Well, if you don't I highly recommend taking a group of girls, between the ages of six and thirteen, to a seemingly magical place with one of your closest friends.
Here's a suggestion: Gardner Village. In the middle October. On a Saturday night. When the whole place is full of witches young and old, speakers with blasting music, cute 'Christmas' lights strung around all of the trees, fake witches doing absurd things, hay bells, and a plastic elephant.
Let me be the first to tell you, it is like a miniature Disneyland. No joke.
Alright, rewind. Let's take a few steps back.
At CH's Homecoming Football game this year, my amazing friend Emily and I wandered up and down the bleachers, looking for any other long-lost alumni that we had been missing since Graduation. To my surprise, one of the highlights of my night was not only catching up with old friends, but receiving hugs from my cute cousin every time she walked passed us. This was huge to me. I have never been one to give out hugs, even to my family. But every time my sweet cousin and her friends Ellie and Nicole (Emily's sister) walked by, she seemed to light up and would run to give me a hug. I started thinking about what I would have been thinking at the age of ten if I would've seen my older cousin at a football game.
About a week later:
Emily and I were on one of "SLCC Adventures" and were driving downtown. Both of our heads have been swirling with emotions and we easily talk for hours about anything and everything. (I don't know what I would do without her.) Anyway, we started talking about the Homecoming game, how weird it was to be back at the High School, and how different everything was. Then our conversation switched directions and we started talking about seeing my cousin, her sister, and their friend at the game.
After a few minutes, are brains started turning and we were practically exploding with ideas.
"Do you remember when we were younger and there were always those older girls you looked up to that were just so cool and you wanted to be just like them?"
Those ideas that were beginning to turn in our head revolved on this question.
Was this thought running through my sweet cousins' head as she came up to me at the game and gave me a hug?
"Are we like that to younger girls?"
"I hope we are... I want to be.."
Emily and I wanted to be the girls that her sister, my cousins, and even their friends could look up to, trust, and find a friend in.
So, we decided to plan a night and do something fun with them. This was when all the ideas started to freely flow out of our heads and we were almost cheering with excitement as we were driving. Where do all girls love to go? Especially in October? Gardner Village, of course! :)
Long story short, we planned a night, talked to the girls' parents and were ready to go.
The night came and Emily and I were probably more excited than the girls' we were taking.
Seriously.
I had the privilege of taking my two adorable cousins Hailey and Rachel, along with Emily's two adorable cousins in my car. What do you talk to some 6-year-olds and a 10-year-old about? Anything! Their cute little heads are filled with so many great things! But a few things I found extra amusing: girls LOVE Frozen. Talk about it with them and you will be best friends! Ask them what music they like to listen to. If it is Taylor Swift, make sure to have "We Are Never Getting Back Together" readily available because once that song is on you will hear one of the cutest things of your whole-entire life. Picture two 6-year-olds, and 7-year-old, and a 10-year-old singing along with you to that song. PRICELESS. You will be smiling for days. If it is around Halloween, ask them what they are dressing up as and if they are excited to go Trick-or-Treating. They will automatically tell you all of their Halloween traditions, the decorations they have in their house, what they dressed up as for Halloween last year, and what their favorite candy is.
Easily one of the best 15 minute car rides of my life. I could feel of the sweet spirits that each of these girls have. I could feel of the love our Heavenly Father has for His precious daughters, including me. I heart was full of love, but I felt so loved at the same time.
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| Doesn't this just make your heart melt? |
If any of you have been to Gardner Village in the middle of Witch Fest you can probably agree that it is crazy. Parking is a joke. BUT parking in a nearby apartment complex and taking nice stroll to get to our awaited destination makes for some good talking time. As we approached the entrance the girls started to get jumpy, loud, and even more excited. It was adorable.
So what were we even doing there, you may ask? Going on a Witch Hunt and of course, taking pictures! (I had to. Haha.)
As we walked around looking for witches, we took pictures, danced to music in the middle of the streets, tried on funny hats, rode an elephant, saw crazy big spiders, and giggled like no other. How could a night get any better?
This is how:
As we were walking back up to our cars, I looked across the street and saw a lady dressed up as Elsa. No way. Remember how much I said these girls love Frozen? They love Elsa even more. They all stopped and the younger ones especially were practically jumping for joy. Elsa crossed the street and pretty much walked right up to us. The girls looked at her in awe as she waved and said "Hi girls!!". (To whoever that lady was, you made these girls' nights. Literally.) On the way home one of them told me that was her favorite part of the whole night and that her mom was going to "freak out" when she told her. (coming from the mouth of a 6-year-old.... I was dying.)
Also, let little girls decorate sugar cookies with some crushed up Oreo that looks like dirt, M&M's, sour gummy worms, Twizzlers, and frosting and a new exciting, creative world may develop in your kitchen. Their individual imaginations will begin to unfold before your eyes. In this moment my love for these girls expanded and I was even more amazed at their individual spirits and strengths. No one cookie was the same. Haha, not even close.
I find that beautiful.
Isn't that how we all are? Not one of us is the same. We are shaped differently, have different colored hair, have our own style, our own interests, our own strengths and weaknesses, good days and bad days, and very special talents that were given to us to develop and help others.
These little girls taught me this, along with so many other things.
It was Jesus Christ Himself who taught us to look at children as an example.
"These precious children of God come to us with believing hearts. They are full of faith and receptive to feelings of the Spirit. They exemplify humility, obedience, and love. They are often the first to love and the first to forgive." -Jean A. Stevens
My heart was so full of love for my friend Emily, and for all of the sweet little girls we had with us. I could feel the Savior's love for me and for them. I know precious spirits like these girls are some of the best, most humble examples we can look to in our lives and I am grateful I was able to spend time with them!
My smile didn't leave my face at all that night and it still hasn't. Since I want you to smile as well, I hope something in this made you at least smirk or giggle a little ;)
My heart is full, life is beautiful, and little kids are some of the best medicine!
Keep smiling! :)
