Jodee's Fast Cookies

Here is Jodee Burnham's cookie recipe from last Tuesday.

1 box of your favorite flavor cake mix
2 eggs
1 cube butter or margarine melted
1 cup of vanilla chips or whatever you like in cookies

Mix the first 3 ingredients.
Add chips. Bake @ 350 for 12 minutes.

Jodee says fifteen minutes top to bottom. I love time savers! Thanks, Jodee!

Help!

For those of you on the Word of Wisdom Diet blog, I have a question there. :)

Long Time No Blog

Wow! I can't believe it has been so long since I updated our information. Sorry!
Summer has come and gone along with all that it brings. Fall brings a little more schedule and order to my life and maybe your's, too.
Thank you for supporting our activity with the Spanish branch. I felt a special spirit there. I hope you did, too. We hope to form lasting friendships with these sisters.I had a special blessing that came from this activity. The next night, Wednesday, I was subbing at the temple. I was trying to do a certain job in Spanish for the first time. Lo and behold, the very first person who came to me was Sister Juarez from the Spanish branch. She gave me a big hug and was very encouraging to me as I stumbled through with the Spanish. Almost every person who needed Spanish that night had been in our ward the night before. It was awesome. 
This coming Saturday the annual Relief Society Broadcast will be available to us at the stake center, starting at 6:00. We should be in our seats a little early. There will be light refreshments after. We are setting up a display for this about some of our extra meetings. If any of you took pictures last Tuesday, I could sure use them! Please let me know if you have some. I forgot my camera.

"I NEVER MEANT TO BE A WITCH...CONFESSIONS OF AN UNBALANCED WOMAN" will be the topic for our extra meeting to be held on October 12th. We will be learning about depression, compulsion, and obsessive behaviors. If you have these problems or know someone who does, this meeting will provide some insight and help. 7:00 in the Relief Society Room
A children's class will be provided.

Quilt Group will be this Tuesday (21st) at Dixie's house at 7:00. This is a fun group of sisters and all are invited. Sisters, I would like to borrow lots of quilts for our display on Saturday, if possible.

Apron Class 
Thursday, the 23rd we will be meeting at the church at 6:30   to make aprons. This is a cute project and can be made out of "boy" fabric as well as for little girls. 


You need to bring general sewing supplies, including:
Sewing machine
extention chord
scissors
marking pencil
pins
Large ruler, if  you have one
rotary cutter & cutting mat, if you have them available.


The following fabric amounts are needed, depending on what size you are making:


children's small * 1/2 yard of each of two contrasting prints. (or one yard if you want it all the same.)
                              12" of 1/2" elastic
children's medium * 1/2 yard of one fabric
                                  5/8 yard of contrasting fabric
                                14" of 1/2" elastic
Children's large * 5/8 yard of one fabric
                            1 yard of contrasting fabric
                           15" of 1/2" elastic

Thread to match 
Optional: 2 buttons

For the adult size you need:
1 1/6 yard if the fabric is not directional.
1 yard contrasting fabric
24" 1/2" elastic
thread to match
optional * 2 buttons


If anyone wants to buy the pattern, it is available at the Quilt Barn and the Gathering Place.I am sure you can find it online as well. We will have measurements there for you to cut your fabric pieces, but will not have patterns themselves. It is illegal to copy these. We will go through the process step by step. There will be several of us helping, so hopefully you can move at your own pace and finish your apron. You will not have time to make more that one Thursday night.

On the 28th of October we will be making childrens' basic pajamas.McCall, Butterick, Simplicity have their patterns on sale at the Twin Fabric stores often for 99 cents. I bought some last week for 89 cents. Please do not go pay a lot for your pajama patterns.I will post a picture of the kind we are teaching on this night.  Also, Walmart has some patterns on a rack that are economy patterns. I will put more information here on this blog as we get closer. 


Sisters, you are wonderful women. You do so much to help your families,  one another, and the other people in your lives.Have a good week & hope to see you Tuesday, Thursday, if possible & desired, & for sure on Saturday!

Link

I put a link to the Word of Wisdom Diet Blog on the right side of this blog near the link to lds.org.

