Leadership Conference - Day One

Woo Hoo! I'm back from another awesome Close To My Heart corporate event! Unlike some of my other "road trips" to convention, or leadership....this one was a much shorter drive. Leadership was at the Kona Kai hotel on Shelter Island in San Diego! I think it took me about 30 minutes to get there.

Even though I live in beautiful San Diego... I work, I'm a mom, I'm busy and I don't get to enjoy our beautiful city enough so I was quite excited to spend a whole weekend down on the coast.

Here's what it looked like when we checked into the hotel and opened our door onto our balcony. That's a cruise ship heading out of port way out there.

It's a good thing I took this picture the first day! Because it was cloudy and overcast the rest of the weekend....May gray, June gloom.. it's supposed to be gone in July!

Here are our East Coast buddies waving from their balcony.....of course they made fun of us when we were fanning ourselves and saying it was "muggy." They have offered to put together a survival kit for us for our trip to Orlando next year, complete with a towel. I think they might be worried that we can't handle it.

Our opening ceremony was under a huge canopy on the lawn, by the pool. I can only imagine what the other hotel guests thought when they saw and HEARD this large group of women (and one man!) gathering and greeting and talking and hugging!

Then it was time to link arms and make our own intertwined "circle." We had way too many to make a true circle....but the effect was the same.

And once you're standing... and you're in a circle... you definately have to do the "wave"

Then we split up into our color groups and headed out to the beach for a warm-up activity.

The rest of day one was too exciting to photograph! (that's my excuse for forgetting to take pictures...welll that and I've never quite succeeded at taking good photos indoors when there is bad lighting)

When we entered the room for the opening ceremony we were greeted with Christmas Music. Of course some were so busy chatting and greeting that it took them a really long time to notice that there was Christmas music and Christmas trees (Hi Chris!) But there was no denying the Christmas theme once Santa's Elves came out. The corporate staff came out dressed like elves and did the most adorable dance! It was hilarious. And if the elves are there..... then surely it must be time for presents from THE woman of the house...Mrs. Claus. And boy was Mrs. Claus generous!!!!!

We got our new catalog, learned about all the fun new products and upcoming campaigns and everyone in the room got a copy of our new book Imagine!!!!