We Survived...

Girls Camp!

Kaitlyn and I just returned from a week at Girls Camp.

Yes, I said it, I went to Girls Camp - I still can't believe it myself,

but it's true and I actually had fun.

We left on Monday morning and arrived home on Saturday.

I woke up on Friday morning and thought to myself - I think I can do this.

Then I laughed that it took me until it was almost

over to think that I could do it.

Camping is definitely still not my thing, but I did it.

Kaitlyn had a great time!!!

I was so proud of how well she handled it and how much fun she had.

Here are some pictures of our week...

At the Stake Center getting ready to head up to camp with

Madisen and Paige.

Kaitlyn getting settled into her A-Frame.



Two of her fellow campers - Joanne and Kara.


One of the things the girls loved was playing "The Cup Game".

They tried to teach it to me, but I wasn't anywhere near

as fast at it as they were.

Here is the group of girls Kaitlyn was with for the week.

They are at one of our nightly campfires.


This is part of Madisen's group at the campfire.

After each campfire we would have a dessert.

There were these huge June Bugs that were both

facsinating and creepy at the same time.

Katilyn was a little freaked out by them at first.

The group enjoying their dessert.

Madisen's 2nd year group getting ready to go out on their hike.

I was assigned to work in the craft area during camp.

The girls used a hammer to stamp

"Find The Courage Within"

(the girls camp theme)

onto a dog tag.

They also stamped their name on a washer and hung them on a chain.

You can't really tell from the picture, but they turned out very cute.

The girls and leaders really liked them.

One night after campfire we got a group shot of all

the girls and leaders from the ward.

This is my proof that I was there.

There aren't many pictures of me at camp.

mmm.....I wonder why?

Of course we had to strike a goofy pose too.

The YCL's (Youth Camp Leaders) from our ward.

Lisa, Ashley, Franzelle and Laura.

Every morning the girls had to do kapers.

Madalyn and Paige striking a pose on their way to do their kapers.

One of my favorite parts of camp was the girls met at crafts

each afternoon during their free time.

This way I got to see them a lot and spend time

visiting with them everyday.

During free time crafts we made friendship bracelets, ribbon flowers

to put on headbands and colored pencil bags.

The girls seemed to like them all,

but the friendship bracelets were the favorite.

Danielle, Kaitlyn and Joanne making their friendship bracelets.

Kara, Franzelle and Madalyn

Cheyenne and Madisen

Kaitlyn and Joanne

One of the girls in Kaitlyn's group won a prize from

the personal progress area.

They got to get their dinner first and their table was decorated with

Wizard of Oz place settings to go along with the camp theme.

While we were waiting for the buses on the last day

Kaitlyn's leader french braided the girls hair.

Kaitlyn's group was called the Lollipop League.

Their A-frame was decorated with a bunch of these lollipops.

It was very cute and I wish I had taken a picture of their campsite.

The last day of camp was Kaitlyn's birthday.

I gave her a pin that said, "It's My Birthday" and

her leaders gave her a pin that said "Birthday Princess"


Kaitlyn and I were both very worried about going to camp,

but it all turned out great.

Kaitlyn loved everything about camp from the very beginning.

My favorite part was being able to watch her experience girls camp

for the very first time and then to hear her testimony during

Friday's testimony meeting made all the dirt and bugs and craziness

of camp worth it.

Yosemite

Last weekend we headed to Yosemite for our annual

Gwilliam Family Trip

Unfortunately not many of the Gwilliam Family were able

to attend this year, but we still had a great time.

My brother Scott was in charge this year.

When I would ask him what we were going to do while we

were there he would always say "Nature Will Provide".

He couldn't have said it better. There was so much to do

and it was gorgeous.

Beware - I have put a ton of pictures on this post, but I

just couldn't help myself.

We ate every meal out on the deck of the cabin.
There was a great big table that we could all fit around.

Here cute Tyson is patiently waiting for his food.

Mike and my brother, Bruce, looking like one of the sets of twins.

Is it any wonder why people always ask which one of the brothers Mike is.

(oldest, one of the twins, etc.)

For our first adventure we walked down to the river

by our cabin.

Grandpa was the first one to take his shoes and socks off

and head for the water.

The rest of us, well, most of us followed.

It was beautiful, but freezing.

Kaitlyn and Megan


Tyson loved the water and kept trying to figure out how

he could get farther into the water.

Lindsey and Logan were the most adventurous over the weekend.

Logan and Bruce checking out the water.

Grandpa was the first to dunk his head in the water.

(Yes, I have a picture of it, but I didn't think he would appreciate it if I put it on the blog.)

After that, Tyson, Logan and Lindsey were doing the same.

Logan, however, was the only one that went all the way under.

He was so proud of himself.

Kyle, Kaitlyn and Megan humored me by letting me

take a picture by one of the street signs.

I thought they were so cute.

Next we headed to the Giant Sequoias.

We took a tram ride through Mariposa Grove.

The we took a hike to the Chilnualna Falls.

It was absolutely beautiful.
It was fun to be able to get so close to the waterfall.

Tyson was the first to congratulate Grandma for

being able to make the hike.

Foot surgery in February and hiking in Yosemite in June!

Yea Grandma!!!

Grandpa was telling the kids to look for certain flowers

on the way back down the mountain.

He was of course being very animated, but I missed getting

a picture of it. I asked him to do it again so I could get a picture.

He looks a little bugged with me doesn't he.

After dinner we played "Minute To Win It".

Scott recreated several of the games from the TV show

and the kids all had a great time playing them.

In this game they had to jump around to get

8 ping pong balls to come out of the box within 1 minute.

Megan is trying to pull strings over her ears,

balancing pencils that are holding 3 m&m's.

She's supposed to bring them up to her mouth

and eat them within a minute.

A fan favorite was putting vaseline on your nose,

sticking your face in a bowl of cotton balls, once you

get a cotton ball on your nose you run to the end of

the table and shake the cotton ball off your nose.

You have to get 5 cotton balls in the bowl within 1 minute.
I think everyone was successful at this one.

The next day we headed to Glacier Point.

It was Absolutely Gorgeous!

Logan wanted to climb every rock.

For lunch we stopped by a river for a picnic.

Grandpa told Kaitlyn he would go in the water and walk

her to the sandbar in the middle of the river.

I'm still not sure why she took him up on the idea,

but they all headed in the water.

Logan was the only one who planned ahead and brought

his swimming suit. The rest of them are in their clothes.

Denise carried Tyson and Lindsey over piggyback.

She gets the mom of the year award.

Logan was the deer whisperer and got amazingly close

to this deer near our cabin.

By the way, we saw a bear and her cub by the side of the road

on our way to Glacier Point.

As Scott would said - Nature provided.

On our last day we went to Bridal Veil Falls

and Yosemite Falls.

We all had a great time and hope to go back soon!