Sharing a memory from a busy summer! –The Little Gal and I have been experiencing a whirlwind of a summer. We already shared our summer vacation with you, but summer did not stop there. Summer vacation was only the beginning.
The Little Gal headed off to basketball camp shortly after we returned home. She does this four-day camp every summer and stays in the dorms at a local college. It is a great growing experience for her. (My goal is to send her to college, you know.) She came home for a week and then went to a special camp.
This “very special” camp is one that I highly recommend to you all. We had to apply to go and were on the waiting list when the Little Gal was bumped to the participant list. I may have been a little more excited than she was, but she can now attest that it was GREAT! The camp was held at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. It is called “Adventure Camp.” The campers stay in cabins on site for nine days and in outfitter tents for three. A total of twelve days away from mom! Little Gal did just fine. She spent her days being trained in and shooting shotguns, compound bows, pistols, rifles (including a 50 cal!!!), and muzzleloader, and even learned to cook peach cobbler in a dutch oven. She met and made friends with other little gals and guys from around the country. She was happy to come home but says the camp was “AWESOME!”
When the Little Gal came home from camp, she was elected as the Archuleta County Fair Princess. She was excited at the news and spent many hours representing her county and promoting the fair. Being a princess entails more than just waving in parades. She donated her time for her second year at a Jicarilla Horse Camp, where she led horseback rides and spoke to the kids about respect, responsibility, and how they also should represent their communities. Next, she donated her time for her fifth year at the Wolf Creek Outfitters Special Needs Horseback ride. The Little Gal enjoys helping the kids and loves seeing how excited they get when they ride a horse.
We also had a very special visitor who drug his family along to see us. Once they arrived, they didn’t want to leave. The visitor was one of my best friend’s son, Tyler. Tyler is 17 and has spinal muscular atrophy. The Little Gal was excited to be a part of granting his wish to go white water rafting. She also helped him shoot a crossbow for the very first time. We were excited to have our friends visit and sad to see them go.
We hosted our family reunion, and the Little Gal showed her “Adventure Camp” skills by baking peach cobbler. She also shared a bit of her life with her cousins by showing them her ducks, goat, pigs, dogs and horses.
Summer is not over yet. The Little Gal is getting ready to show pigs at the county fair and plans to continue influencing you all into the outdoors and prepare for hunting season. She only drew one Colorado hunting license this year, but it will be a first for her. In the remaining month of summer, she will be preparing for her first bear hunt!
