YSA in Versailles

Via a Facebook event, the details were outlined for this awesome YSA stake event to take place in Versailles (written in French then deciphered by moi) and it was totally awesome!

First off, Hannah, Emily, and I all met at the Chateau of Versailles and went into the gardens together to meet up with the others by the canal. Well, we mistakenly paid to go in simply to walk straight to the unpaid part of the grounds. It was 7 euros out of our wallets, 7 baguettes out of our lives, and 7 euros worth of ice cream that we'd never be able to eat. (Hannah did attempt to get our money back but it didn't work)

So we met up with the group of Frenchies, walked to the temple site, and heard a couple of testimonies in French about "their" temple. It was amazing to hear the pride, dedication, and love that these people have for their future temple. The location is a little funny; right next to an apartment building and a lot smaller than I thought. The street it is located on is kind of in between neighborhood/small convenient stores. But regardless, it is going to be beautiful! And well visited I'm sure!!

After that, we all hopped on the bus and went to the stake center for dinner and a dance! There was a dress code for the dance that was sent out only an hour before we left for the canal so the three of us didn't have time to prepare any cute outfits which was a bummer! It was like a bowtie/suspender type dress for the guys and cute 50's style dresses and pinned up hair for the girls. This was literally our chance to dress up all Parisian-cute and go to the most "French" themed party ever.
As veterans to the Mormon stake dance scene, we expected the lame, cheap pasta and salad feed that is typical of every mormon event. However, when we got there, the small gym had strung lights, cute little triangle banners everywhere, and on the food table was an assortment of baguette sandwiches, quiches of every  kind, homemade madeleine cookies, crepes, Nutella, and apple tarts. If that isn't French enough, I don't know what is. The guys were all decked out in hats and bowties and the girls, well, the girls took this as serious as prom. It was the whole 9-yards for them. Us Americans were standing back, observing all of this and thinking to ourselves, "this was our chance."

Welp, despite our lame jeans and blouses, we took over that dance floor. Well, Emily took over that dance floor. A mix between French hip hop, some foreign rap, and throwback American songs, it was the best stake dance I'd ever been to. A big success!!

Since we all had to catch public transportation home, we had to leave around 11 to ensure that we didn't miss the last train home. After walking out towards the nearest bus stop, Hannah and I ran back in and grabbed some baguettes to go. After all, we already spent 7 unneccessary euros that day and couldn't get them back! By the end of the night both Hannah and Emily concluded, "We need 8-baguette men to make up for that".

Thankful for this church, the activities put on by the leaders, and my two awesome friends!! It was a superb weekend:)