Hmmm...

So, today was the second lesson teaching 10-11 year old primary. It was...interesting. I enjoy preparing the lessons because they are interesting to prepare, and the information is all on church history/doctrine and covenants this year. I like that.

I definitely don't get as stressed teaching 10-11 year olds as I did teaching 5 year olds, 4 year olds, 3 year olds, and nursery aged children. (Yep, I have definitely taught the younger set of children in Primary before...)

There is still the dealing with amazing amounts of energy. At this age the girls behave better than the boys, and the boys are seriously goofy. It really makes me appreciate the people who served and taught my Sunday school classes.

It is frustrating in a way though...my heart is still in Young Women's. It just is. I try to be excited to be in Primary. I know/realize it is such an important and vital time to teach and give kids a basis for their testimonies...still, I can't help but feel like my talent lies with teenagers. I get along with teens really well.

And so, even though I know I should be in Primary right now, for whatever reason, it is a struggle to fully cross over the line and be content with where I am right now. I will keep plugging away, however, and hopefully the sadness will begin to go away.

Human Foosball

Yesterday for our Young Men/Young Women combined activity we played human foosball. I think it is a lot of fun. I think the Young Men and Young Women thought that it was a lot of fun as well. I guess you can actually buy "human foosball" setups like these:


We go for a more cost-effective option. Someone in our ward actually made human foosball poles out of sprinkler pipes. Then you just have the correct amount of people on each pole, and play indoor soccer, except it's foosball, and you have to stay on your line! It's really fun because you have to drag everyone else on your pole wherever you want to go...left, right, left, left...it was hilarious to watch too.

So, we all had a great time, and got some exercise as well.

Not so much.

So, this month has been interesting. I've been on both sides of the spectrum, and hopefully will remember the things that I've learned, especially when I'm having a rough day.

Here is what I have learned.

Even though my intentions are pure, I am still desperately needed at home. Yes the family "survives," but just barely, and I can tell by my kids new change in behaviors. So, I am not so sad that my census work is supposedly ending this week.

Heavenly Father knows everything. I already knew this, but it seems like I need to relearn it a lot. It has been kind of interesting to watch things play out, and feel like there has been some divine intervention involved.

For some reason I am still needed in Young Women. That's fine. I like teaching lessons to teenagers. Really. I do. I'm not being sarcastic. We even got a new YW President last Sunday, and I specifically talked to her about whether or not I would be released anytime soon when she called me on the phone. So, apparently there is someone who needs me. :)

One of these days I will really and truly not get my hopes up when my cycle ends up being a few weeks late.

Here's Your Sign....

So, I have come to notice a little trend in my life...it doesn't happen a ton, but it does happen, and I'm actually kind of glad that I noticed...

Whenever I am supposed to go to something, and I REALLY REALLY don't want to go, there is usually a reason I SHOULD go, and most times the Holy Ghost literally yells at me to just go!

Take tonight, for example. There was a meeting scheduled with the Stake Young Women and Young Men leaders and our ward Young Women and Young Men leaders. I REALLY didn't want to go! I had had a super long day, I was tired, physically in pain, and just in no mood to go. Well, I had kind of decided that maybe I wouldn't, but then my stubbornness and sense of responsibility kicked in (which also probably included the Holy Ghost telling me to JUST GO!), and decided that maybe I better go. Then the Young Women president called to make sure that I remembered, so I decided I'd really better go.

I am so GLAD that I went! My heart is full, I was spiritually fed. Concerns and doubts and wonderings that I had been feeling for the past while...I just felt like this meeting/lesson addressed EVERYTHING that I had been feeling stress over with my calling lately. IT WAS AMAZING. I cannot adequately describe or express the peace that I feel in my soul.

Another example that came to mind, almost immediately after I was thinking of how glad I was that I came, was an experience I had in college. A guy that lived in our student ward boundaries was going to be baptized. I was busy, I had a lot of school things to take care of, and had basically planned to not go to the baptism. He had a lot of support, and I didn't really feel the need. Well, my apartment had 6 other girls (7 total) and the first two came down and asked me if I was going to the baptism...no, then the second came down and asked me, then the THIRD, then...the roommate that was ALWAYS late (but very nice) came down and asked me. By that time I realized the Holy Ghost was YELLING at me, JUST GO! So, I ran and got ready and we went. I'm sure it was a great experience for the guy that got baptized, but wow, the feelings I felt...I know it was a moment that I needed to have that I would have missed out on. It strengthened my testimony, and renewed my faith. IT WAS AMAZING.

