Camp Candyland 2018

The call to be the Young Women's President that I received in April came with a lot of mixed emotions.  I really wanted to tell the Bishop he's got to be kidding to think with 4 kids and a job that I have any extra time in my life for such things.  Wouldn't it be better to call a stay at home mom for this?  But before I could wimp out the Bishop went into a tear jerking spill about this call coming from Heavenly Father and how he would magnify my time, energy and capacities to do it.   I also felt an overwhelming understanding about a revelation I had a few months prior.  Bart was applying for a new position with All State.  I was impatient awaiting their decision and as I was sitting in church contemplating our situation and I got a distinct impression about when he gets this offer are you willing to sacrifice more?   It calmed my nerves that he wouldn't get a rejection call but also got me thinking about the big pay raise Bart would be getting and how to best sacrifice more.  Well he got the position but the pay was the same.  A lateral move was Bart's response.  So a little confused about the second part of the revelation, I moved on and didn't think more about it until the Bishop extended the call to me and I instantly felt that the sacrifice part more meant my time.  The Lord had a hand in preparing Bart to get this new job to be home in  the evening hours to allow me to be gone then.  

As I began serving in this calling I was surprised at how much fun I was having.  The energy  from the girls and sisterhood with the others leaders has been wonderful but I couldn't shake feeling if only this call would have come in like 5 years.   Looking through my journal one day I happened across the entry the day I got sealed to Bart.   I had forgotten that the sealer told us that as we are faithful in the church callings will come most likely at inopportune times.   Once again I felt the Lord answering my question that sacrifice is not always on our time table.  

I also felt a little bitter that the call came right before summer with so much preparation with camp.   I soon met with the camp leader who gave me great anxiety with her passive I don't know what to do attitude.  The just released Young Women's President knowing she was moving at the end of the summer told me she recommended to the Bishop that they call new leaders before camp so they have a chance to bond with the girls.   I thought that seemed like a cop out for her.   I can humbly now say she was absolutely right.  Camp turned out to be just that an amazing way to bond with the girls and leaders and see why each leader I felt inspired to choose was meant to serve with me and the girls.

And we're off...

I love all these stinking girls (literally)

It was stake camp this year and when the church published new camp manuals that took out all the certificates it left us with extra time to just do nothing.   It stressed the camp leader out a bit but I think the girls liked the downtime best!

The stake provided an inspiring Faith Walk where the girls moved around to stations to hear about faith promoting stories from the YCL's.  They also had a fabulous fireside from a man who went from being an inactive youth to going on a mission to Haiti and there being kidnapped and escaping.   I loved when he shared that he later learned that at the exact time he was able to escape the Prophet and Apostles were in the temple ending a fast on he and his companions behalf.  

Our stake has a tradition called the singing rock.  I'm guessing at some point they all gathered around some rock and sung hymns but it has evolved to a gathering of all the wards on the field and each ward took their turn singing a specially selected piece.  Our ward chose "Amazing Grace" and Emily, Erika and Abby accompanied them on Ukuleles. 

The annual ward skits is always a treat for the girls to dress up and perform

The stake provided a fun afternoon of games!

The girls practiced some archery

The camp also had a zip line which the girls loved doing.  I was so proud of Emily she was the first one up on the zip line with no fear.   I've worried that Emily would just be in my shadow as we joined Young Women's on the same day but it's been fun to see her blend in with the other girls so well I hardly saw her and when I did it was surrounded by the girls.   

Lake Paddle II

I guess if you do something 2 years in a row it's a tradition right?    Well my kids think so and as soon as the smell of summer was in the air they all started talking about going to Lake Powell.  Aaron continues to call it Lake Paddle but this year my girls were obsessed to correct the word but Powell never would stick with him.


The kids had such a good time on Raquel's friends kid kayaks last year that we bought a couple of them and hauled them down there.  As much as they loved boat time with Jill, Raquel and Sarah on the boats they were also very content paddling around the shore and digging in the dirt and getting extremely dirty!  At the end of each day we all fell into bed totally exhausted.  The weather was cooler than last year and very windy.  Luckily we were on the shore when a wind storm came through but unluckily after tents, easy ups and the giant inflatable giraffe blew away we had no other choice but to endure the storm without shelter.    But like a bumper sticker once said "A bad day at the lake is better than a good day at work."     The next day was mostly beautiful and we had a blast playing on the lake spending quality time together.

Cedar Mountain Science Camp

Emily, Jane, Bentley and Bryler attended the SUU Cedar City Science Camp.   They loved all going together and from what I can tell pretty much stuck together as much as they could. Gotta love cousin time!   The camp sends home a video of all that took place.    Here are a few bad quality pictures I stole from my TV while watching the fun video.  The theme was the  magic of science.  It looks like they explored caves, did some science explosion experiments, made a solar ballon, made rock kits, volcanos, went hiking, made a bird nest, listened to scary stories at night, had a bunch of fire shows, Tai Chai water cycle dancing and according to Jane lots of laughing at night.  No wonder when I met up with them at Lake Powell they both had baggy eyes and happy faces and hearts!!

Aaron Preschool year 2017-2018

Aaron's teachers randomly throughout the year will call and have a conference call about how each of their students are doing.    The first time Mrs. Margaret called I was at work and she left the sweetest message about Aaron.  She said he is such a great helper in the classroom, is very nice to the other students and wants to be everyone's friends.  She also said he is a smarty pants and knows so much and is really excelling in her class.  She like his other teacher also said she is enjoying him in her class and is such a "Ray of Sunshine"

Aaron loved his time at Newcastle.   He loved making new friends, his teacher and I loved their excellent curriculum that involves music and developmentally appropriate hands on learning.  Here's a few pictures through the year his teachers shared with us.

Bring your dad to school day!!

Graduation/Spring Program

Aaron and his teacher Mrs. Margaret