Weekend with my sisters.....

I was so lucky to spend this past weekend with 2 of my sisters; Les Lee & Lorrie! We went down to Odgen to attend TOFW 2010 ~ Hope!

It was a wonderful time!! Lots of great speakers, good food, nice room, & time to be girls!!!

We were very sad to arrive to the temple that afternoon for a session to realize it was closed for cleaning!! Well, don't make any mistake - we didn't let that ruin our trip.... we headed out shopping (Nice pic of Les & Lorrie as we made fun of hair accessories in some of the shops!! But to our horror.... some of the performers at the conference were wearing these same accessories!!! LOL).. We enjoyed Costa Vida our 1st night & found a bouquet candy store outside the restaurant & went & got a fine piece of chocolate before our meetings!! We had a very spacious suite... planned for more in case anyone else decided to join us... then had plenty of room to ourselves!!

TOFW had lots of amazing speakers - the one we enjoyed specifically who was a survivor of the wars in Africa; who told her story ( total HORROR!! Whole family except 1 younger sister brutally killed by Rebels in front of her - {{ the girls & women were raped, then all being killed - the Rebels would chop off their arms &/or legs}} & let them scream & cry & bleed to death) & how she survived... but how 1 Hygiene kit given to her in 1988 (by church workers at a village) gave her "HOPE"....which happens to be the theme for the year (she will be on tour with TOFW this whole year I believe) but when all else was falling apart around her - she had her Hygiene kit she shared with I think she said 28 other women... became acquainted with the church through this - learned, read the BOM, joined, followed scriptures & decided to trust in the Lord to provide a way to make her life better - as she had trusted him & he had saved her to this point & to not go down the path of Prostitution that so many others her age were turning to to get $ to leave & hope to go to America - she learned about the possibility of serving a mission, applied, got a call to serve in the SLC temple square mission... (HOW AMAZING), Came to America - on a PDay was touring church buildings - one ended up being the Humanitarian center - where of course she discovered where her hygiene kit came from - how the members of the church donate & assemble & give the kits for benefit of others & she broke down & so grateful for blessings, the gospel, etc.

Shorten story - later at the end of mission - a "White" couple as she called them - came to her mission president & wanted to ask her help - they wanted to adopt a orphaned boy in Africa & wanted her help to see if she knew of anyone they could adopt.... so happens her younger sister that survived - had a son, well happens they adopt her younger sister & son & take her in after her mission to live with them in Lehi & now she has had the opportunity to stay in the USA, attended LDS Business College & now is speaking to Stakes, wards, RS, etc. (We got our pictures taken with her... she is awesome!)

TOFW asked this year that those who attend donate certain items (depending on letter of last name for specific items) for the hygiene kits which we assembled at the conference -they had hoped to make 150 kits this conference & ended up receiving enough to make over 300+ kits & they are being donated to local shelters of each city they are traveling to to help bring HOPE to women... I could probably write a good long entry.... but that is a little clip of how awesome it was!! Loved it & Loved spending time with my sisters!!

We ate lunch on Sat. at Texas Steakhouse ..... OH it was Yummy!! Of course the conference got done a little earlier than we had planned so we didn't waste any time & went down to a salon where we had some pedicures & I got a manicure with my 1st set of "nails" (not done by myself! LOL)... Then of course we went to 4-5 other stores & headed home!!

Thanks girls for a wonderful time.... planning now for our 2011 trip!! Hum, where will it be?? (I am thinking this next time they won't let me drive!! WAY too many U - turns!!! LOL)