Fourth of July Suprise Trip!!!

 I had a week off from EFY over the fourth of July break. My dad bought a plane ticket for me to come out and see him and go on the annual houseboat trip. We drive my grandparents house boat to the Oroville dam and watch fireworks from the top of the house boat. It is ridiculously fun. I had such a great time with my family and relaxing. I really needed it after 4 straight weeks of EFY. I sure do love my family and am so grateful to them for the amazing opportunities and fun times I get to enjoy.

When I flew home, I stopped in Provo for the weekend and saw my darling friends Allie and Kylee. These girls are incredible and it was great laughing and catching up with them. You know you are true friends when you pick up right where you left off :)

I sure love them!

Logan EFY

Finally, a stay at home session of EFY where I actually get to stay at home :) This week was incredible, just like the other weeks. I keep waiting for a terrible week, but they do not come. The youth are so amazing. It was spectacular being able to teach these kids only a few feet from my apartment door. These kids helped remind me of the adventures waiting around every corner :) Our session director was the same one I had my final year of EFY and was also my seminary teacher. He is INCREDIBLE! I felt honored to once again be in his presence and to learn from him.
Place: Logan, Utah
Age: 14-15
Co-counselor: Trevor
Session Director: Brother Low
Company: Secret Servants

 Two of my girls that I adored. There best friends were in my group in Montpellier. Small world. Amazing people.

 One of the most amazing guys I have ever met, and lucky enough, my co for the week. This guy blew my mind with his testimony, love of the gospel, and love for these kids. He was 2 months of his mission and was still glowing. I wish I could work with him every week. I just adored him! I am so blessed!

 My girls for this week, oh how I love them!

 Co and Rachel, love her and the editing she did on this picture :)

 14 year old Mason and my foot. This kid was huge! His heart was as big as his being! I just loved Mason!

 Some of my boys and I at the Variety show. The one in the middle was the cutest 14 year old boy. At the beginning of the week he would only escort me or ask me to dance. But at the end, he was asking girls to dance, and escorting left and right. I was so proud and love this little guy with all my heart.

 My Bieber Fever girls. Just so you have an idea of what my girls were like, I asked a the beginning of the week to write down one thing that makes you smile. 80 percent said Justin Bieber and the other 20 percent said boys. Yep, I had the boy crazy group. But, I find that very appropriate since they had a boy crazy counselor who also will admit Justin Bieber makes her smile :) They did a Bieber dance that made me so happy for the variety show! Gosh, I just love these girls!

 At games night, waiting for our next adventure! I'm wearing our banner as a cape. We dominated pretty hard core :)

Oh my goodness, what do I even say about Joe! One of the most spectacular kids ever. He got in a really bad car accident a couple years ago and had to re get surgery on his foot recently. So he was in crutches and had a broken foot the whole week. But you think that let this kid get down? No way! He played all the games, throwing his crutches left and right and diving to be the first one on the ground! He always escorted the ladies. On the three jump dance challenge, he was in the center jumping three whole songs on one foot. Walking down to the aztec, about a mile away, he was the first to start off. He was absolutely incredible and a lesson to me to never let physical problems ever get you down. It would have been so easy for him to complain and whine, but he did the complete opposite and uplifted and edified everywhere he went. I adore Joe and miss him already. I'm getting a little teary writing this. Just incredible.

Taylorsville EFY

The week I was in Taylorsville I had a brand new team to work with. It was super intimidating starting off not knowing anyone, but I grew to love them so much. My kids were blow your mind amazing. I was an assistant in the variety show, and it turned out so fun.
Place: Taylorsville, Utah
Age: 16-18
Co- Counselor: Ryan
Session Director: Brother Knowlton
Company: I Command Thee

 Our whole stinking cute company

 John Bytheway, one of our teachers. Ya, no big deal!!!

 Some of the sweetest girls I know

 My co Ryan and I

 Our banner, note the facebook likes at the bottom

 My girls

 Robert, the oragami/piano master. This kids was incredible and I feel honored to have known him. He told us all that he was usually the nerd that didn't talk to anybody, but at EFY, he wanted to be as outgoing as possible. He was absolutely incredible and our group just adored him.

