Moroni's Quest

This past summer, June 20th-23rd, Jared and I had the awesome opportunity to be Tribal Leaders at a youth camp called, "Moroni's Quest." We had the privilege of camping and working with a tribe of 10 different youth, ages 14-18 yrs. old.

In preparation for the Quest, we had numerous meetings (starting in March) with various stake and ward leaders in order to get to know the youth, become familiar with the purposes of "Moroni's Quest," and understand all of our specific responsibilities as tribal leaders. We had several "Get to Know You" activities on a ward level, but since we had over 40 youth in our ward, we didn't really know who would be in our tribe until a few weeks before the Quest.

Basically, our main objective was to help the youth draw nearer to the Savior by increasing their understanding of the events that took place in the Book of Mormon. We led 8 different discussions with our tribe up at Helaman's Camp - each lasting about 30-45 minutes long - all related to the numerous reenactments we'd watch on an outdoor stage.

Jared was committed to studying the Book of Mormon from start to finish leading up to the Quest, which was such an inspiration to me! He labeled the various topics of the discussions very specifically with notes alongside the margins, including colored tabs to facilitate efficient discussions. I, on the other hand, did my very best to just have energy and seek inspiration related to my desire to personally connect with each of the youth (since I was 16 weeks pregnant at the time of the Quest).

Jared was absolutely amazing to make sure I had a nice air mattress along with a cooler of snacks and drinks in our tent (including cereal and milk) for my own personal use whenever necessary! We had to wear two authentic costumes large enough to wear over our own clothes, reminiscent of Biblical times.

I saved a file of all the details surrounding the numerous events of the camp, but aside from the reenactments and discussions, our schedule consisted of other activities including meals, tower building, war training with subsequent wars, and a sacred "Savior" experience that ended up being my most favorite part of the whole Quest! I'm so grateful that we made the effort to participate in this opportunity when called to do so, and I hope that our own kids will have the chance to do something similar someday.

These are just a few of my favorite pictures -- along with a VIDEO that was created and shared at a special fireside in August for all the participants.

moments I want to remember (from Farmington, UT)

Hello! My goodness, I can't believe this week is baby week! We are so excited to welcome a new family member into our world on Friday...or really, any day now! I've been cleaning pictures off of my iPhone, scrubbing bathrooms, finishing up assignments for the semester (I survived!), hanging pictures, and trying to give the kids as much attention as possible before a newborn enters the scene.

I've been wanting to share a number of pictures from this past year. I think the only way to really do that without taking multiple days to update every memorable snippet of our life with a lengthy write-up is to share some of my favorite photos from 2018 with quick captions. I'll still probably take multiple days to go through these photos, but I'm okay with that, too. I could do an entire post on each of these pictures, but for now I'll take heart in knowing that these special times were acknowledged.

I joined a produce co-op while we lived in Farmington, UT made up of about 20 women. Two times p/month I would walk around the corner to my friend's house on the next street over to help sort baskets and subsequently, bring my share home. Luke would drive his gator and insist on loading up our goods in the back of his "vehicle." He felt like such a big boy, and I'll always remember how reckless he drove on those sidewalks while I chased after him to "Slow down!"

I sat on the boys' bed a lot at night, especially in those early months of pregnancy, and told them all sorts of stories -- fairy tales, Book of Mormon stories, and memories from my childhood. It seems like we read Elmer the Elephant and Scuffy the Tugboat a lot, too. The girls would sneak in after their showers and listen before Jared shooed them off to bed.

Carlie did such a wonderful job in gymnastics at USA Gymnastics World in Woods Cross, UT with Coach Kera. She was on the Hot Shots Elite Team, which was an intersquad group that competed only against their personal best scores (and each other) at several different intrasquad meets throughout the year. We loved watching her on all the events, and by the end of the year in late May she had finally reached her goal of getting her back handspring in the Level 3 floor routine and getting her mill circle on the Level 3 bar routine. I'll always remember sitting on those cold bleachers while she practiced twice p/week, trying to study for my Audiology Rehabilitation class -- so glad that's over, btw! Occasionally, AnnMarie would come with me to pick her up. One time we realized that we were dressed exactly alike, which was definitely worth having someone take a picture of, haha!

Our wrestling experience in Utah was truly remarkable. It was our first time jumping into the wrestling world as parents, and we couldn't have handpicked a better location to initiate ourselves into this upcoming lifestyle than Davis County, UT -- because let's be honest, when you marry into the Wolfley family there just really isn't much of a choice, haha!

Gabe was a member of the Tech Youth Wrestling Club in Centerville, UT, and Jared volunteered a lot of his time in helping to coach the beginner group. The facility was especially nice, which accommodated some pretty intense practices, and Gabe took to it so quickly. He's a nervous wreck most days, and we feel like wrestling is a great tool for him -- channeling the perfectionist in him, building character, and teaching the value of hard work and integrity. I can't even begin to count how many tournaments he participated in between the Winter Folkstyle Season and the Spring Freestyle and Greco-Roman Season. Ultimately, he ended up winning State Champion in both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman state tournaments at the Legacy Center for the 42-lb. weight class. These are moments that will undoubtedly stay with me forever.

I'll finish the night off with this sweet picture of Luke that brings back a flood of good memories. Being renters certainly had its perks. There were so many little house things that didn't even bother me, and I spent a lot of afternoons just pushing Luke in the swing while the other kids were within walking distance at school. Such a warm, homey neighborhood that will always have a piece of my heart.

Being a Mother (and Kuna, ID)

"Mothers decide to stay home not just because they are tired of juggling family and career; not just because they want to "be there" for the first word and the first step; not just because they have found that a rich home life requires persistent personal investment.

They want to be home because in some quiet moment caring for their children, they have suddenly experienced the vastness, the intricacies, the delicate nature of this work. While performing some entirely routine act of nurturing, they have unexpectedly stumbled on a moment of insight so luminous as to reveal with imposing clarity that the greatest opportunity for success they might ever have is nestled right there in their arms." -- Linda Burton

We are so excited to welcome a new little boy into our world this November! And fortunately for me, this pregnancy has been kind thus far.

I've never intended to be sporadic in my blogging approach. Most days, I dream about keeping up with this blog, yet a part of me feels like God is calling me in other directions -- trying ever so carefully to lower my expectations, NOT lose my temper (as there are behaviors in ALL of my children that trigger some serious frustration), monitor the way in which I spend my time, and foster a safe place for all of us to land. I'm so grateful for each new day that allows me to start fresh and try again.

Kuna, Idaho is quickly becoming a happy place for me. The kids & I went there for nearly a week following their last day of school. My own mom has a special way of filling my tank -- giving me alone time, feeding all of us dinner every night, talking me through challenges, and entertaining the kids with various activities. I love the Thornton family and feel so grateful for the goodness they've brought into our lives.

Specifically, we women did the "Bubble Run" in Boise on an early Saturday morning, spent time as a family roasting marshmallows over the fire, and overall - just enjoyed a lot of time in the water & sun.