Word of Wisdom Diet Blog

Thanks Jami & Scott for the inspiring words in sacrament meeting yesterday! I needed it. I am in the worst shape of my life & have been trying to get motivated. I appreciated the humor. It truly spurred me on. I've been working on getting in shape for a while, but it seems like drudgery & I slip & fall. I am sure I will slip again, but yesterday I felt that the key to success is to make it fun.Another key is always to get back up and start again.
So, I made myself go on a walk for a full hour this morning. Unfortunately, I waited until it was too hot for me. (I don't do heat.) So I am sitting here sweating profusely. It's my own fault. Tomorrow I will go earlier. While I was walking, in preparation for the lesson on Sunday, I was listening to the Miracle of Forgiveness on my ipod. I love President Kimball. He always tells it like it is. (I think he probably still does in heaven, so I am stating this in present tense.) ANYWAY, in listening to him I got what I think is a great idea. (You can tell how well I was concentrating.) I am going to start a Word of Wisdom Diet Blog. Any sister who would like to participate may do so. The purpose will be to inspire, share ideas, funny stories,& proud moments with each other. There will be no pressure, only encouragement. I am sending an email on CC's and will explain the rules. If you know someone who would like to participate but is not on the internet, we can somehow figure out a way to share with them. This has to be private for it to work for all of us, so only those who email me and agree to keep it private will have the password to log on to the blog. There is to be NOOOOO sharing the site with husbands, etc. We will respect each other's feelings and privacy. There will not be sharing of weight unless you do it on your own. Anyway, if you want to join in the fun, email me. Again, this blog will not in anyway represent the church or the ward. It is sponsored by me.

Aprons

We will be making the children's aprons in September. Watch for a sign-up sheet. Marcy bought the same pattern in an adult size. We will do them at the same time if there is interest. Watch for the sign-up sheet for that, too. Even if you have already signed-up it doesn't hurt to put your name down twice to make sure you get a call.

Quilt Group

Quilt group will be meeting on Tuesday, July 20th at 7:00 pm. I am thinking that it is at Dixie's house. I'll post an update if that is not correct. We have a great group. I finally have mine cut out and am going to have a block done, do or die!
This a fun group. You don't get yelled at if you haven't done anything. If you did, I'd be in trouble.

Save the date *** September 14th

Please save the date September 14th for our next monthly Relief Society meeting. We are hoping that this date will work for the sisters in the Hispanic branch for our get-together. We would like to have as many sisters there as possible to get to know these great women better. More info to follow.
Thanks!

New Exercise Class

We will be starting a new exercise class a week from Tuesday (July 20th) for anyone fifty and above. It will be on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the church.We will concentrate on getting moving, balance, and strength training. It will not be as strenuous as the MWF class. It will be taught by Anne Sharpe. Everyone is invited.

Family Emergency Plan

Hey, Sisters!
I am going, from time to time, to post some emergency/and or preparedness ideas on the blog. I know that I need some reminders. I seem to go in spurts. I need to be more consistent. Hope it helps you, too.

"Your family should have a plan for how to respond to an emergency. Take time regularly to discuss and practice for emergency situations with your family. Have fire, tornado, or earthquake drills so that children will all know how to safely exit your home and where to gather." (From: Emergency Preparedness Made Easy, Pam Crockett, Introduction)

1. Understand your basic needs.
2. Get family together, discuss emergency needs.
3. Make an emergency contact phone list for each family member.
4. Prepare or purchase 72 hour kits for each family member.
5. Prepare of purchase a disaster (tote) kit for your home.
6. Prepare or purchase an emergency kit for your vehicles.
7. Make or purchase a basic first-aid kit for your home and vehicles.
8. Learn your community emergency services and needs for disaster preparation.
9. Practice and maintain your family emergency plan.
10. Keep it simple, don't get overwhelmed, and had FUN!

The above list also comes from "Emergency Preparedness Made Easy by Pam Crockett.

Love this talk!

LDS.org - Liahona Article - What Have I Done for Someone Today?

Note from Brenda Haberman

Hi--
Those of you that would like to participate in the Women's Celebration, I have set up the team (chintz chicks) and would like a "Bronco Blue" shirt, need to sign up by tomorrow to get the blue....otherwise it'll be white. Here's their site if you are interested. It's on Sept. 25-- http://www.celebrateall.org So far, Debi Hunt and myself are registered. Let anyone you know that might be interested, the more the merrier :)
Brenda

Anne's Exercise Class Day Off Schedule

Coming Soon!

