Girls Camp

Beginning of August, I went with the young women in my church congregation to a week-long camp. As a leader, it was so fun to be with these sweet girls for a whole week and get to know them better. It was a hot and humid week, but we made the best out of it. Camp Wayfarer is awesome!

I was in charge of second level girls (meaning the girls who were here at camp for their second time). This camp was run by many amazing women from my church congregation. It was wonderful to see everything come together. It was also wonderful to see these girls for a week (without their phones, make-up, and distractions). I loved camp for that reason. I loved how we got to leave the "world" for a week and just focus on our testimonies of Jesus Christ, developing talents, and creating friendships. What more could you ask for? It felt so much like a safe haven for the week -- a place where the girls were accepted, loved, and cared for. It was amazing to witness and be part of it!  

The camp theme for the week was "The Game of Life: Decisions Determine Destiny" and each day had a separate theme (choose to be happy, choose to be obey, etc). Board games were, of course, incorporated into camp: Operation, The Game of Life, Candyland, to name a few.

Here are some pictures from the great week:

Dancing! 

We did a lot of dancing at camp. 

Candyland (where the girls learned everything for First Aid Certification)

The Game of Life

Testimony meeting (where girls were able to go up and share their experiences/testimonies) 

Operation!

Some of the great women I got to serve with!

Each day we got 30 minutes of D.A.R.E (drop everything and read) time. It was a time for us to read the scriptures. The whole camp is quiet during this time and it was a very sacred part of the day. 

Videos below: This is when I tried to blob. So fun! 

(One of my YW is named Abbie and she was the one who sent me flying off the blob.)

My parents were so awesome to watch the kids for us in VA while I was at camp and Logan had work. They had Ma & Pa camp filled with DC trips, the zoo, playing mini-golf, and fishing.

"Gone Fishing" party

Coming home from vacation was crazy (I always need a week to recuperate), but I somehow managed to throw a friends' party for Hudson THREE days after we got back. He didn't have a friends' party last year, so I figured he could have one this year. My sister also came down (her first time to Charlotte); it was really great having her and she was a big help.

It was such a fun time planning the party; Hud had wanted a fishing party for months so we made it happen and it came together wonderfully!

Thanks to my sister for helping with decorating this cake! 

Love the M&M's!

With our birthday boy

Some of the friends from the party

Video: Blowing out candles

Opening presents. Love his facial expression here! 

The chaos of opening presents

Video: Present opening

decorating pinata bags

balloon animals

duck fishing

getting ready for the pinata

Nemo!!

Aftermath 

Most of the kids at the party (plus Jimmy sitting in the back)

Hudson = 4

We got back from Utah on July 22nd and TWO days later it was Hudson's birthday! I don't even know how we can have a 4 year old already. It has gone by super fast and I feel like each year keeps getting faster. We love this sweet boy and I always love remembering the day he was born, the day we became parents!

4 year old stats
Weight: 31 pounds and 12 ounces (14%)
Height: 3 feet and 2 1/2 inches (13%)

A few things about Hud (at age 4):

• He is talkative. He is constantly asking questions and trying to figure things out in that brain of his. He always likes to know "why?" We love how he is absorbing so much right now. He's definitely a quick learner and craves new experiences and facts. 

• He still loves loves loves animals and dinosaurs (and has become a know-it-all about it). He'll correct his preschool teachers and friends if they name an animal/dinosaur wrong. 

• He is at preschool 3x a week and LOVES going. He loves his teachers and his classmates. He is learning so much. He knows the ABCs and their sounds. He can recognize and write his name. He also knows his numbers up to about 30. We are working on beginning to read, but I'm taking it very slow based on when he shows interest in it. We have the book "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons" and we are going to get Bob books for him too. 

• He got over his fear of water this summer (the previous summer he only sat on the pool steps -- he didn't like having a puddle jumper on either). This summer, he learned to go underwater and was jumping into the pool on his own. Getting him goggles was the best idea ever! He started taking swim lessons the end of August (more about that later). 

• He is super active. He likes to play, run, make up games, and wrestle with his sister (when she lets him). He's always making forts in the living room too. Love his imagination!

Hud's birthday letter:

Dear Hudson, 

Happy 4th Birthday! What a year! From starting Pre-K to learning to be comfortable in the water this summer to learning to write your name! We are so amazed by all you are doing. Keep it up, sweet boy! We love how you are full of questions, imagination, and adventure -- don't ever lose that. It's what makes you so special to us -- you are constantly wanting to learn more and more (hopefully mom and dad can keep up). We love you so much and hope this year is great! 

Love, 

Mom & Dad

The day he was born. Such a sweetheart then and more so now. Love that kid!

Birthday door decoration

Birthday morning

Tradition of opening one present before breakfast (before daddy left for work).

Don't you love his bed head?

Video: Hud opening the first gift of the day

For his birthday, I took him and Amelia to Dan Nicholas Park (about 45 minutes away). It's a great park (wish it wasn't so far)! They have a playground, train ride, carousel, gem mining, splash pad, petting zoo, etc. It's such a fun place and Hudson loves it. I knew it would be a good place to take him on his birthday. He was very happy and excited!

On the train

On the carousel

Bear sighting

This was probably the best part of his day. He found a snake in the wild!

I told him not to get any closer than those rocks! He assured me that it was a harmless rat snake, but I was so scared of him getting too close. He kept saying "it's okay mom!" and then asking if he could hold it. Um, no, sorry kid. If only his daddy was there! 

petting zoo

gem mining

All the gems they found! 

Love that birthday boy!

These two. 

Video: Hud opening presents

Video: Hud blowing out candles