Merry Christmas!

Sisters, with these last few days before Christmas, just a little reminder to make sure you have touched base with those whom you visit teach.

May this Christmas be full of the presence that count.



**p.s. please note the side bar regarding January's activity.  thank you for all of your support this year!

Another Year Over!

Last night was beautiful!  Thanks so much to all who worked on this event with me!  Sherilyn, Whitney, Jennifer, Lucille, Robyn... all who brought food!!!  It was so nice to be able to count on so many hands that made last night such an enjoyable evening.

We have had another year of fun activities come and go.  I'm trying to remember all of the activities that we had in 2010...

January - Rhodes Bakery for a fun demonstration with amazing samples!

Feb. - Groundhog Day - housecleaning tips/kids chores

March - R.S. Birthday - we gave a gift of service. Card kits and quilts and an eagle project

April - Swap Meet - with mini class about yard sales and bargain shopping

May - was this summer salads??

June - Summertime party - low cost/low energy activities, vacation planning ideas, helps to improve learning                                                                                            retention for kids

August - Welcome to my world - we brought items that represented something about us.

September - Back to School Bash - mini classes included decorating, budgeting, family history, lds websites, scripture study tips, easy/fun school lunch ideas

October - R.S. Retreat - a fun evening of food and games and pampering at Pat's home.  So Fun!

December - Christmas Dinner!

Whew.

I'm so looking forward to 2011!  We will have some really fun activities.  I can't wait!

Thank you to all of you for your support in coming to these activities.  It means a lot to us.  And thank you to our committee this year.  We appreciate all that you have done with us!

Oops! One More Thing...

In my rush to get the announcements up, I completely forgot to mention the big changes that our Relief Society has seen in the past weeks!

Our much loved Presidency has been released, and a new Presidency called.

Sheila, Pat, Teryn - thank you, thank you for your years of dedicated service in our behalf.  Your love and sincerity has been felt by us all.  We have learned much from you, and you have all blessed many lives.  Thank you for serving us and being such wonderful examples.

Welcome! - to our new Presidency!  Robyn Cherrington, Irma Blake, Whitney Williams, and Katie Ross as secretary.  Thank you for your willingness to accept the calling to serve us.  We look forward to the lessons and Spirit that you will bring into our ward and our lives.  We look so forward to getting to know you better. May you see the blessings of your service, and feel of our love and prayers for you.

~ ~ ~

Make sure to check the previous post for announcements about upcoming activities!!!

Apologies and Announcements

Oh my goodness.  I am so sorry!  I had fallen off the blog planet there for a while.  It just seems like every time I turn around it's the start of a new month!

So.  That said, I am going to try to take a deep breath, focus, and start doing better at updating here.  I honestly want this blog to become a place where sisters of the ward can come and find out what's going on, and when it's going to happen.  Also, a place where sisters can come and find a little uplift.  I will try to be more involved in keeping things up to date.

In keeping with that, please let me know about events, needs, shout outs about unneeded items, etc!  And also feel free to comment as often as you'd like.  {{comments are a blogger's payday}}  We like to know that people are reading ;).

Alrighty then, on to the announcements:

Relief Society Meeting
Tuesday, December 7th at 6 p.m. 
Program, Dinner, and much, much visiting!  

Come get in the holiday spirit.  Dress in your party clothes (as dressy or casual as you'd like!).  I don't get a chance to dress up much {at all}, so I will be getting a little fancy  - but nothing too drastic.  Just some ruffles. ANYWAY, I digress.  Really though, come.  It will be amazing.  A wonderful way to welcome this most precious season.  {{there is no nursery provided - I am so sorry.  entreat your husbands to make every effort to be home in time for you to come. and if all else fails, try the young women.}}

aaand I guess I should announce the Ward Breakfast that is coming up on Saturday the 4th - that's THIS Saturday.  At 8 a.m.  I believe it is at our church.  The primary kids are going to be doing a little program, and I've been told by my kids that they should wear green or red. ??!!  I could be wrong.  You know how kids can be...

And, don't forget Tithing Settlement - you should have received your assigned times by now.  It is happening this Saturday and Sunday.