So, is the lesson learned? I sure hope so. Hopefully next time the Holy Ghost won't have to yell so loud to get me to go. :)

A warm spot of fuzziness...

So, yesterday I had a neat experience. Since it was fast Sunday, the Young Women met for opening exercises with the Relief Society. It is always heartwarming for me to be with a group of women, and hear them recite the Young Women Theme.

Well, since the theme has an added value now, they made bookmarks with the new value in the theme. On the other side they had the Relief Society Declaration. This is not something that is commonly read, and as I read it, I just felt so warm and fuzzy and loved, to know that I am a "beloved spirit daughter of God and my life has meaning..."

So, I decided to share the Relief Society Declaration with you:

"We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction.
As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ our Savior and Exemplar.
We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:
-Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
-Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
-Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
-Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
-Delight in service and good works.
-Love life and learning.
-Stand for truth and righteousness.
-Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
-Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation."

I hope every woman who reads this, can just feel the love that God has for each of us.

Crazy crazy!

Well, we had a very good week...well, all things considering. We were able to go to my side of the family for a Christmas party, and almost all my family was there. My sister's family didn't make it because the roads were bad. It was fun though, and it was a lot of fun to see my brother who is in the navy and talk with him for a little bit. We don't get to see him very often because his family lives in Hawaii.

Christmas was enjoyable even though I ended up not feeling all that great. Usually we go visit family but there were two things that prevented that this year...first was the snow factor. We got so much snow! The roads still haven't recovered. Can I just say how GLAD I am that we have a four wheel drive vehicle?! The other factor was me not feeling well. I had a reaction to something the night before and had to take Benadryl which makes me feel tired, and groggy. I had to take it again Christmas morning, and basically spent Christmas in bed after watching the kids open their gifts.

Anyway, since Christmas, the snow just keeps coming and coming. We had one sunny day on Thursday, and then, the rest of the time, it seems like it is just snowing. It's all good though. It just reminds me of what the weather was like when I was in elementary school...or even before that.

We have had a lot of fun visiting family though. We got a really fun game from Shane's brother, called "Ticket to ride." It's kind of along the same type of game as Settlers of Catan, or Risk...I guess. I like Settlers of Catan, don't like Risk, and I am undecided on the new game, as of yet. The first time I played it I enjoyed it though. :)

Today was good. We were able to go to church, and the talks given were very good. It has been kind of exciting in Young Women as of late, because...they added something to our Young Women statement. See if you can pick out the difference...(it doesn't count if you are in Young Women and already know ;)

Here's the old version:

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will "stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places"
as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:
Faith,
Divine Nature,
Individual Worth,
Knowledge,
Choice and Accountability,
Good Works, and
Integrity
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,
we will be prepared to strengthen home and family,
make and keep sacred covenants,
receive the ordinances of the temple,
and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

Here is the new version:

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us, and we love Him.
We will "stand as witnesses of God at all times, and in all things, and in all places"
as we strive to live the Young Women values, which are:
Faith,
Divine Nature,
Individual Worth,
Knowledge,
Choice and Accountability,
Good Works,
Integrity, and
Virtue
We believe as we come to accept and act upon these values,
we will be prepared to strengthen home and family,
make and keep sacred covenants,
receive the ordinances of the temple,
and enjoy the blessings of exaltation.

Yes, that's right! They have added a NEW value...VIRTUE. I think it's neat. So, today the lesson I gave my Beehives was on a conference talk by the General Young Women President, Sister Elaine S. Dalton. It is AMAZING. It is called "A Return to Virtue."
Seriously, if you haven't read it, or heard it, I would strongly encourage you to do so. It really makes you think about things.

Always a good time.

So, one of the things that I love about being a Beehive advisor in the Young Women organization in our ward is that I get to go with the Young Women to the temple when they do baptisms. It is so amazing. It always reminds me of when I was their age, and especially with the Beehives it helps me remember the first time I went. I will never forget it.

Then, what our ward does afterward is go get ice cream at the Farr ice cream shop since it is less than a block away from us when we go. It helps me get out of my "ice cream box" since my all-time favorite ice cream flavor is burnt almond fudge, but since you can get that pretty much at any store, I try to live a little and get flavors that I normally don't buy.

