Girls Camp, Skating Pics & The Heber Creeper

I returned home from stake girls camp yesterday and while I had a great time, it was really nice to get back to where there is a bathroom that isn't a quarter mile walk, electricity, my own bed, and a snorer who I can control. I didn't get any sleep, but the girls had a great time so mission accomplished! The stake theme this year was 'Steadfast and Immovable' and the stake leaders did a fabulous job planning activities along those lines. Here are a few pictures:

Goofing around

Dinner preparation

The BEAUTIFUL hike we went on. I know what you're thinking right now, "The hills are alive, with the sound of music..." Don't think we didn't sing that the whole way.

Kimi, Moses & myself.
The top!

Going down is always a little easier, and a little more fun.

Bishop Van Tienderen inspecting his cabob.

The testimony fire. It was COLD that night, but we had our testimonies to keep us warm. I know, I know that was intentionally cheesy.

Dani and I trying to stay warm...and sane.

I'm so proud of all my girls. They are a stellar bunch and were all really good sports about camping.

While I was camping, Layne was doing something else...

Here are some pictures his skate buddy took of him during their last "session". Looks to me like he's still got it. I've been wanting to go watch him myself one of these days, which would make me a "skate Betty". I suppose I'd have to sit off to the side along with all the "Groms" (little kids who are just learning to skate). I'm learning the lingo as I go here...




And now, for the BEST bad date story I have EVER heard, HANDS DOWN! This story is called 'The Heber Creeper' and is much better told in person, but because I can't call each one of you to tell it, I'm going to do my best to recreate it in print. First of all, this is a true story as told to me by a friend of the main character. Ok here goes.
A young man (we'll call him Steve) from Salt Lake City served his mission in South America. Upon returning home, he mustered up the courage to ask out a girl (we'll call her Jane) he really liked on a date. Steve decided it would be fun to take Jane up for a ride on the 'Heber Creeper' aka the Heber Valley Railroad. This train is so named because it doesn't go very fast and is actually infamous in Utah for being extraordinarily lame. We'll cut Steve some slack though because he was fresh off the mission. So fresh in fact that he hadn't yet shaken the parasite he brought home from South America. This parasite was of the variety that once you felt the urge to use the restroom, you had about 2 minutes tops before you exploded involuntarily.

Steve picked up Jane on a Saturday afternoon and began the hour drive up to the Heber Creeper station. As they neared the station, Steve began feeling the urge to go. Before even making it out of the parking lot however, Steve lost the battle with the parasite and COMPLETELY filled his britches. Not wanting to alert his date to the situation, Steve devised a plan to tell his date that he had promised some friends that he would bring them back some souvenirs from the gift shop. Steve picked out several items in the gift shop such as some post cards, magnets, a sweatshirt and a pair of shorts (which he intended to change into the first chance he got). He took his items to the counter, and when Jane wasn't looking, he told the cashier that he really only needed the shorts and that she could put the other items back. So the cashier rang him up, and he and Jane boarded the train.

Once aboard, Steve excused himself to the restroom with his souvenir bag. He stripped off his pants and garments that had been completely mucked and immediately threw them out the window of the train. After cleaning himself up as best he could, Steve opened the gift shop bag only to find to his utter horror, that that cashier had given him the sweatshirt and kept the shorts! Panic stricken, Steve tried his best to put his legs through the arms of the sweatshirt, but to no avail. Not only could he not get his feet through the arms of the sweatshirt, but his poop filled underwear and pants were somewhere in the woods at least a mile behind them! At this point, poor Steve could think of only one option, so climbed up to the window and jumped out of the train. Half naked, he walked the distance back to his car, got in, and drove home, leaving poor Jane alone on the train, wondering what had happened. Upon arrival back at the station, the confused Jane found Steve's car gone and had no choice but to call a friend for a ride home.

The next day, a beautiful bouquet of flowers arrived for Jane with a note that simply said,

"Dear Jane, I'm so sorry about yesterday. I hope you can forgive me.

-Steve"

And that was it. Jane never received any explanation for Steve's disappearance. When Steve arrived home half naked and was questioned by his room mate, Steve told him about what had happened in the strictest of confidence. As most people would do with a hilarious story like that, Steve's room mate blabbed, brining this sad but hilarious tale to us today. I hope this makes you think back with different eyes on your worst date stories! I'm pretty sure Steve wins the award!