Youth Conference

Beware, this is a long one! And I have to say thanks to Rob, Ginger, and Erin for helping me get a cute template!! :) And I need to update about the marathon too, but this is such a long one, I'll have to wait. But the marathon was awesome! I almost died (j/k), but both times have been great experiences!

So we just got back from Youth Conference yesterday. Jason and I were the Youth Conference coordinators (we were in charge of planning it), and then we had LOTS of help from the Bishopric, YM and YW presidents, the Bishop's wife, and all the leaders that went and the youth on the planning committee. It was great! I hope the kids had as much fun as we did. I'm not gonna lie, it was definitely stressful, but so awesome! And the youth in our ward are amazing! I love them to pieces and I barely know them! I also love the other leaders, we had so much fun! Here are the pics and some explanations of what went on:

First we had a short fireside Thursday and headed up to Camp Williams. We got there at 10:30 pm and got ready for bed. Friday we went to the Salt Lake City cemetery and found some prophets/apostles graves:



Wilford Woodruff's grave





This is Caleb Baldwin's grave (obviously)...He is my great great great great great (give or take a couple) grandpa. He was in the Liberty Jail with Joseph Smith. I forgot he was buried at the Salt Lake Cemetery and we just saw it in passing-exciting!






Next we went to Welfare Square. These are the roller mills you can see from the road and the sister missionaries who showed us around. (I don't know what roller mills are, or if I spelled this correctly, but that's what they were called.) :) It was really neat to see the behind-the-scenes of where fast offerings go-and I haven't ever realized all of the humanitarian efforts that are made by the Church. It was awesome to see the Bishop's Storehouse where those who are struggling can get help with their groceries, and the cannery and Dairy where products are made for the storehouse and also to be sent around to different countries to help the poor and needy. :) And we also saw the DI and the employment centers to help people get jobs and the skills they need to keep jobs.





Very tall roller mills!


Then we went and saw the Joseph Smith movie at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. That was awesome! It hits you a little more when you actually see the stories of the early Saints and Joseph Smith. I think the youth really enjoyed it too. No pics for that. :) Sorry. So then we went and ate lunch and that was fun too, I always enjoy time to talk! Then we went on a tour of the Conference Center. I haven't ever got to go on top, so that was fun! Here are some pics from the roof:







Then we went to the V Chocolates chocolate factory. YUMMY! Our Bishop's wife's brother is the manager there. They let us sample the chocolate and toffee and it was delicious! Go buy some!! They are at Tai Pan and don't these apples look so fun to eat?





Yes, we got to wear these lovely hairnets! :)





Lots of toffee! They hand paint this with chocolate and then dip it in nuts. It was my favorite!The only thing missing were the umpa-lumpas! And the lickable wall paper-I always wanted to try some!


Then that night we had a fireside and the youth 14 and up went to a dance and the 13 and unders stayed and played games and watched a movie. I did a really good job being a tornado for Cranium. :) The Beehives and Deacons were way fun to hang out with!

The next morning the guys helped with breakfast. Here's Jason sporting a very fashionable polka-dot apron. Doesn't he look great?



Then we went to a rec center in Lehi-the Legacy Center. Wow, they have the coolest indoor pool I've ever seen! This bucket you see would fill up with water and then pour down when it was full. And they had a lazy river, a huge slide, a fun playplace for toddlers, and a different pool for lap swims! I didn't swim because I had to help check out of Camp Williams so I got there late, and then I had to leave early to help prepare lunch (and I didn't want to get ready again) :) But it looked like lots of fun! And it also had basketball courts and a climbing wall and all sorts of fun things! And it's only like $4 to get in! (We got a discount because we had more than 50 people-so it was only $2.50/person!)






Cool!






About to get drenched with TONS of water! :)




Non-swimmers :) Left to right: LynAnn Ellsworth (YW pres), Jessica Hulet (a laurel), me, and Michelle Brunson (YW leader-she was holding the Bishop's grandson, what a cute baby!)





Some of the guys: Left to right-Tony Bell (YM leader), Victor Harris (YM Pres), Jason (just played an intense game of b-ball with the Priests!), Darrell Wilson (YM leader), and Karl Hugh (Bishopric and our neighbor-his little girl used to be in our Primary class and she is so cute! Great neighbors!!)



Then we stopped at Cove Fort on the way home. That was also fun. We just got back from Testimony Meeting tonight to finish off the conference. It was really neat! I love our Ward! I never want to move! :) They are definitely our family! We loved being with the youth and the other leaders. It was so fun to get to know everyone, and there was lots of laughing, my favorite!! :)