When I was little, I used to pretend I was a horse. Or a wolf. Sometimes a tiger. Whatever suited my fancy. I was one of thooose girls. I didn't really play with dolls or put on lipstick and wear my mom's heels. Instead, I created elaborate stories in my head and played them out for hours, sometimes days, until the story was complete.

As I got older, I thought for a time that I wanted to be a writer. Instead of acting out the stories in my imagination, I tried to put them on paper. I would sit down and start these grand novels, only to begin another one after a few chapters in the first. I had every intention of finishing them. I just... never did. Apparently writing isn't my strong suit.

Then I found a camera. Jackpot. I found a way to stop time. To tell real stories. The kind of stories that should be remembered. Need to be remembered. Stories full of life and love that beg to be preserved and shared.

So I guess you could call me a story teller. A really, really ridiculously blessed and happily married story teller who can't cook but laughs a lot and has three dogs. I love my life.

And I'd love to tell your story : )

Winter Wildness 2011

My dad is a pastor. He has been since before I was born. So yes, I grew up as a PK. And I loved every minute of it. I loved that I saw my dad every day. I loved that he never missed any of my basketball games. And I loved that growing up I practically owned the church. Yeah, I definitely milked being a PK for what it was worth. (i.e. Going into the offices and other places kids weren’t normally allowed, getting to participate in youth group events when I wasn’t technically old enough yet, etc.) Gotta love perks! Seriously, though, I’m very thankful to have grown up as a PK. I never felt any pressure from my parents to follow Christ. It just came naturally. And I attribute part of that to my youth group.

I lurrved going to youth group events, on mission trips and retreats. I have some amazing memories from those times that I wouldn’t trade for anything, and I will always be grateful to the youth leaders who dedicated their time and invested in me as I grew. Not only up but also in my relationship with Christ.

Now that I’ve graduated from college and I’m back in Park City permanently, I’m soo excited that I have the opportunity to do the same thing! To be for the kids now what those leaders were for me then. I started hanging out with the middle school youth group in the fall, and I love them all. It’s funny, but a lot of the times I feel like they teach me more than I teach them… And they definitely keep you on your toes : ) If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen me mention going on a retreat last weekend. I was able to go on a retreat with the middle school that my church does every year, called Winter Wildness (very appropriately named). I went to Winter Wildness pretty much every year I could when I was in the youth group, and not much has changed… It’s basically a big weekend of skiing, sledding, games, devotionals, and junk food. Haha. The only difference is that now I get to sleep in one of the beds instead of a sleeping bag on the floor ; ) Perks, I tell ya!

In a nutshell (33 pictures to be exact), here’s what my weekend consisted of.