#myyankeelife

Well it happened. The big America roadtrip. 2 Countries, 2 Provinces, 9 States. Thousands of miles, hundred of dollars, Dr. Pepper, Red bull, snacks and countless bathroom breaks and tanks of gas.

It all started August 11^th. This was the day I was to leave Canada. My home for the past 11 years. It started off with saying goodbye to one of my best friends Ben that morning. He stopped by on his way to work. We both tried to not cry and pretend like I wasn’t actually leaving but in the end I had to kick him out otherwise I would have broken down. Ben has always been a rock for me. Been there when others haven’t. What the heck am I gonna do in Virginia without him?  Following that I met up with my bestie Ashley and we had a glorious goodbye brunch at Cora’s and got an oil change (gotta pamper the car if he’s to make it across a whole country). Then that was it. We both tired not cry and kept saying “see you later” but it still sucked. I did a quick stop back at my parent’s house making sure I hadn’t forgotten anything (I had, and even now there a few more thing I wish I’d have grabbed) and that was it. 12:30 hit and that was it. Me and my trustie car ARTIE were on the road. Bound for Sandpoint Idaho. We had a long 7 hours of driving ahead of us and doing it alone sucked. However it did give me time for that glorious Broadway debut I plan on making someday. Believe me, I’m sure if anyone was driving next to me they would have laughed at the sight of me. Singing at the top of my lungs with livewires in my hand a guzzling red bull down my throat to stay awake. The drive was absolutely glorious and British Columbia has to be one of the prettiest provinces Canada has to offer. 5 hours into the drive I made it to eh U.S.A boarder. Now for those that have ever known boarder and me it never is simple. They always want something from me I don’t have (that I never know about) , or claim I was previously living in the states illegally (never happened!) Usually it ends up in multiple questions, pictures, prints and a car search before they realize this 5ft ginger British girl is not a terrorist and just wishes to visit their country. Well, this my friends was the first time I had ZERO problems. The sweet old man ushered me through, had me park my car, I went in with my documents for school (yes I had them all- visa in hand!) and then they wished me the best of luck. In fact upon walking back to my car a sweet older patrol lady came out to speak to me. At first I thought (crap! I messed up something…now what) but instead she just wanted to ask where I was going and what I was studying. Then gave me weather advice and such on Virginia and again-wished me the best of luck. It really couldn’t of gone smoother.  Shocking right? So I continued on and finally made it to Sandpoint, Idaho. There I spent a week with my family boating, eating, playing games-even taught people the famous cup game and song, yeh you know the kind. I also somehow got food poisoning and spent an entire day just trying to make it to the bathroom in time. It sucked. Nothing worse than getting sick on holiday. In lighter news, we went to the Silverwood theme park and spent the day on the rides, turning our stomaches in and out, eating carnival food which is possible the most delicious food on the planet- all that sugar J . At one point on the holiday there was a massive storm and the power went out. Now imagine 26 people, in 2 cabins, no power, no running water…..it made for an interesting evening, filled with ghost stories and games.
     I ended up leaving earlier than everyone else a I had to be in Utah (Which is 12 hour drive from Sandpoint) on the Saturday the 16^th of August. I received a blessing from my Father that morning which I was truly grateful for.  And then boom, said my goodbyes and I was gone. I must admit I wish I’d have taken a picture. It was so nice to see all my family on the porch waving goodbye to me. It wasn’t until I was a little way down the road that I could finally pull over and take it all in. I was trying to hard to not cry before I left (which if you know me at all, realize that I really suck at crying and yes some tears shed) but I just had to let it all go once I was out of plain view. As much as there are day when I just can’t stand them (we ALL have days like that) I really do love them. They are my best friends. Knowing that I was off to live in a state I had never been to, in another country, where I knew no one- it was pretty scary and that’s when it finally hit me. I hope they know just how much I love them, even when I don’t always express it.
            The drive as you can imagine was boring. Thank goodness for IPods. It got me through the drive. Because of where I was in Idaho to get to Utah made me have to go back through Montana, then back into Idaho, then into Utah. It was a long long long drive and when I finally made it to Salt Lake City I was on top of the world. I met up near Temple Square to see my darling friends Jessica and Dixon. In fact when I did see them I raced over to them yelling “My Friends! My friends!!!” How WONDERFUL to be reunited with these two!!! We went to Sonic Burger that evening (one of my favorite burger places) and talked, laughed, sang Pokémon songs to the staff, and just caught up. It was such a joy.
            The following morning I was greeted by pancakes and bacon-perfection. Went to church with Jessica and funnily enough saw some people I knew randomly at her YSA ward. That evening I met back up with Dixon and did one of the most fun things I did all summer. WE WENT ROCK CLIMBING!!! Now I have a HUGE fear of heights and this was something I NEVER expected to have done. Dixon was very sweet and patient with me and showed me what to do, let me practice before making the actual climb and then he showed me what to do, by him going up. I had to belay him all by myself, my first time. Thankfully there was a group of experienced rock climbers next to us who were just so kind and generous. They helped me throughout the whole thing and helped boost my confidence. It was extremely nerve racking knowing that if I messed up he would fall. But thankfully he lived to tell the tale J.
            Then it was my turn. I raced up the wall like a freaking spider monkey. Pulling up my body wasn’t exactly the easiest and the whole finding footing when it looks like there isn’t any was nerve wracking but hey I did it. The group that was by us all came to see what I was doing. They said they LOVE seeing a first time rock climber go for their first time. Everyone was so patient with me and helping me find my footing. Once I was at the top I made sure I took a good long look. That view was insane. SO so beautiful being up at the top. It wasn’t until I was foolish and looked down that I freaked out. I instantly clutched the wall and just wanted to cry! I WAS SO HIGH UP!!!! They all kept yelling at me to lean back and put my bum down. DOWN ON WHAT?!?!?!?! Letting go was one of the scariest moments of my life. I know that sounds silly, and I knew that I was safe and that Dixon knew what he was doing. But it was very nerve wracking no matter what. However I did it. One I reached the bottom I was greeted with cheering and that adrenaline high was amazing!! I was jumping up and down, screaming for joy and hugging people. I DID IT!!!!! I tell ya, that high was amazing! I don’t understand why people do drugs, heck if you want a high, go repel down the side of a mountain. That will give you a great high! I was so excited that I turned around and climbed right back up! Honestly, THANK YOU DIXON for and AMAZING experience and helping me prove to myself that I can overcome fears! That evening I got to go over to Jessica’s sisters house and play some games with her family and friends and just all in all it was a great time. The game “bang” is probably one of the funniest games and I am so excited to play that game again. Jessica’s family is pretty funny and so welcoming. Something I really appreciated.
            The following morning was it. Jessica and me packed up Artie (my car) again, this time the Tetris game of fitting everything in was a little more difficult because we had extra stuff but we managed to do it!  We started the drive and grabbed a bite to eat at Café Rio- because that place is amazing and filled up.  Our first part of the trip was stopping Colorado City, Utah. This is where legit polygamists live. I have watched many documentaries on this place. One of the biggest things I learned was that once a vehicle they don’t recognize enters their community they will follow it. Typically in a white truck. Well folks- that happened. The minute we entered we realized that we were being followed…coincidence? I think not. AS we drove around we saw countless vehicles with either parents driving with children on their laps, 20 young boys in the bed of a pickup truck, multiple children jammed into a car. A big question I had was “how the heck are these people not getting arrested” they are clearly in violation of some pretty big traffic laws, and if I can get a speeding ticket they surely can get a ticket for driving with a baby on their lap! NOT SAFE!!! They were all dressed in very dated clothing. It was almost like going back in time for sure.  As we were leaving the community we passed by a truck that had 2 young boys in it. The drive couldn’t have been more than 10 years old. 10!!! What the heck people!!!  I dropped my mouth I amazement and the driver saw, and made fun of me back, opening his mouth up really wide and mocking me. Normally I am not a fan of being mocked but this was just hilarious. It gave me a right chuckle and on our way we went.
            That drive was nothing short of crazy weather. We literally drove through a raging storm. The rain was piling down on us so hard and the lightning was directly over us. It was very scary. Yet we both knew we were safe and that it would pass. Which it did.
            Our next stop was so grand. That’s right people. We hit up “The Grand Canyon” the weather was still pretty crummy but for the few minute we were there the sun came out, the sky cleared up and my friends my eyes beheld one of the grand treasures this planet has. It was seriously stunning. The rock formations, the colours, the incredible feeling of wonder and amazement. I felt so small but yet so significant at the same time. It reminded me of that primary song we sang all the time growing up “Whenever I hear the song of a bird, or look at the blue blue sky. Whenever I feel the rain on my face, or the wind as it rushes by. Whenever I touch, a velvet rose, or walk by a lilac tree. I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me.”  Oh man he must have loved us a lot to give us that beautiful Canyon. The parting of the clouds was a nice little reminder of that love and kind of of a ”hey, this is my gift for you”.  Although we didn’t stay long, it is defiantly a place I would love to revisit, maybe next time hike it though. Really, go see it.
      When we finally make it to Jessica’s friends house sleep was all we could think of. We managed to get in a great nice rest and their hospitality was much appreciated. Their house was HUGE and probably one of the nicest places I have ever stayed in. They were such lovely people and the “Mormon coffee” they gave us that morning was incredible. I have to get me some of that stuff imported from Germany. Talk about a morning pick-me-up!
       As we left we swung by the Gilbert Arizona Temple. It was stunning. My goal in life is to see as many temples as I can and the fact that we got to see not only the Gilbert Temple but then we drove and saw the Mesa Temple was a joyous thing. Arizona- you are so lucky to have such beautiful temples in your state. Seriously, gorgeous.