Just got word that Janet is subbing for Anne when she can't be at class. No missed days. Thanks Anne & Janet!

Jodee's Summer Activities for Kids

Make a scrapbook
Have a picnic
Write a letter to
Go to a ballgame
Become a photographer
Make dinner for your family
Compare a book to a movie
Write a poem
Learn about fireworks
Bake some cookies
Take a boat ride
Sketch a picture of your house from the outside
Go to camp
Visit a farm
Take a walk
Keep a journal of what you do during the Summer
Cut up an old greeting card picture and make a puzzle
Make a new kind of sandwich
Blow up balloons, put notes inside and hand them out to friends
Go backpacking
Go outside and find 10 different kinds of flowers
Go camping
Invent a new dance
Help an elderly person with house or yard work
Visit the zoo
Make an obstacle course in your back yard
Make a treasure hunt
Read a story to someone
Have a winter theme party
Clean up a nature trail
Build a tree house
Set up a lemonade stand
Attend a concert
Have a family game night
Make a movie
Create a terrarium
Discover a new favorite author or book series
Go to a museum
Make a fire plan
Make up bubble solution and have a contest
Plant something
Visit a tourist spot near your home
Host a yard sale
Build a sandcastle
Research your family tree
Fly a kite
Invent your own board game
Build a time capsule
Act in a play
Throw a block party
Make a bird feeder
Spend time with your grandparents
Dig for fossils
Write a song
Tie-dye some t-shirts
Take a dog for a walk
Summer Activities for Kids
Have a paper airplane contest
Go without TV for a day
Sign up at your local library for their Summer Reading program
Learn some new outdoor games
Make something from recyclables
Make home made ice cream
Jump on a trampoline
Organize a scavenger hunt
Go swimming
Paint a portrait of your best friend
Start a collection
Write a fairy tale
Learn how to sew
Visit a National Park
Roast marshmallows
Watch the birds

Jessica's Tortellini Salad

We have had a confession! The tortellini salad was made by Jessica Burke. Here is the recipe. Thanks, Jess!

The recipe can vary, I use whatever veggies I have on hand. It takes:

1 pkg tortellini ( I love cheese filled but can use any kind)
1 bottle of creamy poppyseed salad dressing ( Briann's is the best, Kraft works also)
1 cup cheddar cheese, cubed (I also use mozarella cheese either alone or with cheddar)
1 can olives
assorted veggies: I have used broccoli, cucumber, cherry tomatos, but anything would be good.

Cook pasta. Chop veggies. add cheese and dressing- dressing amt to taste. refrigerate until serving.

Recipes

Sisters, I would like to share recipes from our pasta salad night. It's not too late to email yours to me. We have had LOTS of requests for the salad made with tortellini. If you get the chance, please email it to me. Thanks!

Tu-Tu Supplies

The next craft night is June 24th (Thursday) at 7:00 at the church. We will be making no-sew tu-tu's for little girls. Libby has asked that you bring the following:

Scissors
Ruler
Hair band or ribbon
Tulle

You can get bulk tulle at just about ALL fabric stores, in lots of different colors. (Have fun with this...make it as colorful as you are.) You will need from 4-8 yards depending on how full and big a TU-TU
you want to make. You can also buy a spool (6"roll with 25 yards). It is a little harder to find, but Libby found some at Walmart, Zurchers, Joann's Fabric, and online at www.papermart.com or www.tullessource.com.
I am going to make three, one for each of my granddaughters.
Thanks, Libby, for all you do.

Recipes

Thanks to all who were able to attend the Relief Society meeting last Tuesday. We had a great time together.
Kristin Hendrickson taught us about ways to keep children reading during the summer and also, about helping our children deal with bullying. Jodee Burnham shared ideas about fun activites for families. Annette Elcock prepared a hand-out on Idaho History day trips. A couple of other suggestions were made by Brenda Haberman that were not on this list. They are:
1. Ice Caves
2. Idaho Mammoth Caves
I plan on taking my granddaughters to these when they are here this summer!
Marylou Bangerter & Marcy Ambrose demonstrated pasta salad recipes. We thank them all.
We would also like to thank the Burnham sisters for running our children's class. Your service makes it possible for some to attend who would not be able to come without you. Thanks.
Thanks also to all of those who brought salads to share. I will post the recipes on the blog as I receive them. I have one without a name. If you call me or email me, I will add your name to the recipe. Sorry!

