Day 19. Are We There Yet?

I left Thursday after school, for our churches annual women's retreat. Day 19 of school was assigned on Th at noon and required to be done by Monday morning at 8:30. This is the second week that we tried this. The kids got it all done without an issue. Emma even learned to ride her bike without training wheels while I was gone!

When I was in high school, my youth pastor constantly talked about making memories. It kinda stuck with me.... My job at our church is Director of Events. It is about much more than that to me. It's about creating moments where people can connect with each other and connect with their Savior. Creating an environment where life change can happen. Our women's retreat is an amazing time of watching this take place. Memories that will last a lifetime were made. I love being a part of that.

The theme of this year's retreat was Are We There Yet? Ironic because I arrived home a full 24 hours after I was supposed to. After a long and rewarding three days away, we had finally packed up and were heading home. Four of us, were the last to leave the hotel. It was just a couple of hours after the rest of the ladies. Ten minutes into our trip, we were met with 27 degree weather and heavy snow. It was dark, late, and there was road construction. We were clearly about to be stranded in Truckee. Heading back to the hotel, we were given our rooms back at no extra charge. While the snow continued to fall outside, the four of us sat by the fire in our jammies, eating peanut buster parfaits from Dairy Queen and drinking big gulps from 7-11. We laughed until we hurt. It was magical. I will never forget it. I have worked with these ladies for three years on retreats and they are as amazing as it gets. I cherish them.

All too often, I think people tend to underestimate the value of the simple things. I am so thankful for that snowstorm. So thankful for those three amazing women. So thankful for the much needed, grown up, girl bonding. It refreshed me, energized me, and left me ready to come home and hit the books again. Now there is just 151 school days until summer.