My Tough Girls

I had the opportunity to go to Young Women's camp last week. To be honest, it wasn't something I looked forward to. I had been called to work with the girls only a month before camp, so I wasn't involved with the planning, but the other leaders kept talking about how it would be a survivor experience, at the girl's request. On top of that, I knew I would struggle with my allergies.

The Laurel's (the 16-17 year-olds) left on Wednesday to canoe the river. As a mother, I was a little concerned because they had so little experience. Every time they planned a practise trip, it had to be cancelled because of the very wet spring we had. The rivers were always too high, and they were lucky the one they ended up going on had dropped low enough for them to go. I sent my oldest daughter of and trusted that two of the men going with them had enough experience to bring them all in safely.

The rest of the girls and leaders met Thursday morning. We loaded up our gear and headed out to the campsite. When we arrived, I was glad to see the older girls and they were certainly glad to see us. My daughter started crying when she saw me and gave me a huge hug. She didn't look so good. Her face was a little swollen and her eyes were puffy and red. She told us how they had had quiet the adventure on the river, and almost every member of their group had been dumped from a canoe at least once. At one point, she ended up in the water and got tangled up in a tree branch. It held her under water a little longer than was comfortable, but she realized that if she stopped fighting it, she might float free. It worked, but left her quite shaken.

I realized quickly that the red face was more than the result of a few tears. Over the next 24 hours it continued to swell and become more painful for her. I suggested several times that I take her home so we could get medical attention for it, but she refused and insisted on sticking it out. We gave her antihistamines and watched her closely.

The first thing the girls had to do was set up camp. They had planned on building their own shelter and the leaders weren't supposed to help. The also had to dig a latrine and set up a food preparation area. It took them some time, but they worked together well and accomplished the tasks. The other big activity they had was their version of the amazing race. They were given maps and directions, then they had to use a compass to follow the map and get to each station. At every stop there were certain tasks they had to do - fire starting, whittling, first aid, making a travois and transporting a team member, and identifying edible and non-edible plants. There was also a difficult obstacle course just after lunch. It was a hot day and the activity took a lot out of them, but they did it. Of course, when all that was over, they were grateful for all the free time when they could just play in the river.

I was so proud of my girls. My youngest felt a little out of place. It was her first camp and she has a hard time relating with the other girls there, but she never complained. She kept a smile on her face and went out of her way to encourage others and cheer people up. As for my oldest daughter, I have rarely seen such strength of character. I would have quit long before she did. Instead of moaning about how difficult things were, she kept asking how the others were doing and trying to help them out. She worked hard even when some of the other girls didn't want to. Saturday morning, she finally agreed that a trip to the nearest emergency room would be in order. While I finished getting things ready to go, she busied herself helping another leader do some work around camp. And through it all, she smiled and kept a positive attitude. I don't think I could have done the same.

By the time we got home, the pain finally got to her. Her smile faded and she just wanted to sleep all afternoon. The medication seems to be working slowly and we made another trip to the doctor today. He thinks she reacted to the sun and possibly the sunscreen. The swelling is starting to go down, although she is still quite red. She looks like she has two black eyes (well, really red and purple eyes). The hardest part for her is realizing that she will have to be careful when out in the sun. I told her she'll just have to make hats part of her own personal style, although she thinks she'll look dumb. She things I'm just being a silly mother when I tell her that she will always be beautiful.

In the end, I was very proud of all the girls at camp. It was wonderful to be with a group that got along, worked well together and didn't have any little fights during the time we were there. They were strong and I hope they all learned that they can do hard things. As for my own daughters, I hope I can live up to their example. They are amazing girls who teach me everyday. I'm just thankful I get to be their mother.

¡Feliz cumpleaños!

Today I woke up to find myself inevitably a year older. Funny how that happens. We age gradually all year, but presto, on that auspicious day we're magically older and of course wiser.

We spent the day at the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum. Several people told me the kids wouldn't like it, but my kids love stuff like that. Thousands of mineral and rock samples were displayed and the kids took the time to look at every one and of course they patronized the museum gift shop when they were done.

