Butterfly Princess

Have you ever wondered just what a Butterfly Princess looked like?  Well apparently, they look like this:

 

And this is what a Butterfly Princess looks like when she is Trick-or-Treating:



I have to admit, Butterfly Princesses are alot cuter than I thought they would be.  In fact, when this one came to my house and said, "Trick or treat?"  I went with "trick" and kept her!

This year I'm going as an invalid.

Yesterday I was sitting in church watching the kids do their presentation. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, once a year the children in our congregation do a presentation during our service. They share songs and priciples of doctrine that they have learned during the year. Acadia did AWESOME! Her part was "Jesus Christ atoned for my sins. I can repent and live with him and Heavenly Father again." She had it memorized and spoke clearly. She also sang her heart out during all of the songs!

Anyhow, back to my story... I was sitting, watching the presentation and all of a sudden I got this nasty sharp pain in my back. No matter how I tried to shift, I couldn't get it to feel any better. And it's been bothering me since. :(
I had hoped that it would feel better today but no such luck. So I skipped my workout and had to back out on helping a friend clean the house they are moving out of today. And instead, I am sitting here with the heat pad. I've paid bills and scanned some pics for one of my young women (pictures from our SLC trip that we took a month ago), but other than that I haven't been able to do anything productive.

Tonight Ryan is going to take Cadi out trick-or-treating. Lucky him - it's been raining all day! I'm betting they won't be out long. I'm going to stay home and give out candy to the little monsters and princesses that come here. Acadia is dressing as a Butterfly Princess - I'll post a picture of her in costume later.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Today is Ryan's father's birthday. We were able to hook up the webcams and actually got to visit with him face to face (or monitor to monitor) for awhile. It was really neat to see the East Coast Rosers! (Why don't we use that webcam more often?)

Bill is a great guy. He's a terrific "people person". He's the kind of guy that can talk to anyone - and anyone can feel comfortable talking with him. He always finds something that interests that person and is able to have an enjoyable conversation with them. It's a great skill to have.

So, Happy Birthday, Dad! We love you!!!

One Ring to Rule Them All

Check out the most awesome carved pumpkin ever! 

I love, love, LOVE how it turned out!  It took me about two hours and no, I did not use a stencil!  I copied the lettering out of the book, practiced once on paper, then wrote it out on the pumpkin and carved it.  Am I good or what?



So, it goes around the whole pumpkin and is the actual lettering on the One Ring.  Because I am so in love with the end result, I'm gonna post pictures that show the entire thing.
 








*Content Sigh*  I love Lord of the Rings.

Anything for you, Babe!

Ryan just came up to me after fiddling on the computer for awhile and admitted that he was having a problem and needed my help. He was going through LOTR withdrawals.

Oh Baby, you have come to the right place!

I knew exactly what he needed. I ran to the DVDs and pulled out Return of the King. With the DVD player properly loaded and the ice cream freshly scooped, I'm ready to help my man out in his moment of need!

Hey, what are wives for?

Dr. Dad

Yesterday Acadia and I started to feel sick. We both napped, missed our ice skating lesson, and felt pretty awful for the rest of the day. Ryan came home, rented some movies for us and hooked us up with some Ginger Ale. Today he stayed home from work to take care of us. We're both feeling much better. Now Ryan's napping. lol

We were supposed to attend the first of 3 Halloween parties tonight. But then today the family that is throwing the party called to cancel because their daughter got sick too! Something must be going around. But thankfully, Cadi and I will be back on track for the two parties we have tomorrow. *thumbs*

Elders

I just heard that our Sister missionaries are both leaving! One has completed her mission and is going home, the other is being transferred. And it looks like we're gonna have Elders.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Elders. They are great guys. My brother was one, Landon was one, most missionaries are Elders. But I love having Sisters!!! I love that I can go on splits and they can come over to eat whenever they/I want because Ryan doesn't need to be home. And I can give the Sisters hugs. But now it's back to hand shakes.

The last time we lived in a ward with Elders was in Massachusetts. I remember having to make them wait on the front porch in the heat/cold when Ryan was running a few minutes late. I felt so bad! A few times I felt so bad that I waited on the porch and let them sit in the house!

I am also partial to Sisters because it was Sister missionaries that stopped Ryan on his way home from school to see if he would like to learn more about the church. So ya, I like the Sisters and I'm kind of bummed.

But I should look on the bright side... Ryan used to LOVE going on splits with the Elders and now he will get to do that again. Plus, there is always a reason for everything. I'm sure that the Lord needs Elders here right now, otherwise we'd still have our Sisters. And if it's what the Lord wants, it can't be that bad.

