Our Mother Daughter Retreat

Our "Make Lemonade Retreat" was a hit! Both the moms and girls had fun, strengthened their bonds, and renewed their spirits.

Here is the team of women that I worked with to put on the event. Everyone worked so hard to make this event come together. 

"The Lemonade Team"

We started out Friday evening with a party! We kicked it off with music and a photo booth (complete with silly props!)

The crafts on Friday included making bead necklaces, crafting a flower pen, and making a mini-magnet frame for our photo booth pics. 

The talented Ayn Laherty was in charge of all our fabulous decor.
She created pinwheels paired with brightly colored buckets and fabric runners for our centerpieces, she made the adorable lemonade stand as well as organized all the tshirts!

After dinner, we did some 'mom/daughter' interviews. It was interesting to hear some of the answers my Afton shared with me. Pastor Meredith Bell and her daughters shared some of their favorite 'mom/daughter' moments and closed the night with the book "God Gave Us You". I loved the message that God gave us each other and together we are good. 

The next morning, we reported back to church for breakfast and listened to some great ladies, Jenny Wilson and Corrie Kaufmann, who shared insight on navigating the 'mother/daughter' relationship. Afton even took notes! We talked about building trust and respect for each other. 

Next, we had 2 hours for 'sweet time'. Activities included painting nails and doing hair. It was funny to see some of the styles the girls chose for their moms! 

Crafts included making 'mother daughter journals', painting crosses, and planning mother-daughter dates. 

There was even a fun 'dance station' complete with Wii Dance. (This was hilarious to watch!!)

When we finished our activities inside, we had a chance to go outside to the church Prayer Labyrinth. And then we played a bit on the playground. Sometimes the best conversations come while hanging upside down :) 

We wrapped up the Retreat with another gifted speaker, Leila Carlson and her daughter, who shared how sometimes life gives you lemons, but by adding sweetness and the water of Life-- you can make lemonade. We made a large prayer circle and blessed both the Mothers and Daughters. As we left, each girl was presented with a lemon charm to remind her of the special weekend she spent with her mom. 

I am so thankful for this time I got to spend with my girl.