Perception of Beauty

Is it any wonder why the Lord teaches us to not look and judge on the outward appearance alone? Girls, don't waste your time trying to be what the world defines as beautiful. Strive to be what the Lord defines as beautiful. Then you'll be truly happy and living in reality.

Campfire Mutual

Last Wednesday we had a combined ym/yw campfire for mutual. We spent a little while going over the parable of the 10 virgins and talked about why this parable applied to each of us. Then we each chose a personal bad habit or weakness that we wanted to overcome, wrote it down on a piece of paper, and then took turns throwing our paper into the campfire while making a personal commitment to break the bad habit. Afterwards we had s'mores and socializing. It was a fun, cozy night.

PRACTICE!!

Girls! We've got to get crack-a-lackin' on practicing on the play as if we're on stage. THIS MEANS your lines must be memorized! You have the script, you have the cd - let's get this memorized so you all can focus on how you'll act on stage and not just on what you'll say!

Ask your parent(s), siblings, and friends for help. Recite your lines to them and ask for their feedback. GOOD LUCK!

YW sleepover

So here are the pictures

from the infamous

sleepover. They are in

Picasaweb so just click on

the picture and you will

get the whole album. You

girls are so hilarious!!!

We love you.

Trek

The saints who "Died" coming back to camp :)

I thought I'd post the pics I took. None of them will be as awesome as what Sis. Syal and Chanel took :) I also posted on facebook. This trip I will remember the rest of my life. Thanks everyone!!!

Girls Camp!!!

I promised all you girls I'd post some of the pics I took. I didn't take nearly as many as Sis. Jones, but these were some of my favorites! Thanks for an amazing week!! You girls are so beautiful inside and out.

Sis. Jones says I can't rough it? She's the one blow drying her hair at camp!

Summer Slumber Party!

Yes, the girls finally got their wish - a YW sleepover at Sister Syal's home!! The girls have contributed so much time and effort into preparing for trek, and we've been so impressed with how personally responsible they've been through their conduct and participation on Sundays and Wednesdays, that we knew they deserved this girly splurge of fun! We enjoyed a night of chocolate fondue, professional hair-styling, laughing, playing games, cRaZy dancing, Confessions of a Shopaholic, and last but not least - some sleep! You'd assume that a bunch of teenage girls who stay up past 3am would take the luxury of sleeping in....well your assumption would be wrong just like ours!! What an unexpected "surprise" it was for all us leaders to have the girls up and ready to eat breakfast at 8am!!! It took about an hour before breakfast was ready (we had stuffed berry french toast) and they gobbled it up quick as soon as it was done!

So even though we didn't get to TP Brother Russell's home like we had originally planned (which was the one event the girls looked forward to most!) we still managed to have a super-fun-all-girl night! And yes parents, they were all VERY well-behaved. ;)

Photography Night!

For mutual we had a photography fieldtrip. We went to a place called Star Mill where they had a bunch of random antiques and old buildings we could use for props and backdrops. It was a lot of fun and the girls got some amazing pictures! Here are all the girls that came (...and Sister Hill. We thought she looked so pretty that we made her stand there as a prop - haha!):

Trek Bags!

The youth had to sew their own shoulder bags to use at trek. They did it, and did it well. A SPECIAL thanks to all the extra leaders/adults from our ward who took the time to come and teach them! Look at how proud they are of their hard work!

The Prettiest Chefs Around!

Watch out world!! Not only are they CUTE....they cook fabulously too!! Not to brag, but we've got the best YW around. The young men who date our young women better be top darn notch! FYI girls, we leaders are HAPPY to help screen these boys out for you...

So back to the post, last week we touched on one of my personal FAVS of homemaking....COOKING! Food is so universal - who doesn't love a good meal?? Which is why the girls decided it'd be fun to have a cooking night where we could try some new recipes and polish our kitchen skills. The yw worked together to cook what we enjoyed later as a feast of refreshments: alfredo sauce, basil walnut pesto, marinara sauce, and crispy breadsticks for dipping...all from scratch! We threw in some cooked pasta (so the girls could taste the sauces on the pasta too), a nice tossed salad, and some delicious choc chip cookies for "dessert." *SIGH* What a delight it was to enjoy an evening of cooking, laughing, feasting, and gabbing away. Thanks to all the girls and leaders for always making mutual a joyful learning experience!

Hike to Timp Cave

The YM and YW had the chance to hike up to Mt. Timponogas Cave. Beautiful hike + perfect weather + fun company - mosquitos = couldn't have been better! Wait...I take that back. We DID miss those of you who weren't able to make it!