In Training

Our family is going to be participting in the Run to feed the Hungry on Thanksgiving morning in Sacramento, CA again this year. Last year we did the 5K. And it was mostly a walk, not a run. lol

But this year, Ryan and I have decided to do the 10K. And we're gonna run! I've been going to the gym regularly now for awhile and I usually run for 3 out of 4.5 miles in my workout. And I know that with some renewed motivation and more intense workouts, I can do better than that. So this week I started my "training". lol I laugh because no one is training me, I'm just pushing myself harder and farther than I have before.

Yesterday was weights and I had a meeting immediately after so I only walked for half a mile - BUT today was all cardio. I did a full 10K and ran for 5K of that!!! (That's more than I've ever run before in one workout.) I could have run for more of it but I started to feel blisters forming. I am definitely getting new running shoes next week - Roe, take me shopping!

For alot of people, this is nothing. But for me, this is awesome! I am stronger and have a higher level of endurance than I have ever had before. I am calmer and happier too. Now, instead of beating Ryan, I pound out my frustrations on the tread mill! lol I kid, but seriously, I stress so much less now than I used to and I can relax easier as well.
And I know I can keep improving, I have a long way to go. But when I see myself achieve new personal bests over and over again, it keeps me motivated to do more.

Talk about irony

Yesterday I had to speak in church. I'm not the best public speaker. I get nervous. Yesterday's topic? Courage. Some cruel joke, I'm sure. lol

It was actually kind of a Young Women presentation. The Young Women presidency all spoke and we had our young women sing a musical number. We also had our youngest and oldest young women talk for a moment - just sharing their thoughts on YW and their testimonies. The whole program went really well. My talk even went well. I've already been asked for a copy of one of the quotes I used. (From Princess Diaries, "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.")

Then when it came time to have our Young Women lesson, no one could find the Mia Maid teacher. She is normally so on-the-ball that I never even think twice about anything she is responsible for doing. Well, we found out later that her husband failed to inform us she had an emergency come up and couldn't make it. In the meantime, I quickly grabbed a manual to see what the lesson was on... Dependability! No kidding!

I used it as an object lesson though. I told the girls that normally Sister T. is so dependable that in times like this I have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Something must have come up that was beyond her control. I told them to live their lives in a way that if ever they have to miss something they were committed to do, that others would give them the benefit of the doubt because of the dependability they had shown before.

Portland Children's Museum

On Saturday we skipped ice skating lessons (We'll be making them up on Thursday evening.) so we could attend Acadia's friend's birthday party.  I ended up playing "taxi" and took two other kids with us.  It was at the Portland Children's Museum.  We had never been before and since the birthday guest and their parents got in the museum for free the whole day - we took advantage of it!

Ryan met us there since work was slow.  We had a pretty fun time.  Here are some pictures...

Before the party started, we let the kids play in the water area.







After the party, we all went though the museum together. Here we were in the sounds area.







They had an area where the kids could paint their own faces...



There was even a place where they could make a clay scultpure. It only cost $1 to take your creation home as is.



Prepare to be impressed, people. Acadia made... Mt. St. Helens. lol



She had been playing with the clay for awhile.  She flattened it out, rolled it up, poked holes in it, and finally when I told her we would be leaving soon, she decided to make Mt. St. Helens.  She really likes that mountain.  Awhile ago I found her making Mt. St. Helens with her playdoh.  She made boulders and rocks that shot out from the crater, then she even made a lava dome!  Funny girl, who knows?  Maybe she's gonna be a volcanologist when she grows up!

Making Hazel

Acadia had fun carving her pumpkin, Hazel.  She had a little help.  They worked well together and the boys let Cadi do most of it since it was her pumpkin.

Don't Fall For It

1. What do you like or dislike about autumn?


I love the fall colors and crisp cool air. And of course I love celebrating my marriage every fall, thinking back to the beautiful fall we spent in Acadia National Park on our Honeymoon (and a few since then too).

I dislike once all the leaves have fallen off the trees and there is no color left. (Though here we have so much green left that it isn't bad at all.)


2. Have you raked leaves into a pile just to jump in them?

Not lately. I remember doing this a few times growing up, before we had the chain link fence put up around our house. After the fence went up we didn't get anymore leaves blown into our yard. :(


3. Have you ever carved a pumpkin and how did it turn out?

I've carved a pumpkin just about every year. It's messy but fun and usually I am happy with the results. On Wednesday the YW carved pumpkins, Cadi was with me so she carved hers then. I helped a little, but she did plenty of the work herself. She named it "Hazel", lol.

I will be working on my masterpiece in the next few days. I want it fresh for the Halloween party we are going to next weekend. And no, I'm not telling you what I'm doing, it is a surprise and all I have to say is... it's gonna be awesome!


4. Have you ever eaten anything made from pumpkins other than pie?

Heck ya! Pumpkin bread, donuts, ice cream, milkshakes, and cake. Plus, I remember Mom baking a meal inside a hollowed out pumpkin every year. I liked it and I think I attempted to do it one of the first years I was married. I can't remember too well, but it must not have turned out because I haven't really considered trying again, lol.


