this is happiness: 26.2 miles is not that far.....

well my friends retreat for girls is officially over for this year. and i feel like a hole has been dug in my heart. there is this emptiness that has come because of how full my heart felt DURING retreat now it feels like it will never be the same. yes that was very dramatic. but i can't help it. i have been dreading writing this blog post for 2 reasons.

1. it means that i didn't blog every night like i wanted to and thus i didn't meet all of my retreat goals.... i hate it when i don't meet my goals.

2. there is so much i need to cover.... because retreat is actually over and that is devastating.

so i guess lets dive on in. if you remember i posted on the first night of my first week about my adorable girls (you can check out that post here) and truly that first week was amazing. my girls were outgoing, fun, adorable, and learned a lot. i had one girl that bore her testimony who told me she never bore her testimony. i had another girl talk about how she finally felt included, and i had another girl promise that she was going to go back and be a new girl. as a councilor i couldn't have asked for more miracles, and i was grateful for how much my heavenly father blessed me!

so funny story.... my girls LOVED putting salt in all my drinks.... but especially in my diet coke

the perpetrators

they look like they are super calm.... but it's a lie. hahah

you think that 3 hours of church is long... well at least you can switch rooms these girls are champs (not that the speakers are really that hard to listen to though)

our group activity... the unity circle = best friends

sadie and shayla love me

writing compliments to each other

anita LOVES helping with craft time

we made adorable and JOYFUL photo blocks

retreat girls LOVE crafts :)

the fashion show... to boost the counselors moral and the girls energy <3

walking a MILLION miles

service with a smile

retreat girls make me sassy

i LOVE my girls

and they LOVE aggie ice cream <3

retreat girls help each other

and they love the glad game

councilors will do anything for their girls no matter what the time is

thursday night duties

we make it fun!

sometimes we like to pretend we are 14 #supyawsie

final class

they made a cheer for me

final banquet... aren't they beautiful!?!

26.2 miles is not that far.... well incase you didn't know 26.2 miles is a marathon. these girls literally did a spiritual marathon at retreat for girls. they were bonding with each other, dealing with their own personal trials, learning about how to have joy in the gospel, during times of trials, by giving service, and in their divine identity. And then they were learning for 3 hours every morning from speakers who taught them everything from spiritual alarm clocks, to modesty.

for me it didn't end at week 1 i went on a was stretched again during week 2. it was challenging. there were problems that had to be dealt with but i found that i never took a second to think about myself. the entire week i was praying to have the inspiration to give each girl in my group what heavenly father wanted them to have. I truly felt that i was prepared just for my girls. there were body issues, moving issues, insecurities, and issues making friends. i found as i talked to each of my individual girls i had in some way felt what they were feeling at that moment. i was blessed by my heavenly father who gave me girls that i could connect with and help, and in turn they helped me more than i ever could have imagined.