Done, Done & Done

Youth conference is officially done. {insert huge tired sigh here} Yeah, Phil and I were co-chairs in planning this year's Renton Stake Youth Conference with our new and very dear friends, Laura and Ben Jex (head-chairs). I haven't mentioned any of this on my blog before because there would be just WAY too much to talk about that I didn't find the point in even starting. It's also the reason I've dropped off the blogging world for the last little while. I almost feel like I've been on a different planet for that last week eating, sleeping, drinking youth conference and only talking to people involved in it. If you didn't know the answer to who was doing what, how many fliers we needed or who was going to speak when, I'm sorry, but you were of no use to me (kidding, KIDDING). I seriously think this is the most work I've ever put into any particular project in my entire life. Even more so than my capstone project in college. It's funny though, because I just kept telling myself by this time (Saturday evening) it will be all be over, as if the actual conference was tossed in the same category as the preparation, but I must say the last couple of days have been a rewarding and joyful experience and totally worth the hours of hard work that went into this. I know this probably doesn't interest many, but since so much of me and people I've grown very fond of have thrown everything they've had into this in the last few days, weeks, months I have to share some of my thoughts...

• Holy cow!!! Have I learned A LOT! A lot about leading, a lot about following, a lot about doing, a lot about delagating, a lot about working with others and team work, a lot about teenagers, a lot about making a gajillion hand outs and a whole lot about how Heavenly Father has his hand in these types of activities organized for the youth of the Church.
• Our stake has amazing youth. I'm sad we only got to work with them for such a short amount of time.
• I have had the opportunity to learn from and watch our wonderful stake leaders who were there the whole time helping us the whole time.
• I loved learning from the youth.
• I loved meeting so many youth from our stake.
• Our service project was such a success and I couldn't be more relieved that it was (and that it's over) I'm very grateful for a very on-the-ball service project specialist, who made my job easy.
• I'm so excited to pay more attention to my baby boy (he feels like he's been just an accessory for the last couple of days)
• I am so grateful for LauraJex :) I really feel blessed to have worked so easily with someone on something like this. We jived...and that's all I can say and I'm grateful for a new friend. We're not quite sure what we're going to do with ourselves now that we don't have to talk to each other a dozen times a day.
• And last but not least, I'm so grateful for Heavenly Father making this youth conference a smashing success. I'd be here all night if I got into all the ways we saw His hand in everything (teachers, schedule, location). I feel bad because I never had the opportunity to bear my testimony to the youth. I think they just thought I was that sister running around all the time telling them what to do and where to go. But if I had, had the opportunity I would have told them that I love my Savior and I know this Church is true. Without a shadow of a doubt, I know it's true. They are a light to the world and that it doesn't stop at finding their testimony and sharing it. It is when you do that you really start growing and becoming that person Heavenly Father wants you to be and you will never know the affect that will have on those searching for truth. That's what I would've said. There is a strong force and power within the youth of this church in these latter-days.