            As we hit the road w managed to drive through New Mexico. This is where I had some seriously yummy food. First off- CRACKER BARREL! WHERE THE HECK HAS THIS PLACE BEEN ALL MY LIFE????? For real. There is something so delicious about sweet potatoes and brown sugar. I had country biscuits and corn bread. I told them I wanted the most southern things they had, and that’s what they brought me, along with some lemonade of course. It was so cute to walk about the little shop attached to the Cracker Barrel, filled with random trinkets but I loved it. They were so kind to us and even let us try some of their chocolate candy corn (I like to think my good looks and charming personality won them over, but it probably was just the accent throwing them off and they just wanted to hear me talk more haha)
Here’s the thing New Mexico…. you are gross. And I mean gross in the way that when we stayed in a hotel that night, there were SO many bugs (crickets, moths, stink bugs) outside it freaked the heck out of me. If you know me, you know I HATE bugs!!!! Thank goodness there weren’t any in our room!!! I would have LOST it!!!! But at nighttime, those suckers are everywhere! It didn’t help that it was a hot a hell I’m sure. I felt like I was constantly pinned up against the wall and would rush past them when I saw them. There was seriously no escaping them. Until the morning.
       What a joy morning bought. We said peace out to New Mexico and hit up one of the states I have been dying to visit my entire life. HELLO TEXAS!!!! For real’s. I am IN LOVE with Texas and can’t wait to return!!! They have such pride for their state and the people were really friendly. We stayed with an old friend of mine (thanks so much Bill and Cathy!!) and really did make us feel like we were home. We hit up a TexMex restaurant that night and although it wasn’t nearly as joyous to my heart as Cracker Barrel was, it was still delicious. Dallas, Texas is a truly amazing city and from the lights, the sounds to the people and food I was truly happy to be there. Oh also, Texan BBQ. You are heaven. Pure heaven to my taste buds. Never had anything quite like it and oh boy I gotta get me some more of that delicious thing called a brisket.  Your ribs were delicious and I couldn’t get myself enough of that sauce. Yum yum yum. Apparently we didn’t even eat at the greatest BBQ place. It was more of a chain that we ate at. Dickies-for those of you who know it, know that is delicious.
            After saying goodbye to Dallas, which trust me was a sad moment we made it to Arkansas. We were welcomed by rocking chairs on the porches and a thick accent that was pretty tough to understand. In fact I couldn’t stop laughing at the people at the visitors centre and kept trying to not make fun of them, but it was tough!!! It was just SO thick!!! Sadly not much happened throughout Arkansas as there were no planned stops. Just driving. But it was still a blast.  I really did love travelling with Jess. She always kept us laughing and when we weren’t sleeping (which, trust me, we were tired….sooo tired) we were catching up on each others lives, and there was a lot to share) We decided to make a music video to the song “Zero to Hero” from the Disney movie Hercules. It was a song that when we both first met we ended up singing throughout the whole week of EFY. You should definitely check it out sometime. It’s pretty funny if I do say so myself.
            After driving through Arkansas, which felt like forever, make it to Tennessee. Hot Dang it love this place! We managed to make it to Nashville, which I swear is one of my new favorite places on the planet. Upon our trip planning I begged and begged to stop by “The Bluebird Café”. It’s a tiny little café where all the great country music artist and songwriters have performed. We arrived there late and didn’t realize just how packed it would be, but by some little miracle we managed to make it in for a show. This was my heaven. They artists all sat around in a circle and you sat in there right with them. They spoke to us and had us sing along sometimes. Afterwards we got to just mingle with them and ask them questions. It was pretty awesome to be able to sit in a place that so many of the greats started out. I just couldn’t stop smiling. It really was incredible. The Café itself has become super famous due to the show “Nashville”, which I highly recommend watching. Love me some Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere. Many people there because of the show. I like to think I was there because I’ve been in love with that place since falling in love with country music J
            We finished that show around 11, and knew that the next part of journey was probably going to be the worst. It was the last 7 hours of driving, but doing it through the night was going to be tough. Taking turns to snooze along the way was great, but if you’ve ever slept in a car I’m sure you can relate that it is not the most comfortable (I always wake up with a stupid neck ache or something) and the sleep usually makes you feel worse the rested. But I had to be at the school for auditions and an appointment early that morning. So we started the trek. Around 5am Jess woke me up by pulling over for the last state line-crossing picture and running through the rain and the mist to that last sign, I was SO excited!!! We had made it to Virginia!! Wahoo!!! It was really cold at 5am so after that final picture we jumped back into the car and headed for Buena Vista. Around 7:30am I awoke again to find out that Jess had pulled over in a parking lot to take a small snooze and found us somehow wrapped up awkwardly in the front of the car trying to get comfortable. Note, you can’t haha. Back on the road again and exhausted, we did it. We made it to Buena Vista. A lot of thoughts went through my mind upon arriving in this tiny town. I couldn’t believe how small it was!! It really is tiny, but so lovely! The school is stunning to view and to be in the Shenandoah valley it a true treat. It is really beautiful out here. The colours were incredible and moving into my new place was fun! Getting to this school, get to know people, and start planning out my next few years here is going to be another adventure for the books for sure.

