Mom's big weekend out

Ahhhhhhhhhhh.....I had a great weekend! I went on a Relief Society retreat. It was amazing! There was no one at the campground other than us the first night and it was so quiet. No kids, no husbands, just girls having fun! Occasionally I had to just wander off with my book to sit in the sun and read where all I could hear were the birds seemingly all around me. A group of us wandered down to the lake where I had to go off the rope swing a few times and swim about for a bit. The water was pretty chilly but the abundance of sun shine more than made up for that. A few of us girls stayed up late by the fire, and later inside, just talking. The next day we went for a walk after breakfast, then planted some plants the group had brought up as a service project. Then it was time for the all important lake once again. I did have to go off the rope swing again and swim some more, really, who could resist? Then I lounged on the dock just talking with other women. Something I NEVER get to do, at least not in a child-free, work-free fun environment. Once I wandered up refreshed and slightly red from the lake it was time for a speaker. Kelly Taylor is local to Kitsap County and had spoken at the recent Youth Conference. She gave us an amazing and inspiring talk on how just reading your scriptures everyday can change you life. I sat there listening to her right up in front next to her and felt so strongly that she was in a place I knew I wanted to be, as a mom and also spiritually since the two should really go hand in hand. And there she was, handing me the map on how to get there. It felt so good to be there right listening to her speak.

Later that day I got to see Brittany's pop-in-law since he was another speaker we had. I swear he has the best job ever. Well, first he's a retired Electrical Engineer, which I have seriously been contemplating starting night classes for....and here's the really great job. He's a sealer in the Temple. That truly has to be as good as it gets right there. Getting to be the person who seals a family together for time and Eternity? Being there with the families, feeling the love, joy, and peace you know everyone is sharing. I can't imagine anything beating that out as best job known to man.

Being girls, of course we stayed up late again. This night there was a father/son outing going on at the campground. That meant that there were boys running around being boys just like you would expect if there mom's weren't there...I guess the campground had to balance things out--women with out kids, fathers and sons without mothers--I thought it was sort of ironic. Well, the boys were running around making noise and playing with airsoft pistols. There were a few women bugged by it but I thought it was great, I knew I wasn't responsible for a single kid out there and I loved it!

The next morning I went home to an empty house and started working on my garden. It was sunny and I plugged my Ipod into my house's sound system, opened the windows and turned up the volume. I worked/played in the garden while catching some sun as well. It was a great weekend, with sun, quiet, and relaxation it's exactly what I needed........I think something like that should happen at least once a month!