Since it is close to Thanksgiving, they had pumpkin flavored ice cream. So, I tasted it and decided that would be the flavor for me! It was great. I've decided that the reason I HATE (yes, HATE!) pumpkin pie is the texture. I LOVE the flavor. So, it was super yummy. The other flavor I have really started to like is Almond divinity. Mmmmm.

Very Impressed

So, as I was sitting here, thinking of what to write...I realized, that I mean, some people get very...uh, "emotional" on their blogs, and that's fine, because it's a good way to vent.

Sometimes I wonder if I should just create a blog that I don't tell anyone about so I can vent about things that are really annoying to me and not get a sympathy shower or a pity party, which is nice sometimes, but not all that productive. Also, to avoid unwanted criticism. Whoever coined the term "constructive criticism" was a moron. It DOES NOT exist. Here, let's just tear down all your hopes and desires and call it "okay" because it's "constructive."Anyway, I guess my point is that sometimes I guess I give off the impression that all my life is, is fluff. A perfect, happy, fluffy, marshmallow world.

If that's what you think, well, quite frankly, YOU ARE WRONG. I have difficulties just like anybody else. What I write on here is the Reader's Digest condensed positive version of my life and views.

So, that being said, I was thinking about an experience that I had on Tuesday and it was mostly good. The things that weren't good didn't have anything to do with the actual program, so I won't go there. For mutual we had Young Women in Excellence. This is a annual program that takes place in the Fall toward the end of the year to celebrate all the goals and things that the Young Women have accomplished for the past year, and also to acknowledge the Young Women who received their Young Womanhood award (which is what they receive when they have passed off a series of goals geared towards preparing a young woman for her adult life).

This year, one of the Laurels in our ward, (I guess I'm just going to have to have a few blogs where I explain the whole Young Women program, because a brief statement isn't going to do it, but, a Laurel is one of the youth that are aged 16-17 years old.) So, anyway, one of the Laurels decided to be in charge of the Young Women in Excellence program this year for one of her projects. She did an AMAZING job! I am always impressed. This time, even more so. She picked the theme, she knew what she wanted the decorations to be, she had everything organized, it was great.

Being in the Young Women program a second time around as a leader, has been so wonderful for me. It has really shown me how great the Young Women program is. After I "graduated" from Young Women to Relief Society and they added more goals and projects to the program, I thought that was interesting, but having been a part of the "new" program for two years now, I realize that it was a necessary thing that needed to take place. These Young Women are learning so many things about having stronger testimonies, setting goals, being grounded in their faith in Jesus Christ, and really learning what it means to follow God.

One of the most amazing things for me, has been to watch one of the young women who started in my Beehive (12-13 yr old) class, and now she is almost a Laurel. Seeing the changes that have strengthened her and seeing how her testimony has grown...it's an amazing thing. I now realize why my leaders would always be so emotional, because now I'm one of those "emotional" leaders.

And what was the point of this activity again??

So, being an adult leader in the Young Women's organization in our ward, I get to go to mutual every week. I think I enjoy mutual more now than I did when I was actually a young woman!

Technically, because I'm the advisor, I don't have to go, because it is the other leader's responsibility to take care of the mutual activities, but it is strongly ENCOURAGED. Mainly so the youth get to know you outside of teaching lessons every Sunday. (This is just how our ward organizes the callings. I think that in other stakes the leaders are all involved in everything, because my s-i-l teaches Beehives in her ward, and they switch off on teaching the lessons.)

Anyhoo, the main point of mutual...at least as I see it, is to get the youth together and involved in a)doing service, b)learning life skills, and c)doing activities that will help them pass off personal progress goals. And of course some of the activities are just to get them together and to have fun.

Well, the activity that we had on Tuesday should have fallen under the "learning life skills" category. We are supposed to encourage the youth to plan the activities, and this particular activity was combined with the young men who are the same age. So, in this case it would be the Deacons. Anyway, our Beehives decided that they wanted to learn how to make Mexican food. The meal they decided on was tacos. I know. Really hard.

So, we had them decide what they wanted to bring, and then when we got there Tuesday they made them. What irritated me was that there was no organization! There we are in the kitchen, we had two young women there that usually don't come, two deacons, and about five of the other Beehives there. The other Beehive leader just kind of stood there and let them figure things out for themselves. Which is fine and all, except more than one of the young women were standing there going...what should we do? What is there to do? Everything is so chaotic! These are phrases actually coming out of their mouths.