5. Where is a good spot to see the leaves change color where you live?

I don't know if there is any one good spot. I bet if you went into the gorge it would be GORGEous (lol, I crack myself up...). But I don't recall going there to see the colors. Maybe I should.

There is a stretch of our street, up the hill that is really pretty when the colors turn. There is also a couple of gorgeous tress on a main street in town that I LOVE to see in the fall, but unfortunately I don't go down that street much - at least not that part of it.

I was a little worried when we moved here that I would miss the New England foliage alot. But I was pleasantly surprised with the colors we get here. It isn't nearly as much as New England, but it is very pretty. And when the colors all fade and fall, there is still enough green to be pretty throughout winter.

We watch a movie? Not this time, Pal.

Last night we went to the Kiggins Theater here in downtown Vancouver. They have a terrific deal for school kids: admission to 10 movies for $8.00 - and that includes admission for two parents as well! The 10 movies are announced ahead of time so you can see whether or not you're interested. Usually we plan to see at least half of them - this time it will be most of them.

We like to support this theater. It is an old theater, kind of worn down. They show the same two feature movies each night for a week at a time. Admission is only $4.00 for both movies! They have a small concession stand; they only serve popcorn, sodas, and candy - which are high priced, but no higher (actually a little less) than the prices at a regular movie theather.

And it was at this concession stand that my husband ordered an ex-large popcorn for us to share (plus a big box of Junior mints and two medium sodas - but this is about the popcorn). I told Ryan I wasn't really in the mood to eat much popcorn that night (Not common for me - normally I'm a popcorn pig!) and suggested getting a smaller size. The woman behind the counter told him that it was a pretty short movie (1 hr. 15 min.) but that she would sell him the extra large if he wanted it.

He did. And almost the whole bag was gone before the movie even started. Yep, this is my husband. Ya gotta love him!

This week was "Madagascar", which we've seen before (Cadi and I twice, Ryan once). It is a good thing we've seen it before because the projector broke about 2 seconds into the film. Bummer.

Alot of the people there got some sort of credit back on their pass - we didn't bother. We'd seen it already, we can't come back any other nights that it is showing this week, and we'll still get far more than our money's worth just by going to one of the other 9 movies. Next week... Pooh's Huffelump Movie.

McTeacher

Tonight Acadia's school had a fundraiser at McDonald's.  From 5-8, 20% of all sales went to the school.  And to make it more fun, the teachers and principal were there "working".  We arrived in time to order our food and eat right before Acadia's teacher, Mr. Martin came in to work behind the counter.  Acadia had fun seeing the teachers she knew doing chores like scooping ice cream, sweeping floors, handing orders through the drive-thru, etc.

They had us write on our receipts which class our child was in and turn that in so the class could get credit.  The class with the most visits will win (don't know what they win, but it's...something, lol).  Knowing this, we ordered dinner, turned in the receipt, then ordered ice cream for another receipt! lol  And no, it is not cheating.  You can't order your ice cream with your meal or else it will melt...or your food will get cold while you're eating your ice cream first.  So, we HAD to have two orders!

The whole thing was a really great idea, it was packed the whole time we were there and the McDonald's crew was very friendly through it all.  Occasionally one of the teachers would come out with a huge bunch of balloons to pass out.  Here we got a picture of Acadia's principal handing out balloons.

She had gotten distracted by Ryan's RedSox shirt (I cheer for the Red Sox and anyone who beats the Yankees.") and started talking to him about how much she liked it.  (We like her even more now!)



From what I've seen of Mrs. Varkados (sp?), I really like her.  She is always happy and very hands on with the kids.  The kids all love her!

The FUNdraiser really was...Fun!  And yummy too!

N'ice

Today Acadia and I went to our first ice skating lesson.  Wow.  Okay, thankfully the first thing they taught was how to fall, and then how to get up safely.  This was good, lol.  I managed not to fall at all, but Acadia fell a couple of times.  No biggie, she got right up and did really well.

It was kind of cold on the ice (part of the time we were sitting on the ice while we practiced falling and getting up), next time we're wearing gloves or mittens.

We learned how to keep our balance by keeping our hands in front and when we felt like we might fall, putting our hands on our knees.  It really was pretty fun, though my feet were SO SORE by the end of the lesson!

Acadia didn't want to stop when lessons were over.  When we left she told me she wanted to come back again.  Well that's good since we are signed up for another 7 weeks!

This is a super good deal.  Since it is a parent/child class, we are both getting lessons for the same price as if she got lessons by herself!  PLUS, we can (if we choose) have free skate rentals and admission to practice on the days of our lessons.  So, we pretty much have free skating on Saturdays for the next 8 weeks.  Woohoo!

If I were rich...

