things I learned last weekend

Every time I go to Time Out for Women I learn so much.

I’m so grateful for that opportunity.

These are a few of the things I learned this most recent time:

–Being the picture-taking-addict that I am, sometimes even I am too spellbound to pull out my camera. Jenny Oaks Baker was there again this time and the way she plays her violin is something I cannot even describe. She is a phenomenal musician. Amidst the jaw-dropping things she performed for us, I think this one was my favorite. (Luckily there’s footage from when she played it at the Stadium of Fire…you HAVE to watch to the end. You will cry.)

–I need to morph myself a tad bit further into being a Tiger Mother. Jenny’s children played, ages 10, 8, and 6 on the violin, piano and cello accordingly. My mom and I sat there mesmerized by them and how Jenny and her husband sat in front of us, heads bobbing up and down to the music hoping those girls would keep the beat and remember all they had memorized.

They did.

They also sat like little angels on the front row for the other speakers.

Yeah, I need to up my game a little bit around here 🙂

–Some people are pretty darn daring. Carmen Rasmussen was not only a finalist for American Idol at age 17 but was also on Fear Factor. Seriously? Anyway, my mom and I snuck down to watch her for the Time Out for Girls event and she was really great…I’m glad Elle gets to meet her in a couple weeks.

–The sky is beautiful.
Oh wait, I already knew that.

–I do not like spare ribs. Tasted my first ones in my whole life and was glad I had missed out on those things so far, and don’t need to go back. But had a fun dinner with all the presenters on Saturday night.

–Good friends shape who you are. Since we used to live in Virginia so many memories flooded back as good friends came out of the woodwork who I have not seen in ages. I am so grateful for all that I learned from them in that stage of life when I had small children plastered to my body 24/7.

One of those dear ones was Heather:
So many good memories with that girl.
Loved catching up with all of them.

–I could go on and on about all the speakers…loved them all. And I could go on and on about the little notes I took in my “inspiration notebook.” But alas, my 15 minutes is up and I have to run.

I will just leave quick with a link to one of the TOFW presenter’s info: Hillary Weeks has a new music CD just released this week. Click here to hear a song from it that made me cry. I love that is shows Stephanie Nielsen and Mariama (one of the most wonderful speakers at TOFW). And I LOVE the end where it shows people with “signs,” I bet inspired by the post I referenced a couple days ago back here.

Hillary is trying to top the Christian music charts with this CD and I hope we can help her 🙂 It is here.