The State Capitol was our next stop and we learned about the S.S. Arizona and a little about the state. The kids are enjoying the experience of high heat, different plants, and having a pool in the backyard. It's hard getting them out of the pool so we can do anything else.

It's interesting seeing new things and I'm glad my family likes to do the museums and the tours I like to do. I guess that's the best birthday present is spending time with my family do things we like to do.

Still on Vacation

Our vacation has gone well to this point. We spent last weekend at a family reunion in Springville. It was so nice to get together with family and see everyone. There are many new members of the family added through marriage and new babies. We definitely don't get together often enough.

This reunion was for all the descendants of my paternal grandma and grandpa. My sister made the observation that every member of the family is active in the LDS church. My grandparents were pretty amazing people to raise a family who are all strong in their beliefs and who find such joy in each other's company. It was funny whenever one of the little ones cried and every mother jumped because they all sound so much the same. This reunion just ended and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

Now we hanging out in South Jordan so my kids can spend some time with their grandparents. They've gone up to temple square today while Rick and I did a little shopping of our own. We really aren't consumers though. We did a lot of looking around but didn't buy much.

Tomorrow we are on our way to Arizona so my kids can experience real heat. That should be interesting. I'm looking forward to showing them the interesting plant life in Arizona, the Grand Canyon, and best of all my mother's side of the family.

On Our Way

We started our two week summer vacation today. The first leg of our trip has us in Idaho Falls at my aunt and uncle's house for the night. Tomorrow we will continue on our way to Springville, Utah for a family reunion. My grandma and grandpa's family started out with five kids and has grown to about 70 people now. It will be great to see all the family I haven't seen in a few years and meet members of the family I haven't met before.

We will also take some time in Utah for the kids to visit with their paternal grandparents. They haven't seen them in four years, so they are really looking forward to seeing family. Rick and I will have a day to wander around and do whatever we want while the kids visit.

Then we are off to Arizona. I know. Crazy. We were going to go at Christmas, but when the gas prices went up we decided to combine it with our family reunion trip. My mom and brother are in Arizona so we get to visit it that side of the family for a few days.

So we will spend the next two weeks doing lots of driving and lots of visiting. I also managed to write 1359 words today as we drove. If I can manage that every day we are driving I should be able to finish my WIP soon.

Where is Summer Going?

My guests left last Saturday. Once they gathered up all their things, packed the vehicle and got on their way, I turned to survey the remains of a fun week with the cousins. Surprisingly, the house didn't look bad at all. It was hard to tell before, because the kids spent the week going through hundreds of water balloons and towels. When all the towels were gathered and put in the washing machine, all that was left to do was a quick tidy of each room.

Now the kids are starting swimming lessons, my oldest daughter has started her summer job, and I am trying to catch up on my word count. Next weekend will be our annual town celebration which we always look forward to. Our next set of guests is my best friend from high school and her family. They will arrive on the 24th and stay through the celebrations. I'm looking forward to having them since I haven't had a chance to have a real visit with her in years.

It occurred to me that once they leave and the town celebrations are over, summer is half done and I can start counting down the days until school. Now I'm just trying to figure out where it all went. It seems in other years, we have had much more down time. I always look forward to summer coming so my husband and I can take long evening walks. I enjoy watching a few extra movies and going swimming with the kids.

This summer seems busier than usual. Rick and I stay up till at least midnight every night, working and trying to catch up, and there has been very little time for an evening walk, let alone two hours for a movie. I always approach the summer with lists of things to do that I don't find time to do during the school year. So far I haven't tackled any of those things.

So I'm trying to figure out which of the good things I do every day that can be cut. Unfortunately, the things I would most like to get rid of are the things that have to stay. Meanwhile the summer marches on and I'm just trying to keep up. I'm looking forward to our vacation in two weeks, when I can sit in the van for hours without any phones ringing, no kids to babysit, and no house to clean. And maybe I can even stay awake long enough to write a few thousand words.

