Number 35

Go to girls camp.

     I love girls camp. I really do. This year the theme was "Race to the temple." It was incredible! To kick off camp, we walked to the Jordan River temple. Yes, we walked 17 miles starting at 5am all the way there. As we walked, we related our journey on the trail to our journey through life. We called them "temple tips."(Thank you Mom for the cute name.) It was amazing how many there really were. For example, sometimes we have to "choose the right, but hang a left" because life doesn't always go as planned. We have to listen to the spirit. After being in that environment for so long and really pondering my life and progress towards the temple, we started getting really close. When we were about two miles away, people started breaking down. People sat down on the ground and said they couldn't go any further. While picking people up, I was reminded that the closer you get, the harder it seems. I was thinking about just that when we entered the temple grounds, and all of our families surprised us by being there, cheering us on. I looked at my mom who walked it with me, and just started to cry. It's going to be amazing when I finally make it there.

   

     Of course we had the actually camping part as well. For those of you (who shall remain nameless of course) who make fun of me for being so clean, I will have you know that I did not shower the entire time I was up there, so bite me.

    

     My mom did such a good job. We had so much fun! I won a pink flamingo. Named Stevie. In a minute to win it game. I was determined. He was proudly stationed outside my tent for the remainder of camp, and has now taken up residency in my closet. He's cool. We also ate a lot of delicious food. I was definitely a fan. Oh, an we made some cool crafts. I was definitely a fan of that too. And we sang a lot of obnoxious songs. They were great. And we glow stick danced. Best thing ever! And we hiked. That was fun. And we played games. Who doesn't love games? And I learned to shuffle. Best new talent ever! And we had testimony meeting. I love testimony meeting.

  And camp was basically the greatest.

Number 34

Go to EFY 

     I kind of love efy. A lot actually. It might be one of my favorite things in the whole world. It's right up there with Disneyland, the color purple, great music... you know, all of the finer things in life. ;) This time was no different of course. In fact, this was probably my favorite efy I've ever been to. I learned a lot of things while I was there. I learned a lot of things about the gospel, other people, and even about myself. I also learned a lot about my relationship with the Savior, and that my friends, is an absolutely beautiful thing. He really did live and die for us, and he loves you. I promise. 

EFY 2011

 EFY! Anyone who has embarked on this great adventure would understand that it just cannot be put into words, therefore, take a look at these, um...., fantastic pictures!

Unseen+a cool guy in a monster suit! I love you guys!

Lookin' sharp boys!

Hey Sid! We match!

Can I tell you a secret? Trey is 6'3". I was pretty proud of myself at this moment!

Ken and Sid! P.S. Hey Sid, you might want to put your eyeballs back inside your head...you might want them later!

I got to wear the company flag! "Who are we?" "UNSEEN!"

The S.P.I.C.E. Crew! Minus me of course!

My counselor Kari and I! I love you Kari!!!

Playing "Go Fish" with High School Musical face cards in a hall we weren't supposed to be in...oops.

Almost caught by the boys for an inescapable lung crushing bear hug!

They got me!

I'm flying! Do you want to know what was really going through my head at this moment? "Trey, if you don't catch me, I'm going to kill you!" But it's ok, look at the sheer concentration on his face! :)

Dog Pile!!! Guess who's at the bottom? Yep, my counselor Tanner!

All nighter Friday night! Wooo! This is me, looking through "the eye" to make sure the BC's weren't in the lobby!

"Real men sleep under the bed." I guess that makes me a man?

Did you know if you lick someones elbow while they aren't looking they won't feel it? Yep, we warned J not to fall asleep!

What can keep you awake all night? Yep, "purple stuff," and lots of it!

Steavie, the dorm rock, was hungry!

My roomie Becca....and Christian? Hey! What are you doing in there!? ;)

Did you get enough food Sid?

I could get used to this! ;)


Thanks for an amazing week guys!

Youth Conference 2011- "The Living Water"

For youth conference this year, my ward went up Provo Canyon to go camping and boating on Deer Creek. This weekend has been my very favorite part of summer so far! I don't know how to put it all into words, and to be honest, we were lacking so much sleep it probably wouldn't be very funny unless you were there, so to save you time and boredom, I will just give you a top 10 list.
1. Boating
2. Jumping and switching tubes
3. Playing Corners down the canyon at 40 miles per hour...in the middle. (Sorry boys!)
4. Brother Ellis and his Pinkie Pie pony.
5. 50 year old bikers. (Yes Landon, we know you liked it ;)
6. Sister Gower and Sister Stingers stories!
7. Sitting around the camp fire until 3 am.
8. Corners down the Canyon time two/Abby and Landon's face marks on the windows.(Gross!)
9. Chandler...keep digging that hole ;) Sister Gower does not personally know Ulysses S Grant (She's not that old), I am not 12 (I know what  you meant), and yes, Sister Stinger is pregnant (and does not dance!)
10. The unity that was born, the friends that were made, and the spirit that was felt there.