I saw a story on the news tonight about a woman who found a bag with $1000 in it. (I think it belonged to an armored vehicle, but I'm not sure - I missed that part of the story.) It was all coin and heavy. She started dragging it down the street to the police station. A man saw her and decided to help her. Together they took this big bag of money to the police to turn in.

The reporters of course asked if they had considered keeping the money. They said no. But they did admit that there is alot they could do with $1000.

If I were rich, I would look for stories like this and then send people like that a reward. As long as it wasn't some insane amount, I would send them the dollar amount of what they found. But then I was thinking, I bet that those people are going to be recieving a greater reward than money because of their integrity.

So, it's all good.

Cadi Cuteness

Acadia: "Wanna see the baby this horse had?"
Me: "Sure."
Acadia: "She's new, she just got out."  (In super cute voice...)  "She's so little."
Me: "Wow, she IS tiny, she fits in my hand!  So, are you sure its a girl?"
Acadia: "Yep, we're sure.  If its pink and a unicorn - a sparkly unicorn, then its a girl."

Later she discovered another baby unicorn (another girl, but this time white) and then brought me the mother unicorn.  I said, "I thought you said it was this horse's baby."

Acadia answered, "I was mistaken."

Bump, Set, Spike!

Someone PLEASE tell me to wear knee pads the next time the Young Women play volleyball - even if I don't think I'm going to be playing!

It was a combined activity with the young men. I was wearing jeans and 2 1/2 inch boots, but still agreed to play. We had great fun! But I just can't play volleyball half-heartedly... And as a result, my knees are SO SORE and BRUISED from diving again and again. I kept telling myself, "Self, Don't dive anymore!" But then I kept ignoring myself and doing it anyway. But hey - my team won! *thumbs* And I think the youth (and even the young men leaders) have a new-found respect for me, lol.

7 x 7

7 things you plan to do before you die:

•Take a hot air balloon ride
•Visit Washington DC
•Learn how to ice skate
•Go Skiing
•See the Grand Canyon
•Go on a cruise
•Own a black lacquered, baby grand, Yamaha Disclavier

7 things you can do:

•Curl my tongue
•Run 1.5 miles without slowing down to rest
•Fit at least a half dozen more dishes in the dishwasher after Ryan has "fully" loaded it.
•Say the Young Women Theme in Sign Language
•Finish in the top 2% solving Sudoku
•Keep a secret
•Say "no" to chocolate

7 things you cannot do:

•Dance, lol
•Sew a straight line
•Sing Soprano
•Eat seafood
•Run 2 miles without resting - YET
•Make Brownie Pudding the way Landon's mom makes it, lol
•Sleep well when Ryan's not with me

7 things you never thought you'd do:

•Read LOTR or The Hobbit (LOL - There's a lesson for you!)
•Go on a boat without getting sick
•Live on the East coast
•Own a Minivan
•Get teary at seeing Cinderella and Belle on stage at Disney World
•Let a 6 year old put make-up on me
•Like working out at a gym

7 things that attract you to other people:

•Kindness
•Spirituality
•Strength - whether it is physical, emotional, spiritual
•Honesty
•Great Sense of Humor - laughs and can make me laugh
•Gorgeous Eyes
•Good Smile

7 things that you say most often:

•"Flip!"
•"Fudge!"
•"like"
•"I need to blog that"
•"Move, you dumb dog"
•(In text messages to Ryan) "xxoo"
•"Come on People!"

7 things you can see right now:

•The little yellow puppy that Ben gave Ryan for Christmas
•A paper heart Acadia made at church
•Ryan's football bank
•Killer Whale tealight lamp I bought on my honeymoon in Maine
•Landon's hat that I STILL haven't mailed back to him!
•My SLC journal
•Portrait of the Davis family

Smack!

I heard a loud thump at my front door this morning so I looked to see what it was... This is what I found!


I hate it when that happens, don't you?

BOO-tiful!

This week we started decorating for Halloween.  Ryan suggested taking a couple of pictures and posting them here... Okay!  You know me, I don't exactly need much encouragement to blog, so the mere suggestion was enough to set me in actioin...





Acadia taped more than a dozen of these little ghosts up around the house. She made sure to point out that these were friendly ghosts!



Acadia is excited about Halloween! She is going to be Cinderella this year. Today she put on her Cinderella costume, along with some boas, fairy wings, a sleeping beauty tiara, and a Belle wand! lol She set out a tea set for a "water party". She was too cute not to take a few pictures of...

Is it too much to ask?

I really enjoy working out at the gym. And I think that anyone who wants to, should be able to do the same... as long as they abide by a few simple rules!

