We'll go where you want us to go; even if it's youth conference

What are you doing July 9 - 11, the bishopric member asked.

What I should have said was: having my toenails painted, weeding my artificial plants, or even perhaps practicing my Yoga meditation.

What I DID say was...we don't really have anything planned. Wrong Answer!

And, so it was, that Allen and I were asked to be chaperons for the Little Valley Stake Youth Conference.

Don't get me wrong...I think youth conferences are fantastic....just not for this NO LONGER YOUTH person!

It was an amazing event; it was the most organized awesome youth conference I can imagine. Jon and Joni Prince and their committees did an incredible job; it was just phenomenal.

Very generous cabin owners allowed the kids and leaders the use of their cabins at Brian Head.

Here's what the youth did over two and a half days:

Service projects in the city of Parowan (clean cemeteries, lay sod, paint library furniture, etc.); played games including a gigantic whip cream fight ending with being sprayed down by the fire truck; face painting; concert by Sam Payne; five mile hike (up and back) to Brian Head Peak; workshops; dance that was just fun, fun, fun; lots of good, good food; testimony meeting; pizza party.

And the best part was; the kids had a fantastic time and felt the spirit;
that's what really matters.

A Truly Memorable Day!

How to have an (Almost) Perfect Day:

1. Take a large dose of family (that is what made this a not-quite-perfect-day...we were missing Kristi D and Jordan and family). But here's who were there to celebrate with us:
Brent, Jenni, Sean, Janessa, Stockton, Landon
Justin, Amy, Eli, Miles
Jeremy
Allen, Loni
2. Stir in lots of other friends and their famlies: (These are the 4 other nurses from St. George who completed the Nurse Practitioner Degree with Jenni)
Bridget
Amanda
Heide
Melissa
3. Add great pot luck food at a church in Bountiful:
home-made chicken salad sandwiches
Macaroni Salad - the best I've ever had!
Costco potato salad
lots of fresh fruit
home-made cookies, brownies and cheesecake (none of which I ate because I'm cutting back a little on sweets - just a little! )

4. Blend in a short, but fun, fun program with Jeremy singing, Melissa singing a song about the Fab Five Nurses Finally Finishing their degrees after three long years, and Bridget doing a stand-up comedy routine about a day in the life of the fab five sharing a room in the motel!

5. Top with a highlighting event; graduation as a Master of Science in Nursing, and A Family Nurse Practitioner Degree.

6. Sprinkle in a surprise of opening the program to see that Jenni was elected to THREE honor societies for her FANTASTIC grades: Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Theta Tau, Golden Key. ( I just want to add here that not all Master's Programs are created equally...it is hard for any of us to understand the WORK,WORK,WORK that is required to get this degree. Classes, papers, research, patient diagnoses, more papers, traveling to Salt Lake many times, internships with a variety of specialists and doctors, projects, and a master's research paper. And, all of these 5 women did it while working and raising families. Their families deserve lots of praise. Thanks Supportive Brent and kids...you are great!)

Thanks Jenni for a great day!

And, ConGRADulations on being a Nurse Practitioner!

The Downside of Traveling

2 downsides to having so much fun:

#1 - the inevitable public toilets; from disgustingly awful to okay, this is doable. But, lest you think me whiney; I'm glad there is such a thing as public restrooms!

#2 - Information Overload! My head is stuffed with historical highlights, misleading misinformation, fabulous facts, scenic scenes, interesting information, trivial tidbits; ALL of which has sunk into a deep, deep hole in my head never to be brought up again.

Thanks, Allen , for recording at least a portion of our trips!