The Essence of Sisterhood...

FULL CIRCLE!

A decade later, I was back at Camp Ritchie this week. It was surreal to be climbing the same rocks I climbed for SO many years! I had to scramble when they told me they needed a last-minute counselor for 1st years (ya, I thought, "What? No hike? I LOVE the hikes. So you mean we're in CAMP ALL WEEK???")

But we had THE BEST group of 1st yrs EVER.

I snapped this shot at the climbing wall where ALL the girls had to silently help each other get over a 12 foot wall.

This is the last girl being hoisted up by her tiny friend. I fell in love with this shot.

I just loved everything- from her standing on her HEAD, to her focus on giving EVERYthing she has to get her friend up, while standing there as the last one.

This is the essence of sisterhood...

Okay, I remember being nervous about this at 15 - let alone..cough cough...now! But they shot me up there!
We have the best camp ever. Here is our YCL rappelling down with our 1st year in total tears.
Can't forget the skiing and boarding at camp. We had incredible water - sorry about the squatting - that's weird.
And I missed my family. I was totally exhausted!

How cute is this shot? The night before I left I walked in and saw this - snuggling her scriptures. PRECIOUS!

I seriously missed my camp girls! Jenny I totally laughed out loud as I passed the rock we hid behind the night we snuck out of the cabins (full-on decked out in camou gear - hats, pants, shirts, face paint) and scared the late-night bathroom trippers to death! Didn't we even use waterguns? Jacquie, I totally remember taking all our crazy pictures behind the cabin!

They've since banned pranks but I did manage to throw a few FREAKY plastic spiders on people during campfire... ha!

The one part that caught me off guard was being a counselor with Becky's little sister. She's SO much like Becky that I was totally thrown off. Even though I've seen Becky several times since we had babies, etc, she still remains forever in my mind, the long-legged 15-yr-old with huge beautiful eyes there at camp with us. As everyone who completed 6+ yrs at camp stood up to sing As Sisters in Zion, I choked back thinking that she should have been standing up there with us.

It was a good week.

Priorities

I'm so behind on my blogging, but really, lets get to the important stuff!

YES!!!! They are having their 30th anniversary on Wednesday so all their slices of cheesecake will be $1.50. I'm totally going - see ya on Wednesday!

Conversing with the Coopers

29.5 hours in the car has got to create at least one interesting conversation - I thought this one was pretty funny - playing "Guess the Animal I'm Thinking of."

Kya: "I'm thinking of an animal with THREE legs!"

dead silence - aghhhhhhhh! here we go...

Kendall: "I'm thinking of an animal with about 28 legs."

Katie: "Ooh - a centipede!"

Jess: "seriously?"

Katie: "Okay, no, an octopus!"

after we all about lost it laughing...

Katie: "I swear I graduated!"

I've been Tagged...a few times! oops

Okay, I've been tagged with this one twice and I'm totally cheating on this because the card on my camera is full and I've been locked out of my room. SOOOOO you just get a few!

Here is my self portrait from this weekend -

It is so hard making this adjustment/move that I can't even explain it. Most people just nod and say, "Ya, moves are tough..."

Well, we have moved 9 times (and soon 10) in less than 7 years, which calculates into moving about every 8 months of our entire marriage. Ya, take a second to imagine that one (seriously!)...

- 9 wards

- 8 doctors, 13 specialists

- 8 of each utility company

- 4 car insurances

- I won't even calculate health care after living out of the country

- 9 different license plates

- 5 Universities

- 13 Jobs

- 22 callings

~ and a partridge in a pear tree! ~

Ok, that was NUTS to calculate - love the memories!!! So, now you understand the rest of my photo tags:

4. My closet - we have crammed our entire house/suitcases/clothes into a tiny closet here - this is basically what it feels like!!

5. Favorite Room: I love Kya's room at home--large and quaint with the slanted roof...
6. Favorite Shoes - I WISH Hal would let me in the bedroom, but alas, I've been locked out while he is on a conference call...To be Continue'd

7. Laundry Room - sorry, no shot of that one.

8. Bathroom - this is the guest bathroom in our real home

9. Sink - This totally cheats, eh? I MISS MY KITCHEN (and yes, my sink)

Happy 4th!

I love the 4th of July. We didn't get any fireworks this year, but Kya and Gracie got a kick out of their moms singing all the patriotic songs (can't say our hubbies loved it as much)!! ha! God bless America - A Land that I love!

(*another* land that I love)

Let's hear it for the GIRLS!

A long time ago, in a land far, far away - I ruled the tube...

(this is my little bro and I in Canada when we were about 7)

This weekend - I felt like a 7 yr old again! SERIOUSLY

Here is Hal and I on the tube... Here is Hal falling off the tube...
Here is someone STAYING ON THE TUBE!!!
Here is the QUEEN OF THE TUBE laughing wickedly...

I think I had the same grin stapled across my face the entire run - It WAS AWESOME! Let's HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS!
Thank YOU for the greatest weekend guys!

I'm a little late but HAPPY CANADA DAY!!

Here is Kya's tribute!

O Canada...