I guess I expected more of a learning environment. I mean, wasn't that the whole point anyway? I was the leader going around the kitchen trying to find knives for them to use to cut tomatoes. I was the leader teaching them how to cut the tomatoes. I was the leader helping them open cans of food. I was the leader who decided there had to be more to the activity then them just standing around and started asking them questions about what they knew about cooking ground beef, and why you don't put hot pans on countertops, and how to put out grease fires.

And then, magically, when I decided to ask them these questions, the other leader had to put her spin on everything. Until then though, she had to be silent and nonmoving, and acting like she didn't even want to be there. (Yes, I was ticked off, okay!)

I was impressed with what they knew though. Mainly because before, in class, I had told them that some people didn't know how to follow directions to cook oatmeal and they all looked at me and went...I don't know how to cook oatmeal. They don't know how to cook oatmeal, or pasta noodles, but they know why you should cook ground beef until it's not pink. :)

An interesting thought...

The other day I was reading a church magazine called "The New Era" which is mainly geared toward the teenager aged youth in our church. There was a quote in one of the articles that just really hit me hard and made me think.

"Something wonderful happens when we really know, without a doubt, that God loves us--our questions completely change. Instead of asking, Why did this happen to me? or Why doesn't God care about me? we say, Well, I KNOW that God loves me; I KNOW that. So what can I learn from this experience?"
-- John Bytheway

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me...

Yeah, the title sounds kind of conceited, but it IS my b-day today. WOW. One more year and I will hit the big 3-0. *sigh* That just seems wrong somehow. I don't feel that old. I mean, I still have people asking me if I'm one of the leaders when I'm at a stake Young Women activity. (Yeah, it's happened a couple times where they think I'm one of the youth.) So, there's something right?

Anyway, I start teaching a piano student when school starts back up, so this year for my birthday I told Shane I wanted a metronome...not just any metronome...THIS metronome:



Yeah, I know, I'm a music geek. I just always remember my piano teachers having metronomes like that one, so it's somewhat nostalgia, but also they are the BEST!

Usually, Shane's mom would make me my favorite cake (German chocolate), from scratch...super uber yummy, but this year she is recovering from having both her knees replaced, so I highly doubt that will happen this time.

I like having my birthday in the summer, but there are a few disadvantages...when I was growing up we almost always had a family reunion on my birthday, or a camping trip on my birthday (camping didn't bother me because hey, I just got more gifts!), and I usually had to share my birthday with my older sister, since her birthday is on the 28th, but that also didn't really bother me.

If I think back on it, probably the biggest disadvantage was not having a birthday table at school. Apparently it never occurred to them until I was in 5th grade that they could have a birthday table for the SUMMER birthdays too. Funny huh?

My super awesome hubby is in the kitchen making homemade waffles (from scratch), I can smell them! What a sweetie!

Young Women camp 2008

So, I am back! Young Women camp was fun. It usually is! This year we went up to a LDS campground called Cinnamon Creek. The last time I was there was when I was around 14 years old, so yeah, things have changed a little. A lot of improvements have been made to the campsites, and it was rather nice.

Cinnamon Creek is Southeast of Hyrum, Utah. You have to drive through Paradise and Avon to get on the road that goes there, and the dirt road is REALLY exciting...twisty, curvy, blind corners, and all that fun stuff.

So, we got there Monday afternoon. Usually on the first day we tell the girls to pack a lunch, but this year we didn't. I don't think our camp director anticipated it taking us as long as it did to set up camp.

This year was also interesting for me because I wasn't allowed to do anything that would strain my back. Doctor's orders! So, I had to watch people lug my stuff around, put up tents without my help, etc.. etc.. IT WAS HARD! The whole time I'm sitting there thinking, I need to help, I need to be a good example and I wasn't supposed to. So, I lugged around really straining things like pillows and sleeping bags. Yeah, it was really tense. (That was sarcasm...just in case you're wondering...)

Once the "leaders" tent was up, we put our stuff in and I got out my brand new cot. Last year I slept on an old cot that Shane used when he was in scouts....yeah, it's a good scout cot, maybe Harrison will use it. Anyway, this year, I decided I needed a bigger, nicer, newer one that didn't feel like it was going to fall apart and twist my back when I laid down on it. So, Shane bought me this one...


It was super nice, but boy was it exciting to put together. Yeah, another, I feel totally useless moment, as I watch two adult leaders try to put the end bar on the cot, and my job was to put a hand on the cot so it didn't tilt upwards while they did it!

