Parties and Service

 I'm getting so far behind again in journaling.  Lots going on during the holidays but it has been kind of calm for me (and I'm not complaining!)  Last week was our GNO- hosted by Terri and Brendalyn.  Terri's home is over the top Christmas and the meal was perfect as well.  Great conversation, lots of LOUD laughter and a new Funny Kathy story we've never heard (Kathy represses them and suddenly something jogs her memory.)  Several people were talking about a recent BYU football game where they honored Elaine's dad who recently attended his 70th West Point Academy reunion.  He is quite a remarkable man....was the engineer who was in charge of shutting down Niagara Falls in the 70's- to repair some things, plus he was in charge of temple affairs over in Europe for many years.
The band director played a rousing Sousa March while they honored him on the field with a big screen showing clips from his life.

The Sousa March was the trigger.

Kathy remembered why she gets uncomfortable when the Sousa March is played.

Sometime in the 70's as well, Kathy and Greg were young marrieds and living in Chicago.  It was during the church's big bicentennial celebrations and a huge hall was rented where thousands could attend this pageant of sorts.  There was a band to play the Sousa march...and Kathy was asked with many other young girls to be the marching core.  They had red spandex outfits and glittery gold belts and shoulder thingies.  The evening went well.

About a month later, Kathy received an invitation to a "thank you" luncheon for all those participating.  Kathy then said, "So, let me ask  you, IF you were to read the invitation and at the end it said, "You might want to wear your red spandex costume- would you take that seriously or would you read that sarcastically?" 

Apparently Kathy was the only one who read it seriously....what a grand entrance Kathy made in her red spandex!   We laughed our heads off again, over that one!

We had such a good time- love these friends of mine!

Young Women's-

Our Young Women's activity last week was awesome.  one of my Laurels, Maddie Pardoe planned it.  We went to their house and they had fleece for us to cut and tie for quilts for Primary Children's Hospital.  We were able to make 20 quilts!  We also made dozens of these cute reindeer treats to take to the children as well.  Great activity!

 

Yeah!  We've had some great snowstorms and guess whose darling husband went outside and made ME a snowman!!!!!  It's truly a gift of love.

Snowmen just melt me.......

Young Women's

Had an awesome activity last week where the girls met early and we put together 8 large wicker baskets full of treats and cellophaned them-  they turned out so beautiful!  Then the guys came and divided into groups and went to 8 people in the neighborhood and sang Christmas carols and surprised them with a basket.  I made little Santa masks to enhance their caroling.  What great kids!

For me it was a good kick-off to the Christmas season.  I love this quote by Howard W. Hunter:


“This Christmas, mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. Be kind. Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”

Embark in Sunshine

 We started working on our Young Women's Evening of Excellence months ago with a service jar.  I printed off these little suns (Ucreate.com) and each week I'd give the girls the cards and they would write the service they had done that week.  Our goal was to fill the jar of sunshine by our Evening of Excellence.  Of course I made the mistake of getting the biggest jar ever...so that was kind of impossible but we'll continue to fill it.  Proud of these girls!

Our theme was Embark in Sunshine.....meaning doing good works to help others but also making the choice to follow the light...and becoming extenuating lights of Christ in our own lives.

... stop surrounding yourselves with bits of darkness..whether it be friends making fun of your standards, teachers, immodesty, etc.  and MAKE your own Sunshine. You don't HAVE to be in the dark.  You have the power to SHINE! Don't wait for other people or other things to bring you happiness today..encourage yourself to MAKE YOUR OWN SUNSHINE.  Light is always stronger than darkness!  Marci Coombs

 We tied yellow tulle around all the chairs...I forgot to get that picture.  Love that you can buy colored tulle in rolls so it makes decorating so easy.

Loved all the suns hanging around.  We blew up balloons and stuck them in the middle.  Perfect!

Rachael made the banner this time.  Love it!

And we ordered the cookies from The Hungry Bear.  So cute!!!

 

Bottled Lemon water with sunshine labels.

The picture board was a hit.  We took Polaroids (which were a novelty to the girls- lol)...but they were little so I'm glad we took picture/pictures as well.  These are just a few....

 Some dads just march to their own drummers!

 Here are some of the leaders I work with- Sheryl Ipsen, Angie Hall, Sarah Gardner and me photobombing...

For all the sunshine of the evening, my heart was a little rain cloud.  I had made a (time-consuming) video of the girls set to wonderful music...and of course, we had audio visual problems.  BFF Cathy's son -n-law (whose Sunday dinner I crashed) came to the rescue....staying over a hour trying to get the machine working.  It had a mind of it's own....and was very frustrating.  But, it's over.  It worked.  Ryan's service will not be forgotten.  

Choosing happy over frustrating is HARD.  Lol- I need to practice what I preach!

Hungry Hungry Hippo

We did this as a joint young men/young women's activity last month.  It was a riot!!!!  We used balloons instead of  balls and they worked great.  Our fearless leader, Sheryl (below) had to try it out for herself.  She purchased laundry baskets from All a Dollar....but the baskets weren't sturdy enough to make it through the whole game.  Rather than buying expensive baskets, I'd make sure I had  2-3 baskets for each team (8/12- still cheaper than 2 good baskets.)  We used longboards or skateboards.  4 teams.  Attach a rope to the board.  The Hippo needs to wear a helmet.  Their team pushes the hippo on the board out and they try to capture as many balloons or balls in their basket before being pulled back.  (see instructions below)  The team with the most balloon/balls at the end or a certain time limit wins.  

Here are the rules:

1. A player is pushed by their team to the center of the room and attempts to grab (or place under a basket) as many balloons or balls as possible and return them to his or her team’s corner.
2. The scooter can NEVER STOP. As soon as the player reaches the center, he or she must be immediately pulled back.
3. You can either send the same player back to the center, or have the whole team rotate through being “hippos.”
4. Only balls that are completely in the team’s corner count as points. Balls will quickly become scattered around the room, and it is not enough to have balls “close” to a corner. If a ball is close, the team can send the hippo towards that ball instead of to the center.
5. The game ends when all of the balls are gone, or when the timer runs out.
NOTE: Please have hippos WEAR HELMETS. When players meet in the middle, the last thing you want to have happen is for their heads to smash in to one another.

Oh, the Places You Will Go!

Yesterday morning, Sheryl Ipsen (our Young Women's president) and I hosted all the graduating senior girls to my house for brunch.  (We're lucky we have 1:00 church).   I made a Mexican brunch with a Mexican Puff quiche with black bean salsa and sour cream and avocado and also a quick cinnamon and cream cheese churro, fresh fruit, pina colada's.  I also made graduation hat picks for them to take home (!!!) and also had cute quotes about growing up and moving on- on the table.   I'm going to miss Abby Ward, Sydney Barton, Meghan Ahlstrom and Claire Kirkland so much!!!!  What outstanding girls! I'm excited for them for this next step in their lives.

  







   Education is the most  powerful weapon which you  can use to change the world.   
       Nelson Mandela



 “The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all, the world needs dreamers who do.” 
    Sarah Ban Breathnach



If opportunity doesn’t knock,  build a door. 
          Milton Berle 



You have to expect things of yourself before you can do  them. 
        ~Michael Jordan 



Don’t let anyone steal your dream. It’s your dream, not theirs. 
          ~Dan Zadra 




Share your sparkle wherever you are. 
          ~Dodinsky 


You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who’ll decide where to go.
           ~Dr. Seuss 


Whether you think you can or think you can’t – you are right.    
         ~Henry Ford 

I

If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.
      ~Thomas Alva Edison 


There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them. 
         ~Charles D. Gil 



God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow in them. ~Author Unknown