whirl wind

This weekend my parents, my sister  and I took a whirl wind trip down to Cedar City to take part in the Shakespeare Festival they have down at SUU.  We didn't watch any Shakespeare though...what? Nope, we drove all that way to see Les Miserables.  The last time we saw it on stage was in 2007, so needless to say it was about time we saw it again. The venue was a small stage on the SUU campus, it was amazing being so up close and personal for one of the most moving musicals of all time!
I found myself getting a lot more emotional during this performance, I don't know if I am just older and have experienced enough to really relate to the Characters or i was just hormonal...haha. Either way, it was fabulous as always I never tire of the story or the music, it is such a powerful message of striving for good and bettering one's self. 
I cannot wait for the movie of the musical to come out in December! It's going to be so amazing to watch this beautiful story portrayed on the big screen. This is the movie trailer:

Before the play started we had a little fun in the gift shop trying on all these crazy masks they had in there, observe:

Also, I may have gotten a little friendly with Shakespeare...Phill's been gone for 19 months what you do you expect I get lonely. After the play we drove down to St. George visited the outlets and had dinner at Texas Roadhouse. It was a fun mini trip with my amazing family, minus a few.

Girl's Camp

This week I had the great opportunity of joining the Young Women of my ward at their Girl's Camp. We went down to Manti to watch the Pageant. When we pulled into the Temple Hill Resort we were greeted by a cruel sight, 95 + degrees and NO shade for us to cool off under. Oh yes. I helped the girl's put up their tents and by the end of it we were all feeling pretty gross already. We hurried and rinsed off and changed into our Sunday best to go to the temple.

For those of you who are not currently serving with the youth, there has been a BIG push from the Big Guys (a.k.a. the General Authorities) for the Youth to get involved in family history. We took the girls to the Family History Center for an activity and most of them were able to find family names and bring them to the temple to be baptized during camp! They were all so sweet about it, and my sweet beehive Ashlee cried when she had finished her baptism knowing that she had freed her ancestor and helped her enter into Celestial glory. It was truly sweet.

The next day we went swimming in the camp's pool and then got ready for the Pageant! I had never seen the Pageant, so in many ways I think I was a little more excited than the girls. We were welcomed at the Pageant by missionaries, temple workers, pageant members, and a very large crowd of protesters. To distract the girls from those things going on around them we played all sorts of hilariously humiliating games until it was time for the Pageant to start.

The Young Women, or being in the Young Women as a leader, has really strengthened my testimony and helped me to grow. It is often frustrating to be 20 years younger than the other leaders, or when I am confused for one of the girls during activities, but honestly the fact that I am the Beehive advisor goes to show that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing, because it truly has helped me through so much and I am grateful for the challenge and gift my calling has been.

Me and Rachy Roo

Krystal and Rachel (secretly my favorites...shhh don't tell my Beehives;)

So we made this awesome pyramaid after 5 attempts the bottom row's backs were pretty sore.

Most of our cute girls, minus a few who were who knows where.

Almost all my Beehives and Me! I love them.