Arise and Shine Forth: What I Learned about Camping

From our beautiful business-like experience at Sun Valley we drove straight to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho (the opposite side of Idaho) for Youth Conference (we were the coordinators this year). The conference had started earlier that morning, so we knew we would be coming right after they arrived from the swimming complex. We saw some wonderful scenery along the way. 

This was right by a bunch of Lava called Craters of the Moon or something like that...

It was fun to get out and walk around on our long drive.

I love this man so much :)

Then we arrived at the campsite, which I had arranged. *Note: Yes, I Katie arranged the camp location for youth conference. Me. Who knows nothing of camping. I picked Smith's Trout Haven. Sounds delightful doesn't it? Anything with the word "trout" in it adds appeal and intrigue. 

All jokes aside, I was actually pleased with the campsite. It was beautiful near a river with a precarious bridge and cute, old red benches. 

This is where the girls stayed. 

We had fun eating tinfoil dinners, which were actually delicious: meat balls, hash brown patties, cream of mushroom, peas, and carrots. I was so impressed. We had our speaker, the Pocatello institute director, come and speak to us, and he talked about setting goals so the youth could "arise and shine forth"--our theme. We then had a testimony meeting--I always love those. After going to the hot pots, the youth sat around and had s'mores and sang by the campfire. 

At this point, I was in heaven. "I love camping," is what I told Ben over and over again. He doubted my enthusiasm. I loved looking at the stars, the sounds of nature, the tinfoil dinner and the s'mores. What was there not to love!? So we retired in our own little tent without pillows, we forgot those...and after waking up several times in the middle of the night, I woke up to a loud, obnoxious heron for the final time and  announced, "I hate camping!" I got no sleep, was absolutely freezing all night, every joint in my body was aching, and somehow I received eight wondrous mosquito bites. Then and there I decided I like being in nature and then retiring to my OWN bed. 

The next morning we went on a hike to paint the L on Lava Hot Springs. Here are our brave youth, and I mean BRAVE. We hiked with no trail, large paint buckets, and were on the steepest terrain I have ever experienced. 

Did I mention I don't do well with heights? Luckily, the youth are braver than I am and were good sports. They even helped me down the mountain because it was so steep, and I was scared I would slide right on down. Such dear girls :) We then went tubing on the river after our hot and tiring journey. It was a short youth conference with much bonding and I learned, once again, our youth are such examples of "arise and shine forth."