Because We Believe...EFY 2009

I have been serving as a counselor in our Stake Young Women's for about a year and a half.  This is my second year helping to plan and run our Stakes EFY.  This year we had Kenneth Cope as our visiting performer/speaker.  He brought such as amazing spirit.

I have really enjoyed serving in this calling.  I have spent many years serving in Young women's but this calling is Unique because I get to serve with the Young men also.  Serving the youth in our stake is an incredibly busy calling, but one I wouldn't trade for the world.  I Love It!!

The Theme for EFY was Because we Believe...

The theme for the dance was fifties pep rally.  Jen made Stephanie and I these cute skirts.  This is me with my peeps.

Heather doing her group skit.  She is demonstrating a moose mating call.  Don't ask me how she knows this call.  I think she learned it from Kara.

Jen and I in our cute EFY Sweatshirts.  Jen and I were roomies and our late nights brought on some pretty silly laughing.  We had the best time.

Cute Heather in her group colored shirt.  Eric West and I took pictures for the slide show.  I had so much fun shooting.

Heather and one of her friends Nick Nelson.

Heather and her orange group.

Happy Easter - Happy Spring!

My cute little Easter Bunny Kylie!  Kylie dressed up at school with some of her friends as Easter bunny's. I am so glad that I still have a little bunny.  I love Easter!  I love that spring is here.  In our family the Easter bunny hides the baskets.  The girls got up this morning and began hunting for their baskets full of yummy Easter treats and of course a new swim suit(a family tradition).
These are some fun spring shots I took a few weeks ago.  We are so happy that spring is here!
The best friends ever are the ones in your family!

The great Race of Agoura Hills

    Last Weekend I traveled to Southern California with some of my friends and ran a half marathon.  Some of us ran a road 1/2 marathon and Jen, Tara and I ran a trail 1/2 marathon.  Eighty percent of our run was on a dirt trail.  It was very scenic and I have to say very enjoyable.  

   I am hooked on exercise and running.  However, I mostly run to get exercise.  I don't know if I Love it.  This run was hard, don't get me wrong.  From mile 6-8 it was a 880 ft assent.  I was jogging along around mile 11 and I had some really great music playing on my Ipod and I felt pure joy.  It was beautiful outside and my body was working well.  I loved it!  I guess that is what is called a runners high.  Why can't it happen more often? 

Tara, Jen, Sherri and I picking up our running packets.

Kylie is a Busy Girl!

This is Kylie's third year participating in the Destination Imagination program.  Her team took first place in their district competition several weeks ago and we are heading to the state competition this weekend.  Her group chose an under the sea theme and Kylie is a star fish above.  The balloons behind her are jelly fish(pretty cute). I didn't really get any good pictures of them performing.
This is Kylie's team and their coach.  They have a mix of boys and girls and they seem to really work well as a team.  Their challenge is a combination of creativity, team work and engineering(they built a structure that has to carry a lot of weight).  Their team structure held more weight than the junior high and high school teams.  Way to go!
Kylie was also involved in the school play, "Doo Wop red Riding Hood"(this was a fun fifties type musical that was a spoof on the story of little red riding hood).  All the kids dressed in fifties style clothing and sang fun fifties songs.  The play even had a big bad wolf that looked like Elvis.
Kylie was part of the chorus and she loved it.  She had the biggest smile on her face the whole time.  She finally felt the pay off of all the many practices.  She is already getting excited about next years play.  I'm not sure what she is going to do with all her free time now that these activities are ending.

Senior Pictures

I took pictures of Heather's three good friends: Jessica, Janet, and Sarah.  These three have been great friends to Heather, and she is going to be sad next year when they head off to college.  I totally love these girls also.  One of the best parts of my calling is working with the seniors in our stake.  It has been an amazing year getting to know these girls better.  They are truly the best!  I mostly took close ups, because we were taking senior pictures.  Of course we had to take advantage of the beautiful blossoms.
This is Sarah Barlocker!

Don't you love the yellow sweater?  They all decided to borrow Sarah's sweater for some shots by the brick wall.
This is Jessica Farley.


This is Janet Reynders!

Spring is Here!

I have been waiting all year to take pictures of the blossoms.  Reed and I got home from our trip and our world was filled with amazing flowers.  The flowers are so pretty.  I have loved seeing them this week while I run.  
I decided to grab Natelie and Kylie(my two willing models) and take some shots in the orchards.
I think spring is my favorite time of year.  The only bummer is there are lots of sneezes and runny noses to go with amazing flowers.


Our cute little twirling girls!  Yesterday I took some senior pictures of some of Heathers friends.  I will post some of those next.

The Last Few Days in Jerusalem

   At the Jerusalem center, where Kara is studying, they worship the Sabbath on Saturday, the way the Jews and Muslims do.  We were able to spend the sabbath with Kara.  We attended church and we just "hung out with her and her friends".  It was so fun to get a feel for where she is and who her friends are.  We loved it.  We were all being a little silly.  A guy friend of Kara's told her, "your parents are like kids."  I don't know if that is good or bad.  Oh well, we had fun!

   The next day Kara was able to join our tour and see some sites.  Kara loved having us there to buy all the treasures she has seen.  Above is a beautiful blanket that we bought her.
  This is Reed, Kara and I in front of what is left of the temple.  They have done an amazing job restoring it.  Also, I have to add that the last three days in Jerusalem were so cold.  We were freezing.  All we brought were light jackets and it was cold and rainy all those days.  We heard from Kara that a few days later it was sunny and warm.  Bummer!
This is Reed and I in front of a typical cave that shepherds keep their sheep in.  Brother Rona said that this would have been a typical site that Jesus may have been born in. 
This is in front of the Western Wall or (the wailing wall).  There were many boys getting their 
barmitsfa's.  The Jews consider this very sacred.  It is the only wall left of the temple.  It was all very interesting.  There was a section for women and a section for men.  They wear a prayer shawl that they change from one shoulder to the other.  

One of the most amazing parts of our trip was being taught about the Jewish culture and religion.  It truly helped deepen my understanding of the scriptures and the Savior.  It helps you to see that our church is not new, it is restored.  There are so many similarities in the Jewish faith and our faith.

   Our last day in Jerusalem was spent going through the last week of the savior's life.  We were able to go to the Orson Hyde Park, the Garden of Gethsemane, see the Gate Beautiful (where the triumphal entry was), the location of the house of Ciaphus, Golgatha, and the Garden Tomb. 

    I felt the spirit so strongly in the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb.  I never realized how close the tomb was to Golgotha and the Old City.  It was all very close.  The garden had an unbelievable lightness and peacefulness.  The closest thing I can compare it to is being in the temple.  Brother Rona said that Jewish people and Muslims come and pray here.   When we were there, there was a group from Africa who were singing and praying.  I also saw a group from India.  It was amazing to see people from all over the world worshiping.

   There was a profound sense of knowing that God knows and loves all of us.  We are all unique and different.  It was very sweet.  This was an unbelievable trip and I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to truly walk where Jesus walked.