On My Way

The day I've been looking forward to since last year is finally here. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Utah to attend the LDStorymakers conference. I've spent the last week getting things ready for bootcamp, helping my sister-in-law make a dress to take with her and all the other assorted things I have to do before I leave for six days.

I haven't blogged much in the last week because my laptop died and I've been so busy trying to catch up on everything. Luckily I did have some warning that something was wrong and we were able to transfer all my files to the other computer before it quit completely. We still hope to be able to get it up and running again, but meanwhile, I get to go to the conference and take notes the old fashioned way. Oh well, less to carry around with me.

So I'm signing off for a few days but I'll be back next Tuesday motivated to get to work. Talk to you then.

Long Day

Today was another long day. My husband and I got up early this morning and were on the road by 5:30 a.m. (This is far too early for me and I ended up sleeping most of the way.) We drove the 2 1/2 hours to Calgary so we could apply for passports for the family. By leaving early, we made it to the passport office before there were any lines and were able to go on to other things by nine. Since we hardly ever get to Calgary, we took the opportunity to go visit my brother-in-law and his family and then did some shopping. By the time we got home, we had time for a quick dinner and then we headed off to a town forum. Now I have a daughter laying on my lap while I try to type because she is having bad dreams.

So I am falling behind in Tristi's BIAM before it really gets going. I can't wait for the kids go back to school on Monday and we get back into a routine. I love the holidays and doing extra things with the kids, but I also like the predictability of school days. It has been nice having the extra help at home. The kids play together well and entertain the kids I babysit. Because of this I have been able to get three roman blinds made for the living room and a valance almost done for the family room. I've had the fabric for a long time, so it is about time I got them done. Now I am just crossing my fingers and hoping they look good.

Even though I haven't spent much time writing or even checking my mail, I have had lots of time to think about my goals for the year and come up with new ideas. Now I just have to get them down on paper.

My Favorite Weekend

This coming weekend is my favorite holiday of the year. Oh sure, Christmas rates tight up there, but the last weekend in July is definitely the one I look forward to the most. For much of the LDS church, the 24th of July is the weekend we honor our pioneer ancestors. Maybe the reason our town's annual celebration is held on this weekend is because Magrath was established by in 1899 by Mormon pioneers sent to Alberta by John Taylor to help with the irrigation system in the area. My own grandparents were among those pioneers.

Pioneers aren't focused on too often during our celebration anymore. The town has grown to have an eclectic mix of religions and backgrounds and we try to include everyone. But whether we are celebrating our pioneer heritage or the fact that we belong to one of the best communities around doesn't matter to me. I love this weekend because there is so much to do and everyone comes home. Over the next three days, I will post an article about "Magrath Days" I wrote for our local newspaper a few years ago. I hope you enjoy.
Meanwhile, most of my writing time this week will be spent visiting with family, old school chums, and neighbors as I enjoy the town I call home.

(The first picture is "The Spirit of Alberta" marching band during the parade and the second picture is my oldest daughter performing Scottish Higland dancing during an outdoor program last year. I can't wait for this year!)

Cold Water and Computers

We are still on our vacation and having a great time. My youngest daughter said, "This is a great vacation and it just keeps getting better. And we have only been away from home two days!" Of course this was said while we were in a candy store and Grandma was letting each child fill their own bag of candy.

Staying at Grandma and Grandpa's house without any water was an interesting experience. We took "showers" for church by taking a gallon container of water that had sat outside in the sun for several hours, poured just enough over our heads to wet us down, lathered up, and then rinsed off. The water was freezing and I think my kids have a new appreciation for a hot shower. I know I do.

I took the time away from the computer to read the new "Writer's Digest" magazine and catch up on some of the reading from my summer list. I keep saying I need some alone time to try and get a little writing in, but I don't get very far with a pen and paper. I find I can never write as fast as I think. It always amazes me to think of Jane Austin, Shakespeare, and Charles Dickens, penning their stories in poor light without the aid of spell check and a printer. It really is marvellous that they wrote what they did, when they did. And I think I should never complain about having to do second and third drafts when I have access to modern tools. So as great as vacation is, I am looking forward to getting home to my own hot shower and my computer.