EFY Week Eight: Sacramento!

Alright... EFY is over!  And I am a sad panda.  It is very bittersweet actually.  We had our last week in Sacramento...California's capital!  I have never been there before, so it was kind of exciting.  We took the 8 hour drive from Redlands to Sacramento and actually had a fun time driving.  I re-enacted Wicked while driving and sang Popular while Justin was Elphaba.  Then Maurie and I watched a movie.  It was a very fun road trip!  We got there Saturday night and were staying at Sac State.  The campus was very nice, but all of our activities were far away!  Thankfully we had vans, so we drove :).  The food was kinda terrible.  I got sick Tuesday night and then I hardly ate the rest of the week!  So that was a downer, but I pushed through!  We had great Session Directors, The Townsends from Texas.  I loved loved talking with them and getting to know them.  They gave me so much great advice and I am so grateful for that!  The youth were amazing as always, and it always impresses me how they change by the end of the week.  As a team, we knew this was our last week, but we wanted to go out with a bang!  We talked about our love languages so that we could better serve one another.  Let me tell you, I think it made a difference!  I just love and adore my team.  I miss them terribly.  ALSO, it may or may not have been my BIRTHDAY on 7/31.  It was such a fun day.  My team did SO much for me to make it special!  I think it was one of the best birthdays ever!  They surprised me by decorating my room, getting me a cake, tiara, and stuffed bruiser woods!  It was so fun.  This birthday was harder than others because of the age I was turning (which we will not discuss). ;)  BUT, like they say, you are as young as you feel.  And I still feel young :).  So, the week was awesome.  I was on Slideshow again, so that was fun to be a stalkerazzi all week!  As the week went on, I started to get sad.  I knew this was my last week, and probably my last week ever.  Doing the PB and J dance for the last time was sad!  But I know I will always have great memories of this whole summer.  I have learned so many things summer, about myself and others.  I know I have a lot to work on.  This summer has helped me become a better Ashley, a better future mother and wife, and a better Daughter of God.  I am so thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in my life.  How happy and blessed are those that keep the commandments of God!  I don't know what I would do without it.  I truly cannot wait for what the Lord has in store for me this next year :).

Here are some of the highlights from the week!

What a fun summer.  Love each and every one of you.  You all have helped make me a better person and left an imprint on my heart.  I have been changed because of you, and I thank you for that!  I will miss you all everyday.  We had some GOOD TIMES together.  LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

xoxo
Ashley

EFY Week Seven: Redlands!

I am still amazed at how fast the summer is going!  I have been looking forward to this summer for months and months and here it is and now it is almost over!  Sad day!  But...it has been an AMAZING summer filled with so many sweet memories.  This is possibly one of the best summers I have ever had.  

So our second to last week was in Redlands.  I do love Redlands.  It is HOT, but I really enjoy the campus and the people are so nice!  There is this sweet lady in the Cafeteria whose name is Susan and she totally remembered me from past years.  I just loved seeing her smiling face every time we came to eat!  I also got to see a lot of kids from past years and that is always so much fun to reconnect.  This week I was on Musical Program.  I had been looking forward to doing it for weeks!  It was A LOT of work, but so rewarding.  I got a little stressed at moments, but it was so fun to see these youth bear their testimonies through song.  We called our group "Song of the Heart" :)  They were amazing and I just loved each of them!  Directing a choir is harder than I thought...so I was attempting to channel my inner Greg Kirby!  (Who is an awesome, amazing choir director, as well as my really good friend!)  We also had some wonderful and inspiring Session Directors..the Merrills!  I cannot express ENOUGH how much I loved them.  Sister Merrill and I connected right away and I really aspire to be like her!  She is so amazing and such a good example to me.  (Secret Code: MAO ;)  Love her to pieces.  

So here are a few highlights from the week!  I didn't go as picture crazy this week :(

Love these people with all of my heart.  They truly are my family now.  I also was very happy that a certain someone got to come work Redlands with us ;)  That also made the week even more special!  

We are now in our last week up in Sacramento...so far it is proving to be an "interesting" week, but so much fun!  I am trying to live it up and enjoy this last week before its back to real life.  But, I am just so happy with everything.  Life is amazing and I love it.  I have been through some tough things in the last year, but I got through them and landed on top!  I love the gospel with all of my heart and I love the blessings it brings into my life.  I just had a birthday last Sunday.  I have a feeling this next year is going to be a great one :)

Love to you all!

xoxo

Ashley