Girl Scout Camp 2009

Girl Scout camp, as always, was a blast this year! It was especially fun because Lexi was old enough to come this year. She's been looking forward to it for two years now. I'll try to make this as un-boring as possible but still fill in all the exciting details that I know no one but grandmas (and maybe Emily) really want to know.

We cheated a little bit and took all the girls out of school early on Friday so we could make the 1.5 hour drive without hitting traffic. Apart from our perpetually carsick Brownie throwing up on the front seat of my car as we parked at camp, the drive was uneventful.

We unloaded the cars and got settled in our cabins, and then we just let the girls play for a while (the picture is Vicki and her best friend Kate. Kate is about a head taller than Vicki, so they thought it was hilarious that Vicki could give her a piggyback ride.)



The camp provides meals all day Saturday and on Sunday morning, but we were on our own Friday night, so we made our famous Brownie Soup for dinner. Here's the secret recipe (shhh...don't tell): each girl brings a can of her favorite soup. They take turns dumping them into a pot, and then you stir it together, heat it up, and enjoy. We had chicken noodle, tomato, bean and bacon, vegetable, and even a can of chicken corn chowder. Yeah, it sounds gross, but it's actually really good and the girls beg for it. This is the third time we've made it.

Saturday morning Vicki's troop got to participate in the flag ceremony. This made them feel really grown up and important, and they did a great job. (Vicki's the second pink coat on the left.)



After flag and breakfast, it was time for the fun to start! The troops were divided up, and I got to spend a lot of time with Lexi's troop, which meant a lot to her. Our first stop was the Flying Squirrel. What is the Flying Squirrel, you ask? Well, one girl is the Squirrel, and she gets harnessed up and hooked to a rope.



The rope goes about 50 feet straight up into the trees where it runs through a pulley system and comes back down the side of a tall tree nearby. The rest of the group holds on to the end of the rope. When she's all hooked up and ready to go, the Squirrel shouts, "Are you ready?" The group answers, "Ready!" and the Squirrel yells, "I'm gonna fly!" to which the group replies, "Fly, Squirrel, fly!" and runs with the rope, hoisting the Squirrel into the air.



If she wants to swing through the air, the Squirrel can take a running start. The girls had a blast doing this.

While Lexi was Squirreling, Vicki's troop was on the zipline. I made Vicki go last so I'd be sure to see her descend. The zipline involves climbing a 50-foot ladder that's narrower than Lexi, standing on top of a tower that feels like the slightest breeze might blow it over, climbing over a thigh-high wall onto a narrow ledge, and throwing yourself off of it. Of course, you're harnessed and hooked to a line the whole time, but still...



Lexi's troop unfortunately didn't get a turn on the zipline this year, but they've been promised a turn next year.

After lunch it was Vicki's turn for the Flying Squirrel.





And Lexi's turn for archery (Vicki's troop did archery before lunch, but I missed it.)



I even got to try my hand at the bow and arrow. I don't like to brag (who am I kidding?) but I got a bullseye! Lexi was in charge of taking pictures of me. She didn't do too badly.



After archery we snuck in a turn on the rock wall. (Again, I missed Vicki's turn, darn it!)Isn't she cute?



She climbed about 10 feet and was done, but thrilled to have had the chance.



After dinner that night was campfire, which was fun as usual, and the girls have been quoting all their favorite skits ever since.

Vicki, Lexi, and I left Saturday night so we could still make it to church on Sunday, so I loaded up while the girls played a few more games, and then we said goodbye and took off. We didn't get home until 11:00, and the girls were zonked. Way too much fun. Can't wait 'til next year!