Fear Factor ~ Youth Conference 2011

This past week, I was able to go with the youth in our ward to Youth Conference.  We had such a great time and I was glad to be able to go!  They chose the theme “Fear Factor” for the conference and we had fun coming up with activities to go along with it.  We started out with a service project at the church.  Unfortunately, Jason had found out earlier in the week, that he didn’t have the time off, and so I didn’t go to the service project.  We were able to make arrangements for our kids for the rest of the time, so I could still go to the rest of Youth Conference.

We were able to go to a cabin up near Oakley, UT.  It was such a great cabin!  We had a lot of fun exploring it, and the beautiful views!

We ate all of our YUMMY meals on the fabulous deck.

Lisa and I discovered the great porch swing hidden underneath the deck.  We *forgot* to tell anyone else about it, and were able to enjoy the lovely mountain views.

The first night, we had the kids design their own “Mormonad” posters.  They came up with some really great ones.

The next morning, we played a Fear Factor game.  There were some really great challenges for the kids to do.

Like eat a whip cream pie with no hands

Girls tie a man’s tie CORRECTLY

Sing a song with 3 gumballs and dress up while in a sleeping bag

Make an Origami mouse

Eat a jar of baby food

Jump rope 50 times without messing up

Dig in dirt for worms

Piggy back races and of course, it wouldn’t be Fear Factor without a gross concoction to drink and try to decipher what the ingredients were.

That afternoon we got to head to Park City for the activity that I was half ecstatic-half terrified for---the Zip Line!!

We actually let the kids choose between the zip line and the Alpine Slide.  Here are the girls who chose the slide.

And here are those of us who chose the zip line!!

If you know me, you might know that I am terrified of heights.  Like EXTREMELY terrified of heights!  The worst ride at Lagoon for me is the Sky Ride.  I feel like I will fall to my death at any moment!  You might wonder why in the world I would CHOOSE to go on the zip line.  This is the thing—I LOVE a good thrill ride!  Put me on the scariest rollercoaster and I am one happy girl!  Even though I was super scared, I decided to put that to the side and enjoy the ride.

So, of course, to get to the zip line, we had to ride the ski lift.  This was, in fact, my very first ride on this terrifying ride!  The kids I rode with of course, thought it was hilarious that I was so scared and made sure to remind me how high we were at all times, and move the ride unnecessarily just to freak me out! (Can you see my white-knuckle grip on the non-safety bar?)

I was semi relieved to get off of it---except I knew the zip line was the only way down.  We had to wait about a half hour until our turn, and I got more and more nervous the closer we got.  I think all of the kids were feeling some kind of nervous, but that didn’t stop them from picking on me. 

To get on the zip line, you have to sit in the harness and then put your feet up on a gate while they strap you in. Then they open the gate and you go flying. Well, the workers could obviously tell I was terrified and once we were in, they told me to show them my hands so they could make sure I wasn’t holding anything. As I released my death-grip on the straps, they opened the door! I pretty much screamed the entire way down!!

It was really fun and I am so glad I did it!! I was shaking pretty hard even after I got off.  I would totally do it again, but I know I would be just as terrified as this time!!

We had some great devotionals during the weekend all about our Fear Factor theme.

We even had some crazy Lisa moments!

Lisa was so much fun, as always, to go on youth conference with!  She makes me laugh, is an awesome example to me, and is always right there to help me and support me in everything!

It was such a fun weekend! We didn’t feel like the leaders all weekend, we felt like we were with friends! The youth in our ward are seriously AWESOME!

I absolutely love my calling and the time I get to spend with these kids.  Even though it hasn’t been that long since I was their age, they have so much more they have to endure and go through as teenagers than I did.  They have such strong testimonies!   I love testimony meetings at youth activities, because the spirit is so strong and the kids really strengthen me! 

Thanks all you CrAzY kids for a great weekend!

And….just for fun, some random cabin pictures! :)

(Someday, maybe I can have a cabin of my own that I can put such AWESOME décor in!!)