YW Retreat

    Earlier in the year we our Stake was informed that we would not be having Stake Girls Camp, but would need to provide a girls camp for our own individual ward. Well, our girls really wanted to do a trip to Salt Lake, like the young men had previously done. We set a date, booked a house, made an itinerary, called it a YW Retreat and had such a wonderful time. There is so much to include from this trip and I don't have nearly enough pictures to represent it all. Since it's been several months since the trip, hopefully I can even remember everything that we did!!
    Thursday morning we went for a nature hike, which was close to our home and managed to squeeze some extra baptisms in at the Bountiful temple. Our house was right across the street from the temple so it made it easy for whoever wanted to run over for an hour and do some temple work. Later that afternoon we drove 15 minutes away to swim at a pool and play volleyball. It was a very fun-filled day.
    The highlight for me was definitely Friday, the day we spent on temple square. It started early in the morning where we met a wonderful woman named Kimmy who operated a non-profit organization called The Good Samaritan House. They provide sack lunches, between 500-700, every single day of the year. It doesn't matter the weather or if it's a holiday. It was incredible to watch the young women serve, some of them maybe even a little out of their comfort zone. Many got to hand out lunches at the door and speak to the homeless people that came. It was pretty awesome!
   After The Good Samaritan House, we popped over to the Church History Museum. We watched the short new video about the First Vision in their 360 degrees theatre after which everyone was let loose to explore the museum. They had an ACTUAL window from the Kirtland temple on display there. My mind was blown to think of all the spiritual and heavenly things that happened behind those window panes. So cool for me.  Lunch was pretty chaotic, but then we had another super cool opportunity. Through the connections of the Jensen's we were able to have a private tour in the Church History Library. We were able to go in to a couple of vaults, speak to several different employees who specialize in different kinds of restoration and preservation. But the highlight of that trip was being able to hold Brigham Young's cane and then reading straight from the ACTUAL manuscript of the Book of Mormon. The page that we got to read was from 1st Nehpi. So cool to able to see that document and see personally the script of that translation. That is something that will always stick with me.
    Once we were done at the library, we headed over to the temple to do baptisms. The Salt Lake Temple has a different and unique baptismal font and architecture throughout that makes going there so special. It's always a treat to watch the girls perform that work in the temple and to watch their countenances shine. To wrap up that crazy day, we had a speak, Chelom Leavitt come up to our house in Bountiful and give a little lesson. She was wonderful and original and got a little more out of the girls having them write a poem about their relationship with their Heavenly Father. It also helps that we have really awesome girls too!
   The last day we packed up and hit up Lagoon on the way home. Being pregnant meant a very relaxing day laying out and floating the lazy river. Thankfully, the girls were peppy for the drive home and we had some great conversation all along the way. It was an awesome trip, one I think the girls will always remember and will have had a positive impact on them for a long time! And thanks to Phil for holding down the fort at home with all the kids while mom was away!