Hey Girls and Boys! Fall in Fort Mac

This is the son of the YW First Councilor and his Ninja Turtles. He calls me "Young Women's." See my new living room rug? It is our anniversary gift this year, hand knotted in Mexico. I love it!
We recently had a cooking class at the house, Here Jessica is cutting squash for Calabacitas. She had just passed her Safe Cutting Test in a high school food prep class that afternoon.
Shelby and Jenny make a fresh salsa in a molcajete ( the stone mortar) that is over 100 years old. It belonged to my Grandmother Luciana Rede Franco. This is our Mexican Independence Day Dinner Celebration. We had Chile Colorado, Chile Verde, Frijoles, Arroz, Calabacitas, and Haagen-Dazs Mayan Chocolate and Dulce de Leche Ice Cream.
Dana, Jenny, Jessica, Bailey, and Wendy say "Buenas Noches y Adios."
After the boys got home from their mutual activity, they had a little dish too. Sam wants to know why the YM never have any good stuff for mutual. We had to explain to him that Scouts is the good stuff for him.

There was a women's weekend here a couple of weeks ago at the Sport and Wellness Center here in town. There were booths of vendors, and demonstrations. After the shopping, we all went out to dinner at Moxie's (a trendy restaurant here in town) and then to the movies to see Mama Mia. It was a great time out with my friends.

Here Diane looks at a new purse in her favorite colour. Her family just moved here from Lethbridge in southern Alberta. Her husband works at Casman with Alan.
Barb and Sid the pan man. We all bought pans from him, but his show was really good, and the pans are outstanding. I love mine. It is made in Germany from titanium, and you do not need water or oil to cook in it. And clean up is just a simple wipe with a dry paper towel. The pans are nearly indestructible. We will try out that theory at Girls Camp next year.
Jody, Barb, and Janelle with some of the spoils from the girls night out.

Last weekend, We all went to Edmonton for some shopping. Alan bought the boys suits, and then we hit Costco. I got a manicure and pedicure from a local shop, not the best, but it was nice to have it done for me.

Joseph hanging out after YW on Sunday with some of my girls.

Los Guapos del Norte. In other words, Los Tres Negros y el Otro. (not the 3 Amigos) As you can see, fall is on the way, and winter will surely follow
Hugs and Kisses, boy style.
"I look like a model." said Senor Suave.
"No, I look like a model. (Senor Suave, Junior)
Got a little Captain in you? Me neither.

...meanwhile, back at the ranch...

To keep up their "chick magnet" status, all the Simpson men are reading the Twilight Series. Joseph and Jacob are already finished with all the books.
"Look Ma, I can fly!"
How to celebrate the arrival of a new baby in a family: Get a pedicure, since you can now actually see your own toes again. To make it even better, bring along the baby's Auntie, and a cousin so everyone can get in on the action.
Dinner with Jim and Wendy. Jim works for Alan, and their family just moved to Fort Mac from SLC, Utah. They have 4 of 12 still at home. A son leaving to serve a mission in about 3 weeks, and 3 in high school. We are very glad they are here.
Bill and Wendy talk over dinner. Wendy made the curtains for the house with about $10 worth of fabric from a local store.

A favorite activity around these parts these days is to pick up a guitar and make up funny songs. Dinosaurs are the topic of this version. Sam is going to post it on youtube, so check it out, ya'll.
This is Bob. Bob is from Newfoundland. Bob is our new best friend. Bob installed our new kitchen cabinets, built-in buffet (shown), and kitchenette in the basement. We are so pleased to have the new cabinets. We are almost ready to throw a party to celebrate.
But before we celebrate, there is work to do in the backyard, so, "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go... "
First we order another load of top soil, and dump it in the yard, just like in California.
Then we eat one of the tomatoes we grew this year, just like in California. Our test garden yielded info on the poor condition of the native soil, hence the need to import more top soil (see above) It was reasonable though, only $400 for 10 cubic yards.

Raking the top soil to grade (spread some dirt on the locals)
And we try not to screw things up, especially with the slave-driver (dad) close by.
When the boss is away, the hired help will take unexpected breaks they think they earn every 5 minutes. They made a throne, and a small tunnel.
At the end of the day, we get to layout our plants, all purchased at a local garden center for 10 cents each. About half are perennials, and half are herbs, but for 10 cents, you cannot go wrong.
This is Bishop Harper. He loves to garden also, and has the most fabulous peonies and roses. And now I have the starts for some too! I am so excited to see how they do.

There Is Beauty All Around - Girl's Camp 2008

"This is the Place." This is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've been to, ever in my life. Sure, there is an abundance of snow in the winter time, but in the summer and fall seasons there is so much more available to see and do. The wonders of the beautiful Earth are breath taking.
This is a good spot to be alone for a minute or two, and you really need that quiet moment, to fully appreciate the beauty. This is Engstrom Lake, a mere 60 kilometers (40-ish miles) south of town.

Oh goody, out first visitor to camp. Double click on this photo to get a close up of the dragon fly. There were hundreds of them all around, which means there are less mosquitoes around too.

