Random June Happenings:

Here’s just a random little thing that happened at work. And a super bad picture of me. Anyways! A lady staying at the hotel saw my name tag“Mallerie Bocanegra” and said, “Oh, I know a Laura Bocanegra!”

I said, “Really? That’s my aunt!” She replied, “Yeah, I taught with her at school.” I told her, “My aunt is still teaching.” She looked surprised. “Really? Wow, because it’s been a long time.” I said, “Yeah, over 30 years.” She asked, “Has it really been that long?” “Yep,” I said, “She owns her own school in Laie, Oahu.” The lady went on, “Wow, we taught together in California for years. I’ll never forget that tall blonde girl.” That’s when I realized… yeah… this was not my Aunt Lori. But at this point, I wasn't going to say anything, I was already too deep in the conversation, and I knew I’d probably never see her again, so why correct her? It didn’t matter. She even wanted to get a picture with me to send to “my aunt.” I forgot about it entirely until I stumbled across it in my camera roll later. So now, she gets a permanent spot on the blog, and we will never know if she actually knows the real Laura Bocanegra.

June started off with the best race in the world! The Ha‘ena to Hanalei Run! This route is honestly the most beautiful I’ve ever run. It has the ocean on one side, mountains on the other. The only downside is the brutal wake-up call at 3:00 a.m. to make the 4:15 a.m. shuttle. Then you sit at the start line until 7:00 a.m. in the freezing wind!!. Thankfully, we found the Summerhayes family from our ward. They’re about to start their new adventure as mission presidents, and it was so fun catching up with them. Best Day!

I ended up finishing a little faster than I did the year before, which blew my mind because I didn’t think I was running faster. I just wanted to enjoy the course. Last year was 1:04, this year was 1:03! Gavin got third place overall again, but ran way faster this time. We cheered on Ellie, John, and Maddie as they finished their half marathon. Big morning for all! And yes, there were all you can eat pancakes after for all the runners before I rushed off to work.

More pickleball with friends! And a cozy beach bonfire for Kate’s birthday. We also threw a little baby shower for Hannah at the Sheraton’s Beach. We painted seashells and had the cutest cookies Eve got for everyone.

We also had a goodbye party for Eve my very first friend on the island. She’s getting divorced and moving back home. Honestly, it was a sad party. She’s been the glue in so many friendships here, and it’s going to feel different without her. But I’m excited for all her new adventures and will always be cheering her on. It reminded me of a friendship quote I love: “Friends come and go. Some are silver, some are gold. Remember who got you to where you are in life, and look forward to all those who will get you through the rest of it.”I’m so grateful I met her and had such a solid friendship with her.

Dog walks with Keiki! I was dog-sitting for the weekend, so we went on nice walks and even had a play date with Rusty. We grabbed pizza and watched the sunset over the ocean. It was perfect evening one dog lover would say!

Also, I made my dad a ti-leaf lei for Father’s Day! It took hours to make. But I am so proud of myself. First you have to gather and freeze about 25 leaves, then after 24 hours, you braid and intertwine smaller pieces into the lei. It took me a long time. I was nervous to mail it to Utah because I thought it might dry out and look sad, but it held up beautifully. My mom txted me a picture of him wearing it to church. He looked great! All the dads wearing leis at church in Hawaii. I thought it was cool that my dad was doing the same but in Utah!

We also stopped by our new condo to check the progress and totally freaked out when we realized we could see through the windows! It’s finally starting to feel real, and we are so excited for it to be done! Also, love my new earrings!

Girls Camp in Koke'e

Planning Girls Camp starts about nine months in advance. This has been on my mind for quite some time. There’s is a lot of preparation that goes into camp, and I’m so glad all of that planning paid off because camp was incredible. I honestly wouldn’t change a thing!

Of course, in the months leading up to camp, I had my share of nightmares. In one dream, the bishop announced the men were coming with us, but didn’t want to participate in any of the activities we had planned, so we’d have to change everything. Another nightmare involved camp getting flooded so badly that we had to spend the whole time indoors just to survive. And the last one? All the girls bailing at the last minute. Happily, I can report that none of these came true! Our theme for Girls Camp came from Mosiah 18:21: "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." The theme was all about unity, and we shortened it to BOOT—Be Of One Troop. We gave the girls matching camo bandanas, bags, and sweatshirts. Because, let’s be honest, nothing makes you feel closer than dressing alike! We met at the church, where music was playing, bubbles were floating, and our big banner was out. Nicole was amazing at adding these little details that make things extra fun. Once we were loaded up, we headed for Waimea Canyon!