Marcy Ambrose's Salad:

Pasta
Red Apple
Green Apple
Pineapple
Grapes
Celery

Dressing – ½ mayo ½ Kraft Cole Slaw Dressing.

Marylou's Salad:
Chicken Ramen Salad

1/2 of a med head of cabbage, cut into thin strips
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
4 green onions, sliced thin
1 pkg Ramen noodles, (it doesn't matter what flavor, the flavoring won't be used in this recipe)
1/2 cup toasted almonds
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, I toast these on the stove in a nonstick pan med. heat, until they turn brown, or your can bake them in the oven @ 350 degrees for 5-10 min.

Ginger Dressing:
1/4 cup each, sugar, vegetable oil, rice vinegar
1 teas. salt
1/4 teas. ground ginger
1/4 teas. pepper

Mix until well blended, then pour onto cabbage mixture.

Serves 4, double or triple for a crowd. Will keep for a couple of days in the fridge.

Dora Burnham's Salad:
Spaghetti Salad
1 lb. thin spaghetti
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian mix (foil pkg.) I used low fat bottled.
1 jar McCormick Salad Supreme for seasoning salads
1 med. chopped onion
1 lg. chopped cucumber
1 lg. chopped green pepper'
3 or more tomatoes, chopped

Cook spaghetti; drain and cool. Pour dry Good Seasons Italian mix over cooled spaghetti. Add most of the 2.75 oz. of McCormick Salad Supreme (to taste) and the chopped vegetables. Mix and let sit overnight. This may be stretched by using more vegetables. Keeps well. Makes lg. quantity-nice for potluck dinners and picnics.
(I used sliced olives instead of cucumber.)

Jill Crozier:
Fruity Chicken Pasta Salad

1 small box of your choice of pasta
2 small cans of mandarin oranges
1 medium size can of pineapple tidbits
1 celery stalk
5 green onions
2 whole chicken breasts
1 small bottle of coleslaw dressing
salt and pepper to taste.

1. Cook pasta according to directions on box and drain.
2. Grill chicken until thoroughly cooked.
3. Chop onions and celery.
4. Drain oranges and pineapple.
5. Mix above ingredients together.
6. Stir in coleslaw dressing and mix well.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve.



LaRue Humphries:
Marinated Italian Salad
(This salad is complementary to most pasta dishes.)

1 lg. bunch fresh broccoli (approx. 1 lb.) stems removed and cut in flowerets.
4-5 fresh tomatoes, wedged
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian salad dressing
1 tsp. sugar

Toss together broccoli, tomatoes, cheese, and onion. Make dressing according to package directions and add sugar. Pour dressing over all. Marinate at least two hours, preferably several hours in advance, stirring occasionally. Makes 6-8 servings.

LaRue's Real Recipe (the one she brought)
Pasta Fasta Sauce

2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup fresh or canned mushrooms (opt)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) jar pasta sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. thyme

In a medium saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add mushrooms, if desired, and heat about 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Do not overcook, as garlic will become bitter. Add jar of pasta sauce, sugar, tomato, oregano, and thyme. Cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes to blend flavors. Use as sauce for your favorite pasta dishes. Freezes well.

Meatballs with Sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed (opt)
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 recipe Pasta Fasta Sauce (above)
1 pound dried spaghetti noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

In a large bowl combine bread crumbs, ground beef, egg, the 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Divide mixture into 12 equal portions and form meatballs. Place on greased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until meatballs are no longer pink inside.
Place Pasta Fasta Sauce and meatballs in a medium saucepan and simmer 10 minutes. Serve over spaghetti. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese on individual servings. Serves 6.




