Mount Mahogany Girls Camp 2018!!

This year I had the opportunity to be girls camp director and help our youth plan and carry out our ward girls camp. We went to Rendezvous Beach at Bear lake, Utah. It was seriously SO MUCH FUN!!!! There were monthly meetings with our YCLs (Youth Camp Leaders) and almost weekly or bi-monthly meetings with us older leaders. So a lot of time and effort went into making it a success. The biggest challenge with this ward is the size. There are over 50 young women and 15 YW leaders. So logistics were definitely a challenge. However, there was no drama, gossiping, back-biting, crying, home-sickness, etc. WHAT???!!! These girls were amazing! I would take the challenge of size any day! They girls were so much fun and I LOVED getting to know them.

Some highlights were the shakes, the boating, the cave tour, the giant herd of cows on our way to the cave tour, and of course testimony meeting. Some not so great things were the showers of cotton all day every day! In our faces and food and tents. And also the 5am wake up call when one of the leaders CPAP machines died :). But hey- overall if was a pretty spectacular girls camp. I had many girls and leaders say that was the best girls camp they have ever been a part of. I grew up going to Bear Lake for ward camp...and yet it wasn't even my idea! It took a lot of people to make it happen and I was so grateful for so many willing people!

Horseback Riding and Performing Camp

Emma and Reese absolutely LOVED the horse back riding camp they did this summer. It was held in June and was one week long. They would go from 9-12 Tuesday through Saturday and had a BLAST! The first day we found out Reese is allergic to horses and so we had to give her benadryl each day of camp so she could still enjoy it (and luckily she didn't get too sleepy from the meds :)). They learned all about horses, how to take care of them, how to bridle and catch them, how to guide and ride bare back and with a saddle. They loved it and I love how much my girls love animals. Especially horses and bunnies :). Luckily Reese is not allergic to our bunnies.

In June Reese and Nora had their Princess and Pirates Performing Camp and in July Emma did a Broadway performing camp (ages 8 and up). They all loved performing and did such a good job. I love watching them dance and sing on stage.

Emma was a munchkin for her camp and they said they could put color in their hair for their costumes. I didn't buy any from the store so we improvised with ribbons :)

Emma got to do the camp with her good friend Emme:

Summer Fun!

We had an amazing summer! I am still in denial that our relaxing summer days are over, but all good things must come to an end (And I love all the fall festivities so I think I'll survive!).

We started out by camping in June with the Tooke's (Tori, Trevor [who Cade works with], and kiddos). We went up American Fork Canyon and camped in the Timpanooke Campground. Over all the girls did really well at night. We always have fun camping and it was a bonus that a gentleman let the girls take a ride first thing in the morning on his horses. That was awesome to wake up to!

We've also been up the canyons for hiking and swimming adventures. Since Cade was training for LOTOJA this summer I recruited Boose to go with me on a couple :).

Boose's Birthday we went on a hike to Grotto Falls and these surprises were waiting at the house for her:

This summer we had to say goodbye to THREE families! What??!! No one ever moves for the 4 years we've been here and then three move all at the same time. Dean Skoy lived next door and Kirby across from the Skoy's and then the Evans across from us. The girls were sad to say bye but we have awesome new neighbors that have moved in (Swan's, Kotter's, & Fugal's).

Emma and Dean were always two peas in a pod (even though he was two years younger). He rang our doorbell at least 27 times a day :).

And of course Strawberry Days. I can't get out of that carnival even if I wanted to! But the new thing we did this year was the concert in the park and free strawberries and cream. Lucy definitely was okay with it. It was so fun watching the girls dance up by the concert stage. They are so fun!

We had our annual Burton Family Reunion the end of July. My mom and her siblings all sang a song that their mom sang to them growing up. Mom and Joan on the ukuleles. 

We also went to the aquarium in Draper with Steph and her kiddos. Good times with cousins!

And the Dinosaur Museum for $2 Tuesday. Emma brought her good friend Braxton.