Mike and I left our four children with his family this weekend and took charge of 11 teenagers at Youth Conference instead. It sounds crazy, right? It totally was. Can you see the fear in my eye on the bus ride up?
We stayed at the NAU campus (where we enjoyed beautiful weather) and had lots of fantastic speakers and classes to attend (including the fabulous Brooke White and our friends, Christian and Stephanie Nielson).
Our main task was to know where the kids in our tribe were at all times. It doesn't sound like it would be that difficult, but oh man, it was exhausting! I'm so glad that Mike and I were able to do it together. He is a good partner.
It turns out that teenagers aren't that scary. By the end of the weekend, our little tribe was like a real family, and each of these kids had made their way into our hearts. I hope they heard things that will give them strength as they face their difficulties and trials. I know I did. The theme of the conference was "Doubt Not, Fear Not" and in this world, teens (and stay at home moms) need all the courage they can get.
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I am sure it was a challenging but fulfilling weekend.
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Remember how intimidating babies were before you had your own? Same thing with teenagers....by the time your kids are teens you will know just what to do. Our sons are now 21 and 18 and it seems like our house is always filled with teenagers....they can be quite entertaining for the most part.
ReplyDeleteSounds like it was an amazing Youth Conference!!! You and Mike would be fun to have as tribe leaders (or whatever they're called :)). Plus it really doesn't get much more perfect then the weather up North during the summer to escape this heat!
ReplyDeleteYou're a brave woman! I would have been scared too! Looks like tons of fun. I would have loved to be there for the speakers too.
ReplyDeleteYou're going to have 4 of those in a few years!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! You are braver than I! I love NAU's campus although I haven't been there in many years. That's where my husband and I spent the first year of our marriage. I loved how everything smelled like pine everywhere I walked.
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