ACTIVITY DAYS CAMP 2009

Nestled a few short minutes East of Salt Lake City sits a small campground that was the setting for this years Activity Days Camp for Primary Girls, ages 8 through 11.
This was my thir year to attend and frankly, I have had a blast each time I have gone. The girls gain a greater appreciation for nature, one another and for the Lord.

This year's focus was on "NATURE". And nature it was. It was in a campgrownd set just yards off of the highway and just below the Olympic Ski Jump in Kimball Juction (just outside of Park City). It is covered with meadows and Aspen trees that go on forever. Wildflowers grow in abundance and thanks to Mother Nature and her bouts of crying this year, it was green, green, green.

We had 8 beautiful, talented,and lively girls in attendance this year. Emily, Sophie, Isabelle, Naomi, Emma, Maddy, Jasmine and Keara. Along with Sister's Debbie Craven, Prisca Ranck, and myself. We all did our part and thanks to Sis. Ranck for the Nature Walk portion of the activity.

Sister Craven assisted Sis. Paula Allen (of the Stake Primary Presidency) with her Vanna White Qualities in helping show the girls how to make Camp Iron Turnovers. Now if you don't know Sis. Craven, she doesn't consider herself a camper by any stretch of the imagination. She said that she has been camping twice--once when she was younger (argh) and the next time 4 years ago when she and Brian were a Ma & Pa for Youth Trek! (what a way to break yourself in!!) She acted as though she was an old pro at the camping lifestyle. Way to go Debbie!!!!

Sister Ranck is one with Nature. She is an old pro at this stuff--she taught the girls how to determine how old a tree is by counting it's rings or by measuring with a string and determining an approximate age by circumfrance. After all of the hiking and tree information, the girls went on to make tree cookie necklaces, taught by Sis Dayna Shoel, our Stake Primary President. She is another a woman who is one with Nature. Thank you Sis. Shoel and Sis Ranck for the fun the girls had.. They really did enjoy it.

Sis. Linette Masters was in charge of helping the girls make Marshmallow Shooters and this was a big hit with everyone, including Sister Ranck who felt she needed to have her own shooter. I'm not sure why she felt so inclined, but maybe she wants to have a battle out with Keara and her marshmallow shooter. Watch out Keara--mom is ready to attack.

Sis. Sheri Tesseyman was delegated to the Relay Race portion of our activities. The girls learned what they need to do in order to communicate with others and follow directions and also that those directions should be taken from one person at a time. They were to walk on "boarded skiis" with rope and four girls at a time on each ski--to their fellow skiers waiting at the finish line,only for them to return to the starting line. It was a bit difficult at first, but they finally managed to get those skiis off the ground and in this case "stepping".

After all the fun we settled down to a nice luncheon of roll sandwiches, watermelon, grapes, chips, and cold water or lemonade. As you can tell from the picture of Sophie the watermelon was "DELICIOUS" with a capital "D through S".

It was definitely hot, but none of the girls seemed to be bothered by the heat. Of course they weren't; they are younger than we are. All of the girls had a great time, at least that's what they told us. But they did it with a smile on their faces. We are looking forward to next years activity already. Way to go Wilford Stake Primary Leaders.