Now to start planning my trip back at the end of the school year.... What States shall I drive through then?? 16/50 so far....

xoxo Stay Beautiful

Update time!

I get it, I am awful at this whole blog thing. UPDATE TIME!!

January: Went to Cuba!!! What a great surprise birthday we pulled off for our friend Mike! We had a blast and I got to swim with some Dolphins!! Woot woot!!

February: Sweethearts dance happened and I had a blast going with a big group of people and my mate Chris. Ben set it up to be like "The Hunger Games" minus the killing part. It was a lot of fun!! For actual Singles Awareness Day (Valentines day if you're in a relationship) I got to go shooting with Allie and Ryan. I think I'll do that every year.... Canada also won the Gold for Hockey in the Olympics. Woot woot! Take that USA!!

March: Accepted...

April: Conference weekend (It was Alison's first time in Salt Lake!) I got to do a session at the Salt Lake Temple, which was STUNNING and so glad to be with some great friends.
I also turned 26...blah...getting so damn old.

May: This month was a tough one. I left the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary after 4 years and decided to take the summer off from work. It was a big decision and really tough to do but I am thankful for my experiences and the great affect that it has had on my life. The people are wonderful. The work is great and the youth are amazing.

June: Fractured my foot...in a cast. Once the cast was taken off, low and behold I sprained and tore some ligaments in my ankle...really bad. I was bed ridden for weeks. It was insanely painful and still hasn't really heeled...

July: Still heeling. Family from England also arrived to spend some time. Got to meet some of the cutest kids on the planet!! BBQ's, patios and the lake is pretty much how my glorious summer went :)

August: The big move happened. I got accepted (see March) to Southern Virginia University and packed up my belongs, crammed them into my car, and drove across the United States of America to small town Buena Vista, Virginia. There will be a whole blog post of this great road tip. Be warmed, it's a long read.

September: School. What the heck was I thinking??? I also got into the prestigious singing group "The Fading Point" at school. We get to travel around America, singing to people, teaching the youth and spreading the gospel and our testimony. Pretty much one of the toughest things I've ever signed up to do, but I am loving it!

October: Lexington Ghost Tour. Boots. Leaves. Pie. Autumn in Virginia is possibly one of the most beautiful things to witness. So nice to not have any signs of snow :) *cough cough, Calgary*

There ya have it folks. An update on my past year. I know that a lot more has happened and I am so awful at this whole blog thing, but I'm gonna try and be better. I wanna be able to document what the heck is going on in my world.

To my family and friends. I miss ya. A lot. Can't wait to come home for Christmas.

xoxo Stay Beautiful.

Making me in 2014!!

Well hello 2014! 

Wow! I can't believe how quickly a year has flown by!! It seriously boggles my mind!! I thought I would be fun to recap my year!! 

January- sick with mono- no I did not get it from kissing someone-wouldn't have been so miserable if that was the case ;) haha!

February-This marked 10 years of my family moving to Canada. I still can't believe how fast time flies!!

