“I love Chuck-e-Cheese Mom, I do.”

My SuperMom flew into town a week before my brother’s wedding to watch our girls so I could go to Girls’ Camp with the young women from my church.  Grandma’s are the best!  The day Grandma arrived she took us out to Chuck-e-Cheese, my girls were so excited!  Sophie got a little too excited and piddled in a toy structure at the restaurant (first accident in a very LONG time).  Luckily Dan had dressed the girls that morning and Tessa was wearing Sophie’s shorts and a onsie.  I figured she was baby enough to go without pants and Sophie went commando in the shorts.  As you can see we also drove through Krispy Kreme (I know, go on say it, mmmmmmmmm…) doughnuts for a delicious dessert and the girls received free hats.

 

Sophies favorite game was PUNCH the ducks! Tessa’s favorite thing was going down the slide and then hugging this cat at the bottom.

Chuck-E-Cheese was a total success and now Sophie has a new conversation starter.  Remember how I said she likes to tell random people and strangers, “I am scared of Dumbo,” well now she also adds, “and I love Chuck-E-Cheese!”  Eat that Disney! Just kidding, the “Dumbo” she’s scared of wasn’t really Dumbo and we weren’t at Disneyland… but I hope to find out if she really is scared of the real thing sometime in the next few years.

Girls’ camp was great and even though I was quite busy and doing a lot of work up at camp it still felt like a vacation.  That may have had to do with the fact that we weren’t really camping… we had cabins, bunks, bathrooms, kitchen, cafeteria, etc…  Don’t take this the wrong way, I love my children more than anything, I really do.  But sometimes you love something more if you get a chance to miss it. :)  Here are a few pictures from camp:

{Me on the high ropes course, so cool!} {Going down the zip line at the end.}

{My ward, sure do love these girls… a lot!}

{The girl in the middle is Ronnie she is investigating the church, and this is her first time in a boat!  She is blind but braver than anyone else there and wanted to do everything just like everyone else.} {At the end of our hike, I’m the one in the hat and pink shirt, they are smiling now but MAN did they complain during the hike. You’d think we were running 5 miles instead of hiking. Silly girls, aren’t they supposed to be in their prime? Anyway, I thought the hike was beautiful and want to take my family back there.}

{2 of my favorite girls, both in my ward and both totally rock!} {Here’s Ronnie doing the tree racing!  This was probably my favorite moment of the whole camp.  There was a huge group of girls just crowded around waiting for a turn to tree race and they were talking loudly, trying on harnesses, and singing pop songs.  Well, when Ronnie was guided onto the platform and lead to the ladder for her turn everything fell silent.  It brings tears to my eyes just remembering as 25 young girls all stopped and watched in awe as Ronnie began her climb.  It the first sounds were quiet directions as to where the next hand hold was; then it turned to words of encouragement and then cheering.  When she reached the top and rang that bell there was an eruption of yells and congratulations.  Such a sweet moment.}

 

{I walked right up to this snake and almost on top of him on our hike because I wasn’t looking at my feet.  He was right in the trail!  Never seen a snake outside of cage this big.  I would guess he was somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 feet long. Anybody know what kind of snake it is? Fortunately he just looked and me and then continued down the mountain.}

Thanks for coming out to help Mom!  I enjoyed my time at girls camp, it brought back some memories of staying up late and playing pranks on the other girls back when I used to go to camp (remember the markers Lisa? we were so mean!).  I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a small part of these young women’s lives.  It’s also preparing me for the teenage girls that will be living in my house 10 years from now!  Yikes.