amount of downed trees.