Let the Good Times Roll

So this post is more like a spill over from the last post about girls camp. I realized that I forgot to mention some things in my effort to keep the post from turning into a GIANT novel. In the fun little picture show that I posted, you see a little furry creature by the name of Mo. Mo was our little camp site buddy and adopted mascot. Mo kept us all in stitches. He would circle the top of our garbage can and then dive in while still holding fast to the edge of the can with his hind legs (talk about muscle power). Unfortunately I did not get any good pictures of that Houdini act but I did catch him in the act of stealing Oreos.

Mo LOVES Oreos. He would come to the the package, sniff it, then climb in and grab a cookie. Then he would scurry across the slab of cement to his little tree and climb all the way up to the top. Soon, he would return and repeat this 9 or 10 times until he had completely emptied the package. He was pretty clever and friendly!

Anyway, I thought that I should continue with the tradition of listing some lessons learned while attending Girls Camp, so here we go:

Lessons Learned from Girls Camp 2010

1. Keep camera out and with you at all times.

2. Metal tables, open area, and lightening are not a good combination.

3. Thou shalt not run with hammer and/or nails in the dark up gravel trails.

4. One should always be quiet when pulling pranks.

5. One should make sure that said prank is not ruined by other wards who have tried to copy your prank after failing the first time around.

6. Beware of first years and mud.

7. Keep all hands and fingers in on the rope swing at the lake.

8. Send someone else on the hike.

9. Free range cows are big and scary in person when they are within arms reach! 

10. Look over meal prep menus carefully.

11. One should always make sure their stuff is picked up and put away in tents before camp 

directors go to bed.

12. Always pack your cell phone charger as a back up!

13. Need more packs of fire crystals, 6 was not enough!

14. Burning a bag full of garbage at 3 am will is NOT a good idea.
15. One word- sinep.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

The Girls Camp post is FINALLY here!

 It has only taken me two months to create it (yeah, yeah, I know what you are thinking). The only down fall to taking this long to post is that all the fresh juicy details are a little...well...not as juicy as they once were. =( 

So the whole camp experience for me this year was, as mentioned in earlier, was a little scary but so worth it! We spent most of Monday, July 26th, shopping for food and other misc. items and packing up all the gear.  Starting from early that morning and not getting home and finishing up till well after 11 just to be up and to the church by 8. The girls were really good about getting getting all their gear to the bishops house on time (unlike their camp director).

The morning of was horrible. Monica(my assistant camp director) and I had to ride the bus to camp as the stake had assigned our ward to provide a leader to ride. No problem right? Well they were to have  two buses but then they decided that since they don't have that many girls going, they only needed one. The bus was PACKED! and riding it was not that fun at all. We were like sardines in a can.  Needless to say both Monica and I were relieved to see that we had arrived at Camp Cumorah.

The first night was our scarfing ceremony and unlike last year, we had four first years. They had us write a little something about each of our girls (we were kinda silly about it) and the stake girls read them out loud as they called them down from the audience. Then they were presented with their scarf and a headband (native American style) and given a stick to throw into the friendship fire as is tradition. It was a great experience for the girls and for the rest of our camp to see how even as silly as we made it, held some sacredness to it. 

Despite the rain, thunder and lightening,  the girls did enjoy themselves with swimming and mud fights, games, pranks, crafts and taking care of the YW president when she broke her finger swinging off the rope swing at the lake. One activity that the stake did was a scripture scavenger hunt. The girls had to go around in groups figuring out clues that led different campsites where the girls then learned about that camps Book of Mormon hero (our ward was Alma the Younger) then when they completed the last clue they ended up back to the stake lodge where they received a pendent that had the GPS coordinates to their home, the church building and the temple that they lived the closest too.  It was their "personal compass" for when they ever lose their way.

Another activity that the stake had us do was write our testimonies onto brass plates which at the end of the devotional (which leads into individual ward testimonies) the stake leaders presented the comprised plates to the stake presidency. It was a neat idea and touching. 

As always, the best part of camp is the testimony meeting. This is where we all gather around the camp fire as a ward and share our testimonies. Some of us even gave it two or three times. It was amazing to watch each and everyone grow just over that week. Hopefully the experiences they had will stay with them their whole life.

***TO VIEW THE MOVIE OF PICTURES FROM CAMP, BE SURE TO PAUSE THE MUSIC PLAYER AT THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR THE MUSIC THAT THE PICTURE SHOW IS SET TO!!!!***

My Favorite Things

So for my Education 215 class, we had to practice putting together a video using Windows Movie Maker. The requirements were that it had to be about a minute long, have still photos, live video footage and sound. This is what i came up with.... **MAKE SURE YOU PAUSE MY MUSIC PLAYER AT THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG!**

Round and Round

So yesterday was a very interesting day in church. We had  9 kids in the nursery (1 visitor and 2 that are not to yet nursery age) which was fun. We started the hour off with "lil A" crying so hard that she literally vomited all over the floor. Luckily the other leader that had her in her arms managed to escape the direction of flow. It was a lot of vomit to be coming out of such a small little body. I had "B" in my arms and by that time he had stopped crying, I wonder if it was because he got a little intrigued by the new substance that landed on the floor, so I took "lil A" while the other leader went and got something to clean up the mess with. Talk about a hard time trying to keep a lot of curious little kids away from sticking their fingers in it. It would have been rather kinda funny had it not been so sad.


So nursery ends and off to sacrament meeting we go. Since when did I become a free babysitting service? I don't know the answer to that question either but somehow I did. Not only did I have my "mini me" but i also had her younger brother "B" and then another girl "L" who has decided that she would rather come sit with me than sit with the other leader to who she usually sat with. I don't mind having the kids sit with me but i would really prefer to not have them with me EVERY single Sunday. I think that there really needs to be something said about that. I mean, I don't mind every now and then having one of the nursery kids sit with me, but every Sunday is a bit much...especially if there is something I was planning on doing during sacrament meeting and what not.