I think that's it.
Seriously, though, let me know you stopped by - leave a quick comment if you can!  {do I sound desperate?}

Update for Retreat

We spoke to the Harmon's Manager, and there will be NO problem with parking in their lot.

Yay!

Oh, and wear jammies or comfy clothes! It is a retreat after all. Comfort is key.

Major Change Of Plans

Due to an unexpected scheduling conflict, we are not able to use the cabin for an overnight retreat.

HOWEVER, we are still getting together!

Same night (Oct. 22), Same time, Different location and duration.

We will meet at 5 at Pat Garrett's home for a delicious dinner, some fun games, and a little pampering. Stay as late as you want!

Parking at Pat's is a little tricky. Park on the side of the road at Wyngate (be careful not to block driveways), or in the Harmon's parking lot and walk over. When leaving, we will have a golf cart to shuttle you back to your cars if you desire.

We are hoping that even though this is not an overnight retreat, that you will still feel refreshed, reconnected, and like you had a good break from real life!

In order to plan accurately for food, we need an accurate count. If you signed up in church, and will still be coming, you do not need to do anything. If you can come now that it's not overnight, YAY! Or if you can't come after all, we'll miss you, but let me know! either email me or leave a comment on this blog.

Thank You! and Looking Ahead

We had a great time at the Relief Society Meeting last night! A HUGE thank you to our "teachers"!

We will have copies of the handouts available in the binder on Sunday if you missed it.

Looking ahead, it looks like the date for our retreat will be October 22. And we will be at the Bradshaw cabin. Thanks Boyd and Kaylyn for being willing to share!

We are super excited about this activity, and hope that you will try to make arrangements with your husband, etc. so you can come!

*a reminder, check the scripture schedule on the left sidebar for the 3 in 3 challenge!

Book of Mormon Challenge & October RS Meeting (responses requested)

Sisters - if you notice on the left sidebar, there is a schedule to follow if you are doing the Book of Mormon 3x in 3 months challenge that was issued at Stake Conference.

(My kids are doing a modified version of the challenge - they are reading it 1 time in 3 months or 6 pgs per day)

We were promised some pretty amazing things if we accept this challenge - increased testimony, closer relationship with our Savior, more peace in our homes...

It isn't easy. But few things that really matter are easy.

Now, here's the part where I need some responses. We are trying to plan a retreat or late night social for the Relief Society in October. There will be a sign up going around on Sunday, but if you are not there, or don't see it, please respond here.

We need to know: 1) if you are interested, 2) if you prefer an overnight retreat or just a late Friday Night activity, 3) which date would work best, October 8 or October 22, and 4) if you know of or have access to a cabin/venue that would be available for a large(ish) group overnight. if we do a late night thing, it will be at the church.

Please leave me a comment and answer these questions so we know how to proceed with planning! Thanks!

September Activity

I just wanted to call your attention to the sidebar for details regarding our upcoming September Relief Society Meeting.

It should be a really fun night, and I hope you can attend.

Oh What a Night!

Oh. My. Goodness! Thank you to all who came to our activity last night! It was better than I ever hoped. We laughed, we cried, we ate ice cream...

It was so fun to get to know some of our sisters just a little better!

Thank you all again. You are all truly unique and wonderful women who have so much to offer. I am grateful for your examples and your testimonies and even for your weaknesses!

Keep checking back for details about our next activity.

Welcome to MY World - Aug. 3 Activity

I hope many of you are still checking in here every now and then. I again sincerely apologize for slacking in my blog-keeping duties.

But. We have an activity coming up in less than 2 weeks! This is not just about our new sisters. This is about all of us reconnecting, learning something new, and strengthening friendships.

The details:

Tues. Aug. 3

7 p.m.

at the church

nursery provided

**Bring: an item that you feel represents something about you. This doesn't have to define or represent you as a whole person. This item should simply illustrate some quality about you, or some passion you have, or something important to you, or represent a defining moment, etc...

After some games and sharing our items, we will have a YUMMY ice cream sundae bar!!! Delish toppings and ice cream.

So please come and get to know your ward-sisters a little better. You never know what you have in common!!

Better Late Than Never!

Here is one of the recipes from our Summer Salad Social!

Snicker Salad (by ?)

