Camp Occoneechee

To finish off this year of Brownies, Katelyn and I had our first adventure together at Girl Scout Camp -- yes, broken leg and all. This was her first overnight camping trip and she definitely didn't want to miss it. Since it was just for one night we figured we'd give it a try. So diligently following the packing list, we bought ponchos and garbage bags for the cast in case it rained (which thankfully it didn't), managed to find a pair of long pants that would fit Katelyn(someone tell me why we needed long pants when it's 90 out and there's no air conditioning?), bought an extra outdoor camping-grade sleeping bag (again 90 degrees - so why the need for more than a sheet?) and we were off.

Upon arriving, we were lucky to be able to switch campsites with another larger troop. So, instead of having a 40 yard uphill hike to the shared bathrooms, our cabin had a bathroom inside and was level with the dining hall. Two key benefits that I would quickly come to appreciate. Only 5 of the 10 girls in our troop were able to make it. Here they are in front of our cabin:

The main activity Friday night was a campfire - complete with lots of singing and Smore's. While not one of Katelyn's favorite treats, she managed to be a good sport and force one down.

The hike down to the campfire was quite an adventure. Lucky for me our troop had 3 other moms very willing to help. We all took turns giving Katelyn piggyback rides. But as you can imagine the hike back - uphill, in the dark, around 9:30 at night was even more interesting. I was very glad lights out was at 10pm....but as you can see below the girls weren't quite as ready to call it a night.

It was a good thing I was exhausted though, because it made it much easier to sleep in a very hot cabin on top of a very warm sleeping bag in a bunk bed.

Saturday the girls woke early and we had a full day of activities. We hiked to Terabithia to build homes for the fairies, caught bugs, created lots of butterfly craft projects and made soap.

In the end, it was a hot, sweaty, exhausting trip, but it was well worth it and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.