March- the beloved ward activity "X Factor- fish vs spruce" happened and I got to see a lot of hard work pay off! I went to Utah for EFY training and had a fairytale whirlwind weekend romance that I will for sure tell my children about! 

April- holy cricket I turned 25! Defintetlu don't feel old enough to be that age. Taught Ashley the cup game and had fun making videos with it, had an epic water fight in the house and of course, got my own Sheldon cardboard cut out :) 

May- I got my letter of acceptance to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Be jealous. Flew down to Utah for more EFY training and made some lifelong friends :) 

June- Still in Utah and loving every second of it! Watched my friend Allie graduate university (so proud) and it a moose onesies!!!!! The Alberta floods happened and I saw beautiful acts of kindness unfold all over this beautiful province. 

July- had a weekend in banff to celebrate Allies birthday where some much needed R&R was taken. Took a huge step in my career with Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary and became a Centralized Coordinator! 

August- EFY came and went. Had an amazing week filled with everything you can imagine. I loved every second and wouldn't change it for the world. I went to San Fransisco with my best friends and we painted that city red, every day! It was amazing! 

September- Car got broken into, so I got a new car and welcomed "Artie" to the family! Began horse riding again :)!

October-Confernece, Halloween and Eva's first birthday made for a great and crazy month :)

November- Had a beautiful new nephew born :) Peter is adorable and we love him so much!! Went through the Temple and realized just how much I am loved :)!!!!!!

December- Moved into a new house with the greatest roommates ever!! Celebrated Christmas and preformed in a few concerts :) 

Wow and that's just the bullet point version of 2013!

This year I plan on making more memories and setting  my goals just a little higher :) I'm proud to say last year I accomplished all my resolutions except for one- which kinda involves two people. 

My theme this year is to "Making Me". I wanna take my life into control and start doing the things I want . Start living my life the way I want to and make myself a better version. I want to be able to look back this time next year and know I didn't sit back and idol. That I was always trying to be the best version of me I could be. 

Here's to a beautiful 2014!!!!

-Stay beautiful xoxo

November 16th 2013- Endowed from On High

November 16th 2013

It'd time I wrote about it.

It started for me actually on the November 14th 2013. My wonderful friend Jessica flew in from LA to support me that weekend and I couldn't have been more thankful. I met Jess in Utah for EFY training and spent 2 weeks with her and her team. Needless to say I felt like I had met a long lost sister. Her flying into Calgary for a 54 hour trip meant the world to me.

I figured I would have to show her how awesome Calgary is in such a short amount of time, but it was possible. From a Poutine to a Flames Hockey game, we did as much as we could. We shopped and laughed and even went two stepping for a bit :)

The following day we drove down to Lethbridge to visit our mutal friends and have a delicious dinner with them. Needless to say from the Roadshow and the dinner there was laughs all the way. We stayed the night at the gorgeous Charlotte Etches house and even then the laughs kept going.

At 7:30 am we hopped back in the car and drove back to Calgary. I was all a jitter and nervous, mainly about not getting home on time, but also because of the kind of day it was going to be. THANK GOODNESS WE LEFT WHEN WE DID!!! The roads turned pretty nasty quickly which made me nervous while driving, but no sooner as we got home we found out that the roads got closed from Lethbridge to Calgary due to weather. I'm telling ya, someone was not wanting me to go.

After speaking with my sister Sally and shedding way to many tears that she wasn't going to be there. Oh how I wish she could have been, I got dressed and ready for the day. 

Dress was steamed. Bag was packed. Lets go.

The Temple is honestly one of my favorite places on earth. The building alone is beautiful, but when you are inside such a beautiful place, it really does make you feel that much closer to our Heavenly Father. It's a great place just go and be.

Obviously for sacred reasons I won't disclose what happened inside the Temple. But I can describe how I felt.

There was nothing better than seeing all the people I love most in the world, (minus my family and close friends who couldn't make it for various reasons) all there supporting me on that amazing day. I couldn't stop crying not only for the joy that was taking place, but because I really and truly felt the support and love that these people had for me. These people had risked driving in BRUTAL weather conditions, and didn't seem to mind.

I know that the sacred things that happened in the Temple that day were true. There is NO WAY to deny the amazing peace and power that is felt in the Temple. It really is the Lord's house. I can not believe there was a time when I thought it was okay to give up on making it to the Temple. Oh gosh am I so glad I didn't.

How lucky am I??

Since going through the Temple I have managed to go once a week and will strive to continue to do that. I learn something new EVERY time I go. I find my weeks are better, I am kinder, and my heart is more full.
 

I love to see the temple.

I'm going there someday

To feel the Holy Spirit,

To listen and to pray.

For the temple is a house of God,

A place of love and beauty.

I'll prepare myself while I am young;

This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple.

I'll go inside someday.

I'll covenant with my Father;

I'll promise to obey.

For the temple is a holy place

Where we are sealed together.

As a child of God, I've learned this truth:

A family is forever.

-Janice Kapp Perry "I love to see the Temple"

Here are some photos from the weekend. They're a little out of order and apparently my computer doesn't want me switching them around....

It was too cold outside the Temple for photo's but as we walked to the car my dad took some of me messing around , and then a cute of my and mum. Once we got back home we took a few "selfies" just so I would have something.

-Stay Beautiful xoxo

Calgary EFY 2013: Firm in the Faith- Pictures

Just a few pictures I had on my phone. Just wanted a share a few :) 

Our "Get to bed. Lights out!" face :)

EFY 2013: Firm in the Faith

I feel that my Facebook status says a lot of how I felt starting this year of EFY.

Jane Christine Blomfield 5 August near Calgary via Mobile

It's here. We have been working on this since October. We have poured out blood, sweat and tears into today. We have prayed, fasted, laughed, cried, screamed, hugged and so much more. There are no words to describe how excited I am for these youth to come and spend this week learning just how awesome they are and how much they are loved! I am so blessed to work with the best team a girl could ask for! Our counselors are so awesome and I can't wait for them to experience the joys of this week! So I just have one last thing to say "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT HEY!" #efycalgary2013

Ugh. Even trying to type this post it making me tear up. This was the most incredible week I could have experienced. You have heard me rant on about EFY in a few other posts. I've stated countless times how I was feeling and how excited I was.