3-4 large apples, cut into chunks

4 snickers bars cut into chunks

1 - 12oz coolwhip

Combine all ingredients, and chill.

I think that I will just scan and paste the rest of them here. I have no patience to re-type them all :)

Blood Drive Today!

The Red Cross blood drive is from 3:00 - 8:00 on Friday at the stake house. Right now there is no one from our ward that has signed up. The only appointment times still available are 6:45, 7:15, 7:30 and 7:45. If anyone comes at any other time there may be a waiting time. If anyone is interested they can call Sister Perry at 801-571-4799.

June Relief Society Meetings Handouts!

So, I'm finally getting these up! Sorry for the delay.

First of all, thank you to all who came to our activity in June! We had a great turn-out (especially considering it was the day after the Memorial Day weekend...) and had some wonderful food. We also had some fantastic mini classes where we got a lot of ideas about making the most of our summer.

Here are the handouts. If you click on the image, it should show it full size, and you can print from here. If it is having problems, leave a comment, and I will make sure there are copies at church on Sunday. You may have to play with the sizing, so be sure to "print preview" beforehand. I think that will be the easiest way to get the right size to print. **sorry if it's complicated, I'm SOO not computer savvy.

First handout is from Tasia's presentation on low cost/low energy activities for kids or grandkids:
















The next hand out is from Sheralyn's presentation on planning family vacations.


















Then we have Lisa's great calendar with lots of ideas to keep our kids learning over the summer (or at least not losing as much of what they learned over the past school year!)














Thank you so much to you sweet ladies who put so much time and thought into your presentations! I am so grateful!

Keep checking back, I will be posting recipes soon!

Summer Salads

Sisters, we are so excited about our upcoming June activity! We would love to have a variety of yummy salads for our dinner that evening. A sign up went around last week, but we need a few more salads.

Please leave me a comment if you would like to bring a salad (& recipe) to share, but never saw the sign up. ---it will be going around YW and Primary today.

Thanks for all of your support! I think this activity will be a fun place to get some great summer ideas for parents AND grandparents. I hope everyone can come!

Remember - Tues. June 1, 6 p.m. at the church (not the pavilion), nursery provided

Sale Info From Genevieve

If you remember our April Swap Meet activity, you will remember that Genevieve talked alot about yard sales and especially this plant sale that the state does every year...

Here's some info from her:

State of Utah

6th Annual Plant Sale

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Monday, May 24, 2010 10:00 am-6:00 pm

May 25-27 7:00 am-6:00 pm

Annuals/Ground cover $10.00 full flat of 32 & 48

Annuals $15.00 full flat of 18 plants (except geraniums)

Geraniums $30.00 full flat of 18

1 gal Perennials $3.00 each

2 gal Perennials $5.00 each

Potted house plants 12” & 14” $10.00 each

Potted house plants 6” & 8” $5.00 each

Flats of same plants, no mixing. Quantities may be limited.

Bring a friend to help!

Plants must be removed at time of sale. First come, first serve.

We accept cash, credit cards and

local personal checks (under $200.00).

Exit 289 off I-15 turn west, 1st light (200 West) turn left and at end of the road turn right.

Things as They Really Are

Yesterday, Teryn taught a great lesson from Elder Bednar's address to a CES group entitled "Things as They Really Are".

It was an interesting lesson/discussion about how our bodies truly are a great gift from our Father in Heaven. And that having a physical body allows us to have power over Satan, and only when we give up our power through our choices do we allow him to have influence in our lives.

It also made some interesting points about how we ought to treat our bodies. And that by mistreating our bodies, we are in fact minimizing their importance - not to mention a severe lack of gratitude...

Read the talk here. It would make a great FHE, especially if you have older children.

Swap Meet - Tues, Apr. 6

Wasn't Conference amazing?? So many talks about strengthening our homes and families. Obviously a very important message for us right now.

And I hope you all enjoyed your Easter celebrations. Ours was extremely low key this year, but very nice to listen to our apostles testify of our Savior.


Anyways, on to business.

Our April Activity is this coming Tuesday the 6! Yes, it's here already. I will have 2 blocks of time to have you drop off your items at the church. I will be there from 8:30 a.m.-10 a.m. and then from 4:30 until 6.

