Girls Camp - Camp Zion 2016

July 8-16, 2016 - Girls Camp took place back in Kolob this year and was named Camp Zion. We started preparing for this camp months ago when I was asked to head the food/kitchen committee.  Instead of making menus and gathering a committee to feed the girls, myself and my two assistants were called to prepare menus such that the girls could cook for themselves. This involved dutch oven and/or foil dinner cooking. Kelly was a rock star purchasing a dutch oven and trying many recipes ahead of time in our back yard. We narrowed the recipes down, created a menu that included nearly each meal being prepared by the girls, shopped for supplies and hauled everything to camp. Kelly drove a large truck with the food supplies and other gear while I drove our truck.  We got to camp early and set up our little family tent in the aspens.  Heather and Jenna helped each day with clearing the area of cow pies (yuck!), helping with the big shopping at Costco of the perishable food items, loading the refrigerated trailer that brother Hoke built, and setting up the kitchen area. We had boxes for each ward which we filled with their necessary food items and menus, and the girls came to pick those up before meal prep each day.  The girls and leaders reported that it was the best food and best camp experience they had had where the food was concerned thus far. There is a feeling of accomplishment that comes with hard work, and our stake president knew that. I was happy to follow his council, and grateful for Kelly and my two side kicks.  Kitchen ladies rock!

As for the rest of camp....haha.  It wasn't all about the food for Heather and Jenna. Heather was a 6th year leader, and boy did she impress! We were filled with joy to watch her take that leadership role and run with it. We received compliment after compliment on her hard work and leadership skills. Jenna, who does not enjoy camp, was a trooper, and she was able to be with friends and do the activities. It was great to be up there as a family and have our daughters check in periodically at "the kitchen" to say hi.  This was a great camp experience!

Girls Camp Kickoff!

These 6th-year "miners" kicked off Girls Camp tonight with their "Diamonds In The Rough" mining theme. They sang a little mining song and have officially begun their leadership roles planning and preparing for camp. We're so proud of you Heather! You are going to be an amazing camp leader!

Dutch Oven Chicken

For a combined Relief Society/Young Women meeting this month, we decided to do a Dutch Oven cooking class since the young women and their leaders will be cooking their own meals at camp. Kelly put together a great recipe with a whole chicken, a yummy rub and potatoes and vegetables. We tried it out the day before the RS Meeting, and it was so yummy. It was a complete hit at the meeting! We won't be able to do a whole chicken at camp, but the meal was delicious and the girls who participated got to see the process.  Kelly is amazing at figure this stuff out. I'm proud to call him my man.

Daddy-Daughter Dance and More

 Jenna and Dad attended a Daddy-Daughter dance where the little girls dressed as princesses. 

 One of my favorite times of day is when Heather sits down to play through all the songs she knows. She may be avoiding homework and distressing, but it's 30 minutes of beautiful music guaranteed!

 Sariah started this sitting thing. She doesn't want to get all the way on, just her hind section. 

Silly Dog.

Our latest Dutch Oven dessert was chocolate/cherry cobbler. Kelly continues to gather and try new recipes. Love it!

Dutch Oven Cooking

New calling for Melissa! I will be in charge of Girls Camp food. Our Stake President wants the girls to do their own cooking. We are assembling a menu of Dutch Oven recipes, both dinners, dessert and a breakfast, and we bought an oven to start experimenting. This was actually Kelly's idea. It's how Petersons roll. He wanted to prep and find great recipes that the girls would love. Once we get some recipes, we'll create the menu. It's not his job, but I'm glad I have Kelly for support. He's getting the wheels moving on this project. We are starting with dessert--fruit cobbler!

Camp Kolob 2015

July 10-18...Kelly and the girls spent the week at Camp Kolob in Southern Utah. This was Girls Camp, Scout Camp, High Adventure and Youth Conference all wrapped up into one week. Our Stake Presidency was inspired to have our youth "do hard things," and this was one of the inspirations. 

On undeveloped property, the youth built a camp from scratch. They traveled by bus on Friday evening and arrived at camp Saturday morning. They built tables to eat at, a kitchen, showers, bathroom/outhouses, an amphitheater, life guard tower, archery and shooting range, an obstacle course and anything else that they needed. After camp was built, the boys and girls separated to their camps. The group came together on Sunday for services and spent the week hiking, backpacking, repelling, canoeing and all other things scout and girls camp related. 

Jenna and Heather participated in the Polar Bear plunge, sunrise hikes and repelling.  During Heather's practice repel, she tipped over and slammed into the side of the rock cliff injuring her tailbone and splitting her elbow open. She still went on her 5th/6th year hike with the 100ft repel and had a blast. The girls each made a new friend that had moved into the stake over the summer which was a nice bonus this year. 

Thursday-Friday was Youth Conference where the fun continued. There was a color run, obstacle course that teams participated in, paint gun fights (Jenna didn't participate due to wanting to look good for the dance that night, and Heather was prohibited due to injury), a luau with a real pig roast and island dancing, speakers, silly leader skits, and a dance. There is so much the girls and Kelly would probably write about the trip, and if I can, I'll get them to tell me what they would write in a blog post about the experience. For now, it's documented. There's talk about going back to this camp because the youth loved it so much. No phones, iPods, gaming systems or for that matter, flushing toilets. But they loved it.  And of course on the way home they stopped at their favorite spot for huge shakes, fries and chicken strips!