I had told the girls to bring their own lunch for the first day, since we weren’t providing it as a ward. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell the priesthood. They were very concerned about food, so they stopped on the way to grab lunch… forgetting that the girls’ sack lunches were already in the coolers in the back of their truck. While they were eating out, we were waiting for our lunch! We sang songs, played get-to-know-you games, made our camp poster, and set up assignments. It was a great start.

Camp Koa Hale in Waimea Canyon is breathtaking. We had ten cabins (each sleeping 16), plus a huge lodge and kitchen. There was a zipline, game room, showers, flushing toilets the works I tell you! This was the place for camp.

That first night, we had a delicious pasta dinner followed by a devotional FHE hosted by the Lihue Ward. Jaiden spoke about the importance of loving yourself and speaking kindly to yourself. We ended with cinnamon rolls and a sound bath led by Kat Clark. Some of the girls got so cozy they started snoring, which led to plenty of giggles.

Camp was filled with amazing food (shout-out to Eve!), crafts, and activities. I was honestly shocked at how many bracelets the girls could make. Each girl started camp with a friendship bracelet labeled with a specific quality. For example: kindness, bravery, good listener, etc. Whenever someone spotted a camper showing that quality, they’d swap bracelets. It was so fun watching them trade all week long.

One afternoon, right before our hike, it started to drizzle. The girls prayed for a downpour because they didn’t want to go. I knew if we skipped it, they’d just have hours of free time, so I announced, “I’m in charge we’re going!” There was plenty of moaning and groaning, but into the trucks we went.

I forgot that some of these 11-year-olds are basically babies... I think this was when it comes to hiking. They were constantly slipping, wearing Crocs, and leaving their water bottles on the trail never to be seen again. But the hike turned out to be gorgeous! Because of the light rain, we had the whole place to ourselves. Every girl ended up swimming in the falls, and suddenly no one was complaining about being wet. On the way out, some even said it was the best day of their life. That’s when I remembered if even one girl’s life is touched by Girls Camp, it’s all worth it.

The drive back to camp was… eventful. I was driving Kassidy’s truck, thinking it had four-wheel drive. It didn’t. We slid all over the place until it got downright dangerous. The girls piled out, and the leaders tried pushing the truck. After an hour of struggling, we thought we might need a tow truck. Thankfully, with some determined pushing, a few prayers, and the girls cheering like crazy from the bed of the truck in front of us, we made it back! Muddy, tired, but safe.

That night ended with warm soup and an epic glow-in-the-dark dance party/karaoke night. Even our newly called stake president joined in. I didn’t always understand the girls’ song choices, but it didn’t matter the party was theirs.

The next day brought more activities before the girls headed off-site to practice their skits. While they were gone, I helped transform the dining hall into our Uni-tea Party (get it? Unity + tea). Rusty and Danielle White helped set the scene with cucumber sandwiches, homemade cupcakes, punch, and fruit. We had color balloons hanging from the ceiling and cute place mats. All the colors! It was dreamy. The girls loved it though they still asked a million questions about “what’s next.” Eventually, I had to ban questions altogether so they’d just enjoy the moment.

That evening’s skits were hilarious. One group acted out all the leaders, and I got crazy and smashed a cell phone like a drill sergeant.

The Faith Walk was the highlight of camp. Before testimony meeting, we set up a peaceful path lined with photos of each girl and her favorite scripture, along with beautiful artwork of Christ and artist notes explaining the pieces. At the end, each girl received a letter from her parents, which they read quietly before gathering at the fire.

Testimony meeting was powerful. So many girls shared simple, heartfelt testimonies about Jesus and what they’d learned at camp. They even expressed gratitude for all the leaders’ efforts, which touched me deeply.

On the last day, we sang our favorite camp songs, watched a recap video, and handed out awards. Every single one of those 18 girls is so special, and I feel incredibly blessed to have spent the week with them. Girls Camp for the win. Truly. I wouldn’t change a thing. It was an experience I’ll never forget. I learned that being part of God's work is one of the most fulfilling things you can do with your life. And for that I am forever grateful!

Afterward, the leaders celebrated in the hot tub—relieved, happy, and so grateful that all our hard work had paid off.