Summer Lovin'

I have been so enjoying this summer, as crazy as things are I want to take a moment to recap some of the amazing adventures we have been having. 

We loved going to our annual trip to Yogi Bear Jellystone Park, and this year was even more fun with my brother and his family coming to visit us there. Emily had her first s'more! As soon as we got home, it was Canada fun with good friends and family, then time for me to turn around and go to girls camp. I liked going to camp as a girl, not for the camping, but getting to spend a week with my friends. Going as a leader is so much better. I assisted the camp music director for the week, and we had an awesome time. I loved the lyrics of the camp theme song this year:

More than just words I read on a page
More than just phrases I've learned
More than the lessons and leaders suggestions
More than awards I have earned
So much deeper than all of these things
Truths that determine the woman I'm striving to be
This is the moment I'm finding my voice
Cause I know what I really believe
I understand and I know who I am
I've been given the truths that I need
With every decision my faith's going to grow
And I'm going to live what I know.

The spirit was so strong there, partly because the Thomas S. Monson camp is dedicated grounds and because the leaders were so prepared, but mostly because the girls are so amazing. We had each group of girls write a song about Faith and perform it. It was a ton of work. I loved it. Some of the lyrics they came up with were so beautiful:

I have planted my faith deep in my heart.

Like a flower it will grow when I do my part.

With faith and hope I nurtured this seed

Sweet and colourful it will be

Heavenly Father will fill my need and my faith will grow.

When I see the water I look at my reflection

I picture the person I want to be

I see a girl, a daughter of God.

With my my Heavenly Father next to me.

I know he's not always here, but I can feel his presence near.

When I open up my heart, I know that I am doing my part.

He will help me come to be the person I want to see.

We walk by faith and not by sight.

Through the dark tunnel we see the light

Even if we're blind we'll put up a fight

Knowing that he's there we'll choose the right. 

I was asked to teach a lesson to all the girls during the faith walk. I really loved doing this, it was such a privilege to be able to help the girls strengthen their testimonies. I shared a song on the flute and based my talk on Jeffery R Holland's talk from this past conference.

"What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe." 
-Jeffery R. Holland 

Being at Girls Camp has been an awesome opportunity to complete some personal progress goals, and one of them was a media fast. They challenged the girls, so I thought that I would do it too. While I was at camp, even though I have my phone and my laptop, I only used it for personal progress and checking in with the kids and Darryl at home. It is hard not to read incoming e-mails, Facebook updates and blogs, but I loved being disconnected from the world. I thought it would be a challenge, but it is more of a welcome change. I feel like I waste a lot of time ands energy dissecting and anaylizing other peoples lives, thoughts, motives etc. through their Facebook and their blogs. Precious time and energy that is wasted. I read a few blogs that I love and look forward to reading because I feel uplifted, and I like Facebook for keeping in touch with my Young women and seeing pictures of my friends kids, but sometimes when I go on I end up comparing and judging other people and feeling bad that I am thinking unkind, prideful, sometimes jealous thoughts. This feelings seem to go away when I disconnect. I can feel the Spirit and feel more in tune when I am not so worried about what other people are doing. 

Along with all the awesome spiritual experiences, I was lucky enough to have been there in a tent with two of my favourite women and we stayed up and laughed into the wee hours of the morning every single night. Most nights it was the girls telling US to be quiet and go to sleep. I was so glad I went. I learned a lot about teenage girls. Pretty sure 20 of our 25 girls from our ward were in tears at least once for one reason or another. Lots of emotions when you put that many girls together, and I learned a lot that I hope to remember when my 2 girls are in the same stage of life.

There was Kirtland and Palmyra, oh my goodness, where do I even begin??? What a wonderful, wonderful experience for my family! We had doubts about bringing little ones to historical sites, not knowing how they would behave, but I am so glad we did. Their capability to feel the spirit always amazes me. Chlo asked such wonderful questions everywhere we went and wanted her picture with every sister missionary, it was so cute. I LOVED seeing dozens of young sister missionaries everywhere I went, it made me want to go on a mission. I had a few people tell me I would be disappointed in Kirtland, but I was blown away. Even though the church does not own the Kirtland temple anymore, I was still able to feel the Spirit there. But I especially loved some of the other sites. It seemed everywhere you went, the Saviour had stood there. I ran my first 5km race through Historic Kirtland. Amazing. It was hot, 88 degrees by 9am and I was slow, 38 minutes, but I finished and I wasn't last which was all I really cared about. It was so beautiful and lush and green. We started at the Newel K. Whitney store and ran up the hill to the temple and around some of the historic farms. I loved the feeling of accomplishing something difficult and knowing my husband and kids were really proud of me.

We took the kids to see"This is Kirtland". I felt the spirit so strongly as I watched my kids enjoy the show (especially Claire!! Every 2 minutes she was giving me a little tap on my chest "mom, ma mommy" and pointing to the stage. The missionary couple sitting beside us told us at the end that her facial expressions were priceless) and learning more about the saints in Kirtland. I loved how every character on stage had been given the name of a pioneer, I loved how the stories were true. I didn't know Parley P. Pratt's house burnt to the ground right before his mission. There were lots of little touches like that that I loved. One of the songs that I thought was LOVELY was "He Lives" which was based on D&C 76. 22&23: Now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him,
This is the testimony last of all, which we give of him: that He lives!

Just beautiful. The quality of the production really blew Darryl and I away. We were expecting a simple stake play, but the pit band, the costumes and the singing were all much more then we anticipated. I loved the part where they all sang and danced and celebrated the completion of the temple and I really FELT their joy. It was impossible not to smile, they were just wonderful. 

The feelings I felt were definitely those listed in the 13th article of faith….Virtuous, lovely, good report, praiseworthy. I feel the Holy Ghost as my companion the most when I "seek after these things" I think that is why Utah, Nauvoo, Kirtland, Palmyra or any place like that is always my favourite to travel because I know I will feel the spirit and I love that. There were lots of beautiful things in other places I've been too, but that feeling is just so special. 

Before heading out to Palmyra, we spent a day in Cleveland at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame. So nostalgic for me. My parents are big music fans, especially rock n' roll and I loved that it was the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary exhibit while we were there. So many familiar songs, hundreds of posters I had seen before on the walls my Dad's garage, it was so cool. I'll definitely be taking the kids back there.

Palmyra was beautiful. It's a feeling of going home when we go there. We have been every year since Chloe was born, and I love it. The hot weather slowed us down a bit, but it was still great to take the kids to Joseph Smith's home and the sacred grove for the first time. Again we were met by a ton of wonderful sister missionaries who patiently taught our kids so much. I am so grateful for them. 

I'll have to do another post about Alberta, camping, and cottaging another time. A tent in the backyard is calling me. 

I love summer.