Summer after my 3rd year of College - 2007

June 9, 2007 - During the Summer of 2007 I worked as an EFY (Especially for Youth) counselor.  I did a session at the U of U, two sessions at NAU, a session at EAC, and a session at BYU.  After my first session at the U of U some of the counselors and I went to the Gateway Mall to do the EFY line dance in the fountain.  I am the second one in on the left.

This is my first group of girls as an EFY counselor.  They attended at the U of U.  I am on the floor on the left.

This is my whole group during my first session at the U of U.  Aaron Coombs was my co-counselor, who taught me so much.  He is on the front row far left and I am on the front row far right.

My group at EAC (Eastern Arizona College, in Safford, AZ).  I am on the far right.

My group of girls at the first NAU session I worked.

My whole group of teens at the first NAU session I worked at.

Ben and Adam attended the second session of EFY I worked at NAU.  I was not their counselor but I did like seeing them around.  During the few days in between each of the NAU sessions, I stayed with Uncle Richard and Aunt Marissa.  Marissa had just had surgery for breast cancer.  I was able to help out a little by finishing painting a room she had started and keep her company as she recovered.

Adam at NAU EFY.  He and Ben were the studs of EFY.  Every girls was in love with them.

My group of teens at the 2nd EFY session at NAU

My co-guides for the second session of EFY at NAU - Jason Linford and Cari - Jason is a talented ukulele player.  Our group enjoyed it and it really tested my patients as it was not always being played at the most appropriate times.  But we all survived.

BYU Deaf Session that I worked.  We were 2 groups of girls, and 2 groups of boys that were combined.  My girls and one of the boys groups had deaf and hearing teens in them.  The other 2 groups were just hearing teens.  I was a sign language counselor and had to sign the lessons I taught, interpret for those who did not sign, give instructions, EVERYTHING, in both sign language and speaking.  It was a fun, exhausting and rewarding week.  I truly felt I was sustained and uplifted by God.  I prayed harder that week than I may have ever prayed in my entire life as I could not do it without him.  At times I felt my hands guided.  I feel I had been given the gift of tongues for that week.

Our whole group during BYU's deaf session - I am on the front row far right

My wonderful co-counselors for BYU EFY Deaf session.  Chelsea, Jason, Me, Nate, Emily

I was able to stop by the Salt Lake Temple to explore temple square as I waited for a flight to my next EFY session.  The SLC airport has a shuttle that takes you from the airport to Temple Square and back.  I had used it before as a teenager after attending EFY at BYU.  It was wonderful.

As a counselor I meet some wonderful people who I later dated and have been influencial in my life.  One of the most influencial is Kyle Spencer.  In this picture we were on a date at the Cheese Cake Factory.  He had picked me up from my brother's swim meet to take me out.  We dated off and on.  He called me a princess because when we would go ballroom dancing, I would not always follow so well do my own thing.  He has a wonderful sense of humor and an ability to flatter.  He is very kind.  It was Kyle who changed my life by confronting me about my not fully committing to one person to date and marry.  He was very blunt about it and upset that I would not decide to date him.  I thought about what he said and began thinking about if I did decided to date someone exclusively who would it be.  It was then that I decided that Joshua is who I would most like to date more seriously.  That then led to us getting married.   Thank you Kyle for speaking so boldly and honestly to me.  You were right that I would not commit to date exclusively anyone and got me moving again, even if it was not to marry you.

Randy Davis and I met at EFY as well.  We were both counselors from the Phoenix area.  We went on a date or two and had a great time.  He was the first one to get me to eat sushi.  I even liked it. After Sushi we went to a mall north of Phoenix and danced the EFY line dance in a water fountain.  It was great fun.  Thank you Randy for teaching me to love sushi.