Girls Camp...

The Theme for Girls camp this year was 

"Arise, Oh the places you'll go!"

It was a fun theme for camp and the focus was to help the youth camp leaders to teach the young women about how the decisions we make now affect us in the future... so if we rely on God in all of those decisions, He will help us in a capacity we may have never known, and take us to places we never imagined we could go!

I found this sugar cookie recipe and thought it was SOOOO Dr. Suess!  So I took some up as a treat for the campers.

The ride up was beautiful!!

The YCL's gave me a tour of camp... Oh what a great job they did on incorporating the theme.

They said skit night was a big hoot with all the "who hair"!!

So funny!

Some girls were making there Dr. Suess necklaces in the cabin before dinner.

They let me make one, and I got Cat in the Hat... but I also really loved the Thing 1 and Thing 2, or One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish!!  So fun, and super cute!!

One of my councelors... she took over the food this year!!

Amazing, great food and under budget!!

I love her so much (not just for the under budget part hehehe).

A funny story:  When we were planning before camp, and discussing "the places we could go",  we talked about The Temple of course, and one of the leaders asked if it had to be spiritual places or if it could be places like "the hood"... we all looked at her with ??? on our faces... she said "you know Mother-hood".

We laughed so hard! 

A great place to go!!!  For sure!!!!

But I had never heard of it referred to as "the mother HOOD".

Welcome to the hood!

This is these 3 sisters last time with us, before they move to Nevada.  We will miss them, but KNOW what a great asset they are taking into their new ward!!  What a lucky ward!!

Homemade Rootbeer!!!

Who Shoes!!!

(used for mailboxes, one of the yw made them for a personal progress project and the campers decorated them as an activity at family night on Monday)

Adorable!!

And this year we were able to afford a tshirt for keepsake for each of the campers.

The YCL's were Thing 1, and the campers were Thing 2...

It's a young women thing for sure!!!

I love girls camp!!

Monday in Seattle...

Mom and I got up and went to her bank, which is right across from "The Best Mexican food in Kent" according to their new sign!!  I wonder how you "get" that sign? At least its true for them.

Mexico Lindo's is my Strong Silent Mysterious Mans favorite place to eat!!

Then we headed out to run our errands with Lynn.

We got to see some of her new apartments they are building in Columbia City.

The outside tour.

And then through town... the cutest town... even if it was only 2 blocks.

So cute.

Some place that became famous after President Obama ate pizza there when he was in town.

Even a cute funeral home.

I didn't get photos but we were in Columbia City to drop off my Dad's clothing to a mens shelter. 

They were so gentle and kind and so perfect dealing with his things. 

It was such a good experience!  We were so happy we took them there.

Leaving town we had to do one of the elevated freeway on ramps... not for the squeemish!!

My Sister is training to be a weight watcher leader.  I am so proud of her!

Since we are all back on track we had her give one of the power start presentations.

She will be a great motivator and leader.

It will be allot of pressure to keep her weight in control, when her job depends on it.  But I know it will keep her in a healthy lifestyle she really is meant to live.

We went back to Mom's and finished organizing the empty side of the closet and cleaned up her things.

When Lynn went missing from the work, it was because she was SHOE SHOPPING!!

She found these that fit her perfect. They were my grandmothers from way back when.

While Mom slaved away going through and cleaning out.

She did great, and yes we finally let her out of the chair and the closet was finished.

Then we went to Lynn's house for dinner with my nephew and his family and "the girls" Liz and Cheryl.

These are off of the climbing clamatis Lynn got from my brothers yard when he moved.

I told her she can't show him these flowers or he might take the plant back.

So beautiful!

Jerad and Kim and Brooklynn.

The Girls!

I really good time was had by all!!

Thanks Lynn, it was so much fun!!

Sunday in Seattle...

Sunday we got up and went to the 

Lutheran church with Lynn and Jerry.

 It was nice.   I was feeling closer to God thinking about those things that are most important in life and not so close to the things the world tells us are important.

It was a great day for one of the projects I came to do with my Mom, go through my Dad's closet and dresser.

It was a sweet time for us to remember him.

Some things were impossible to let go of, and some things we laughed that he had kept.

It was sacred time together.

Another step in our lives to keep moving forward and yet honoring him and all that he meant to us and all the memories we will have forever with him.

The missionary will love having one or two crazy vintage ties!

Lynn came across her tenor saxophone that had been stored for over 40 years we figured.  It still made some decent noise... unbelievable with that old reed.

We accomplished so much and felt so good about having part of a difficult project behind us.

Ralph and Panda invited me down to join them in opening the bee hives they started this year to see if it was close to time to harvest any honey.

Before we started I asked about "the rules".

There are always rules!  Remember "cookie day rules"?

So they explained...

1. Never stand in front of the opening to the hive, they fly in and out so fast, they might run into you and then you could get stung.

2.  Stay calm.  (got it!  no further explanation needed)

3. If you get stung... (what!!!! kind of negates rule number 2 doesn't it????) yeah!  IF YOU GET STUNG... say "ouch"and get out of there fast!!  When you are stung a feramone releases telling ALL the other bees you are a big bear preditor and it is like a call for all of them to come sting you to take you down.

So my montra for the rest of the day was "I am NOT a bear, I am NOT a bear" in a calm soothing voice.

Once I had gone over all the odds, and faced some of my own fears (after learning the bee suit is not to protect you from stings, what!!!?????)

I went in sceptical but with all the courage I could muster.

It was pretty interesting and kind of cool...

Not cool enough to go home and start a bee hobby of my own... 

but cool.

"I am not a bear, I am not a bear"

Okay way cool they build all that and load the honey 

into it and then cap it off.

The drones are bigger and have eyes on top of their heads.

The heaviest comb so far!!  Cool.

See the nectar?

Lots of honey, it was hard NOT to feel like Pooh Bear and stick my hand in the hive.... to grab some honey, 

but it wasn't ready for harvest.

Thanks Ralph, fun times with the bee's!!

Then we went back to Mom's house and Lynn had made a turkey lasagna and salad.  I am eating so much healthier, I already feel better.  No pictures at dinner, but Mom had brought home from SC some of Aunt Alices cookbooks and we sat around the table reading recipes and laughing together with Lynn, Jerry, Ralph, Panda and me and Mom. 

A good time was had by all!