High Five for Friday

Last week I didn't even bother writing a H54F post because honestly there wasn't a lot to be HIGH FIVING about.  But this week has been better.

1.  All teenage drivers in the house have earned back their driving privileges after a very long week of ground-ation.  And we are currently all speaking to each other.  

2.  No doctors appointments this week.  No trips to InstaCare or the ER.  No major catastrophes.   Although Megan was sure that she needed to be checked out of school early yesterday.

3.  No fish have died this week.  Yep, Taquito killed lost another roommate last week.  This one was a gift from Savannah's sweet friend, Casey.  She felt bad after Empanada died, so she bought a cute orange beta named Nacho.  Nacho lived for about two weeks.  Taquito did not love him.  Apparently he prefers solitude and a spacious tank.  

4.  Spring weather! (Except for Wednesday, when the temperature dropped to 40 degrees and it poured all day long.)  Blue skies the rest of the week, though.  Love living in Texas in April. 

5.  Date Night tonight!!  Hopefully with Dave and Jeanette.  CAN'T WAIT!!

Sisters

I did not grow up with siblings.  So things like sharing, contention, fairness, competition and rivalry are a mystery to me.  

Last week we had a few challenges with sisterly love in our house.  Not everyone wanted to include ALL of their sisters in their fun ideas.  Not everyone was very nice to their sisters when they had to include them anyway.  And not all the sisters in our house were being very agreeable.  

Some privileges were taken away.  Some sisters were grounded indefinitely.  Some sisters were threatened with potential roommates if they didn't figure out how to love EVERYONE in their family pretty darn quick!  (It's all I could think of...thank goodness I didn't have to follow through on that one...I had visions of the fish incident happening on a much larger scale!)

This week has been much better.  Long lectures on love at home have been given.  Reins have been tightened.  People have come to their senses.  And sisterly love abounds once again.

I thought I'd post evidence (since it's Throwback Thursday) that they love each other more than they frustrate each other, that it was actually a good idea to have more than one child, that they're learning good lessons from this sisterly experience, and that eventually they'll be friends.  

"She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities.  She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway.  She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark.  She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink.  Some days, she's the reason you wish you were an only child." - Barbara Alpert

Fine Arts Night

The fourth graders had Fine Arts Night at McKay's school last night.  The Scout Master is still in Chicago and the older girls were off at the library studying, so Emma was my companion for the night.  We had such a fun time listening to these cute kids play their instruments.  And she had fun reminiscing with her old teachers and friends.  I can't believe we've lived here long enough for her to be able to reminisce!

There was a huge group of kids playing recorders and then another handful who were also playing xylophones.  McKay volunteered to learn both.  They played variations on a lullaby that the kids had composed themselves.  So cool!

He came straight from golf lessons to his concert, so he still had his name tag on and he was wearing the I <3 BACON shirt.  Oh well...at least we're real, right? Nothing pretentious or stuffy about a shirt that proclaims your love of bacon.  

You'd never know I took a photography class by looking at these pictures.  I had such a hard time coordinating the low light in the gym, the distance I was away from McKay, and all the other moving "subjects" in my shots.  I really need to get this camera out more often and practice.  

Oh, how I love that cute face!  Even a little blurry, you can still tell he's adorable.  <3

Calming the Storms

"So, the great test of life is to see whether we will hearken to and obey God's commands in the midst of the storms of life.  It is not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage."  - Henry B. Eyring, October 2005 General Conference, Spiritual Preparedness:  Start Early and Be Steady

My little storms seem so mundane compared to the great trials and challenges that some people have to face.  I wonder sometimes if I could ever manage the bigger things since I'm always so stuck in these small ones.  

This morning I woke up distracted by a couple of small things that happened yesterday.  I was worried that I had offended people.  I was worried that I had ruined things beyond repair.  I was worried that I needed to do something to fix them, but doubtful about my ability to do that.  

When those kinds of little storms happen for me, I often let them linger in my head for so long that they become HUGE storms and they color the day for me.  This morning, I couldn't seem to gather my thoughts into anything useful, and I could feel the storm getting bigger, so I texted the Scout Master, who is in Chicago.  I think it was 6:00am there, too, but I'm not sure.  I can never keep the time zones straight.  I'm pretty sure I woke him up.  