Oh the Places You'll Go

Day 5

        Where have I been....um...nowhere? Ok, I have been to California, Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming, but then again, who hasn't? To fulfil the challenge, here is a picture of my cousin Asay and I in Disneyland.

     You see, this is rather boring. The places I would like to go, however, I don't think many people have gone. I have a secret desire to visit white, gold, green, pink, and black coastlines around the world. Many people go to white and golden coastlines, but pink, green, and black!? They are so pretty. I better start saving my pennies!

White coastline (Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay, New South Wales, Australia)

Golden Coastline (Virgin Islands, Caribbean)

Pink Sands (Harbour Island in the Bahamas)

Green Sands (Hawaii)

Black Coastline (Hawaii) 

efy!!!

     How I love efy! Its like living outside the world. I had the chance to go to efy two weeks ago with my dear friend Madison Amelia. You can truly feel the spirits of all the righteous youth surrounding you. I had no idea there were that many good youth in the world. The spirit is so strong there and if you're listening you can learn so many new things and get important personal revelation. My company was the best! There were so many good kids and I made so many new friends. When I came home I felt so good and was ready to take on the world. I hope I can make it last and keep all the good new habits I learned there.

The adventure of a life time

The adventure began last Thursday. I traded in the comfort of my home and bed for a tent and a wet sleeping bag, the hot sunshine for pouring rain and 80mph winds, my Lehi home for a prairie in Wyoming, a luxurious car for a handcart on wheels, and yes, my most comfortable T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers for a full pioneer dress, bonnet, and raincoat. What does all this trading equal? The best week of my life at the Lehi Gateway stakes Trek!

When I began my adventure, I was not sure what to expect. I thought, "sure, its going to be a great experience, but I already know a lot about the pioneers, what more do I have to learn?" It turns out a lot! I thought I already knew about the suffering they went through and the hardships they faced on their perilous journey, but it turns out, I had no idea! I never knew how much it hurt to have soaking wet shoes and socks for an entire two days. Or how much pain is involved to watch your tent collapse when the never ending 80mph winds rip and shred your tent right before your eyes, as everything inside including your only dry pair of clothes, your sleeping bag, and any other possessions allotted in your 17 pound bucket are completely soaked, with no hope of anything drying out because the rain never stops. Or how emotional it is to be in Martins cove, where you can almost hear the wolves tearing and eating the dead loved ones of the courageous Martin handcart company.

I don't know how the Martin and Willy handcart companies did it. Its a complete mystery to me how anyone could have that much courage, or that much faith. The theme of our trek was "fresh courage take." It turns out we needed a lot of courage as lightning flashed right outside our tents, and as our small campsite was torn apart by the raging wind. Or even as we had to keep telling ourselves, just take one more step, even though as we took that step, we could hear the water squish out of our shoes, just to be filled with more water in the next step. Or for me, to lead my family through the wind and rain as the big sister (or youth leader) everyone looked to for advice as to know what to do next. Then again when I had to play "prayer of a walking child" in martins cove, when I was crying so hard and filled with such strong emotion that I could not see my challenging music. Then again and again as we saw a hill ahead we would have to pull our handcart over, knowing it would take all our strength.

I think it took the most courage of all to hear President Ogden bring us the news, that we would have to leave a day early. Even though we were all soaked to the bone, and the missionaries told us there would be a foot of snow in the morning, no one wanted to leave. Yet, we once again pulled all our courage and faith we had left, and ran into the raging, never ending storm to our tattered ripped apart campsite and loaded the handcarts one last time to pull them to the buses. I had never before in my life, and probably never will see again so much determination and fire in so many young teenagers eyes. Over the course of the trip, the spirit was so strong. The veil was so thin, and everyone felt so close to God. Many people saw visions of the pioneers, and we could feel their presence among us, walking with us, and daring us to take one more step, and giving us the courage to do so. The young men weren't just young men anymore. They were like the Valley boys who rescued the Martin handcart company. They were lifelines again and again to the young women. I am not sure how many times I was offered the only dry clothes they had left, or how many boys surrounded my tent holding it up through the storm so I would have somewhere sheltered to sleep that night. No one wanted to leave the place where so many miracles happened, but we gathered our courage, and helped each other load the buses, and come back to the comfort of our homes, back to the sunshine of Lehi, back to our real families, back to dry clothes and shoes, back to home. I found even though we were no longer in the incredible place, we still had the lasting friendships, the lasting memories, the lasting courage, and the lasting faith we had gained there.