Home from the Father Daughter Retreat!

Whew!!! Last week resembled a whirlwind and it culminated (or slowed down a little) with Daddy and I attending the Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat held at Calloway Gardens! We have been three times now, and each retreat seems more memorable than the last!
Well, let's get to the pictures!

"Father Daughter Unity Games"
It all started Friday afternoon with the Unity games. There are four games and each one focuses on a different aspect of the Father Daughter relationship. Pictured above, are fathers and daughters getting ready to do the Three Legged race and I will admit that this is the game that I dislike the most! In this race you have to work together to keep from falling and to stay "in sync" with each others footsteps! It can be rather interesting!! We saw one father that had three daughters doing it all together!!!
Another game was Father Daughter Croquet and the aspect here is the Father correcting the course that his daughter is taking as she strays off the path.

"More Unity Games"
Oh, this one was fun!! The Daughters had to jump rope with their eyes closed and LISTEN to their Fathers' command to "JUMP!" in order to be successful at jumping over the rope! It was a challenge yet fun too! The aspect of this game was listening to your Fathers commands when you can't see the "big picture".
The last game was an obstacle course that Fathers led their blindfolded Daughters through. Daughters had to step over small brush piles, go around trees (one of which was near a creek!), pick up a pine cone and then drop it in a bucket! This teaches listening to your Father's instruction even though you can't see the way or understand where you're going.
After the games a picnic was held up near the building in the picture and following that was an ice cream social inside.

There were roughly 575 people in attendance of the retreat and this picture doesn't even begin to do it justice!

"High Tea"
Noon on Saturday found all of the Fathers and Daughters enjoying a Victorian High Tea! All of the girls wore their special dresses and I can honestly say that many of the dresses were made 'specially for the occasion!
After the tea everyone went out to the patio to get their picture taken by the staff.

"Pioneer Log Cabin"
The afternoon was ours to do what we pleased with! Many Fathers and Daughters had brought their bikes and were biking many of the trails that Calloway gardens has, others, like us, headed straight over to the Butterfly Center! We took a quick detour to the pioneer log cabin though. They had a lady playing some sort of folk instrument on the front porch which was really neat.

"At the Butterfly Center"
I love the butterfly center....... I love seeing the amazing different varieties and colors of butterflies.... I love seeing their playful tantalizing flights..... I love watching the butterflies!

It was a special treat for some to have a butterfly land on you!

"Mr. Cason's Vegetable Garden"
Daddy and I like going here and seeing the different things that are growing. There are two parts.... first you have the actual vegetable garden, second you have the flower garden (inside the fence in the above picture) which is in the "center" of the vegetable garden.

"Vegetable Garden"
From what I understand everything they grow here is used in the kitchen at the Inn and possibly other places.
I really like the straight rows and how everything is neat and orderly!

"Look what I found amongst the Parsley!"
This was too cute!!

"One of the many ponds"
The azalea's were in the last throes of blooming and it was neat to see the different colors on the other sides of the different ponds.

This years' Father Daughter Retreat was a big encouragement for me. I had started "So Much More" by Anna Sofia and Elizabeth Botkin about a week before leaving, and things in it and things in the conference seem to finally click with me over the weekend. For example, it finally hit me that even though my Daddy is at work all day, I can still be a help to him by simply helping my Momma with the housework, laundry, or what have you.

I can help my Momma make a comfortable clean house for him to come home to each evening, which I'm sure is what he would like!
I have many other things running through my mind about the retreat, but I need to run. Be prepared to see more pictures and thoughts from the retreat over the next week or so!

"Before I close...."
I had to post this!!! We all got a kick out of seeing this advertisement somewhere on the other side of Atlanta!!! It somehow reminds me of my brothers!!

Excitement!

Look at what came in the mail yesterday!!!! Daddy received this as a gift and none of us were even expecting it!!! Mom and I were tickled pink and soon after opening it decided that we had to watch it during supper!! So, we made chicken pot pie (in a baking dish) cooked some green beans and were ready to roll!!!

"The Return of the Daughters" is a documentary on "A vision of victory for the single women of the 21st. century" and you can see this theme throughout the movie. I was challenged and convicted about many things, but I was also encouraged.

Today, I've been thinking about why I considered this a good movie and why I would recommend it to other young women; here are a few of my thoughts.

1.) Anna Sophia and Elisabeth Botkin interviewed living examples of godly virtuous daughters.