It all started on Friday August 2^nd 2013. I was done work- had stayed up through the night to make sure everything was ready for me to be gone for 2 weeks. I was exhausted but the excitement was overpowering it. I ran around collecting last minute things for the week- pens/mason jars/candy/ you know the essentials. I cleaned my house as much as I could and headed to the University of Calgary to check out the rooms/ facilities etc to make sure everything was in order. My wonderful friend Jessica Torrie came with me as my Co-coordinator Scott's flight was delayed. Joy. Everything worked out great so I went to meet up with Scott. Now as I talk about the week of EFY I want you to understand a few things. I was lucky enough to see MANY miracles happen. This here is just the first. Scott and I received the names of the youth and counselors. The feeling you get when you receive those names is how I believe a parent must feel when seeing their baby for the first time-except maybe only a third of that love ha-ha. Either way it's intense. First you want your counselors to know that you have been there! You know EXACTLY what it's like for them. You know all the trials they are going to face that week, all the tears they will shed and all the laughs they will share. When seeing the names of the youth the love is overwhelming. All I wanted to do was to hug each and every one of them and thank them. Thank them for coming. Tell them just how excited I was to see them and teach them this week. Anyways- so this is where we have to start pairing the counselors up. You wouldn't believe how hard this is. Are they gonna like each other? Will they get along? Is their boyfriend/girlfriend gonna be jealous? Etc. Thankfully Scott and I were thinking the same and knew it had to start with a prayer. We needed the right amount of guidance for this and would take what we could get :) One hour later the groups were sorted. It was so quick and easy it shocked both of us. Never have I had it go that well. As Scott picked up a males name I would pick up a females name. We would then show each other that we picked and seriously it just worked. It worked so well that we celebrated with food and shopping. Then some of the team- Natalie, Charlotte and Tyrell showed up and it was bed time! (p.s Channelle did show up at some point in the night. Apparently I gave her directions to my house; however I believe I was still asleep as I gave them to her!)

Saturday August 3^rd 2013. Get up. Make a spectacular breakfast for my guest-what can I say, I’m a good host. Finish packing the rest of my stuff. Drive on up to the North Institute building. Start setting up.  The nerves are starting to set it. Projector isn’t working- how the heck is the slide show gonna work? Ahh Kurt’s going to fix it. Uh-oh got to go pick up Ben from the airport. Got to take Erin and Charlotte and get the other vehicle. Yup the stress is setting in. 
                Once we got all of that sorted we raced back to the institute.  Pep talks happened and then we opened the doors. I WAS SO EXCITED!! In the room were 34 amazing people. People I had been praying over and hustling to work the session for months! And here they all were to train!! Training went off great. I’m the kind of person that likes to make people laugh. I tried really hard too but I think Scott’s story about him having no tear ducts (true) won that contest J It was a great experience and I knew that in that room I had met some lifelong friends J
               

Sunday August 4^th 2013 was great.
 Got to go to the YSA ward up north and mingle with my new friends. That evening we had a wonderful fireside with our session director Brother Steve Scott (You the man bro!) who talked about climbing the mountain, and how we all want to reach the top. It was great and I feel that me typing it on here will not do it justice, just ask him J Then it was time to sleep. Yeah right like I could sleep. I had too many emotions going through me it was insane. Thankfully around 2 am I managed too-however I knew that waking up at 6 was gonna be killer.

Monday August 5^th 2013
It was killer. Waking up after little sleep sucked. However nothing stopped me from jumping out of bed to get ready. The red polo and khakis were on. The name tag too. It was EFY time J

After a great breakfast and morning of counselor groups introducing their company scripture the head team got to do one also, it was about Llamas. Don’t even know why. Ben taught it to us. But it was hilarious and I enjoyed learning it.

All of a sudden it was 10:45. Almost time for the doors to open. We said a big family prayer. Then the countdown was on and the doors opened. THEY WERE HERE!!!!!!!
                WOW! Talk about a mad rush. There was soooo many people everywhere. We had so many youth to sign in, get their lanyard, i.d, bag, t-shirt and wristband. There were parents everywhere just wanting to speak to me and Scott. There were keys to rooms that no one should be in being handed out. It was pandemonium. Yet, I love ever single second of it. Kids went off to meet their counselors. The team cleaned and headed to Orientation. YES! THIS WAS MINE AND SCOTTS TURN! OUR TURN TO MEET THEM!! Suddenly we have 450 youth all sitting before us and it was awesome! Scott and I felt we did a darn good job and the youth seemed to be super excited for the week. At some points I had to hold back my tears as this was supposed to  be the pumped up excited time of the week- not the watch Jane gross cry part. It’s always interesting to see youth from previous years. Sometimes you wonder if they remember you, are they much different, heck- do you even remember their name. Ahhh! What I especially loved though was looking out into the crowd of youth and seeing my niece Charly and my nephew Jakob. I am so glad I got to experience this with them. Charly was doing this for 2^nd time however for Jakob it was his first. I think a big chunk of my motivation to make sure this was an awesome week was for them. I wanted them to have to the best week they could and I was going to make sure of that.
                After orientation it was dinner and Family Home Evening the youth went to bed. Lights out at 10:30pm (Yeh, right! I wish it was that easy) Phew! We had survived our first day. However, here is something not many people are aware happened that night. This is gonna get a little personal/graphic/embarrassing (not just for me) so be warned. Skip to the next day if you are worried…
                So there I am, 1am, glad that the first day is over. So I head down to my basement dwelling bedroom and get ready for bed. As I am showering I hear someone come in and speak my name. It’s 1am. What the heck? As I’m rinsing out the suds in my hair my darling friend Channelle comes to the shower stall door. “Uhhhh Jane, I need you!” Now, she is sounding pretty panicked so I finish up and step out. Channelle is standing there. In her robe. This is where she tells me that she locked her key in her bedroom and went to shower with nothing but her robe on. (Oh gosh even writing this is making me laugh!!) Now seeing as no one has a spare key except security I had to go and get a hold of them. Channelle waits in my room and I make the run across campus to the people who can help. They tell me someone will be there soon to let her in. Phew, I’m thinking I may still make it to bed before 2am! WRONG!!!!! 2am, 3am…still nothing. Channelle and I had been instructed by the security people to sit outside the door we needed unlocked and wait for them to show up. So there we are. Channelle in her robe and shower stuff and me in my pj’s. THANK GOODNESS NO YOUTH WERE AWAKE!! Every time I looked at Channelle I couldn’t stop laughing. Thank goodness she had her robe with her. Can you imagine being locked out and only having a towel with you! HAHA! Anyways, finally I had had enough. I ran back to security and complained about how long it was taking (apparently the girl who was to come and unlock the door fell back asleep….) by this time it was 4am. Thankfully the woman showed up and Channelle was able to get in her room! Success! Now for me- it was 2 hours of sleep time and a new day to get ready for!