I poured out my worries and doubts, and within a few minutes he texted back calm and rational responses.  

And they were just what I needed to point me in the direction that would be the most beneficial.  I finished getting breakfast, lunch, and kids ready for the day.  I locked all the doors and turned off all the distractions.  I decided against the chocolate chips.  And then went to my room and prayed.  I poured out all those same doubts and worries to Heavenly Father, too.  And that quote up there is what I heard in response.  (I had heard that on Friday and again yesterday in Institute, so apparently it was readily available because Someone knew I was going to need it.)

I decided to listen to the whole Conference talk from October 2005.  And yep, guess who's voice that is?  Henry B. Eyring's.  Someday I'll have to tell that man what a huge influence he is in my life.  He said this other great thing, too...

"There is another even more important preparation we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us.  That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time.  What we will need then can't be bought.  It can't be borrowed.  It doesn't store well.  And it has to have been used regularly and recently.  What we will need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation.  It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends."

and this... 

"We will need to have developed and nurtured faith in Jesus Christ long before Satan hits us, as he will, with doubts and...lying voices saying that good is bad and that there is no sin.  Those spiritual storms are already raging.  We can expect that they will worsen until the Savior returns."

Although I'm sure my little storms are not exactly what President Eyring had in mind when he wrote that talk in 2005, those things he warns of are exactly what I feel when they hit.  I hear voices of doubt and worry.  I second guess things I already KNOW for sure.  I don't trust my instincts.  And the noise in my head drowns out the whisperings of the Spirit.

I am grateful to have been redirected today, that the storm only raged until 8:30, that it has now been sufficiently calmed, and that there were no chocolate chips involved.    

I am grateful for words that sink in, from people I trust and can count on. 

And I am overwhelmed at the compassion, perspective and spirituality that my husband has developed over the last two years.  I don't know if it's his calling with all those little 12 year old scouts that has refined him, or having a wife with a lot of little storms to calm, but he has become the consistent and reliable voice of reason when I can't seem to hear it in my own head.  He is always patient with whatever storm I happen to deflect his way.  And he knows me well enough that he can say the things that will be the most helpful with the fewest number of words.  I'm so grateful that he is available when I can't quite get myself to the praying step on my own. 

Youth Conference Choir and a LAUNCH Update

A few weeks ago, I was asked to organize the youth in our ward to sing for the upcoming Youth Conference on April 27-28.  The song they picked was Jenny Phillips' Stand in Holy Places.

I'm not sure if I posted about this in September or not, but I was definitely stalking this music all through the fall.  I bought the CD as soon as it was available.  I played it regularly in the van with the girls captive so they could hear this song and have it ingrained in their little heads.  In January, when the new theme had officially been launched and I no longer looked like a YOUTH THEME stalker, I posted this video.  I am in love with this song!  

In January, our YW President asked me to teach the girls one of the songs from this CD, but I was disappointed to find out it wasn't this one.  The song turned out beautifully.  We sang it for New Beginnings and again in Sacrament, but I still felt a void because I KNEW that the youth were supposed to sing Stand in Holy Places.  So when the Stake YW President emailed me in March and asked me to have our ward prepare this song, I was thrilled.  Jumping up and down may have happened.  

I had already bought the sheet music and played through it several times, so I felt like I could definitely tackle this assignment.  But as I played it, I realized this was a bigger song than the youth in our ward would be able to do on their own.  But I also knew that we were supposed to sing this song.  So now what???  And then the train started running, as it sometimes does in my head, and I had the inspiration that this should probably be a Stake Youth Choir instead of just a ward thing.

...and then I panicked...   

Because that's how it works in my head.  I have the best ideas and I can SEE and HEAR how they're going to look, and then it's instantly followed by doubt and worry and panic.  ugh...

The following week, I had to fight a little bit of a battle to convince the other people involved that this was a great idea, but eventually I found two people who were willing to champion my cause.  Hallelujah for champions...  

A handful of kids, mostly from my ward, showed up for our first rehearsal and it went really well.  And then there was a Priesthood Encampment and Easter, so we lost a little momentum.  I scheduled a rehearsal for 1:30 on Sunday between Conference sessions.  (I know, what was I thinking??)  And then I held my breath all week that anyone but my two daughters and the pianist's son would show up.  I was such a nervous wreck yesterday it was ridiculous.  I spent the morning making a billion cookies, and hoping that we would have at least a small handful of teenagers willing to sing.  

