Well, let me just say that an unexpected phone call turned into a wonderful experience with my daughter Aubrey. Every year the girls who would be attending the annual LDS summer girl's camp for the 4th year have the unique opportunity to participate in a special hike/outdoor adventure. This year the girls were planning to travel to Sedona, Arizona to hike, camp overnight, and swim in a river that runs through the Sedona area. I actually was not invited to attend until the phone call form my friend, Jeff Edwards, two days before the activity. Unfortunately, one of the male leaders had hurt himself working out and would not be able to attend...since everybody knows that educators have time off in the summer, Jeff asked if I could fill in at the last minute. Of course, I said yes, but only if I could bring my daughter Aubrey along. Now keep in mind, that Aubrey does not really like to camp and hike a lot so I was not sure how she would react. As soon as Aubrey woke up, I was so excited when , without hesitating, Aubrey said that she would come with me. We had a wonderful time together hiking, sleeping in a tent, talking, and just being together in such an amazingly beautiful area of our country. I was also so pleased that the other female adults leaders treated her just like another adult. As we hiked and camped, Aubrey spent a lot of time talking with these women and I was so thrilled because these women are such great role models of what a true women and disciple of Christ should be. What a wonderful experience I had with Aubrey prior to her heading off to college in a few months.
Aubrey does her "hippie" pose at the trail head of our first hike up a canyon and along a river that we crossed multiple times.
Aubrey traverses the thrilling white water of the river...not!
Aubrey found these amazing flowers and I could not resist a picture
This picture provides a perfect look at the canyon that we were hiking in.
After a few miles of hiking, we reached our destination where Aubrey and I ate tons of "bad " food and explored all around the area....it really was beautiful and green.
Aubrey was fascinated with the colored rocks in this cliff.
WHo is looking all studly in this picture?
Back at camp, Aubrey reacts to another Jeff Edward's story?!
We are up bright and early the next morning in order to drive to the next location of our second hike.
On our way to the destination known as Devil's Bridge.
As you can see from the next set of pictures, the Devil's Bridge is a stone arch that you can actually walk on. Aubrey was VERY nervous to walk on it so I could get a picture of her.
This is all of the girls that were on the hike....can I just say that this picture made me VERY nervous!!!!
After the hike, we went to an area where you could swim in the river that went through Sedona. We actually started swimming in another small area but Aubrey and I discovered this much deeper and larger swimming hole...it was a blast swimming around and jumping off of the rocks.
