4th Year Hiker

I can't believe RaLee is a 4th year this year! She was excited about it but not as excited as I remember my other girls were to be going. She is such a "Diva" that she doesn't like the packing, planning or preparing that comes along with it. She did, however, get very excited when we went SHOPPING Wednesday night to get the rest of the items she needed before that evenings mandatory "pack check". Now Crystal was packed two weeks before the hike and talked about it all year and I remember Amanda and Jessica also being excited although not quite as prepared as Crystal was. But even with those two I didn't feel like I was pulling teeth to get them to pack up! So with that said I was VERY excited to finally see her put her PACKED gear on the trailer! At least waking her up at 4:15am this morning went better than I thought it would so I think she was excited but didn't want to admit it. Gosh I love girls camp they always come home with such sweet spirits and attitudes.

So here she is leaving the house bright and early this morning!

Loading her bags in the trailer. This stuff will go with the leaders to Camp LoMia where she will meet up with it tomorrow night at the cabins.

An excited bunch of 4th years!
Receiving last minute instructions before the prayer No smile for mom yet...gotta love teenagers!

There it is!
Finally loading her back pack on the trailer! I swear they should pass out awards to the moms at this point!
Last hug from dad and still smiling
The girls are drivng to Pine and hiking to Fossil Springs. They will pitch their tents, swim, hike, eat and sleep. Then hike into camp Lo Mia tomorrow and hopefully have a good testimony building experience the rest of the week. She will return home on Wednesday. Now she refused to take her good hiking shoes I bought her to wear on her pioneer trek. You know the ones that were good for some dozens of miles on her trek last spring...the ones that gave her ZERO blisters and cost mom and dad a small fortune! Instead she insisted on wearing this years CHEER shoes! No I'm not kidding! So I almost hope she comes home with a blister or two...oh yeah about that...she also refused to take the mole skin and blister repair kit my other girls took and were so grateful to have. Does that make me a bad mom to hope she gets a blister? Hmmmmm...... What I'm really hoping is that she has the time of her life, that she will always remember her 4th year hike and that she comes home with a stronger testimony of the Gospel and our Heavenly Father...of course a blister or at least sore feet would be nice! Oh and yes...I cried a tear or two to see my last daughter leaving on her 4th year hike!