At 1:00, I dragged Savannah, Megan, Casey and Gladys (Megan's bass) to the church with me.  The pianist was there with her wonderful son who is always willing to sing.  And the six of us waited and waited for others to arrive.  By 1:25, one of my champions had shown up to offer his support, but no other youth.  

...dejection was about to set in...

And then a pair of brothers came, and then a handful of girls I didn't even know from another ward (hooray!  the message had gotten out!)  And by 1:35 I had run out of music to hand out.  Over 25 kids came to that rehearsal yesterday afternoon, on a Sunday when they didn't even have to leave their house or get out of their jammies!  I gushed and gushed about how grateful I was that they all showed up.  And then we started singing...I was completely overwhelmed with emotion at how amazing they sounded, especially the boys.  They sang beautifully, with conviction and confidence, and I saw my little vision becoming a reality.  Of course it did, because it wasn't MY vision.  It was Heavenly Father's.  He knew in September that we needed to sing that song.  

I wonder if He ever gets frustrated with my lack of faith?  I wonder if He wants to shake me when I let my fears and doubts get in the way of His plans?  I'm grateful that He moves mountains for me anyway, even when I don't think He can.  I love leading this song.   I love that Heavenly Father thought I could do this even though I still wonder sometimes if I can.  I love that He brought 25 kids to the church yesterday so that I could have the opportunity to LAUNCH yet another scary thing.  I love that this is all coming together.

Conference Weekend Part 2

We had such a great day listening to Conference again.  We invited our sweet friend, Casey, over to watch it with us, and started the day with yummy breakfast burritos...always a huge hit in our house.  I love to watch Casey as she listens to Conference.  She takes notes on every talk.  Today she counted the number of times the talks said something about baptism.  And because she had prepared herself to hear the words of the Lord, she recognized the frequency of that word BAPTISM as a personal message to her to ask her parents, yet again, for permission to be baptized.  I am so grateful for the continued association we have with this amazing young girl who is so faithful and so sure of her testimony.  She is an example to all of us.  And someday, I hope soon, we will all have the pleasure of being witnesses as she steps into the waters of baptism.  We are all anxious for that day.

There were so many talks throughout the weekend that stood out for me.  

Elaine S. Dalton's talk on being virtuous daughters of God.   I will miss her so much as the General YW President.  She has been an amazing example of an articulate, confidant, spiritual woman who we could all look up to.  
Elder Craig Cardon's talk on the healing power of the atonement.  "The Savior wants to forgive."  
President Henry B. Eyring's talk on drawing closer to the Lord through our service, our obedience and keeping the commandments of God.  
Rosemary Wixom's talk on the power to influence our children.  Today I let myself say to my children more than a handful of times, "I love everything about you!"

The thing I love the very most about Conference is that we have the ability to listen to the words of church leaders over and over again, as many times as we choose to or need to.  I LOVE that so many of the talks that have touched me the very most have been used in Mormon Messages.  The beautiful videos along with the words of my favorite speakers narrating throughout become such an added visual, and help to cement those words more deeply into my heart as well as the hearts of my children.  

I love that the church website offers nearly-instant access to the Conference talks in written, audio, and video format.  

I love that the sessions of Conference can be recorded on the DVR so that I can go back immediately or the next afternoon and re-watch Conference all over again.  I love that we can also use it to rewind a talk and catch something we may have missed.  This afternoon when Elder Jeffrey R. Holland started to speak, we were not quite finished making a late lunch.  We all let out a collective groan when we heard the announcement that Elder Holland would be the first speaker.  I tried to hurry the food process along, but it was loud and distracting for everyone.  Thankfully, the Scout Master remembered the miracle of technology that we have available and he paused the afternoon session for about 15 minutes until we could all get our plates and get settled to hear every word Elder Holland had prepared.  That was a talk I'm sure I will be listening to repeatedly over the next few weeks.  

I saw this Mormon Messages video on another blog this morning and thought I'd pass it along.  As everyone has already heard way too many times, President Eyring is always my favorite speaker in Conference.  His voice is the one I recognize.  His voice is the one that calls me from other rooms.  His voice is the one Heavenly Father uses most often to speak directly to me. 