If these times do not work, please, call me or email me and I can arrange to be there to get your stuff in. I will be home all day, and can meet you at any time.

Another option is for you to drop items off at my home on Monday - but I will only be home early morning and later afternoon that day.

Please, spread the word, it is always difficult to have these meetings right after a week off of church.

Thanks! We'll see you on Tuesday at 7!

Fixed It!

I was told on Sunday that the 2nd link on the Crisis of Unbelief post was not working, and that I had inadvertently typed "buy" instead of "byu" in the link... whoops! Sorry.

But it is fixed now, and you can link from there - remember that once you get there, the talk is under the Marjorie Pay Hinckley lecture.

So. Enjoy!

Sidebar Additions

Please take a moment and look at the Upcoming Events on the right hand sidebar. There are a ton of them, and I will be doing my best to keep up with them all.

Also, please note the birthday list for the month. I didn't want to put full names on the blog, because this is not a private blog, and I want to maintain a feeling of security, so - if you don't know the birthday girl by her first name and last initial, go to the ward directory and see if you can figure it out. Otherwise, comment or email me and I can clarify.

But where possible, make an effort to spread a little birthday love to those celebrating their lives each month!

I am constantly amazed by you sisters - thank you for your examples!

Crisis of Unbelief

Yesterday we had a wonderful lesson by Pat Garrett on parenting in Zion. She referenced a couple of talks/lectures by psychologists that discussed this topic.

The first talk was by A. Lynn Scoresby, a professor of psychology at BYU. "The Crisis of Unbelief: How to Ensure Faith and Testimony in Our Children"

The second was by William Doherty, a world renowned psychologist from the University of Minnesota (?) "Parenting Wisely in a Too Much of Everything World" (listed under "Marjorie Pay Hinckley Lecture")

I know that this is a sensitive subject, and we all want to do our best for our children. But as was pointed out to us yesterday, all we can do IS our best, and the rest is up to our children and the Lord.

Prayerfully consider Pat's challenge to reach out to our Young Women (or Young Men) to see if we can't be another source of strength for them and help to avert this crisis of unbelief.

April Activity

Many of you have asked about what types of items you should be setting aside to bring to the Swap Meet in April.

Really, anything that you think could be used by someone else is appropriate to bring.

Home dec items such as pictures, lamps, pillows, seasonal decorations, etc.

Kitchen items such as dishes, small appliances (working), silverware, etc.

Clothing & shoes: adult, children, etc...

Baby items.

Kids toys.

So, really. Anything that you can think of that you are going to be getting rid of, but that someone else might be able to use, bring it!

And if you don't have anything to part with, still come and see if there is anything that you need.

I am hoping to have the building open and available all day for you to bring your items so that it is set up before 7. Will keep you posted on that. And like I said on the side-bar, if you have any items that are too large to bring to the church, please email me (with a description and photo is possible), and I will post it directly onto the blog.

Super Service

Ladies, thank you so much for all of you who came to our Birthday Service Activity! I must remember to put my camera on my list of things to bring each month so I can post some fun pics.

We accomplished much.

We tied 2 quilts for the humanitarian center.

We made over 60 card kits for Primary Children's Medical Center.

And we completed all 18 folders that Porter Sorenson brought as part of his Eagle Project.

Nicely done, sisters.

In the next few days, I will be trying to add some links to the sidebar for more service projects that you can do with your families or on your own.

If we look outside ourselves, we will find many opportunities to make a difference. Whether we help one person or many, we are doing the Lord's work, and we will be blessed.

In this life it is easy to feel insignificant and like we don't matter at all; but I know that simply by being a good friend, a diligent mother, a kind person, we can influence more lives than we will ever know.

May we look around us to see {and act upon} opportunities to serve those around us.

"... inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matt. 25:40

March Activity

Now, here we go. We are one week away from our next activity. Usually, March is known as the Relief Society Birthday Party activity. And it is. But this year, we are giving a gift instead of sitting down for a nice dinner and program or party. We thought it would be a great way to remember what Relief Society is all about. Not to mention the fact that we can accomplish so much more as a group than on our own!

