Reverse Order Update

So. Since I am SO far behind on my updating (remember the post about my journal? About a year ago? Still happening.), I've decided to go in reverse order to update people on things happening. That is - I'll go with the newest event and work back to the oldest. This may mean that in July you'll hear about our Epic vacation that happened LAST July, but. Such it is.

In NOVEMBER (and yes, I'm backtracking a bit.), THIS young lady turned 11.

This particular photo was taken in May of 2009. Look how much she's grown!

As a direct result of her 11th birthday, she became eligible to attend New Beginnings, an introduction to the Young Women's program at church. I will freely admit that it was hard to admit that I'm getting older when the invitation came in the mail. I next had to endure somewhere between 798 and 1000 questions about MY first New Beginnings, which happened - oh, TWENTY-SIX YEARS AGO! I have a good memory about some things. That particular event? Not a single memory. I'm not sure it even happened. This lack of memory made it extremely difficult for me to answer any of her questions, and led to much frustration on both of our parts. Mostly  because the information sought came in the form of the EXACT SAME QUESTION over and over and over and over and over and over again.

HOPEFULLY, Savannah will remember HER first New Beginnings much better than I remember mine.

The Women of our Young Women's program do a fantastic job at making sure the "newbies" feel welcomed right off the bat. Each incoming young woman is assigned a Laurel to find out more about her. Savannah's Laurel was a young woman who took her to frozen yogurt and then asked her questions I had never thought of asking. Things like: "If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things would you like to have with you?" and "Where do you want to be in 15 years?" It was the highlight of Savannah's week.

The program was held at the church with all of the young women and incoming young women and their families invited. The theme? Bloom Where You're Planted. The young women had made gigantic tissue paper flowers that were amazing, and we were all spiritually well fed. Each incoming young woman was introduced by the young lady who had taken her for a special treat, and then by their parents. I got notice the day before that I should write a letter to Savannah - to be read out loud at the program. (I think my ward likes to see me cry...because there were certainly tears shed.) LeGrand's favorite part of the program was the dessert.

At any rate, it was a night for Savannah to remember - I hope 26 years down the road, her memory of New Beginnings is better than mine.