Tuesday August 6th 2013.
 We got this! It’s day 2 and everything is working out great. From the morning devotionals to the classes everything was easy. My head team was great at running things smoothly and effectively. All of a sudden it was lunch followed by more classes. Then after dinner it was everyone’s favorite thing about Tuesday. The Dance! Oh how fun to watch teenagers dance and flirt. I wonder if I was every as adorable as they all looked. All the girls in one spot. The boys in the other. Trying to divide and be conquered. So fun!! I especially love a good old line dance and watching the kids follow along.  Now throughout all this fun commotion there was one part that tugged my heart strings. One boy found out that his brother and sister were in a brutal car accident. No one was killed (thank goodness!) but they were greatly injured. What a great thing to witness all his friends be a strength to him. They really loved him and wanted him to know that. He was given an option to stay or leave and he decided to stay-which I am thankful for. That amount of love and support is rare and priceless. I’m glad he got to experience that in such a difficult time.

Wednesday August 7^th 2013

Seriously some people are dumb. Really dumb- but I’ll get to that. Wednesday again started like Tuesday. Breakfast, Morningside and then classes. In the afternoon the youth got split into two groups and I taught one and Scott taught the other. This lesson was on the Plan of Salvation and how you could teach it informally. It was a toughie to prepare for and I stayed up realllly late prepping for it (A big thank you for Andrew Orr and Mark McKee for you help! It was the first time I’d ever done a slide show presentation and Mark helped with that. Andrew helped with some doctrine and keeping me awake and alert haha) I started the lesson by letting the youth get to know me. I wanted them to feel like we were friends. It sucks when you feel like you can’t relate to someone preaching to you. Then I went into the lesson. I won’t go into specifics about it but I’ll post the slideshow to it at some point I’m sure as I was very proud of it. I feel that sometimes people underestimate what the youth of today are going through. I see it every day just with my job but I feel some people just don’t get it. It is SO much harder now to be a youth that it ever was. There are so much more destructive things being thrown in their faces than there ever was for us. Drugs and Alcohol are so minor to them now. I had the youth put their hands up if they knew someone who had tried to/followed through with suicide. Do you realize almost EVERY hand was in the air? I was teaching 14 and 15 year olds. I wept. I wept for the amount of stuff they raised their hands for but shouldn’t have to be faced with. I said to them that if there was ONE thing they took away from my lesson it was that I wanted to know they are loved. I want them to know there is someone who will listen and there is someone who cares. Man I hope they got that! After the lesson I was fortunate enough to have a bunch of the youth want to speak to me after. What an honor this was for me. Some had written me little notes (which yes I still have and will always J ). Some just wanted to say “Hi” and they enjoyed the lesson. Others just needed a hug. (I’m not gonna lie I felt a little bit like a celebrity and it was AWESOME).  Whatever their need, I was there.
                After the lesson was free time and dinner followed by games night. Here is where the dumbness of people sets in.  As we are at the field for games night Scott and I realize there is about to be a downpour. We made an executive decision to take it inside and start leading everyone. Scott and I were leading them from the front to get there first to set everything up. Thank goodness we were because I may have lost my job if I wasn’t. While we are leading the youth a truck of people show up to the games night area where a lot of our youth still are. In this truck are people who start throwing water balloons at the kids. Laughing and thinking it’s funny. Now I know you may think “What, it’s just water balloons what is the big deal” Well there are MANY reasons why this is a big deal. First off- they smoked a kid in the face. That hurts, that leaves a mark. Then they try to sabotage a night that has been worked on FOR MONTHS! We have parents that have entrusted u with their youth to be safe, and they show up – dressed in an outfit their mother’s would be ashamed to see them in, and try to ruin an experience that was meant to be fun for our youth. Then they have the balls to yell at my Session Director as he is telling them to leave. Oh my heck. They are lucky. Thankfully I had an awesome team who dealt with it, including filming the incident and getting license plates and such. To wrap up the story before talking about the rest of the night I did do some digging and a friend sent me a copy of a picture they had posted on instagram. These people were so dumb! Don’t ambush efy and then hash tag it on instagram!!! Seriously. We can see that! And because of the joys of social media within 2 mins I got everyone’s name and number. Dumb! Efy were not happy and neither was the parents that called, the University of Calgary and the police. Yes people there were sooo many charges we could have laid on them. At one point I did call two of the people who were involved and have very interesting conversations with them. Scott recorded the entire conversations of me just chewing them out and getting the missing pieces from them. Ugh there people are so dumb. In fact at one point one of them said “Well, what’s more Christ like? Me telling you who was there and the truth or keeping it a secret” Sweet heart- if you have to lie for your friends, they probably aren’t worth it. Just saying. Okay enough with that rant.
                The cheer off was so much fun and the banners were incredible. It blows my mind how talented some people are! In true EFY tradition following Games Night its PIZZA NIGHT!!!!! Oh what a joy to have pizza, chocolate milk (which we surprised them with) and a good chat with the youth while in our Pj’s. Mine was the moose onesie with the butt flap and Scott wore a SILK SUIT! It was AWESOME!!! So impressed J . There was a bit of a gong show with the pizza night stuff. We originally ordered from one pizza joint- then found another pizza joint that would do it for half the cost, then we had to figure out the money situation but all in all it worked out- that’s cuz Logan is the man and was seriously so wonderful at dealing with that.  All in all the kids had a great Pizza night and everyone went to bed with a smile on their face.

