Girls Camp 2009- Tues.

WE BELIEVE!

Girls Camp was the best EVER! 

I was lucky enough to be the stake leader for all the 16 and 17 year old girls! 

(YCL's- Youth Camp Leaders) 

That is 82 crazy girls! I had awesome help (12 ladies) and an incredible time! 

My pictures start the first night of camp at camp fire. 

Here are a few of the girls leading the rest in "Tooty Ta"

Here are some more YCL's in the audience. Lindsay, Kaylie, Jennifer, Kendra and my lovely assistant, Beckie! Behind them we have Danet and Brooke (and obviously a lot more behind them!)

Hannah and Brooke looking good!

Way to lead by example YCL's!

Gotta love the Val Vista girls in the aisle there, Corrina, Courtney, Macey and Krystal i think.

Windrift?

The YCL's wrote messages to the world on their questionnaires and I transferred to these big rolls of paper! The messages were so well said.

It was fun reading them at meals and anytime we were in the lodge!

Thanks kitchen helpers for being so kind and brave balancing on table tops to hang them up.

Jill Baldwin and Kathy Hart wrote the best skit ever and made incredible props and backdrops. Jennie Lewis and her cabin mates did a great job performing in

 "Juana, Soooo White,  and the Seven Cohorts!"

Heather Farnsworth, their cabin Mom, as the QUEEN sending a message with the newest invention "b-mail"

"Juana Bea Happy" got a gift from the queen... Face Look.

Ashley Lamoreaux as SOOOOO White who was the fairest maiden in the land and helped everyone know how to be happy.

Here they come... 

Kati Igleski as Blingy, McCall Shwarz as Clingy,Melissa Harrison as Dingy, Jordan Hill as Texty, Jessica Lewis as Flexy, Kelsey Despain as Mimi, McKenzie Essa as Rocka Doodle-doo, Ashley and Jennie.

Here comes Morgan Matsen as 

Queen Stinky and the Stinkweeds ( Dior Werner and Megan Tinker) 

Luckily they had some good leaders to show them the way!

Sis. Smith, Pres. Wyeth, Bishop Budge, Sis. Baldwin, Pres. Ballard and more.

Sis. Barney and Bishop Hatch too!

Cicely Frisina and her val vista buds, Amanda and Penelope

Very Brave and very proud of their spirit stick.

Allie and Charlotte

Sassy Serve-a-lot! (aka Christie Eck)

Kylee and Kassy

Kristin Palmer with Lindsey and Brittni

Me, handing out music

Penelope, Kristin, and her daughter, Hailey

Macey, Chrystal and their friend

YCL's getting ready to sing their song (If the Savior Stood Beside Me) in the circle of light. 

Amanda is hiding from me in plain sight, but not Brianna!

I ran around the inside of the circle and tried to get as many of the girls as I could, the first group picture turned out bad, sorry! Here is Brittni and Lindsey (nice Kissy-face!)

McKenzie, Cicely, Lindsay, Shelby, Sarah and Sonnet

Celsea (with a "C") Hannah, McKayli, Lauren and Kendra

Kendra (again!) and Shelby, Kelsey and friends

Sarah A., Jennie, Sharly, Audra and Rochelle

Rochelle, Noelle, (Look- Jennie again) Megan, Danet and Brooke

Danet, Brooke, Jennie (again!) Morgan, Larissa, Kisha and Ashley

Kisha, Ashley, Jennie (again!), Melissa, Megan, Dior, and Heather

Now Heather travels the circle with Jennie and we have Samantha and Jessica

Robyn, Stephanie and Alexxis (Where's Jennie?)

Devon and Sister Blair (ShaLyne) oh, and Ashley!

Jennifer, Ashley, Heather, Jennie (there she is!) Kaylie and Lindsay

Anni, Heather and Shantell

(Yes- I had all their names memorized and Love every single one of these girls! And that's not even all of them!!!!) 

After a wild and crazy day we headed back to our cabins for devotionals. The song cabin #5 which ended up being split into cabin 6 and 7, had a little devotional, handed out shimmery headbands (made by Melanie LeSueur- thanks!!) and ate Elf cookies while we talked about what we Experienced, Learned or Felt during the day. We had a GREAT talk till super late!

Notice the necklaces the girls are wearing. The one with the darker rope and the bigger gem were a gift for all the YCL's we handed out on the bus. A big thanks to Kristin Palmer for making 95 of them for us!!!!!

Trading BRACES!

Last month we thought Rustin was going to get his braces off on the same day Chloe got hers on but his teeth weren't quite ready. As it turns out, he got his off today on the same day OLIVIA got hers on!

Before. He's had this second phase of braces on for several years. After finally wearing his rubber bands diligently he got them off!

Up close and personal

Olivia with her nice clean teeth! She has been excited and nervous about getting braces. She had a hard time sleeping last night!

One last look

That profile's gonna change. No more overbite!

Getting to work, listening to music or a movie

All Gone!!

I went back there the first time for pictures and they had already popped them all off!

FREEDOM!!

There they are!

Here they come!

Blackmail picture!!

Bonding the glue with the light or something!

A SWITCHEROO!

