West Piney Camp

Ryan, Avery and Emily went to youth conference with the YW/YM from our ward from June 3-5th. They all had a great time!

 

Stake Girl's Camp

Stake Girls' Camp was a totally different experience this year because I was called to be over and help the YCL - the Youth Camp Leaders. It was such a fun, busy and stressful calling at times but so worth it. I learned a lot and stretched myself more than I was use to. I got to know many of the girls and had great friendships with many of them. They are remarkable young women with so much talent and ambition! I loved working with them and planning camp with them for all the younger girls in the stake. For a special treat just for the YCL's we went zip lining! They had a blast and so did I! 

At girls' camp, Madisen was up at camp and I got to do many activities with her and our ward as well. We rode horses together and did crafts, and painting, and cooking and all sorts of fun classes that the YCL's provided for the girls. The YCL's came up with classes that they could teach the younger girls. Camp was well organized and the YCL's took charge and it was amazing to see. 

 I got to work closely with Tara Packham- Stake Camp director, Crystal Greaves- Assistant, Rachel Heward- activities specialist, Aubry Freckleton- Stake YW counselor, and my YCL partner in crime, Krystal Saxey. We got a long so well that it felt like we were just two high school girls playing and laughing all the time! I love these women and learned so much from all of them. 

The last night up at camp I found out from the Fastabend's ((some old friends in the ward I grew up in, in Boise) who were serving up at the Campgrounds) (they do that once a year and it just so happened our stake was there the week they were so it was fun to see them and talk with them many times)) that my grandpa Newman passed away earlier that day. He went fishing and drowned as his kayak flipped over. It was so shocking and devastating as I had just lost my other grandpa the month before. I cried my eyes out for a few minutes and it was so comforting to have had the Fastabend's there. Especially when I had just seen them the month before in Hawaii! 

Miss you Grandpa.

 

Girls' Camp 2017

Madisen's first girls camp. She loved it and had such a great time with the older Young Women. They made her feel special and she fit right in. They spent a lot of time crafting and playing in the sand down by the river. :)

Hodges' version of "camping"

We went camping...in our backyard. Yeah, we are real adventurous! haha. Someday we will do the REAL thing, but we are not huge campers. Yet, we wanted to do something fun with the girls. SO we set up the tent. played Uno, ate tons of junk food and candy while we watched a family movie on Ryan's I-Pad. Ryan and I bailed on the girls though and just let them sleep in the tent while we left the window open to our bedroom so we could hear them. A cat kept coming into the backyard however and waking up the girls by scratching on the tent. Ryan went out 3 times and the last time he threw the cat over the fence back to our neighbors house. Darn Cat! The girls were freaked out so at about 3am they came in and slept in their beds. So much for "camping"!