Young Women

I've been busy serving in the Young Woman's program at church lately. And I've been thinking about these girls a lot. I just recently was called to serve as an advisor to the Beehive group (girls ages 12 &13). I'll be honest, when I was first called into YW, I was excited and thought it would be "fun!". And admittedly, had a bit of a chip on my shoulder thinking these girls are so lucky to have so many young woman their age at church, and live in SLC where there are tons of other Mormons at their schools, and they have lots of great Youth leaders, and activities. I was kind of jealous and thought they couldn't possibly have it as "hard" as I did in High School.

I grew up in a tiny inner-city branch (averaged 30-40 members at church each week). My 2 sisters and I were the only regular, consistant young women. And at times we felt we didn't get as much attention from leaders as the kids in the bigger wards or the converts. [Except when our mom became our YW president, of course! :-)] At the time I thought it was "so hard", not having any LDS friends at school, or any friends that had similar standards, and having people think I was "weird" because they didn't know/understand my religion. All they knew is I couldn't go to sleepovers or parties,  and couldn't have a boyfriend. Oh, and I had to wear sleeves and knee length dresses to the dances. hahahaha

But now that I'm older, and more mature, hopefully :-), I realize it was a blessing to be that close to my sisters and have similar experiences. We are now all best friends. What more could you want?? And also, being older, you realize the social aspect of High School doesn't really matter much. It's okay that I never got to be that close with friends there, because I went on to college and met wonderful girls who are still today my BEST friends. 

So back to my feelings on YW. This past week I got over my "chip" completely. And realized that was really silly to think these girls don't have their own struggles, insecurities, etc. They have similar feelings as I did as a teenager to want to "belong" and feel included. Even though there are lots of other LDS kids at school and church. These girls are trying to develop testimonies for themselves. I remember that. I remember being about 12 when I prayed for the first time to know for myself if Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and if President Ezra Taft Benson was the prophet during that time. I remember truly reading the Book of Mormon for the first time, even though it was kind of hard to read/understand. I remember my first testimony meeting at the end of my first Temple trip. These experiences are still some of the strongest experiences I've had in my life. Being 12 (and 13, 14, 15, 16+ too!) is a really important time and it's important to have good influences around you. It's special and it's a time to begin to learn who you are and know/feel for yourself your testimony. 

So I've been feeling overwhelmed (in a good sense) of how important my role in YW is right now. I want to be a good example, and I want to help these girls, and bear my testimony formal and informal as much as possible. And to be a friend and let them know I care. They are all really sweet girls. 

My oldest sister Jessica started doing a "Flashback Fridays" blog post series and I've been loving it and it inspired me to get out the old photos, ya know... the non-digital kind. I found a few from our Young Women days together...

New Orleans Uptown Branch Young Woman (guessing 1996?) 

This is when our branch met at the Jewish Community Center while waiting for our church building to be built.

 Guessing our ages here, too: Sarah (12), Jessica (16), Sister Dearden our leader, DeLisa, Me (14)

At a Stake Conference, with Sister Cutler, one of the cool YW leaders in the big N.O. ward.

Uptown Branch YW circa 1998 or 1999. We were meeting at a Jewish Synagogue at this time (still waiting on building) - and that is why there is Hebrew alphabet in background. Jessica already left for college, so it was me and Sarah.

I found a picture of a school dance! I was a freshman, and invited my friend Julia (in red) from school to come along with me, my sister Jessica (a Sophmore), and our friend in our Stake, Anna Nagel.  Nice sleeves, ay?

And one more of us sisters! Jessica, Me, & Sarah. The 3 amigos! LYLAS!!

tulip gardens

I had driven by Thanksgiving Point hundreds of times, but had never visited. Saturday when I drove by on my way down to the Crawfish Boil in Payson, I noticed their billboard advertising their Tulip Festival, and there was still one week left! I called Brooke to see if she had ever gone, and she hadn't, so we picked a day (one of the hottest days ever!!) and loaded up the car with the two little ones, and shoved, then disassembled, then shoved again both of our big huge BOB strollers in the trunk. Our kids are on opposite nap schedules, so it's actually kinda hard to get together for activities that last longer than an hour. So I said, to heck with Pearce's nap today, we are gonna live a little and go have a fun day! (And hopefully she will sleep on the ride home, which she did. Kind of.)