For me, it's encouraging to know see "how it's supposed to work". I hear all these messages and gather all this information, but I don't see it in practice.

2.) The emphasis was on what scripture says, not on what the "interviewers" think.

Verses were brought up throughout the documentary to show what the Lord has in mind for women.

3.) It was challenging.

I saw so many areas that I need to work on, but the brother sister relationship that was emphasized in the bonus features really hit home.

4.) It gave hope for the future.

Seeing the living examples, hearing how it's changing lives, and seeing that there is a growing number of young women who are searching the scriptures for what the Lord wants them to do are so encouraging.

5.) I was pointed to the fact that I cannot be a virtuous daughter with out Gods' help.

Yes it's simple, but sometimes it's the obvious and simple things that hit home with me! If I seek the Lords' face and ask Him to give me the heart of a Virtuous Daughter, He will change me!! This is an exciting thought for me!!! I can look back over the past several years and see how the Lord has changed me! I know that He will change me if I am willing and ready to change and ask Him to help me!

I could most likely come up with many other things I was struck or challenged with, but this will do for now. I would encourage you to watch it if an opportunity arises!! You will not regret it!

My Favorite Tea Cup

My Favorite Tea cup is very special to me. Every time I look at it, I am reminded of the time that was spent with my Daddy at the Father Daughter retreat that Vision Forum has each spring.

At each retreat a High Tea is held in place of Saturdays' lunch. These tea cups are a part of it and they are ours to keep. I have four of them and cherish them like very few of the other things I have! There are many fond memories behind these cups which I wouldn't trade for the world!

The cups and saucers' that I have are the "bigger" version of what Vision Forum sells Here. The bottom of my saucer says that it was made by "Reutter Porzellan of Germany". It's not a thick china and yet it isn't thin. I love how it feels and balances in my hands.

I was going to post several pictures of my tea cups in action, but I can't find them and am "afeard" that they are lost. I'd better go do some sleuthing in hopes that they turn up.

Thinking of the Father Daughter Retreat

My Dad and I have attended Vision Forums' Father/ Daughter Retreat for the past two years and we have really enjoyed it! It is held at Calloway Gardens in Georgia at the most beautiful time of year~Spring!!! It's absolutely breathtaking as the azaleas are in full bloom and many other flowers and shrubs are starting to bloom!
The retreat is full of sessions on the Father/Daughter relationship which are extremely helpful, encouraging, and challenging! The highlight of the event is the High Tea that is held in place of lunch on Saturday. The girls get all dressed up in their special dresses and the Dads wear their suits or Armed Forces Uniforms. This is a special time and everyone is encouraged to make it memorable! Here are a few pictures from last year's and this years retreat!

My Dad and I at last year's retreat! This is at the High Tea!! There is PLENTY of food and you don't go hungry!!! There are scones, tea sandwiches, cream, sweet rolls, sweets, and I'm most likely forgetting something. The neat thing is that you are able to keep the tea cups that you use!! I have mine sitting up on my dresser, and I think of this special time each time I look at them.

Me ~ at last years retreat. As you can see everything is beginning to bloom and is incredibly bright and beautiful!

After the tea, you have all afternoon to explore Calloway Gardens and the first stop for most people is the Butterfly Conservatory! This building has a good sized butterfly habitat that you would enjoy spending a lot of time in. It's neat to see the different types of butterflies and to have them land on you!!

Did you know that God created some Butterflies with camouflage? This one looks like an owl's eye at first glance. Our God is an amazing God!!

Me ~ last year outside the "Azalea Bowl". Daddy and I didn't walk very far into it as we didn't have much time left. I love the colors in this picture!!
This year we had the privilege of attending the retreat with Pastor Johnny Franco and his two daughters. We had a fun-filled time driving to the retreat along with some great fellowship during the event!! Pictured with me are Bethany and Haviland! They still talk about our drive to and from the retreat.....let's just say it was a rather "wild" drive!!! I have NEVER seen two girls laugh and giggle so much at one person (that person being ME!! and I wasn't even trying to be funny!)!
My Daddy and I outside the Butterfly Conservatory. If your Dad ever asks you to attend this retreat, do it!!! Jump up and get excited at this God Given opportunity to build a better relationship with your Dad!!! You will not regret it!
I ordered the CDs from this years retreat earlier this week and I'm so anxious to go back and listen to the sessions!! It's so encouraging to see other like-minded young ladies and to know that "I'm not alone in this".