YW Mountain Retreat

Back up to earlier this year when the bishop announced that we would be doing Pioneer Trek. I was a bit upset when it seemed that YW Girls' Camp would be replaced by Trek due to cost and time commitment by all of the leaders. But as it turned out, a shortened girls' camp was approved. BUT, I knew that after roughing it for four days of Trek, the girls (and especially ME) would not want to do anymore "dirty" camping this summer. So, I was able to arrange what I called a YW Mountain Retreat. We would basically do similar girls' camp activities... just without the tents and pit toilets.

We rented a "cabin" that belongs to a family in our ward. It is up on Cascade Lake in Donnelly, ID. I'd like to move in permanently, please!



I had a wonderful lady, Jami Hawkins, as my camp director again this year. She was the YW President before me. She is excellent and helped me pull this shindig together. All the ladies on my YW Board were so helpful too. We only had 14 out of our 22 girls come because of family vacations, etc. But it was successful nonetheless.

The girls were united and had lots of fun together. We did crafts, ate lots of good food, had a "treasure hunt" while playing hide and seek, had spiritual devotionals and a testimony meeting, and played at the lake. Thrown in there was a bit of left-over camp certification, too.

Oh, our theme this year was "We Seek After These Things" and centered around the mutual theme of the 13th Article of Faith. We used pirates and seeking for eternal treasures to add a little extra fun. The girls made signs to go up around the house that said "Captains Quarters" for the leaders' room, "The Galley" in the kitchen, "Crows Nest" up in the loft, "This Way to Walk the Plank" for pointing to the docks, etc. We used a treasure box for putting kind notes to each other and giving "secret sister" gifts to one another.

Here are some pictures of my beautiful girls having fun:



Making bracelets:














The leaders hid really well in the trees while the girls in groups came and found us and wonderful "treasures". Each time a group found me, I took their picture:










YCLs "egged" the younger girls:


The girls made sun prints with twigs, leaves, and flowers:


14 girls plus leaders: