Monday & Tuesday

We left for camp an hour later than we had planned on Monday morning but we arrived safely and we weren't late.  I met the beautiful girls in my cabin and handed out all the extra supplies I was told I wasn't going to need but did.  Two girls (sisters) forgot their entire toiletry bag.  I must have been inspired to pack exactly 2 extra toothbrushes and full size shampoo and conditioner!

We made our camp shirt out of a M&M stamp I made using some craft foam and the bottom of a tape container.  (I'll post a tutorial later if anyone is interested.)

There were fun camp songs, skits and ditties.  By 10pm I was exhausted.  Just as I was falling asleep that night I was startled awake by what I thought was a mountain lion.  Turns out someone in our cabin snores...loudly!

Tuesday morning was spent at the tide pools. Tuesday afternoon I took a short nap and then chatted with my co-cabin mom until the Camp Director came in with her phone and a message to call home.  I knew what the call would be about, and I was right.  I didn't get my 1-2 weeks.  I got two days.  Grandma Vincent had passed away.  While I knew it was coming and it shouldn't have been a shock, it was.  Somehow I knew months in advance that she would pass while I was away at camp.  I think it was the Holy Ghost telling me "don't go to camp or be prepared to leave early."  But I didn't listen.  I went.  I wasn't really prepared to come home early, but I did. 

The women at camp were amazing.  Those who I chose to tell or were near by when I found out, jumped in to replace me in the cabin, help me pack my things and get everything squared away.  I asked them not to tell the girls why I was leaving.  I didn't mind them knowing, but number 1, I didn't want to be a downer on their camp experience, and number 2, I couldn't handle 100 young women and girls hugging me and telling me they were sorry. 

That night, we had a lesson in our cabin about being a virtuous woman.  There was a half carved statue of a woman wearing next to nothing close to the entrance of the camp.  After lights out we gathered up all the extra blankets and sheets available, snuck down there and dressed her! The above picture is the best I have for now.  I talked to the young women about modesty when we came back and about having virtue.  I bore them my testimony that they are LOVED daughters of God.  I told them that they were all born full of virtue and that we were they only ones who could let our virtue go.  It was a very touching moment that I will remember forever.

I didn't sleep too well that night.  And on Wednesday morning after breakfast, I drove the 4 hours home. 

Update since last post

I did run out and did a little bit of shopping before I got a frantic and firm call from my husband telling me to drop everything and come home NOW.  I walked in our front door to what looked like a horror film with blood covering walls, towels and my bed.  My youngest daughter somehow managed to drop a pretty heavy ceramic lamp on her head.  Husband threw daughter in the car and said, "GO!"

So off I drive to the nearest urgent care, which closed 45 minutes earlier.  I drive another 8  minutes to the next urgent care which had closed earlier than the door said it should....dumb door!  Next stop, hospital Emergency Room.

I have driven to this hospital at least 5 times and have driven right past it at least a dozen more.  But this time, I made every wrong turn imaginable.  By the time I got inside, I gave them the wrong daughter's name, the wrong birthday and my mother's telephone number when they asked for mine.    I've decided that all of this information (including a map and operating times of all close emergency centers) needs to be written down and in my purse at all times.  I'll be working on that next week.  They asked me if she had lost consciousness.  I told them I don't think so, but I'm pretty sure my husband did.  Then we sat.

Four hours and $5 in vending machine pop tarts (which I had a case of in my car but couldn't go out and get lest I missed hearing her name) later, they finally called her back, cleaned up her 1 inch head wound and glued it back together.  This whole process took less than 10 minutes and cost us a $50 co pay.  I could complain about that copay, in fact I did, but at least I had insurance.

Overall she was a trooper.  Didn't cry once while they were scrubbing her cut ( I almost did).

She was asleep before her head hit the pillow that night.  My husband had cleaned up all the blood, a giant feat for him, and had it all in the washing machine before I got home.  I had to run out to the grocery store to finish my girls camp shopping, which included food for the week I was gone so my dear sweet husband wouldn't starve to death for 5 days.

And thus concludes night number 1 of 8 of not having any sleep whatsoever.  To be continued.

Girls Camp

For the first time in 14 years I get to go to my church's Girls Camp!  Girls camp is only for girls 12-18.  It usually lasts for a week and consists of both "camp stuff" and "spiritual stuff" (both technical terms).  They asked me to go as a co-cabin mom for one of the 2 year cabins.  I'm so excited that the other cabin mom is a fantastic woman and one of my new good friends.

We are leaving at 8am Monday morning.  Which means, that if I need to go buy anything like soap holders, green nail polish or bug spray I have to do it today (since I don't shop on Sundays).  I was planning on going when my wonderful husband came home from work so I didn't have to drag my beautiful angelic children with me, but he just called and told me he'll be a work until midnight......

.....SCRATCH THAT!!!  He just walked in the door!  I'm so out of here!