Haydn and Hannah, two of my best friends this week. Haydn found out I was only 20 and freaked out a little. He is 18 and starting USU in the Fall!!! Ha ha ha! Thats crazy! And Hannah is just stunning and looks like the girl on Tangled. Dynamite testimony and grew so much this week. They were the best :)

 

Working with this girl was the most spiritual experiences ever. She has a thyroid disease that just came a few months ago. She is now in a wheel chair and can't get up much. She was only able to come a couple hours a day, but those hours were always amazing. Our group loved her so much. She was always the first asked to be escorted by our boys and the first to give me a big smile. One night she felt really sick and had to lay down. We all went and sat around her on the couch while I gave my devotional. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. I couldn't stop crying from the compassion, love, and strength shown by this amazing girl. I am so blessed to have known her and know Heavenly Father does not give us any trial we cannot handle... that tells you how strong this girl is. Its an honor to know her.

Ogden EFY

The next week was in Ogden. This was a lot bigger session and a little tougher, but ended up being very rewarding and I learned to love, LOVE these kids! I clicked a lot with the 17 year old boys and loved hearing about them and their mission plans.They were awesome boys! My girls were beautiful and so smart. I loved teaching them and learning from them.
Age: 16-18
Place: Ogden, Utah
Company: Widows of Heaven
Session Director: Brother Tanner
Co-Counselors:  Trent and Heather

 Huge Company this time with two girl counselor groups and one boy group

 My beautiful girls, they were incredible

 Preparing with Andrew to hand out the books and dvds. I was in charge of helping with musical program so I wore a bright pink sheet that said to ask me about the musical program :)

Playing Ninja Destruction with my cute boys. I have to say, I am pitiful at this game. But the boys sure find it entertaining to play with me.

Two of my darling girls that just melt my heart.

Before a dance with the most beauitful girls at all of EFY :)

My homie G's of ogden... if you couldn't tell we are gangsta

Just the cutest boys ever...

We loved laying in the grass and talking about our lives, jokes, or spontaneous beat busting with rapping, you know how we do.

Their killer awesome cheer they came up with all on their own :)

Partying with allergies at games night :)

One of the most amazing girls I ever met, Cecily. She is moving to Alaska soon and taught me so much more than I think she will ever know.

 

I love these boys!!!!!

Mont P EFY

My first week of EFY was the most amazing week of my life. The session was at a little small town in Idaho called Montpelier. The session only had about 150 kids and was a stay at home session. The kids were incredible and there was a very special spirit there. I felt so blessed and became so close with my kids, my team, and my amazing co-counselor Bobby.
Age: 14-15
Place: Montpelier, Idaho
Session Director: Brother Kuntz
Co-counselor: Bobby
Company: Depart from Evil

 One of the most amazing kids on the earth, Josh. He picked me a flower out of the church garden (probably not the best, hahaha) and gave it to me to wear in my hair during the dance :) Sweetest little guy :)

 Our banner and company for Depart from Evil

 Bobby and I with our plethora of letters from our children :)

 Walking around during the service activity, where they wrote letters to people who had changed their life :)

 Our flipping cute company :)

 Not sure why, but the whole session was convinced Bobby and I were madly in love :) I didn't mind the multiple dance dedications, multiple love notes to us asking about our wedding date, and random people asking to have a picture with the two "lovers", and making heart signs and pointing to us :)

 One of the greatest girls of my life, Mckenna. We got to stay together and prepare with each other. She meant the world to me this week.

Some of the greatest counselors around, chilling in our blue polos waiting for the masses of children to come.

Depart from Evil!!!!

I'm getting paid to do this????

Let's just say I'm the luckiest person alive... I never thought being an EFY counselor could change my life this much. I am SOOOOOOOOOOO blessed.

SLC for Memorial Day

This weekend I drove down to see my dad who was visiting SLC to drop my step brother off at the MTC for his mission to Fiji. We did so many fun things including Thanksgiving Point, playing Monopoly Deal, purchasing at a 2 story Walmart, a crazy eat meat on a stick restaurant (Rio something), temple square, and laughing together. 

In front of the largest man-made waterfall in the world :)

 My dad not only found a snake, but picked it up to show us all his mad catching skills

 Jail with Pops

 Secret Garden

 I love my dad

Sick 2 story walmart with a exclusive escalator for shopping carts. I was thoroughly entertained.

Waterfall with the Steps :)

 Spencer. I'll miss this cute kid!

Oh, but he is so ready to be a missionary. He will be so great!

Uhhhhh... no comment.

Temple Square (no duh Lauren)