I think that it is very apparent that I need to be released from my calling. I have felt this way for the last few months. The bishop mentioned to me that we needed to talk and I have been wanting to talk to him since I don't think his counselors took me serious when I mentioned that I wanted to get out of there. Plus, I am finding that I am beginning to have a difference of opinion from the other leader which we all know can be bad for those involved. But I think that right now, it would be best for me to be released from nursery. I wouldn't mind having a different calling but I am tired of being in the primary, I would love to have some conversations with adults. I am kinda craving that. Plus, if there was a time that I wasn't feeling to good or just didn't make it to church, I wouldn't  have to find a sub to replace me cause lets face it, not everyone is thrilled to work in the nursery and finding someone who is willing to sub in there that already doesn't have a calling is kinda like finding a needle in a haystack. It just isn't going to happen.


But on to other things, this week is going to be a long week. I have a paper and an exam this week and I am finding it hard to keep my attention focused on the tasks at hand. Plus, polishing up on the music for the Fall Rally that is this Saturday. Where has the time gone, I mean it is nearly October!


Well, that is a little bit of what is going on in my life. I should be signing off and getting myself some sleep so I can make it to my lab on time. Until next time....

I Love to See the Temple

This is just me playing around...enjoy!                             


CLICK HERE     **make sure your speakers are on!!!! it adds a lil something something**

NOTE:  by clicking on the link on the left should take you right to the site without opening a new window. If by chance it does-because this is technology we are talking about-you will want to make sure that you pause my music player on the bottom of this blog.

It's Alright, It's Ok

I havent been very good at updating my blog since summer started. What a short but crazy 3 months it has been. Between a short summer speech class and girls camp and getting ready for the fall semester, where has the time gone?


School is back in session like I said earlier and wow, this semester I think will be the toughest that I have encountered since I started. However, I think I have come up with a plan to stay on top of it all and get it all completed. Most of my class work is on Moodle (isnt that a funny name to name a program???) with a lot of lecture in the class room. I was even dumb enough to schedule two of my classes back to back. I know what you are thinking, "Audrey, that isnt so bad?" Well, I have know given my self the glorius task of getting from upper campus down to lower campus in about 10 mins (shorter if I can). I know, crazy and dumb, but it was the only way I could get it to stick in my schedule with out being on campus til late in the afternoon or overlapping in my classes.


Two education classes this semester out of a required 3 to get into the COE, is on my schedule for this fall semester. I think that EDUC 204 will really make me know for sure that education is my chosen path and career and if it doesn't 201, which will be spring, will defiantely make or break me. Although I do need to start thinking on what other subject I would want to teach as a person is more marketable in the education field if they can teach multiple subjects. I do know that math will not be one of them.


This of course leads me to my math class for the semester. My math class is more of a reading/english class with a mixutre of math thrown into the mix. This should be interesting, I guess I dont have to worry about taking an English course this semester. LOL


So I guess I will close for the time being, I will try to update on a more "frequent" basis. Oh and stay tuned for my blog post on Girls Camp, complete with pictures staring Mo!!

Opportunities

What a crazy and insane summer this has started out to be! First I have attempted to take a speech class (Comm. 101) this summer. Instead of taking it in the usual 16 weeks that would be a normal semester, I am taking it in just 16 days! Two speeches down and one to go (Tuesday is that lucky day) and then my final Thursday the same week....*focus*

On top of summer school, I am taking on a bigger challenge...last Sunday I was sustained as the Young Women's Camp Director for this coming girls camp. I was the assistant camp director but for some reason last week a member of the bishopbric pulled me out of nursery and told me that the other is out and you are in (I kinda felt like that scene in Top Gun where his commanding officer tells Maverik and Goose that they are number one after Cougar turned in his wings.....random I know). I have to be honest, but I kinda felt like I was in the dark when I found out that I was going to be the actual director and not the assistant as I really had no idea what had been going on (hmmm...a bit of a repeat from last year?? lol) 


I feel real good about this year though. We have a great theme (Alma the Younger) and some really great girls coming up (4 first years and 2 third years) and I have had a lot of support from the leaders. The YW leaders have really stepped up and helped fill in the blanks when the director(s) had been slacking a bit?? I was worried but after a few conversations and email exchanges I feel like we can really pull this off. My goal though is to make the girls grow spiritually and have fun at the same time! That way when next year comes, they will be all excited to go. That would give me the biggest feeling of satisfaction that I could ever have. Its always amazing to watch someone grow stronger (even if they are non members or inactive or just not aware of it).  As I was writing that last sentence, I realized that I am going to have to certify a girl or two since they didnt make it to the first aid clinic. That shouldnt be a big deal, I will just have to give them a copy of the test to fill out and pass. The only road block in my way is making time to certify them. Hmm....mutual activity? Will have to bring that up with at our meeting and see how we can get those two certified before camp.


So this week, like I mentioned earlier, is just going to be insane. Speech and final, possibly mutual (if i get invited since it is camp related i do believe-i think they are dutch ovening so that they can use that method at camp) and then it is my family reunion on Saturday. I got 5 journals to make for our raffle which wont take up much time at all, it will be just trying to fit them in. I also have to prepare a nursery lesson and singing time (since my other leader will be gone that sunday) and try to find Priesthood brethern to commit to coming to girls camp for a week or a couple of days! A girls work is never done....lol. Then I swear everyone I know was born in the month of June....ugh!


Oh well, I guess I cant really complain because I love it! Ok most of the time I love it. I will just be happy when speech is down and over with this week!!