I didn't really know what to expect. I kinda thought it would be like the tulip fields in Carlsbad, CA or Skagit Valley, WA with rows upon rows of tulips. But it was different. And it was lovely. There were more fields of grass, and manicured gardens, and beautiful trees. And ponds with fish, and little streams with rocks, and waterfalls. And brightly shining sun with beautiful blue skies and big fluffy white clouds. 

When I think of tulips, I usually think of them being more closed, and droopy (which I love). But these tulips were much more open, that at times I didn't even think they were tulips. And stick straight up, like a magic trick! Pearce, of course, loved the flowers. And wanted to pick them. And then when I told her she couldn't pick them, then she wanted to take the dirt away from them. 

This photo below is one of my favorites. And it's also hard to believe Pearce was still for a moment there. It was hard to get any close up photos of her, or still photos. I need to start saving for a lens with a zoom, because she is a runaway.

 Pearce was running all over the place. Gone are the days where she sits in a stroller. I was reminded, because Braylon (11 months) stayed calmly in his stroller the majority of the time.

 Little Braylon is learning to walk, and is taking steps on his own. It's fun to see this age again, brings back lots of happy memories. 

 Okay, just a few of me and Pearce. Even though I don't like myself in photos, BUT I've made a conscious effort to be in photos with her regardless. I want her to see one day, that mommy was there, and mommy had fun and adores her. And I'm sure I'll look back in 10, 15, 20 years and think *why the heck did I not like how I looked??* And I'll think *WOW, I was sooo young!!** Even though, that is NOT how I feel now. Why am I getting teary writing this right now?!? hahahaha (I guess it's because memories are precious.)

 Pearce would grab my hand and say "Mommy, come here!!" "FISH!"

Aaaaah, those blue skies and clouds. You couldn't NOT notice them! When I saw them, it reminded me of some art work a design blogger shared in her dining room. She enlarged a cloud photo and framed it. And I think I wanna do that over the fireplace in our family room.

Looking at the fish in the pond.

 Little beggar. Nice Brookie.

 Pearce loved the "goldfish" - ya know, like her crackers she eats all the time.

 Funny that little rocks look like the fish food. Because after we ran out of quarters (just one) she fed rocks to the fish. Here she is carrying hands full to the pond.

  And throwing them in. :-)

  i LOVE this one below!! Made herself real comfortable.

 Happy girl.

 Hot and sweaty girl. And mommy starting to die of heat exhaustion. Didn't pack a big enough bottle of water. Wasn't prepared. But we found a little fountain and I filled her sippy cup with water that I gulped two of them before handing back to her.

 We made it back to the entrance building and got some much needed cold treats. This was Braylon's first sugar, so he was laughing hysterically. so CUTE!!

  And this was NOT Pea's first sugar. hahaha 

 We hung out in the lobby for a bit cooling off eating our popsicles. And then took off.

crawfish berrrrrl

OH BOY was this a great weekend!! Usually when Jeremy is out of town I am lonely/bored/etc, but this weekend was great timing because my lil sibs told me about a Crawfish Boil at Boudreaux's Bistro in Payson, UT.  (**he was in Moab this weekend because his dad is still there for one more week, and we didn't get to do any trails when we were there Easter weekend, so he of course had to go back one last time before his dad leaves.**)

Every spring (crawfish season) I get so incredibly homesick, especially for Jazz Fest, Crawfish, and maybe even Mardi Gras. It's been several years since I was home in the spring, and have been dying for crawfish!!! So I bought an all-you-can-eat ticket and drove an hour down south and got every penny worth! The seasoned it perfectly, not too spicy, because even though I'm half cajun, I'm a total wimp when it comes to spicy. 