Then, once the tents were all up, it was time for lunch...it was hot dogs. I am not a huge hotdog fan, I have to be in the right mood to enjoy them, but by that point in time, I was SOOOO hungry, that it looked great! (We didn't eat until 3:00 PM.)

The girls were all really positive though, and only one or two really whined about anything.

The best thing about being a leader at Young Women camp is seeing the changes that girl's go through as they work together to accomplish something, and the friendships that are built, as well as the testimonies that are started and strengthened.

One girl in particular, really didn't want to be there, but the girl's in our ward encircled her and bonded with her. She is a young woman who is only in our ward every summer, so she wasn't all that excited about camping with girls that she didn't know. By today all the girls signed a paper giving her their addresses and e-mail addresses. She was a different young woman from the one that I drove up to camp four days ago. It was really neat to observe.

Not that I'm going to be released soon, but when that does happen, one of the things I will miss, is being able to go to YW camp.

Salad Anyone?

Yesterday was mutual. For those of you that don't know what that is, it is the night of a weekly activity for the Young Men and Young Women (12-18 years old) of our church. Since I'm a leader, I have the opportunity to go to these activities as well. Anyway, this particular activity was combined with all the young men and young women and the young men were in charge.

We had a Summer BBQ. We ate, played kickball, and water balloon volleyball. I think the youth had a lot of fun. The BBQ was nice, all things considered. :) We had hotdogs and hamburgers of course, and they had every topping for a good hamburger except...miracle whip. I have to say I am a miracle whip fan. When it comes to hamburgers I'll even settle for mayonnaise if that's what there is. I'm not overly picky though, I'll still eat the hamburger if there ISN'T miracle whip. What cracked me up was when I was getting my hamburger bun, thinking, man, NO miracle whip...oh well, and one of the young men was getting his hamburger bun ready and the first thing out of his mouth was, "There's no miracle whip..."

So, I didn't think it would be that big of a deal, but the hamburger buns were the kind that soaked up all the ketchup and mustard and turned into a soggy mush. I am not a soggy mush person, so this grossed me out and finished eating my hamburger with a knife and fork.

The other funny thing about the food, was the Young Men asked the Young Women to bring a salad or dessert. I was sure that if the Young Women remembered they would all bring dessert, so I took a pasta salad. Apparently all the other Young Women leaders thought the same thing because 5 of us out of 7 brought salads, and two brought dessert. We had a lot of salads! That would have been fine, but three of them were almost identical! (Mine was one of those.) Well, only one young woman remembered and she brought brownies.

I got a kick out of the whole salad thing though. Then what made me chuckle even more was when one of the leaders was telling the other leader how wonderful her salad was and it tasted identical to two of the other salads. Even more funny was that out of the youth that were there...maybe one or two even got any salad at all. So, yeah, I had a LOT of salad left when I got home!

Camp songs and chants

So, I am in charge of doing the camp songs and chants this year at YW camp, since, as our camp director put it "I know the songs." So, I have really had to rack my brain trying to remember songs that I haven't sung for about 12 years. I have been researching it a little on the internet, and that has been fun, but what I have found most intriguing, is one of my favorite chants has different words than ANYWHERE I have looked. Maybe it was just unique to my ward.

Anyway, it's called Alligator. The repeating part is the same as everyone elses version, but the nonrepeating part isn't.

Alligator

Alligator! Alligator! Can be your friend, can be your friend, can be your friend too!
The alligator is my friend. You can see him in the skyeyyyy! You can see him in my eye!

The alligator is my friend. You can see him in the treeeeee! You can see him on my knee.


This next one is a song that two Young Women taught me last year, and it's hilarious. It's sung to the same tune as "I'm a nut" which, I don't know if that's the original tune, but anyhoo! I guess I call this one Volkswagen...it's very similar to another song called pile of tin.

Volkswagen

I'm a little pile of tin
Got two doors and they dent in
Got a motor that keeps me rattlin
Can't go far cause I'm a volkswagen
Putt Putt, Rattle rattle rattle, Bumper draggin
Putt putt, rattle rattle rattle, bumper draggin
Putt putt, rattle rattle rattle, bumper draggin, Volkswagen.