If you want to work out at my gym, please do NOT:

•Wear exessive amounts of perfume. While I'm huffing and puffing on the treadmill next to you, the last thing I need is your overpowering fragrance to suffocate me! I am having a hard enough time breathing as it is! There is NO reason why someone working out early in the morning needs to have put on THAT much perfume on before getting all sweaty especially since (I sure hope) you are just going to take a shower and wash it all off when you're done. If you must be so inconsiderate of others to wear THAT much perfume in the first place, wait until after your workout!

•Sing along to your ipod. First of all - we are not listening to the same song. Secondly - you are singing so loud that even with my headphones on, several machines away, I can still hear you! And last but definitely not least - you CANNOT SING!!! Either listen to your music quietly or don't listen at all.

•Clap randomly to yourself. It is distracting and very annoying! I don't know why you would be clapping - you are not cheering yourself or anyone else on - but you are making me lose count - SO STOP!!!

•Flirt shamelessly with your trainer. Lady - he is only spending one on one time with you because you are paying him to and it is his job! And then to complain about the exercises he's asking you to do - that is not attractive. If you really want to impress him, apply yourself and focus on your workout!

•Ask someone to move when they were there first. Newsflash: You are no more important or special than anyone else. The mirrors are at least 40 feet long, there is plenty of room. Yet you ask someone who is already working out to move down so you can stand where he is? Are you telling me that you lack the ability to walk past the guy who was at that spot first? If so, maybe you should be using less weights.

•Work out without a sweat towel. I have just one word to say to you... EWWW!

•Wear a torn tank top revealing your flabby abs. You are not young, you are not ripped, you should not wear that thing in public! In fact, even if you were young and you were ripped, you still should not wear it because NO ONE should be wearing it! It looks tacky and just plain stupid!

If you do not think you are capable of following these rules, please do not show up at my gym on weekday mornings - or any other time that I may choose to be there. Thank you.

My thoughts...

This comes from the journal I used while in Salt Lake City this past weekend...


Re: the drive to Utah

It was a LONG drive. But our youth were wonderful! They were cheerful, cooperative, and excited to go. It was a great feeling to watch them. The young men were gentlemanly and the young women were kind and friendly.

I have always wanted to go to SLC for Conference. I have been looking forward to this trip ALL SUMMER! I can't wait to enter the conference center and see the prophet!

My only regret is that Ryan and Acadia can't come this time. When Acadia is old enough to go to the conference center, I want to come as a family. I know Acadia wanted to come and see the prophet, I am glad she has the desire. I pray she keeps it.

Re: Saturday

We are in the conference center and it is an amazing feeling. It is beautiful. It is HUGE. It is awesome to see the Mormon Taber - ... The prophet just entered the room. We all stood as he walked to his seat. The spirit is so strong. I feel so blessed to be here. Before he entered, people were talking and visiting, now it is quiet and reverent. I wish Ryan and Acaida were here to experience this!

After the Saturday sessions were over, we had time to walk around Temple Square. I spent most of my time with two other leaders and 3 young women at the Church History Museum. It was awesome. My favorite part was seeing the death masks of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. It was moving for me. There were many things that I loved there and I felt so many emotions, but that was my favorite. Upstairs they had a replica of Joseph's death mask. It was there to touch. It was a very reverent feeling to quietly touch the face of the prophet.

One of the things that this trip has done is to strengthen my testimony of the Gospel. And as I visited the Church History museum, especially the Joseph Smith exhibits, I felt even more grateful for the sacrifices that the prophet made. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and I know that all the things he claims to have seen and done are true. I just know it - because the feeling in my heart is so strong that it is simply undeniable for me. I cannot pretend that I don't know.

Re: Sunday

We are sitting on Temple Square, in line - hoping to get into the Conference Center for conference today. As we wait, many of us are reading. I grabbed two of my Mia Maids (they didn't have their scriptures with them) to read with me. I finished the Book of Mormon, sitting with "my girls" on the southwest side of the Salt Lake City Temple. Wow.

I am so grateful for this challenge. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful for President Hinckley. I am so glad I was able to show my support and sustain him - in his presence yesterday! I have felt the spirit so strongly this weekend! I am so grateful for this experience!

We didn't make it in the Conference Center. We stood in the stand-by line for about 3 hours before being led to the conference center theater to watch in there. We can't complain - we were all able to get in for both Saturday sessions.

I've already posted a bit about the stuff we did after the Sunday sessions, so I won't repeat myself. It was a wonderful day.

This whole trip was wonderful. I am so glad that I was one of the lucky ones that got to come. Before we left, when we told people what we were doing - taking 22 youth on a 13 hour car ride to SLC to sit through 8 hours of conference in 2 days - everyone told us we were crazy. And we pretty much agreed. We had no idea how it would go. We had no idea how well the youth would get along, how helpful they would be, how much they would complain, etc. But there was NEVER a moment on this trip that I didn't feel so LUCKY to be there - with those kids! They were perfect! Little did we know we had no reason to fear.

