Sculpting Ice Cream

I am grateful for good internet sites that give me ideas to help with my calling. Sugardoodle.net is great.

From there I got the idea to talk with the YW about how we are clay in God's hands and that he would like tomake us his masterpiece. We talked about the things we need to "sculpt out of our lives". The girls came up with these answers: profanity, immodesty, negative thoughts, taking the Lord's name in vain, etc. Then we discussed what sculpting tools the Lord has given us. Those answers were: prayer, the Holy Ghost, personal progress, parents and youth leaders, friends that set good examples, etc. The girls had great insight with this brief lesson.

For the activity part, the girls grouped into teams of two. They went into the kitchen and sculpted a half gallon of ice cream. There were tools to use and and candies to decorate.















Above, Samantha and Jaycee showing off their creation and licking the drips. Morgn is a ice cream that she shaved off! All of the girls had a great time and I hope that this will help them to remember the tools the Lord has given us to scupt our lives to be one of his masterpieces.

Are you suprized that we had ice cream cones for dessert! The girls scooped their melting sculptures into cones.

When I have something to do, Craig helps.

As many of you know this year I have been a girl scout leader for Raeleigh's troop. It is a lot of work and am glad to have help of the other leaders. However we also like to have guest speakers. So when we decided to earn a badge about eating healthy, Craig was the perfect choice for a speaker. So he came in and talked to the girls about working in the school cafe, reading food labels, the food pyramid. He also had them do some fun coloring and gluing activities about healthy eating.

Thanks Craig for your help and support!!!

Morgan School Projects

When does Morgan not have a project going. This one used the sewing machine and parental help. Morgan and her friend had a school project, that they had to make costumes for. So thank heavens for her friends mom Morgan and friend were able to come up with the patterns for the costumes. Craig took them shopping to buy needed supplies. Then at their own homes, they finished up the sewing. So here is Morgan in her mid evil dress the day of her presentation.

Way to go Samantha and Team!

Samantha ran on her schools track team. There was one meet. The four middle schools in our districk competed. Samantha did well. She placed second with her team mates in both the 4x100 and 4x200 relays. This picture I got in trouble for. I snapped it to soon, because Samantha passed both these girls and won he section of the relay. Samantha is the one in maroon shirt.

Patrick advances in the aaronic priesthood

Patrick was ordained a priest. It is amazing how a parents heart swells when their child does something good. Raeleigh has already asked Patrick to baptize her. So that will be happening in April.

Some of those who stood in the circle. Jared, Bishop Smith, Craig and Grandpap.

Visiting Teaching

A few weeks ago, I learned about a different side of visiting teaching. I got a new list in January. I was excited to find out that my 80 year old friend Betty was on my VT list. I knew Betty had cancer.

A couple of years ago when I was the ward choir director, I met Betty. She would come and sing with us. I was of course frazzled because Craig was in meetings and our kids were running around the church. I felt very pulled as to where my attentions need to be, with the choir or my children. I think Betty knew that. After each practice, Betty told me how well I was doing. She made positive remarks about my children and would tell me she loved me.

Our ward boundaries were changed and my family was now in a different ward than Betty. Then last July the boundaries were changed again. So I was back in Betty's ward. Betty was a bright face and friend in my transition to being in different ward. Every week she came up to me, hugged me and told me she loved me. By the end of the year we weren't seeing her at church so much. I missed her hugs.

When I went to visit her in January, my heartached. She was lying in bed, in pain with no hair and not responding to anything. I sat and talked to her. Told her about all my kids and what was happening in my life. I also met Betty's daughters that had come to care for her. I went over often for the next, little over a week. One time I sat on the bed next to Betty, she had her eyes opened. I told her that I loved her. She also told me that she loved me. That was the last time she spoke to me. Another time there I went over and shared with her my memories of her friendship.

Betty has now passed on. I was grateful to lead the congreational hymns at her funeral, a good way to serve her. I helped Betty's daughters clean her house after she passed.

I always knew that visiting teaching was more than just seeing a sister once a month. However this is the first time that visiting teaching has meant helping a family with a loved one that is passing on. This was definetly and challenge, but the Lord helped me. I am grateful to have been Betty's friend and her visiting teacher. Betty brought much sunshine into my life. I look forward to seeing Betty again.

Raeleigh's Valentine's

Raeleigh's teacher had her students writed something nice about each classmate. The students gave them to each other at their valentine party. Here are what Raeleigh's friends said about her! She is:
SMART
HILLARIOUS
A SMART KID
COOL
NICE
FUNNY
PRETTY
A GOOD SINGER
CUTE
GOOD
SHE HAD POPCORN
HAS NICE HAIR
I KNEW HER SINCE FIRST GRADE
I LIKE YOU

Raeleigh was pleased with the comments the other students gave her. I think this is a great way to build friendships in the classroom.