Thursday August 8^th 2013- or Miracle day as I like to call it.

Sunday dress. Beautiful Morningside. Inspirational lessons. It truly is the best day. Brother Scott spoke to the boys for 2 hrs then the girls for 2 hrs. I wasn’t in for the boys but for the girls he talked to us about being a daughter of God and how amazing that is. It was extra special because he said “I am going to speak to you like I am speaking to my daughter” Now Brother Scotts wife Chelsea was pregnant with their 6^th child at the time. They already had 5 boys. Brother Scott had stated many years ago that he knew he was to have a little girl because of a dream he had on his mission. He had been waiting for a little girl for a long time. Now don’t get me wrong he loves his boys, but he had been waiting, and was SO excited to meet his little girl. As he spoke knowing that he has been waiting all those years for a daughter it just made the lesson seem that much more meaningful. After he spoke, Chelsea spoke and talked about self-worth and knowing how precious we are and how beautiful we are inside and out. Something that we girls need to remember. We shouldn’t judge ourselves by the magazines and television.  We should remember we are Daughters of our Heavenly Father (who loves us and we love Him…). So thankful for those two lessonsJ.

Lunch was then followed by the new EFY Game Show to which Logan was our host – at a mighty fine one at that. Think Family Feud. It was awesome and the kids were so engaged. Then dinner and then one of the greatest parts of EFY- The Musical Program. This year we were lucky enough to have Jessica Torrie, who works for EFY down in the states be a part of our team, and she wrote the musical program. I love music. It’s how I explain my feelings and where the foundation of my testimony started. I was so impressed at the dedication and the talent these youth had. Jessica worked so hard on this program and I KNOW the youth did too! They sang with everything they had and expressed their testimonies in one of the most beautiful ways.

I sobbed like a baby the whole time.

After that we had another fireside where Jessica and I got to sing a song together for the whole session to hear. It’s a song called “I feel heaven here” from the efy cd and I can honestly say it is one of my favorite efy songs. I am so grateful the youth allowed me a moment to express my testimony through music and no one booed me off stageJ. Even more thankful to Jessica for singing with me and giving me confidence I needed to do it. As I walked down from the stage what a joy to my eyes to see my dear friends Kayla and Braden standing at the back. They were driving through Calgary and had worked efy with me before- Braden was my co-coordinator last year and he and Kayla met at efy and were married 2 months later. What a joy to say hi to them and feel their love even for only a few minutes. Meant a lot to me. Following that the youth were split into groups and got to go and bare their own testimonies with their companies. This is why I call Thursday “Miracle Day” and the reason for this is because I know how hard it is to try to teach a youth and feel like they don’t care. It is on this day you see that they do. They bare testimony of how they have felt loved when down, how they have prayed and received answers, how they have been alone yet felt peace. They bare testimony how they know this church is true. It is what I feel every parent who sends their kid to efy wishes they could see. One day those parents will. Small and simple things…

Friday August 9^th 2013Last full day of EFY. It started off with – you guessed it, another Morningside. Following this the youth went to take pictures with their companies and friends then came back for a panel discussion. This is where a panel would answer any questions they had- about anything! Now, they had already submitted a lot of questions and we answered those mainly but one that really hit me I would like to talk about. Someone asked about bullying and what to do if they saw a friend they knew getting bullied. Earlier in the week we had such an issue. Scott and I dealt with a beautiful young girl who was on the receiving end of some very harsh bullying. She was getting mocked on every social media outlet she had. People calling her disgusting names, telling her to go kill herself and disappear. This was hurting her so much she has started cut herself and had and was going to attempt suicide. This broke my heart. Nothing is worse than seeing a youth so destroyed by others they want to just give up. Bah even now reliving this is making me type through tears.  Scott and I did what we could and got her all the help we could give and even now I am glad to say she is doing well. Yet when this question was asked- we had just finished dealing with the incident. I don’t remember all I said but I was the only one who spoke. I expressed my opinions on bullying and how to come back from it. I asked people to raise their hands if they had ever been called a mean name, taunted, hurt, etc from someone. I then asked them to think if they had done it to anyone. I expressed very strongly that if they have EVER bullied someone they must stop now. They must stop. Through tears I explained how deadly this can be. I pleaded. I stated if they know of someone being bullied they must do something-otherwise they are just as bad as the bully by ignoring it. Gosh I really hope I got through to those youth. I really hope. Gah…must stop crying…

After lunch we had the variety show! What fun! To see the youth show their many talents from dancing, singing, playing guitar, yo-yo acts and comedy skits, to one girl doing many different impressions it was truly a fun way to spend a Friday. Ben did a great job with his youth and I couldn’t have asked for a better variety show! Then there was dinner followed by the final dance of efy!  SO SO SO hot in that ballroom but oh what fun! There was even a special number by the band “Breathless” ft. Jane (me!) haha! Just a few awesome counselors who made up a dance and I joined them for it (they asked- I did not offer!!) After the dance was the slide show of our week which Kurt had been working on all week- and he did a fantastic job!!! So well done!!! Then it was one last song of the EFY medley and the youth left for bed. Many tears and many “I love you” were said but it was a beautiful end.