Pearce drinking her pink lemonade. Her cheeks were so rosy by the time we finally got there. Side note, we had to drive the jeep down, (with no A/C) windows cracked on one of the hottest days yet. (Jeremy took my Honda to Moab to save on gas $ and to get there faster. He rode in his dad's buggy so didn't need the jeep.) It is actually really cute seeing Pearce ride in daddy's jeep because she loves it, and everytime most of the time she is happy as a clam and swinging her feet with a big grin on her face.  

These guys really did put on a good crawfish boil, I hope they do one more this season, so Jeremy can come. Watching them dump the crawfish from the pots brings back so many memories of crawfish boils at MawMaw and PawPaws. Do you like our jeep hair?? ;-)

Cute Aunt Muffy. Aka Laura.

They said Pearce could stir the pot, even though there was just water left in it, but Pearce loves to "help" and "stir", so she was lovin' it. She thinks she "helped make the crawfish".

Alright, let's get this party started!! One (or two) more pics while my hands were still clean. Then it was serious business peeling and eating that crawfish.

Is your mouth watering yet?!?!?!?!

 My little quarta' cajun!! She was a natural, and LOVED the crawfish. I couldn't peel fast enough for her and myself. She even tried peeling one herself. Dug right in!

 That'a girl!!

They had a little jazz band too, which was cool (see behind us)

 There's Freddie! There weren't enough seats by us, so he sat by his buddy Shane, and was nice enough to teach him how to peel. 

 It was lots of fun seeing a bunch of New Orleans friends who live in Utah, especially the Gruwell girls, Jessica and Eliza! They are like my little sisters. This picture is also funny to me, because you can see that I didn't even miss a beat, I was peeling/eating the entire time. Didn't stop when chatting with friends, taking pictures, holding Pearce. My crawfish time was much overdue. 

 Our table definitely had the biggest piles of crawfish peelings. As soon as we were done with a pile, they'd come and dump more. It was awesome. It truly was "endless" helpings.

Pearce has been really social lately. She use to be kind of shy, maybe because we didn't have much kid interaction whilenliving in the country, or maybe because she is getting older and can talk a little more. But this is the second time this week that she makes a friend with a stranger. She was dancing around and holding hands with this little girl, while the band played. 

Freddie and two girls from Louisiana.

Hansen sibs.

In closing, I'll quote one of Pearce's favorite phrases right now, "YUM YUM!"

happy

Just a quick pic that makes me happy. I love the blue skies with fluffy white clouds. I love the green grass with little yellow flowers. And I love my little Peanut who likes to bring her puppy(ies) most places. 

library

We've been hitting up the library almost every week lately. We like story time, checking out new books and DVDs and Pearce likes to follow her nose. And because I really liked Pearce's outfit today, I brought the camera! hahahahahaha

Returning our books in the slot is lots of fun. "More mommy!" After we returned each of our books one at a time, she still wanted to do more. 

Perusing the books....

Now onto the DVDs.. "OH look, mom, DOG!!!"

Found the computers, and climbed up into chair. She said she was "working". And when I said "Let's go." She replies "SHOE, Mom, shoe!" Did I mention she says that to me a lot?!?! hahahahahaha I think it's kinda funny. I think she learned it from Grandma Curfew, because whenever she goes on walks with her, grandma will say "shoe, dogs, shoe" or flies. And now, Pearce applies that same phrase to me! hahahahaha

Can you see her little lips saying "shoe"? And her little arm waving me away? Yup, happens alot. This is just the first time I captured it in a photo.

I guess pay phones are great toys, too. Because she played and talked on the phone for a while. I asked her who she was calling, and she said "Lion King". DUH!! hahaha

It was a little rainy today. I love a little rain. It makes everything green and beautiful. 

 Pearce had a ball going around, up and down, all the ramps and stairs in front of the library.

"Don't trip, Pearce! Be Careful!!" Her new birthday shoes are still a little big and she tripped the last time she wore them. But today, she did great. No falls.

 Up the stairs. Doesn't like to hold on to rails anymore.

"I did it mom!!"

OK, now let's go home...