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng

I am so grateful for the uplifting and hopeful words that we were able to immerse ourselves in over the weekend.  I can think of no better way to spend a weekend than gathered with the people I love the most in the world, watching and listening to the inspired leaders of our Church.   

Conference Weekend

Twice a year, on the first weekend in April and the first weekend in October, the general leadership of the Church convenes for a worldwide broadcast from Salt Lake City.  Several thousand people attend in person, and hundreds of thousands more listen via TV, internet, or satellite broadcast.    

Oh, how I LOVE Conference Weekend!   For us, this weekend means: family, jammies, amazing food, and the opportunity to listen to 8+ hours of inspired guidance from church leaders and beautiful music.  I look forward to this weekend every 6 months.  

This time, I was so involved in the food and the conference itself, that I didn't take a single picture or write down a single note.  I was too busy trying not to miss anything.  

Since there were no baseball games, scout camp outs or photography classes today, we slept in.  At 10:30am we had french toast and strawberries for breakfast (well, THEY had that.  I had whole wheat toast with almond butter.)  And promptly at 11:00am, we turned on the BYU channel to hear the voice of the Prophet right in our own living room.  

I was completely overwhelmed today thinking about the enormous blessing that technology is in our lives.  We don't have to walk several miles and pitch our tents at the foot of a giant tower and hope to be able to hear the words of the prophet.  We don't even have to get dressed in Sunday clothes and travel to the nearest church building for a satellite broadcast.  We can just roll out of bed (or not) and turn on the TV or the internet to hear the words as they are being spoken.  We are so abundantly blessed by the convenience of modern day life.  

And did you notice that we witnessed a little piece of history being made right there in Conference??  The first woman EVER to say a prayer in General Conference.  That is such an exciting thing.  I've read the articles and seen the petitions from women who want to wear pants to church, pray in Conference, and hold the priesthood.  My heart has ached for those women who don't feel like they have equality or a voice in the Church.  I'm so grateful that we have a kind, compassionate, understanding leadership to consider changing traditions and doing something different, but also to remain firm and immovable on the standards of the gospel. 

I am grateful for older kids who are now able to sit attentively and with interest for all four sessions of Conference.  And I'm grateful that our lives aren't so busy that we can't make time to do this twice a year.   I absolutely loved Conference today and I'm so looking forward to another whole day of it tomorrow.

Pinewood Derby 2013

Tonight we had our annual Cub Scout Pinewood Derby.  I look forward to this night every year.  It's so much fun to watch the boys get so excited about racing the cars they've worked so hard on all month long.  

This year, McKay went for a simple design.  Originally, he had a wii remote in mind, but that didn't quite work, so he and The Scout Master opted for the much-loved "rectangle with a red design in the middle."  And, of course, it was #13...McKay's birthday is August 13th, so he really loves that number.  

They ran 31 races, and guess where Lucky 13 placed every time!

...yep...fourth place...every single time, darn it!  :(

Here he is expressing a little frustration about the UN-luckiness of Lucky 13.

...and here he is getting a little pep talk from his dad.

He was an awesome sport about the whole thing, though, and cheered for every other car in every other race.  Some of them were pretty close and really exciting.  

And the best part for most of the boys is always the refreshment table.  The decorations and treats were so cute this year, as usual.

Everyone went home with a certificate and a Hot Wheels car slide for their neckerchiefs.  SUPER CUTE!

Even fourth place didn't disappoint McKay too much, though.  In the end, he was so excited just to have gotten to race his cool car.  They even did a backwards race once!  

I love the scouting program.  I love that there are so many people who put so much effort into these Pack meetings.  And I love that we have 364 days to get our car ready for next year! :)

the DO NOT CONSUME list

If you KNEW something wasn't great for you, would you do it anyway?  If you KNEW the side effects were more than undesirable, would you take the chance?

What if it was something you LOVED!?

What if you could NEVER have it again?? ...like EVER??  

I've been experimenting with food lately and I've discovered that I can't eat anything with sugar in it.  At all.  In any form.  Or any amount.  