So the details:

Tues. March 2 at 6 pm in the gym at the church

We will be making quilts for the Humanitarian Center, creating educational games that will benefit a Title One School, and making card/scrapbook kits for the older patients at Primary Children's Medical Center.

Items you can bring to use that evening are: paper trimmers, scissors, colored pencils

We are excited about each of these projects, and we will also have some project ideas that you can take home and do with your families.

We have a few opportunities for you to bring supplies as donations for this activity:

scrapbooking embelishments (stickers, chipboard, stamps, old decorative scissors, etc) (even if they are out-dated, we can use them)

batting for the quilts

We will not have dinner at the church, but we will have a great dessert bar. So come and have a wonderful night!

Ok, sorry ladies, for the slacking! I have been a total flake in keeping up with callings and releasings. I'm trying to get an updated list for the past 6 weeks so I can post all the changes that have taken place, but it's apparently not just a simple thing to get that.

So. To all of you who have been called to and/or released from your positions, we thank you. Thanks for the service you render in our behalf and in behalf of our children. We love you, and we appreciate ALL that you do.

Stake Conference

Don't forget, ladies! This weekend is Stake Conference. That means: Priesthood Leadership meeting Saturday Feb 13 at 4-6, and the Adult Session Saturday night from 7-9ish. And the General Session Sunday Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. at the stake center!

See you there!

Report on Feb. R.S. Meeting

Last night's activity was a great success (at least the presentation part! that mod podge was trickier than I thought it'd be - sorry!! but they were still really cute!). Here are a few highlights from our presenters:

Elaine Tuttle:

Totes. Have everything you need for the job in one place. Saves time and energy when you don't have to run back and forth from the job to the closet for this or that. She has totes for cleaning, hair-do's, nail/pedi stuff, etc.

Clean from top to bottom.

Have a sanctuary. Elaine keeps her room clear and bed made so that even if the rest of the house is undone, she can go in her room and close the door and find peace.

Natalie Emmer:

House Of Order Handbook, by Marie Ricks. She has a system using 3x5 index cards to detail what jobs get done each day, week, month, etc. The website for House of Order is www.houseoforder.com.

“It is important to ‘neat’ your house before you ‘clean’ your house, and ‘clean’ your house before you ‘scrub’ your house.” Makes sense to me!

Monika Hopper:

Uses a reward system with a chart of 100 squares, and when each child fills a chart with stickers, they earn a designated amount of money. She also prints a daily chore chart for each child specific to the schedules and needs of each day. If the child does not complete the list, they do not earn the stickers, and if it becomes a habit of not completing the list, they lose friend privileges.

Angela Jensen:

Her children earn points by completing specific chores, and then they can redeem their points for "coupons" for things like movie night, and an outing with mom and dad, and extra tv time. Great ideas for those who dislike "paying" kids to do their chores.

Cindy Cahoon:

Cindy has adapted some of the House Of Order stuff and created cards for her kids which correspond to her jobs for the day. She also had some great ideas for making job time fun! Personally, I love the 30 second job idea (have jobs written on popsicle sticks and have everyone pick one. Set the timer for 30 seconds, and everyone races to get the job done before the timer goes off.)

**a few thoughts from the audience were:

They aren't bribes, they are incentives.

Create a list for multi-step jobs (like the bathroom) and post it in the room where it is done. Like the back of the medicine cabinet. This eliminates the constant "now what??" or "k, I'm done!" and it not really being done.


Finally, just don't give up. Keep trying things until you find what works for you and your family. It's not about having a spotless home. It's about being able to have a tidy home where the Spirit can thrive and your families can feel peace.

We did not have a ton of time for discussion and sharing of more ideas. Please feel free to comment with any tricks/systems that work for you!


*we will work on getting some of the info into a downloadable format. I'll let you know when that is available.

Relief Society - Groundhog Day Edition

Sisters - A reminder about our upcoming activity.

It is TOMORROW!!! Tues, Feb. 2 at 7 pm. We will begin in the Relief Society Room.
Seeing how it's groundhog's day tomorrow, we are tackling the chores that we have to do day after day after day, and learning about simple routines we can set up in our homes to make the most of our time and energy. We'll also be having a few people present their ideas for getting your kids to help out around the house as well (i.e. reward systems, etc).