AFTER

Looks like they've got their work cut out for them!

Still a cutie pie!

The different bags they came home with.

Cleaning stuff and wax for Liv...

Previously banned candy and snacks for Rustin!

It made it all worth it!

Happy Birthday To ME

I don't think it's possible to have a better b-day than I did last Sunday.

Chloe baked and Tess frosted this darling cake for me!

It was their gift to me and I couldn't have been happier. Tess worked hard to find just the right picture to use and made sure it was picture perfect!  She chose to make me singing because, as many of you know, I love to sing. But also because that night I had a girls camp meeting/b-day party for the girls (YCL's) in my cabin. We are the singing cabin and are in charge of the songs at girls camp in a few weeks!  

Notice the One grey streak Tess put in my BROWN hair. 

Two jabs at me on one cake!

Chloe was a great baker and also helped fill in the skirt on the cake with frosting.

That morning I found a gift on the kitchen table. Russ had taken the kids to each pick out a charm for this darling bracelet! My mom had a beautiful charm bracelet and I always loved to wear it and pretend I was grown up. Now I guess I finally am!

THANKS HONEY!

Church was SOOO fun! My b-day was announced in the program (they announce the b-days every week) it was FUN to have everyone wish me a happy birthday. The first was Tommee Sampson, my darling 9 year old friend with Autism. She gave me a nice loud "Happy Birthday Sister Crawford!" the instant I walked into the chapel.

Next came the funny b-day cake fiasco.  I was late out of our last class because I was actually in Rustin's class because he got a new calling. My visiting teachers, Milde Ash (who had made this darling butterfly cake) and Jeanne Goodman were running around the church with the cake looking for me. They sent others to find me too. I had people telling me "Someone is looking for you. Go to the front foyer and STAY THERE!" I went there and no one was there, but soon, around the corner came Milde and Jeanne laughing their heads off and carrying the cake. They had trapsed around the whole building trying to find me. Then they sang Happy Birthday to me right there as everyone was heading out to their cars. 

It was the BEST!

Not long after I got home, the doorbell rang. It was Liz Barrett (who I visit teach) and she brought me this YUMMY lemon cake with walnuts! It was to DIE for! I was glad she put walnuts in it cuz it kept the kids from eating it all before I got the chance.

Oh, did I mention it was FAST SUNDAY! 

TORTURE!!

Not long after that the doorbell rang again. This time it was our Bishop and his wife Michelle (who is my visiting teaching partner- man, I love visiting teaching!) and they brought me these fantastic cookies that Bishop made and the CUTEST pink and brown and silver flower for my hair (that is not pictured because it was IN my hair). So sweet and so thoughtful!

I know this doesn't look like much now, but it started out as big as the plate! The 5 youngest Gallman girls brought it to choir practice and delivered it to me there! They had come by the house and Russ told them I was at choir and so they made a special delivery!

It was the cutest thing I have ever seen, this row of blondies and red heads, all in a line from tallest to shortest (12-2 yrs. old) coming to wish me a happy birthday!

Yes, I was STILL FASTING!!

After a yummy dinner made by the birthday girl we finally got to snitch some of the treats and get ready for the big meeting/party with my 12 newest teenage friends.

Rustin getting ready for a house full of high school girls!

Chloe upside down as usual!

Jake licking his chops in anticipation!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Tess (on far left edge) Chloe, Larissa, Amanda, Brianna, Aubrey, Brooke, Danet, Kristin, Brittni, SaraH, Olivia, Kisha, Shantel, Anaiis, Lindsey and Anni!!!!

Our meeting went GREAT! We learned and practiced lots of songs and man can these girls SING!

When I went to bed that night the first thing Russ said was, Wow, those girls sounded AMAZING!!

He was right.

Olivia about to chow down on me. Like my grey streak?? 

Nice Tess!

Kristin Palmer is also a YCL leader with me and had fun partying with us. She brought the ice cream and some yummy treats for me for later!

Standing by her is Anni and Shantel. LOVE THEM!

These are two more of my awesome singers, Brooke and Danet

Never pass up an opportunity to play with fire!

Super fun and talented Brianna from my own ward. 

We are going to have a ROCKIN' girls camp!

A big thanks to all those who sent cards and gifts (cute necklace Jan!) and called and emailed and dropped things by later in the week (or dropped stuff by the week before- Mj)! Thanks to Jodie and Becky for a very entertaining lunch and darling gifts.

I really feel very loved.

Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks for the nomination Leanne! I don't know if my kids and husband would agree but I graciously accept this award!

See my Mother of the Year news broadcast HERE

Chloe's big week!

Wednesday night Chloe was honored for her fantastic grades at the Golden Scholars Award night along with many of her friends and classmates.

Mr. Maurer (her principal) and district officials preparing to give out the Golden Scholar pins

Waiting

Her turn!

Chloe and fellow scholars, Rachel and Alexis

Thursday night was her orchestra concert and she sounded wonderful!

I thouroughly enjoyed every single note!

On Friday they had the election for Student government and 

SHE WON!

(I promise she is wearing her gymnastic suit behind the poster)

Chloe C. the next VP!