When I eat a cookie (or several cookies,) or have cereal, or indulge in dessert of any kind, and especially if my whole day has a sugar theme to it, I instantly go into this euphoric, groggy, sleepy state...like the tryptophan effect after Thanksgiving.  And then, whether I give in to the nap or not, about an hour later, my mood plummets into one of a handful of things: grumpy, irrational, hopeless, angry, easily offended, worried, frustrated, selfish, OCD, frenzied, insecure.  I haven't figured out yet which sugary thing turns me into which monster.  It might just be like a giant roulette wheel of multiple personalities in my head.  But, the fact is, it happens, it's uncontrollable, I hate being there, and it's a direct result of carelessness with food.

So, if you KNEW that if you ate a donut, there was a 100% chance you would turn into Frankenstein within the hour, would you ever eat one?  Probably not, right?  

My daughter KNOWS that she has a severe allergy to tree nuts.  When she eats even a microscopic speck of an almond, a walnut, a pistachio, or a cashew (those are the worst) she goes into anaphylactic shock.  Her throat closes up. Her face swells.  She gets hives all over her little body.  That's a pretty good deterrent for her.  She isn't crazy about that feeling and therefore, she NEVER eats those things.  She inspects every dessert that isn't made by her mother.  She turns down anything questionable.  She won't go near a granola bar.  And we also have precautions in place so that if she ever accidentally ingests a nut, she can administer to herself a dose of anti-nut-venom (otherwise known as an Epi-pen.)  So far, we haven't ever had to use the Epi-pen, but she carries one in her backpack and we have one at home...just in case.  

You'd think it would be that black and white with me, wouldn't you?  

I've tried some really drastic experiments, like eliminating all white stuff (flour, sugar, potatoes, rice, pasta, bread) for awhile (sometimes a weekend detox, sometimes up to 10 days.)  And guess what!  The longer I stayed away from sugar, the more even-tempered I was.  I had more energy, slept better, looked better, felt better, and lost a little weight.  

Success should equal repetition, right?

Well, apparently only until the first holiday rolls around.  

I am not a candy freak, by any means.  I could go my whole life and not miss Peeps or Jelly Beans or M&Ms or gummy things.  But something about putting small handfuls of them into colorful plastic eggs and throwing them on the grass makes that candy SO much more enticing.  I wonder if broccoli would look as good stuffed inside a plastic egg??

I gave in to every sugary temptation that crossed my path on Sunday.  And that led to a weakened resolve on Monday.  And then there were 50% off Easter sales, and I'm such a sucker for anything on sale.  And then I thought that since I was already off the wagon, I might as well just give in to the temptation I was really struggling with and get the dang Vanilla Bean Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.  And I'm sure you can see how my life might have spiraled out of control in just 72 hours???  

So, last night, as I sat curled up in my room like a wounded porcupine, I wondered if maybe all that sugar had had an effect on my typically sunny personality.  I'm pretty sure it did.  

So I decided that I needed some absolutes.  Things I can NEVER eat again...unless I'm willing to suffer the consequences.  I'm an all or nothing kind of a girl, and the ALL sugar method isn't working, so in desperation I'm trying the NOTHING method.

And I'm displaying them here...on this blog...publicly...so that it will be like a declaration.  And also, so that if you ever see me in The Cheesecake Factory you have permission to drag me the heck out of there.  

 Haunani's official DO NOT CONSUME list

ice cream 

cheesecake

cookies

cake

donuts

chocolate

(I had to name those things specifically because I would find a way to get to them if I didn't)

white rice

white pasta

white bread

potatoes

pizza 

movie popcorn

chips

dairy products

and...

anything from a convenience store

anything from a drive thru (except Sonic ice)

Diet DP, Diet Coke and any other form of caffeinated bubbles (aka Liquid Satan) are also on that list, but they've been there for awhile, and aren't as much of a temptation.  I know better after a year of battling with that absolute.  

Does that make your heart break to see all that stuff on that list?  Yep...mine too.  

But, I know it's the right thing to do.  I know that when I've made the effort before, I've been so much happier and not missed all that stuff at all.  I see great things as a result of sticking to that list of absolutes.  I prefer the longer list of REPLACEMENTS that I have on my fridge.  

Maybe this should be another LAUNCH update, because um...here we seem to be going again...LAUNCHING into something crazy, foreign, scary and with no guarantees of success.  But since I did that whole Book of Mormon pageant thing, I'm feeling pretty confident flying out of my little nest.  Hopefully this LAUNCH will be just as successful.  