I'm excited about the topic. I know, house cleaning??? Really? Really. When I feel the difference in how my house feels when it's clean as opposed to looking like a bomb went off, it makes me really want to do better - all the time. But then life happens. I get busy, and before I know it, it's been a month since my floors got mopped, and there are science experiments growing in my fridge. I am really looking forward to learning a few tricks to getting more done in less time so that I can become a better homemaker (because whether we work outside the home or not, we are all homemakers...) and invite some peace and tranquility into my home.

Can't wait to see you there!

**don't forget, if you signed up for a clipboard, bring your $1. Don't make me hunt you down for a dollar please.

Tap Shoes

Ok, ladies, I have inherited a darling pair of black tap shoes for a little girl size 12. They have white lace ties, and are in excellent condition. If anyone is interested, or knows anyone who could use some cute little tap shoes, please let me (Karen LaMunyon) know.


**and don't forget, our next Relief Society Meeting is coming right up! Tues, Feb. 2 at 7 pm in the R.S. room. If you signed up for a clipboard, don't forget your 1 dollar!

We had a fabulous turn-out at our Rhodes Bakery field trip! Thanks to Whitney for putting that all together for us. I know it took a lot of effort. We learned lots of fun tips and tricks for using the dough. The recipes are available online at http://www.rhodesbread.com/recipes

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb. 2. Yes, that is just a mere 2 weeks away. We're still in the planning stages, so details will be available soon. Mark your calendars, though. We'd love to see you there!

Cranberry Chicken

This is the recipe for the chicken we served at our Christmas Dinner. We had a ton of compliments, and it was so easy, we thought we'd share!

Cranberry Chicken

8 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

Mix:

1 bottle Catalina salad dressing

1 can cranberry sauce (whole berry)

1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix

Place chicken in 9x13 pan. Pour mixture over top. Bake 400 degrees for 30 minutes covered with foil, 30 minutes uncovered. Serve with rice.

This recipe came from Jenny Camac. Thanks for sharing!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Well, there have been several changes in callings over the past couple of weeks in order to fill the holes left by the ward split.

The sisters who have been released and called are:

Released - Holly Brown, R.S. pianist; Marian Kelly, R.S. teacher; Jenny Camac, R.S. chorister. We so appreciate all that these sisters did in fulfilling their callings.

Called - Holly Brown, YW secretary; Jenny Camac, YW Beehive advisor; Janice Pan, assistant Beehive advisor; Renee Fabrizio, R.S. teacher; Geraline Cloward, R.S. teacher; Marian Kelly, R.S. chorister; Colleen Marston, R.S. pianist; Melissa Sauter, Primary pianist; Karen Andrews, Primary teacher; Robyn Cherrington, Youth Conference coordinator.

Whew! Lots of changes. Good luck to all of our sisters in their new callings. We know you will all do amazing things as you serve the members of the ward. And to all of our sisters currently serving throughout the ward, Thank You for all you have done and are doing as you quietly go about doing wonderful things. We love you all.

Ward Conference

Sisters, this coming Sunday (Jan. 10) is our Ward Conference at 11 a.m. The Bishopric has asked us to prepare spiritually for this meeting by doing the following:

Monday Jan. 4 - Hold Family Home Evening with a lesson appropriate for your family.

Tuesday Jan. 5 - Attend the Draper Temple. Adults must sign up with Sister Weaver or Brother Moon to attend the special 8:15 session for our ward. Or your are encouraged to attend on your own sometime this day or week. Youth are encouraged to perform baptisms for the dead sometime this week.

Wednesday Jan. 6 - Read General Conference Talk by Pres. Monson titled "Welcome to Conference" in Nov 2009 Ensign

Thursday Jan. 7 - Read General Conference Talk by Pres. Monson titled "School Thy Feelings, O My Brother" in Nov 2009 Ensign.

Friday Jan. 8 - Read General Conference talk by Pres. Monson titled "What Have I Done for Someone Today?" in Nov. 2009 Ensign.

Saturday Jan. 9 - Will you invite a friend/neighbor to attend Sun. Ward Conference with you?

Sunday Jan. 10 - Attend Ward Conference (11am) spiritually prepared to be uplifted by stake leaders.