Off we go... Into the wild green yonder! Our hike was about 3 miles long, and while on the hike, we learned about the local plants, wild flowers, animals, etc. It is down this trail we found an obstacle course to play on for a few minutes. (More on that later)

Some of the local wild life. The evidence here was left by one of the locals, not by our YW.

And some of the local flora. These rose hips are from the Alberta Wild Rose, provincial flower. We also saw wild berry brambles, wild mint (which we used in our cooking back in camp), and lots of native trees and plants. Our exchange students were awestruck by the beauty of the area.

At the end of the day, we were all grateful for the beautiful world prepared for us by a loving Heavenly Father.

But as the night wore on, the spirit of the Miss Liahona pageant took over the camp, and the girls made quite a ruckus. Costumes were optional, but all the cool people were in costume. And what a wild party it turned into.

At the end of the show, the runner-up was crowned (the Beehive on the right), and in the event that Miss Liahona is unable to carry out her duties, she is ready to step up to take over the crown. The winner, by the smallest of margins, is: the beautiful, and talented Laurel on the left.

All the worries and concerns melt away once camp starts (and ends). It seems that there was a spirit of peace and understanding the settled in over the girls and the leaders. The beautiful environment was the perfect backdrop to the beautiful YW of our 2 Wards here in Fort Mac.

Girls Camp 2008 Activities

The end of the first day was capped off by a devotional by one of the laurels in our Ward. She is a natural leader, and a star basketball player in the high school. Her devotional was outstanding, and really set the tone for the rest of camp.

The next morning, right after reveille, boot camp was on for the campers. Up and at 'em everyone!

A few knots to pass the time until the fun and games began.

What is Girl's Camp without contests for fun and camaraderie. Three-legged races are never boring.

How to dress for success. This relay involved donning a fireproof safety suit from one of the Oil Sand sites, a nomex balaclava, and acid proof gloves. The race was around a pylon about 50 feet away, and back to help the next girl into the fashionable garb. I'm pretty sure the "peeking around the corner" is for speed, not to protect the innocent.

Our exchange students were by far the best with the golf ball relay. Many of the other girls got the hang of the chop sticks as the race progressed.

Crafts is always a vital component to the Girl's camp experience. Here the girls are making friendship bracelets.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!
A little more to the right, a little more... a little more... yeah, right there!
Snack Time! Any one want some pudding? Surprisingly, the mess was relatively small at the end of this event.

Here is another craft project. Make a marshmallow gun, then it is everyman (or young woman) for them selves. Some of the guns looked more like musical instruments, but they all eventually figured out how to shoot the mallows.

On our hike we encountered an obstacle course designed and constructed by some of the local Boy Scout Troops, including the Scouts from our Ward. A good time was had by all!

Anyone up for a little swim? This little guy did not seem to mind us at all, swimming back and forth often. Double click on the photo to zoom in on the little guy. Isn't he cute?

Sync or Swim -

In honor of the recent Olympic Games in China, some of the girls thought a little water ballet was in order.

Of course the water was a tad bit chilly, so a quick dip in the hot tub is just what the doctor ordered to warm up a bit.

Mmmmm, Good! - Girl's Camp 2008 Food

Everything tastes better when you make it yourself. And you know it also tastes better on fresh home made tortillas. Michelle made the dough at home, and taught the girls how to roll out tortillas at camp

In the foreground here are two of three Japanese girls, exchange students, who had never been camping before. They loved everything at camp. One of the girls is form Tokyo, one from Kobe, and one from Hokaido. They fit right in as though they had been here all their lives.

Cooking the Tortillas with a little smoke in the eyes too. In the foil package on the right is a fish caught by one of the brethren in camp (see below).

Our Cookies are great! All the girls took turns at the grill, or at the stove to prepare and serve meals.

Who ordered the fajitas?

One of the brethren at camp loves to fish, and brought his poles. He taught some of the girls how to fish also. This lake is stocked by Fish and Game with Rainbow Trout. The water is cool and clear, and the YW were the only ones on the lake for most of the time at camp. After learning how to cast...

A fish was caught. Actually two, but one was released because it did not seem to be as healthy as the one above.

This one goes back for another day.

After you catch a fish, you have to clean it before you cook it. As you might expect, some of the girls did not want anything to do with this part of the operation. Fish from the store is so much more convenient, and less messy, but not nearly as much fun.

Some spice, and some onions make the meal more delicious.

And viola! Fresh fish for dinner.


A hot tortilla, a little tomato, a little cheese, some lettuce and your choice of fresh trout or ground turkey. Mmmmmmmm. To quote a friend of mine, "It doesn't get any better than this."

With only 12 girls from 2 Wards in camp, there were plenty of opportunities to learn and to help. The verdict was unanimous, this was the best Girl's Camp experiences ever in Fort McMurray. The Leaders were able to share with all the girls, and the girls were able to share with each other.

What a wonderful experience! Let's do it again! (next year)