Wish me luck!

Book of Mormon Pageant

"Diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the Savior of the world." - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I have been struggling for the past three days trying to pare down all of the amazing things I felt and heard and learned over the weekend into something concise and interesting to read. 

I mentioned a little about how frustrating last week was for me.  There were constant distractions, some of them worthy of my attention, but most of them just unnecessary noise cluttering my head.  There were sick children, field trips, music lessons, baseball uniforms, choir practices, doctors appointments, frustrated teachers insisting that I do something about McKay's inability to pay attention in class...plus packing that needed to be done, a house that needed to be cleaned and stocked with food, and a husband who was out of town for the third week in a row.  By Tuesday night, it was all I could do to keep us clothed and fed...and I really wasn't even doing that very well.  Doubt had settled in and I had completely convinced myself that I was NOT supposed to spend the weekend at Camp Wisdom playing around in the woods, and that everything else needed my attention.

By Thursday morning, thanks to some great words of advice from my patient husband, and a decent night's sleep, I had resigned myself to the fact that the Book of Mormon pageant was going to happen and that I was going to have to be there.  There was no way around that.  So, I said a long, desperate prayer, committed to packing and memorizing my lines finally, and at 6:30pm, left for the long drive into the unknown.  I made it to the hotel at 8:00pm, but decided to do a test drive to Camp Wisdom since my roommate and I would have to be there by 6:00 the next morning.  I am SO grateful for GPS systems.  How in the world would I ever get anywhere without mine??  My roommate, Mary, called shortly after I found the Camp, to say that she had been delayed at home and was just leaving her house.  I was a little relieved to know that I had at least an hour to stake my claim on the bed and the bathroom counter before she arrived.  

At 9:00, there was a quiet knock on the door of my room, and in walked the most wonderful, unique, spiritually intuitive woman I have ever met in my life.  She and I instantly connected and loved each other, and we spent the next 3 hours sharing all the little details of our lives.  At 12:10, we decided sleep was more important and we would have to continue our conversation in the morning.  

Five hours later, my alarm went off.  

I was still worried, but comforted by the fact that I had a new friend to help me walk into yet another unknown adventure.  It helped to have driven the route to Camp Wisdom the night before, and I managed to get both of us to the remote pavilion where we would be transforming into Nephites, on time and without any problem.    

Oh, I'm so sorry about these ridiculously bad, blurry, and far away pictures.  I only had my phone with me and I barely remembered or had time to snap a couple of pictures.  This is breakfast after everyone was dressed and ready for the day.  These are a few of the Nephite guards.  About 7:00am Friday morning.

After a nice outdoor breakfast and a quick check of everyone's costumes, we had a beautiful devotional by President Wright, our former Stake President.  He said some amazing things.  He talked a lot about the many hours that had been spent in preparation for this Priesthood Encampment.  It is no small feat to assemble 1500 boys and their leaders in one place and provide 48 hours of worthwhile activities.  He told us that the Book of Mormon pageant was the pinnacle of the events scheduled for the boys over the weekend, and that without it, there would have been no reason to have a Priesthood Encampment at all.  He thanked all of the actors who had committed to being there for the whole weekend, the directors and writers who had put the whole pageant together, and all the many, many hands who had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this happen.   And then he said, "There will be someone who is touched today by the things they see and hear during the pageant.  It will change a heart, or change a mind, or redirect a boy who may be heading down the wrong path.  And we don't know who that boy will be."  And then he challenged us to have a personal prayer before each scene and ask Heavenly Father to reveal to us which of the boys in each group needed to have a personal experience.  And then he said, "Most likely there will be someone in each group, or perhaps more than that, but even if there is only one person all weekend who is touched by this experience, all the hours, all the sacrifice, all the time will have been worth it."  And then he reminded us that the Savior made the greatest sacrifice anyone has ever made...for ALL of us, but even if it had only been for ONE PERSON, He still would have done it.  Amazing things to launch us into a day of fulfilling service...

Shortly after that, our "mothers' shuttle" (which was a tan suburban driven by one of the nicest men EVER, who tried ALL WEEKEND to pronounce my name and finally got it as we were all leaving the Camp) drove us and all of our props and personal belongings to our scene out in the middle of the woods.  

