Education Week 2014

We've known each other and been friends for almost 26 years!  I loved being with this great group of friends.  Our children grew up together and we've shared all kinds of experiences over the years.  We've enjoyed many years of BYU Education Week as young moms, moms of teenagers, and now for most of us, Grandma years!  I love this group of women.  They make Education Week extra fun!  A few highlights:

• I realized that when I met this group of women I was the age that Mary is now.  That seems impossible to believe but it is true.  Several of us have daughters that age.
• Attended 30 classes and took 94 pages of notes.  Last time I went to 36 classes and took 116 pages of notes.  Fewer classes, fewer notes but I also have 220 photos I made of the power point slides of several teachers.  Don't know what I'll do with them but I have them.
• Only made 5 goals and I've already completed 2 of them.....the two really easy ones!
• My roommate Jan and I stayed up WAY too late every night and regretted it every morning but there was just too much to say! Felt like we were college girls again. At least it did until we had to drag out of bed in the morning!
• I walked 38.3 miles.  (I love my Fitbit)
• First rain during Education Week in all the years I've been there.  And it wasn't just a little rain.  It was a LOT of RAIN!  
• Favorite tried and true speaker - Michael Wilcox. His topics this year were "Defining Femininity - Portraits from the Scriptures " and "The Way Back to Heaven: The Power of Being and Becoming". 
• Favorite new speaker - Shad Martin. He taught a great series on "Basic Training for Gospel Teachers: Simple Fundamentals to Help You Reach Those You Teach." I got lots of ideas for my year of teaching teenagers at 7:30 a.m.
• Confession time - I ate 8 Mint Brownies and 1 chocolate chip cookie with ice-cream, plus I ate at Chic-Fillet 3 times!  Amazingly I didn't gain any weight.  The 38 miles must have helped with that.
• Another confession - Jan and I rode the shuttle from the Conference Center to the Wilkinson Center.  We weren't planning to.  The driver stopped and asked us if we needed a ride.  Did we look like exhausted elderly ladies?  To him, we probably did but Jan had run a marathon a few days before and I still walk with vim and vigor....at least I think I do.  Taking the ride gave us more time for shopping and eating anyway!
• Enjoyed a fun evening with my Sister-in-laws Tammy and Katherine and niece Jennifer.  Started with drinks and appetizers in Richard and Tammy's Tree House/Gazebo and then went to a new Indian restaurant. Always fun to catch up with family!
• Heard an Apostle, David A Bednar, speak on social media and its potential for good. Truly Facebook, twitter, and blogs are fulfilling the Biblical prophecies to spread the gospel to all the world.
• Funny moment in one class - Shad Martin was ending his session and said something about "young and old" and just as he said old he looked directly at ME.  I leaned over to Jan and whispered, "Did he just say 'old' and look at me?"  Bad thing was that he heard me and said, "No I didn't just look at you and say old."  Well, actually he did look at me and say 'old' but he was going to say it anyway....he didn't look at me and THINK 'old' 
• Jan and I already have a plan for Education Week 2015!  Can hardly wait!!!!