During the car rides, we received challenges and had games to keep us busy. One of the challenges was to make up a song about our experiece using a tune from any of the hymns or children's hymns. Here is my car's song...

To the tune of "Book of Mormon Stories"

Book of Mormon Challenge my ward leaders gave to me
I read it all in 99 days and went to Salt Lake City
In the streets the protestors were shouting fallacies
We were strong, we walked on, Righteously

The Prophet and Apostles taught us sermons from the stand
Testified and counseled us to "get to higher land"
Through heat and cold, we stood in line - forever seemingly
We were strong, we stood on, Righteously

The Gospel was restored to earth in modern history
Prophet Joseph's testimony helps the blind to see
Our prophet asked we read again the Word by New Year's Eve
We'll be strong, we'll read on, Righteously

Leaving Salt Lake City now our minds are filled with thoughts
We must choose if we will use the lessons we've been taught
Bishop said to ask youself: "Where will it lead?"
We'll be strong, we'll live on, Righteously!

Notes from Conference

Some notes from the Saturday Sessions:

Elder L. Tom Perry tells us-

To ask ourslves, "Why did the writer choose this story to share? What value does it have for me today?" as we read the scriptures.

We should show our commitment to studying the scriptures by approaching that study with a plan.


Keith B. McMullin -

The Gospel brings answers and solutions to the world's problems - including our personal ones.

"Were it not for adversity, we would not know to choose the better part."

If we do our best in preparing, what we have stored will not fail - there will be enough.

Sin - not doing as well as we know how.


Susan W. Tanner -

If we truly thought of our bodies as temples for our spirit, we would treat it differently. We would rethink what we put into it, how we maintain and strengthen it, how we protect it, etc.

Be made in Heavenly Father's image - NOT the image of the world!

Do not offend your spirit by physical indulgences. Seek beauty of body, mind, and spirit.


Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin -

Depart from iniquity and journey to higher ground.

The temple represents higher ground.


President James E. Faust -

The gift of the Holy Ghost gives joy to the heart and light to the eyes.

Hearing the words of the Lord lifts us out of spiritual blindness and into the light.

Gifts of the spirit add to the light in our eyes.

It is easier to be righteous in the dark when we see th glow of the light of Christ in other's eyes.


Elder Dallin H. Oaks -

When we speak of marital partnerships, let it be a FULL partnership!

The theology of the church centers on the family. The highest aspiration is to achieve eternal family relationships.


Elder Jeffrey R. Holland - (This was one of my favorite talks, as well as the favorite of many of my young women.)

Speaking to the Young Women - "I want you to be proud that you are a woman." Your Father in Heaven knows your name, hopes, dreams, fears, frustrations.

We are empowered through obedience

Everything that Christ taught was to women as well as men.

Modesty in appearance is ALWAYS in fashion!

Youth need - first LOVE and then LIMITS

Good friends will never embarress, demean or exploit you - and neither should your clothing.

The key to feeling confident is always listening to your inner-self.

"The Great and Spacious Make-Up Kit" lol

Be not faithless, but be belieiving.


Benjamin De Hoyos -

Happiness is the purpose of the Gospel.

Happiness comes from obedience - even in the most difficult circumstances.


Paul K. Sybrowski -

It is in the Shepard's loving arms and on His shoulders that we are carried home.


Elder Henry B. Eying - (Another one of my favorite talks this conference.)

The greatest test of life is to see if we will hearken and obey Heavenly Father's commands amid the stoms of life.

Heavenly Father desired to give us all that He had. To qualify for that gift, we need to be tried and tested.

It will take unshakable faith in Jesus Christ to pass our test.

However much faith in Christ we have right now - we need to strengthen - constantly!

Start obeying at the moment a command of God comes - then remain steady in obedience.

Great faith has a short shelf life! We must not let up! We must always pray, study, and obey!

The best time to resist temptation is EARLY, the best time to repent is NOW.


Elder M. Russell Ballard - (Yet another of my favorite talks from this weekend!)

Everyone is a precious member of God's family.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World is not unlike the "Title of Liberty" in Captain Moroni's day.

There is no happiness without service. There is no service greater than that in our homes and families.

We should not need a hurricane or other crisis to remind us what matters most.

What matters most will matter longest.


Notes from Sunday Session :


President Thomas S. Monson -

Joseph Smith taught by example - courage, faith, honesty, patience, diligence, missionary work, love.

Learn from what he taught - by example.


President Boyd K. Packer -

It is important to have a knowledge of the scriptures.

"We believe all that He has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God."

The church is housed in chapels, but lives in the hearts and souls of the Latter-Day Saints.


Elder Richard G. Scott -

All are encouraged, but not forced to obey.

To be obedient to the commandments requires to us to understand them. To understand them, we need to read them, read the scriptures, test and prove it in our lives.