Oh, I can't tell you how I wish I had thought to take more pictures.  But, it was probably a good thing that I was thinking about being a Mother of a Stripling Warrior and not about writing my next blog post.  

There were about 12 scenes sprinkled throughout various locations in the Camp.  1500 boys and their leaders were divided into groups of about 40-50 and led throughout the day by "Nephite guards" through the woods to each scene.  There was some hiking involved and climbing a rope ladder up to the top of a bluff, and a little bit of distance between each of us, so they could really feel the experience of walking through the trail and coming upon an authentically depicted scene.  I can't tell you how many boys mentioned what a cool thing it was to feel like they were actually "walking through" the Book of Mormon.  We performed the pageant 15 times on Friday, and another 5 or 6 times on Saturday for each of the groups.  

Imagine hiking through the woods and coming upon this...

This is what our scene looked like...

We had about 20 minutes of downtime between groups, so we had lots of opportunity to really get to know each other.  One of the greatest and most unexpected blessings of this whole experience was meeting these other three women.  I feel like I've made lifelong friends in one weekend.  They are all infinitely talented and have more experience between them than I could have imagined.

This is Helaman sending a quick text to his wife while we waited.  :)

  
By Friday evening, we were all exhausted but happy.  You know that feeling after you've prepared and successfully delivered a talk for Sacrament or given a great RS lesson?  It was the most fulfilling kind of exhaustion.  The cast was invited to have dinner with the scouts and since I kind of like the Scout Master in our ward, I opted to have dinner with him and all of his little "stripling warriors."  

I was so happy to finally be eating food, and hanging out with my husband and these boys who I love so much.  They were so sweet and had nothing but kind things to say about the pageant.  

After dinner, we listened to some remarks about the day from David L. Beck, General Young Men's President.  He asked a few of the boys to volunteer to bear their testimonies about what they had experienced and 23 of them stood up!  Incredibly uplifting to hear so many of them say that they were touched by the mothers' scene, and that we reminded them of all that their own mothers do for them to prepare them for their own "battles."  Those sweet boys melted my heart and made it all worth it.  

Mary and I drove back to the hotel around 9:30 that night, took showers, and FELL INTO BED.  There would be no slumber party happening for us that night.  

The next morning, we assembled in the same area, had breakfast, had a shorter devotional and prayer, and were driven to our scene in the woods.  The first four groups of boys were HUGE, at least 100 in each.  I think the lingering spiritual high from the day before and the gorgeous weather helped us all to ramp everything up and perform the best handful of pageant scenes in the entire weekend.  Everyone felt the tangible Spirit among us, and sweet Mary said that she felt very strongly that there were other ancestor spirits among us encouraging all of us.  

We finished our official performances around 1:00pm and then had the opportunity to watch a few of the other scenes while they were being professionally video taped.  Taping, still pictures, clean up, lunch, and packing up the pavilion were tedious and exhausting again, but we all felt the exhilarating joy of having spent the entire weekend doing something worthwhile.  

I am in awe of the innumerable blessings I felt over the entire weekend...unexpected friendships, beautiful weather, kind and supportive helpers, the testimonies of all those teenage boys, successfully memorized lines, and an overwhelming feeling that Heavenly Father was happy with the effort I had made.  Had I known in advance that any ONE of those things would happen, I would have joyfully anticipated the weekend instead of worrying about it so much.  

I kept thinking about who those boys might have been who were touched by the Encampment experience, and I really have no idea who they are or how they may have felt, but even if there was only one...and there definitely was at least one...it was totally and completely worth it.  Even if the whole thing were just so that I could have a faith promoting experience and have a testimony of the Savior written more indelibly upon my heart, I'm quite sure that all those people would have done it anyway.  And I am so grateful to have been numbered among that kind of humility and greatness.  

I am grateful to have done something I thought was impossible, to have walked into the unknown and conquered a few fears, and to have had the help of the Lord to fill in all the places where there was weakness.  I am so grateful for the people who brought all of this together and who had the inspiration and vision to put together a Book of Mormon pageant so that SO many of us could feel the Spirit in a powerful and tangible way. 

I can't think of any better place or any more worthwhile thing I could have done with those 48 hours than to have been a Nephite mother in the wilderness.