BIG MOMENT!

For every girl, getting her ears pierced is a big moment! Julia finally got the courage to get them pierced with her cousin Amy Estes. Amy was so brave and went first--not even flinching through it all! Julia bravely stepped up to the chair and did it, holding her breath until the technician was finished. With four girls, Dan and I decided early on we didn't want to impose a rule about what age our girls could get their ears pierced. Admittedly, I felt strongly about it from the get go because I was supposed to wait until I was 18 years old before I was allowed to get them pierced. Gratefully, Alison, my older sister, took me to the mall at the ripe age of 16 and signed for me. Mom and Dad weren't pleased but they were also always great about letting the little things go--thanks! Perhaps the fact that Alison, who did wait until she was 18 to pierce her ears, experience of piercing her ears in a London "hole in the wall" by an unsavory character helped a little!

Steadfast and Immovable: Youth Conference

Our ward's youth conference kicked off in Park City, Utah on Friday, June 20th. The day began with a group picture and picnic at the base of the mountain where we later ventured down the famed Alpine Slides. Everyone made it down the mountain with only a minor interference by an agressive squirrel who popped up out of nowhere next to the slide. The rest of the conference was spent at Aunty Betty's cabin east of Heber City where we ate good BBQ, played tons of fun games, and were enlightened by inspiring workshops. Not to forget nature, the earlybirds of the group (which included all of my girls and Dan without me) enjoyed a morning walk on Saturday. Later, we all benefited by the remarks of our well-known guest speaker, Dr. Victor Ludlow. Our weekend in the mountains ended Saturday but the conference culminated in a testimony meeting the next day during the third hour of church. View the pictures to see the fun firsthand!

-Ruth Ann and Emily