Here is another repeat after me/action song. I'll put stars where you're supposed to repeat. I call it "Moosa Moosa"

Moosa Moosa

(move your arms to one side like you're shoveling something)
Humba! Humba!*
(now step on your tip toes, with hands in front of you like a kangaroo)
A tikki tikki tumba!*
(put hands on top of your head like a moose and flap them up and down)
A moosa moosa moosa!*
(put hand on side of one cheek and then the other like you're yelling to someone.)
Hey allaway allaway allawayah!*
-now repeat once loud and once quiet

I found a ton of other camp songs to sing as well, but these three seem to be unique.

The Benefits of Teaching...

It has been interesting for me to have a calling in Young Women. I am the Beehive advisor and it has been one of the most awesome callings that I have ever had. It has also been a very growing experience for me.

One of the neatest things for me has been teaching the lessons...which really is what my calling is. In our Young Women program there are two leaders for each age group. The counselor is a part of the Young Women presidency, and the advisor is the one who teaches the lessons.

Anyway, lately the lessons have been so thought provoking for me. I don't know if my Beehives really comprehend the lessons that they are being taught...I mean, speaking as a former Beehive many many moons ago, I don't really remember all that much about being a Beehive. Most of my Young Women memories are from when I was a Miamaid and a Laurel. Knowing that, my main goal for them is to have them feel the Holy Ghost when I teach and help them gain their own testimony of the Gospel.

Either way, lately the lessons have just really..I mean, wow. It's like when you are going through a difficult time and suddenly everything seems to be speaking to you through the Holy Ghost. The Ensign will have all the articles that seem specifically tailored to your problem and the scriptures will just literally talk to you. Well, that is what my lessons have been like lately. The one for this week is on Obedience, and it has the most amazing quotes in it. So amazing, that I just had to share them with you.

"Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire."
--the Prophet Joseph Smith


"May we not conclude that obedience, in and of itself, is a source of power...? Man can achieve naught of excellence in matters material or spiritual except through the exercise, utilization, of that supreme form of energy, obedience."
--James E. Talmage


"There is a still small voice telling us what is right, and if we listen to that still small voice, we shall grow and increase in strength and power, in testimony and in ability not only to live the gospel but to inspire others to do so.
"My most earnest prayer is that every man and every woman will get it into his and her heart that they are in very deed the architects of their lives."
--President Heber J. Grant

Dried flowers

A few weeks ago, for one of our Young Women activities we went and picked flowers to dry for cards/pictures/etc...

This week we made the background that you put them on. I thought it was a lot of fun, and really neat, but probably a little too "serious" for my Beehives and some of the Miamaids. Of course, it didn't help that we were also doing things in preparation for camp, and so they were all excited about that.

Well, I was excited about this! I made five or six backgrounds. I am planning on making them into pictures with cute quotes and sayings on them. I think it will be great when I am done.

Anyway, here are my three favorites of the ones that I did.





So, how we made them is:

First we picked the flowers and then smashed them in phone books. Another leader had an actual flower press that would be soooo easy to make...I just may have to make one. Anyway, after we had them in the phone books the leader in charge of the activity took them home and put bricks and other heavy things on top of them to make them smash smaller.

Then once they had a few weeks to dry, we took the flowers out. Using pieces of wax paper, we positioned the flowers in designs for cards, pictures, etc...and then placed a single ply layer of kleenex over the top...(hmm, I wonder if I could use tissue paper...creative gears cranking...)

Then, using a mixture of elmer's glue and water 50/50 ratio, we used small foam rollers and rolled the glue onto the tissue. This was probably the trickiest part for me.

After that, you let them dry. You can use a hair dryer on low heat, low speed, to hurry this process along if you want.

Once it is completely dry, you rip it to the shape of your card, or you could cut it I suppose and glue it to a piece of cardstock. It basically ends up being like a piece of vellum.

Anyway, I thought it was fun, and neat too.

Pictures and Summer

I know, it's a little late, but here is Hazel and her cousins at Halloween. Harrison is hiding behind Hazel in the top one. I will try to be better at posting pictures as things happen. :)

Tonight I have a Beehive camp clinic where we are going to learn CPR. For me, it is always good to have a refresher course. I guess they suggest that you certify in CPR every year "because people tend to forget" their quote, not mine. I have to agree.

Our ward is having a Beehive camp this year because the older Young Women and Young Men get to go to Martin's Cove, but the Beehives and Deacons don't get to. I think it will be fun. We are going up to Cinnamon Creek during the week of the 24th of July.