President Gordon B. Hinckley -

Forgiveness may be the greatest virtue on earth - and is certainly the most needed.

We should all read and ponder the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15) occasionally.

The Savior taught

*Love your enemies

*He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone

*Leave the 99 to seek the 1 lost

*"Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

*Forgive one another. He that forgiveth not - remaineth in him the greater sin.

*But of you it is required to forgive all men.

It is through the Savior that we gain forgiveness.


Elder Russell M. Nelson -

Jesus Christ is the Master Healer. Come unto Him and be healed.

Access healing power through prayer.

Remember that Heavenly healing takes place in His own way - and in His time.

Faith, repentance, baptism, testimony, enduring conversion - lead to healing of the Lord.

Conversion means "to turn with". Turn from the ways of the world and to the Lord. It brings a mighty change of heart. When truly converted, we are motivated to do what He wants us to do and be what He wants us to be.

Jesus suffered deeply because He loves us deeply. He wants to heal us.

Thanks to Him, no one is hopeless, no situation is hopeless.


Elder Robert D. Hales -

Those who sacrificed so much to make it possible for us to have the scriptures (The Bible, The Book of Mormon, etc) today were called to give their lives for the Gospel - We are called to LIVE our lives for the same purpose.

The events of our time are preparing us for the Second Coming.


Won Yong Ko -

Do not be afraid of sacrifice.

We may not be asked to give up our lives, but we are asked to make sacrifices to keep our testimony.

"Sacrifice itself may be a blessing."


Ulisses Soares -

The Gospel is about people, not programs. Everyone needs to feel loved.

"Love one another as I have loved you"


Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf - (One of my very favorite talks from this weekend!!!)

What are the "basics"? What carries us at times of greatest need to eternal destinations?

The Gospel principles will never change.

We are spirit children of God and should act accordingly.

Follow Christ - "To follow Christ is to become more like Him."

Learn His gospel by living His teachings. Practice what we proclaim.

Having faith in the Atonement means relying totally on Christ.

Faith leads to action. We follow even when we don't completely understand.

Accept direction and correction from the Lord.

Faith and Hope are the basics - they will carry us.

This is the place.

This weekend was the completion of the 99 day challenge that we gave to the youth in our ward. And as promised, we took them to SLC to finish reading on Temple Square. We had an amazing weekend!
Are you ready for some pictures? Cause I've got a bunch!

On the way down, we gave all the kids T-shirts. We all wore them, we were a sea of brown. "What can 'brown' do for you?"



The first thing we did when we got to SLC, was head to the Joseph Smith Memorial Building to watch "Testaments". Afterwards, we visited for a few minutes in the lobby. The youth (and us leaders) were so affected by the movie, many of us were teary and everyone appreciated having a few moments to reverently ponder what they had just watched.





We headed over to the North Visitor Center to take a picture of all the youth at the Christis. On the way over we passed the temple. I was touched as I watched small groups of our kids walk up and touched the temple. Many of them were on Temple Square for their first time and were in awe at this wonderful building.







We took the kids to get dinner then headed over to our host homes. There were three families who graciously welcomed us, strangers, into their homes to stay for the weekend. We had two YW homes and one YM home. We are so grateful for these three families!

Saturday morning we all had tickets into Conference, which means No WAITING IN LINES!!! Yeah! But that would be the ONLY time we would get off so easily!









Here is a photo taken just after the 1st session was over. It is blurry - sorry! I have a non-blurry one from before session, but I'm showing this one because one of those blurry black suits, is the prophet.



We ate lunch at the cars while a couple of the leaders held a place in line for us. When that line started moving, he called over to us and we hussled ourselves there just in time! We made it across the street into the line outside the Conference Center and waited there in the HOT sun for a little over an hour.





We were split up during this session, but we did all make it in. I was fortunate to have a seat in the center of the room. This picture was taken after the session was over as the prophet was leaving.



After Conference, we took some treats and drinks to the YM who had to stand in line for Priesthood Session. Then we split up. Most of the girls went with some leaders to the mall. I took 3 girls with two other leaders and went to the Church History Museum. My favorite part was seeing the death masks of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.



I really enjoyed seeing the girls look at the things in the museum. Here S. and K. are looking at Wilford Woodruff's journal entry from his wedding day.



Just for Mom...



This was my second favorite part. It is kind of the same as my first favorite. There was a replica of Joseph's death mask. This one was for us to touch. It was an awesome feeling to touch the face of the prophet. Again, I was touched to see how much the girls were appreciating this experience. This is S. touching the prophet's face.



After we finished at the Church History Museum, we stopped by the Family History Center to see if (by chance) the Pellets were there. We found out that they were now working at the Joseph Smith Memorial building, but not that day. :( Because of the crazy schedule that we had with the youth, there really wasn't any way to try to arrange seeing them. So, we went on to the mall.

