Girls Camping Trip

Last night I got back from the first camping trip I had taken in nearly 5 years. I went on our youth group girls camping trip which lasted from Sunday afternoon until yesterday afternoon. I had a really fun time and I think the girls did too. Eleven girls from ages 13-18 and three of us female leaders went on the trip. We camped at Albeni Cove near Newport. It is so beautiful there. The campground facilities were nice and we had the best campsites there. They were right on the water and secluded from all the other campsites. That was probably a good thing for the other campers because we did tend to get a little noisy from time to time.

We arrived there between 3:00 and 4:00 on Sunday afternoon and immediately got to work setting up camp. After that we started getting dinner ready and then cleaned up while the girls went swimming. It was a very hot day. We didn't need a campfire that night but we had one anyway so that we could make smores. What's a camping trip without smores? I shared a devotion and then we sat around and visited for awhile. I don't remember what time we went to bed but one girl from my tent and I stayed up visiting until about 2:30. I was tired but I enjoyed getting to know her better. I didn't sleep very well and woke up for the last time around 6:30. I finally crawled out of bed at 7:00 to go take my shower. That morning we went out to breakfast at a little restaurant called The Mangy Moose. They had huge portions of delicious food. After we got back we went swimming and out on the boat. The girls took turns tubing and I took pictures. About mid-afternoon we took a break for lunch and then the girls went back out again for more swimming and tubing. That evening we barbecued again and then started another campfire. We made smores and had another devotion. That night more of us stayed up and talked until a little after midnight. I slept much better that night. Probably because I was so tired from the night before. After breakfast the next morning we started to clean up camp and then the girls went our for more swimming and wakeboarding and tubing. One other leader and I stayed behind and cleaned more. After lunch we finished cleaning up camp and then I headed down to the water to cool off a little before the drive back home. Brrr! I was surprised that the water was not warmer then it was since we have been having such hot weather around here. We left a little after 4:00 and arrived back at the church around 5:00 so the girls could be picked up by their parents. By that time I was exhausted and dirty and sore. Steve and I went to pick the kids up from his parents' house and then took my parents' Yukon XL that I had borrowed for the trip back up to their house. It was a good thing I borrowed it because girls pack a lot of stuff. After that we picked up Subway and headed home. We got home around 7:00, had dinner and then I took a shower. It was so nice to shower in my own shower again. Ahhh. I relaxed for the rest of the evening and then Steve gave me a nice massage when we went to bed to relieve my aching muscles. He is so sweet.

This trip was the first time I had ever been away from our son for more than half a day. It was hard and I missed him. Of course I missed Steve and the girls too but it's always hard leaving your child for the first time. Steve had special daddy time with the kids while I was gone and that was good for them.

Now, after being gone these past couple of days I have to turn around and get ready for our trip to Seattle this weekend to help my sister get moved out of her house so she can move to Florida. This is one busy summer.