EFY Calgary 2013 Slide Show

Saturday August 10^th 2013
In the early hours of the morning, a few of us were still up performing lockdown. This is where we stay up to make sure no fireworks are set off, no one tries to sneak out or in etc. Let’s just say around 3 am we started to go a little loopy and decided to be like mission impossible and sneak around the sleeping counselors to see if anyone woke up to us. It was hilarious.

Escape from EFY 

They left. The youth left. I did manage to say goodbye to many of them. They came running for hugs and their last chance for a picture and I was more than happy to spend every last second with them. Then the whole efy team had one last breakfast and meeting where the counselors got to share some of their experiences. It was perfect.

Final thoughtAs I drove away from EFY- I had a plane to catch, that will be blogged in another post, I couldn’t help but cry. Over the past 5 years I have dedicated everything I had to the program. I have met some amazing people, some inspiring youth and made memories that will last a life time. I am honored to have been able to work with youth from around the world and maybe make even just a small dent in their memories. I have made friendships that will last forever and my testimony of my Heavenly Father’s love has grown and grown and grown.  I will NEVER forget the amazing experience I was blessed enough to have. I will remember the hard times- because that is what makes me grow and will look back and laugh at all the crazy things we did. Thanks EFY. It’s an end of an era for me, and I wouldn’t change a thing J

-Stay Beautiful xoxo

It has been a while...

There is so much to say. Where to begin.

Well, I turned 25. Me and the people near and dear to my heart celebrated at Aussie Rules- a dueling piano bar. I had a blast, dancing on the tables and acting a fool. Hey- just cuz I'm old doesn't mean I can't have fun.

I was so fortunate to attend EFY training in Provo from May 22-June 1st. To say it was incredible is just an understatement. Have you ever met someone and just known you were supposed to meet them. That you were supposed to cross paths with them. That for sure happened for me on this trip. To you wonderful, beautiful people- thank you. THANK YOU!!!! You showed me what it was like to just jump and fall. To remember why we do what we do. It wasn't something I felt i was even missing in my life- but you made me realize it's something to NEVER live without. SO thankful for the unexpected paths we take in this life.

In other news- I recently got diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Weird right. I felt that that was something only those who had severe things happen to them. You know, like army guys and people who experienced horrific traumatic things-much like the youth I work with. Turns out working with people who have those experiences can be just as traumatic for me. Having to hear over and over and over again the horrific things these youth go through is enough to make you loose faith in mankind. For those that don't know what I do for a living let me tell you. I work with high risk youth. I am a child and youth care counselor. I work for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary specializing in a PSECA (protection of sexually exploited children act) program.
Ed Sheeran - The A Team
The girls that I work with we're either in prostitution (forced or voluntary) or were being exploited in some other way. ALL the youth I work with have a drug and/or alcohol problem, have a broken family life and have been trying to survive in this world since a very young age. None of them asked for this life. All of them have turned down this road for survival. I have worked with girls who's parents put them in prostitution before the age of 10, I worked with a young boy who's own mother put him in prostitution since he was 2 years old. I have worked with girls who have sold drugs, beat up people to near death, been in gangs, stolen, been to jail, been pimps and so much more. Yet these youth have also gone back to school, received their high school diploma, gotten a job, reconnected with estranged family members, created families of their own, believed, laughed, loved, youth who have pushed boundaries and come out on top. The reason I explain this to you is because maybe now you can understand why I have PTSD. I have heard their stories. I have watched them relive the devastating events that occurred in their young lives. It was tough. It is tough. There have been a few instances when they have taken these events and feelings out on me. Nothing like being on Police watch for 72 hours because a youth wants you dead (transference of anger) due to no fault of your own. (and believe me- this was a youth who WOULD follow through). It's been a scary career to be a part of. An AMAZING career, but it does have its scary days.

It all started when my boss noticed I wasn't being myself. I had recently been dealing with a youth who really got under my skin. Who tried to punch me and followed me. Who with one phrase could make my skin crawl and my stomach churn. Gah. Even thinking about it her can make me shudder. Thankfully with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary they have trained people to speak to about this type of thing. It started with vicarious trauma - this is where the youth are telling you all the instances, you are reading reports and you start to feel like you've lived it. It sucks. I started seeing this wonderful woman a few times a month to discuss the things I have seen and heard. Even though admitting that sometimes you need help sucks- I'm glad I had a boss who watched my back. Who could tell when I was burning out. It's gonna be a journey but dealing with PTSD is.

Okay-enough with the sad stuff cuz there is a happy ending. Working front line in my job has it's up and downs (clearly) BUT!!!! Starting July 15th my new promotion sets in. Ladies and Gents you are looking at the new Centralized Coordinator for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary. This position is me training those coming into the front line work. I will be hiring, training, scheduling etc for 5 different group homes. I have about 30 youth workers in my department who I am responsible for. Woot Woot! So great to know that my boss's have faith in my to take on this responsibility and I can not wait to get started :) ps. The pay raise is also pretty awesome!

Wow- are you still reading? Good for you!

Summer is finally hear and I for one am loving it. Alberta recently had a devastating flood leaving 1000's of people homeless and with out anything but the clothes on their backs. Doesn't seem real. I got evacuated with my family from our homes- living on Fish Creek Park doesn't help when there is a flood. I was so thankful for my friends who opened their homes up to us. We were lucky- our homes didn't get touched. Sadly not everyone was so lucky. Thankfully people have been so selfless and are helping out at every chance they get. I am so excited to go out to High River tomorrow to help those in need. Nothing like mother nature to remind us of how human we are. Thank you to the amazing volunteers who have put in the hours, blood, sweat, pulled muscles and hard work into helping those in need. You amaze me :)

Stay Calgary Strong :) Paul Brandt - Alberta Bound

Along with zoo trips, so beautiful weddings, a letter to Hogwarts (yes it finally came!!!!! I knew it!!!) fun with the family, my nephew Michael going on a mission and so many more things there is just not enough time to write right now. So please enjoy some photos....be warned. There are a lot!!! But heck- you've stuck around reading this long. Might as well enjoy some photos!