For Girls Camp 2009 we went back to Little Sioux Scout Camp....
Last year, for some reason, we decided to go to Camp Cedar, just for a change of pace for the Omaha Stake Young Women. We have been going to Little Sioux for at least 12 years (well, that's how long I have been going as a leader anyway!)
I've served on the camp committees many years and this year was difficult trying to bring a sense of peace and renewal to Girls camp after such a stroke of nature had intruded on our happy camper experiences!
I have served in many capacities at camp...as a ward leader (favorite) Stake Camp director (
shhh least favorite), nurse and
YCL leader (most fun)! This year I was the
YCL leader for the most AMAZING group of
YW! These girls ROCKED! They were the most responsible, take charge, spiritual group of women I've come across! They rose to the leadership positions they were trained to become...I love them!
We hiked to this sacred place on the bluffs of Little Sioux to this spot, where the tornado
touched the earth and we learned how it touched our lives as we read from our scriptures the strength of our God.
The National Weather Service said it was an
EF3 on the 1-to-5 Enhanced
Fujita scale of tornado intensity, with an estimated wind speed of 145 mph. Meteorologists said the twister cut a path about 14 miles long.
"The devastation was massive through the campgrounds," Gov. Chet Culver earlier told
NBC's "TODAY" show, calling it "horrific."
The Dean family is grateful to be alive. On June 11
th, their home, located on the Little Sioux Scout Ranch, crumbled from the force of a tornado. They were trapped under a pile of rubble. But two young scouts came to their rescue and pulled them out to safety. Now one month later, the Deans credit their lives and their future to those scouts.
Nathan Dean shared his families experience with us...we were honored to hear how his faith has grown much larger than a "
wimpy F3"!
One evening Paul Clark and his parents came to speak to us at the site of the previous shelter, that many boys had fled to. Paul was at Little Sioux on the night of the tornado. He is among the best and brightest of Scouts invited to the Leadership training camp.
'"There were some real heroes at this Scout camp," Culver said, adding that he believes the Scouts saved lives while they waited for paramedics to cut through the trees and reach the camp a mile into the woods.'
msnbc reportPaul shared
his story with us and his parents' shared their story.
Families ARE forever, they said.
We honored those boys and our young women the week of Girls Camp. We were Women of Virtue and we grew in our testimonies of preparedness, virtue, strength and experience.
I LOVE Girls Camp!
Editors note: Thank you Laurie for helping me to edit my blog format...I love the new look, but have noticed my photo's are cut off on the right???
I am working to center or 'fit' my photos to my post, but have waited to blog for so long, I thought I would get this post up! Sorry girls if you were "on the right" in my photos :(
Ayden, Grant, Kaylee and Ashton. I think I had to cough up some money for this shot. I believe this photo cost me a quarter each kid...but it was worth it!
This is June...can you tell which football team our family supports (and when I say support I mean pay tuition to)! Mike and Lindsay Sheely, Sarah, Tyler and Kaylee Berry.
Tyler and his girls.
Little Miss..."Chrisi taste this, I didn't lick it, I promise, you can even smell it first"! 
I LOVE these kids!
