A Little Catch Up of Summer!

Hi friends! We've been a little absent yes.. For the past month and a half we've been running at full speed, trying to fit in last-goodbyes before the move, driving all of our stuff out to KC, flying back for a family reunion, BBY, living out of suitcases, etc. etc!! 

How about I catch you all up with some pics eh?
Just to prove we didn't actually fall off the face of the earth:) 

The trek out to Kansas City. We were very grateful to my family for helping us drive all those miles and for helping us move in to our first place!

 If you come visit in the next 2 years, I've got the drive to Liberty Jail DOWN. 

 Little did we know we would be moving just two short weeks after this picture... We wish we could have stayed, but the smell of 40 years worth of cigarette smoke caked in our air ducts + our neighbor's smoke seeping through our walls/outlets/etc wasn't worth it. As I was playing in Utah for 2 weeks, Cam stayed and found us a new home that is100% better, and luckily still in the same awesome ward.
We love it :) So come visit!

Well after we moved in the 1st time, we turned around not even 24 hours later and headed back to Utah for an extended family reunion with the Kings at Bear Lake. 

You can't get a better view than that!

 Lucy and "MaBecca" haha.. yep that's my name :) 

It's ok, I couldn't say my R's at that age either (therefore couldn't even say my own name.. ha. )

 July 4th Beach Day

 Building princess sandcastles with my best pal :) 

 Our festive 4th of July attire!

So we tried to go hike the Minnetonka Caves, but didn't want to wait 2 hrs for the next tour.. So we found this little pond instead. The children never knew any different :) 

All in all it was a good time hanging with family and eating wonderful food! :) 

Cam and I stayed a couple of extra days in Logan before he would fly back to KC for the long haul. So we went golfing with the in-laws one afternoon. I had the prestigious job of driving the golf cart, clapping quietly, and taking many a photo. I actually quite enjoyed myself :)  

After I sent Cam on his way back to our new home, I jumped into getting ready for another year of "Be The Best You Camp" (BBY). This year marked 7 years of participation with this camp, and my 1st year of not being a counselor. It was very different, presented itself with some very different personal challenges and perspective, but I'm extremely grateful the Lord made it possible for me to return yet again. I came back to be Barbara's (the director) Assistant/ AV tech girl/ extra hand on deck for any coordinator duties etc.. Being on the other side definitely gave me more appreciation for the many hands at work that make camp possible, and that provide the space and opportunities for these wonderful girls coming to have a positive experience and feel the spirit.

[The majority of these pictures I've stolen from wonderful people on the good old facebook.. :) ]

This was our amazing coordinator team this year :) Grateful they welcomed me in with open arms! Some of the funniest and most amazing girls I know!

We had a good time :)

When I wasn't pressing play on the DVD, or carrying Barbara's bags... 

 I was beat-boxing for Melweena

It wouldn't be BBY without our boy band - Beyond 5 :) 

It's really quite a hilarious sight to watch 230 girls go insanely crazy over 5 teenage boys

 2 of the most amazing women I've ever met

 The amazing 92 yr old friend I talked with,

And laughed with :) 

Honestly my favorite part of camp - watching my sweet girls I had the blessing of being a counselor to, forget themselves and go to work. 

Love these wonderful people!! 

 If you have been to BBY, and if you know of the extent of my love for it, you know this is the place I can always be found in.. Whether I make it there by choice or by being called upon :) 

The most humbling moment of the week for me, was finally being able to sing an original song for all of the girls at camp. It was a dream. I was able to perform for them a song I had actually composed at BBY a few years earlier, entitle "Catching Tears". It's all about how we can take off that mask we wear every day, let the Savior in, and allow Him to heal us. I did not know of the aftermath of that performance until the last afternoon as we sat in a testimony meeting with all of the counselors. A few of them spoke to that specific moment and the blessing it was to finally witness their girls feeling the spirit for the first time at camp. What a humbling experience for me to know that the thing that brings me the most joy and satisfaction (being an instrument in the Lord's hands through my music) changed at least one girl's experience. That's what it's all about anyway, the one. I'm humbled and feel very blessed :) 

Something neat we did this year was honor one of our sweet past BBY campers who had passed away last year from a car accident. I had the humbling opporunity of providing some soft background music as everyone gathered. Then led everyone in singing her favorite song "A Child's Prayer", ending with "God Be With You Til We Meet Again." It was sweet. Releasing the purple balloons signified a commitment the girls were making to be kind and forgive. 

After camp, the last few days before I flew out to KC brought helping my parents host their foreign exchange Chinese kids, helping out at the Fiesta Days Rodeo concession stand, and supporting my dad and Anna in the Spanish Fork's Got Talent singing competition :) 

  

  So that was long, congrats on getting through the novel! It was a crazy month, filled with lots of emotions. When you embark on your own greatest life changing move/event/adventure/journey or if you already have, you'll know what I mean when I say for the past month and a half I've been on the verge of a great outpouring of tears, ready to explode at any minute. To list the emotions fear, stress, anxiety, excitement, scared, terrified, lonely, anticipatory, sad, happy, don't even cover it all. But you know, it all comes about so the Lord can mold and shape us into who He needs us to be. I'm just grateful He allows us the guidance and comfort of His spirit so we can endure it all

As I boarded the airplane from Salt Lake to Kansas City, I said goodbye to my mountain home, and welcomed the forest of trees that is Missouri, which would be my new home for a few years.  

It will definitely be a grand adventure, one that I'm truly excited for despite my fear and anxiety of making new friends and finding a job in this foreign place. I'm so proud of Cam though, and will try to be the best cheerleader I know how to be. Stay tuned for the adventure, and come back very soon for a recap of our new place and the week we just had with school orientation and the in-laws! :)