We were able to see Cherie Call and Julie De Azevedo (sp?). I bought a book and had it signed by Sharon Larson (the author) to give to my neighbor who watched Acadia for a couple of days for me while I was there. I also got the new Paul Cardall CD and then found out that by buying it, I got a live CD of his for free! Score! I love him!!!

That night we had pizza at one of the host families homes. Then we played out in the dark for awhile before hitting the sack.

Sunday morning began VERY EARLY for half of us. We wanted to go for it and got to Temple Square early to stand in line, trying to get into the morning session. While waiting many of us read our Book of Mormon. I finished, right on schedule completing the 99 day challenge sitting right next to the temple. It was such a wonderful moment! Some of the other kids finished then as well.









Things were looking really good for us! We weren't very far from the front of the line and we made it across the street and into the line at doors of the Conference Center. And here we waited for another couple of hours.













Unfortunately, only about 20 people from the stand by line made it into the Conference Center. It was just too full. So, instead we were taken to the Conference Center Theater. It was cool to watch conference on a movie screen. But we still would have rather been inside! So, at the moment the closing prayer was over, our fearless YM president made a mad dash to get us a place in the stand by line for the next session!

As the rest of us quickly tried to follow him, I snapped this picture. It made me laugh! There were alot of protesters, but this kid holding the small sign that said, "People with signs are stuped!" was awesome! On the other side of this sign, he had written "If you can't be right, be LOUD!" lol



It was rather cold on Sunday. So as we waited to get into the next session, some of my girls got... creative. They put their jeans on under their dresses to keep warm. In taking this picture, I uttered words that these girls will most likely NEVER hear me say to them again! "Lift up those skirts and show me more leg!"



We ate lunch while in line this time. You would think that spending hours in line would get tiring - well, yeah it did. But we didn't mind. We were so happy to be there! The kids were wonderful! They didn't complain, they made the most of it! They had fun, they sang hymns, they read scriptures, they visited, they made it a great experience!





Once again, we didn't make it into the Conference Center. This time we weren't even close! We split up, finding places to watch it seperately. My group ended up in the theater in the North Visitor Center. After the final session of this General Conference, we met up for a group photo. On our way to take the picture, we ran into a couple who used to be in our ward! We couldn't have planned it better if we had tried! And only minutes after seeing the Mosers, we saw Tanya and Miranda Nisse, from another family who had moved away last year! It was awesome to see them and it was a miracle that amongst tens of thousands of people at Temple Square we ran into these former ward members that we love and miss so much! They didn't know we were there and we didn't know they were there, but we found each other! And then they helped to take this picture...





We had a couple of hours to look around, so we split up again. I took a couple of girls who had gone to the Church History Museum with me the night before and we went to the Joseph Smith Memorial building. I am so disappointed that this picture is blurry! But it was kind of the woman to offer to take it for us, so I really shouldn't complain!



We went up to the observation deck where a worker there pointed out President Hinckley's apartment to us. It is in the upper left, with all the green windows.





Then they showed us this chapel, where President Hinckley and President Faust's ward meets. It is beautiful! When the building used to be a hotel, this was a ballroom. Because it is a chapel, we didn't take pictures inside, but the doors were open, so I took this picture instead.



We then went to the Conference Center to go up on the roof. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it is in the spring when the flowers are all blooming. As it is, this was very pretty and the view was cool. It was also quite windy and rather cold. We didn't stay up too long! lol







We wanted to walk down the steps instead of taking the elevator down. Here are S. and K. ouside the waterfall that flows down the side of the Conference Center.



Our host families insisted on providing dinner for us on Sunday. They hosted us to a WONDERFUL dinner and we were surprised when yet another family who had recently moved there from our ward showed up to visit with us! (This was obviously planned!) It was great to see them!



The Blackham's, the main host family - they are AWESOME!!!



Acadia's friend, Brinlee. She misses her and still asks about her every now and then!



After dinner we went to the church building (across the street, lol) for a fireside. The Bishop talked to the youth about the theme of our trip, "Where will it lead?" He encouraged them to always ask themselves this question when faced with a choice. And then he gave them each their own pocket hymnal. I played "We Thank Thee O God For a Prophet" on the piano as they sang from their new hymnals for the first time. It was a great end to our time in Salt Lake.

I had about 8 young with me and another leader at our host house. We stayed in their basement. They had a pool table that four of the girls decided to sleep under - squished together! It was fun to watch.





At one point, 7 of the girls squeezed in there for a photo!



My girls were so good! And we had alot of fun!



On Monday we had a smooth, yet long drive home. We got back at about 8 pm and our trip was over! I will post notes and feelings that I recorded in my journal in a seperate post - soon. This post is long enough, I think! lol

Here's a link to see all the pictures I took. Soon, I will be adding pictures other leaders took as well. But for now, I've got 161 pictures up there! Enjoy!