Jami Butler: Easy Macaroni Toss
7 oz. Elbow noodles
1 cup cubed cheese
1 pkg. peas
1 med. chopped onion

Cook noodles, add peas, drain, and let cool. Toss with dressing and add remaining ingredients.
Dressing:
3/4 cup mayo
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. sugar'
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Sisters,
It has been too long since I have given you an update about what is going on in our ward Relief Society. We have been working out some changes. We are going back to our once a month meeting schedule. We will meet the 2nd Tuesday of every month at the church. You can plan on it every month, & we hope you will come. BIG EXCEPTION - NO MEETING IN AUGUST. There will always be a children's class provided. You can just count on it. We have things partically planned through March and are excited. We hope we can work to meet your needs.

June 8th (Tuesday) 7:00 at the church (PLEASE COME! I AM BEGGING!!!)
Pasta Salads will be demonstrated and sampled. If you have a favorite pasta salad, & you would like, please bring it along with a recipe. I will be putting the recipes on the blog and will have printed copies for those not on the computer. Call Jodee Burnham for answers to any questions.
Also, Jodee will be presenting some ideas of fun things to do with your children for the summer.
And, Kristin Hendrickson will be presenting two classes. 1) How to keep your children reading during the summer 2) Bullying...How to tell if your child is being bullied, what to do if they are, how to know if your child is a bully, & what to do about it.
Annette Elcock will have available hand-outs on Idaho history day trips around the valley for short family fun.
For this month, all of us will be hearing all the classes. You don't have to choose. We hope that if there is not anything you want to learn this month that you will come anyway. You will add to the sisterhood & we want us all to get acquainted. We have a lot of new sisters & haven't had a lot of meetings that we all attend.

Apron Sewing Class *** tba
I will be scheduling this soon. It can be for children or adults.

Quilt Night: June 15th *** Dixie's House

June 24th (Thursday) 7:00 at the church
Craft night (optional)
We will be making little girls tutus. NO SEWING involved.
See Libby for details. I am negligent in that I forgot to ask her about the cost. I could tell it would not be too expensive from looking at it. I know my granddaughters are going to love them.

Sorry about you getting the whole email. I should have cut it out, but I am in a hurry. Also, I do not have the faintest idea why the underlining is on and can't seem to turn it off. Sorry!

It has been pointed out that our crafts & actitivies are always for little girls. We are working on some plans for boys!

Exercise Class

Sister Anne Sharpe has consented to teach her exercise class again this summer. Those who participated last summer loved it. It will start on June 2 at 7:30 at the church & will be held on Monday, Wednesday, & Fridays. Please let me know if you plan to participate. (email/phone) We will not hold it if there is not enough interest.

Children's Aprons

Hey, all you sewing sisters out there!

We had a great time at the Quilt Barn last Saturday. I picked up a cute children's apron pattern which I am going to make and bring to show. Also, I will put a picture of one of them on the blog. If you are interested, we can have a class. This would be a fun, easy way to get back into sewing.

The Narnia Book Review

The book review will be held AT ANNETTE'S HOUSE on April 29th at 7:00. Please RSVP to Annette. This month's book is "The Voyage of the Dawn Treador." We have not discussed "Prince Caspian" yet. If you would rather do that, please call me.

No Cooking Class in May

There will be no cooking class in May.

Craft Night

On Tuesday at 7:00 pm meet at the church for a fun evening of sisterhood and fun.

Libby Ricketts will be helping us to make some necklaces for Mother's Day. The cost is $2.00 a necklace. Libby will have sign up sheets on Sunday. Call her with any questions you might have.

Thanks

Thanks to all who came to our "Serving As He Serves" talk by Sister Nadine Tateoka. It was a special evening. The spirit was strong. We were edified.

Quilt Group Project

Stars in My Garden

Designed by Heather Mulder Peterson for Anka's Treasures

Finished quilt size 58 1/2" x 58 1/2"

This month's assignment is to purchase your fabric. On May 18th we will meet, hopefully, at the church. (I have not cleared the building yet. Check back for an update.) There, together, we will learn rotary cutting techniques and cut our own fabric. This way you can try and see if you like without investing in this equipment.

Our goal is to have our quilts ready to display at the 2010 Relief Society Christmas party.

This is a great project for beginners. We are going to do it step-by-step. You will get lots of help.

If you have any questions, call Lisa Hall or Dixie Dixon.

Thanks, Rachel!

Our deep gratitude goes out to Rachel Bailey for leading the music in Relief Society. She will be missed. She put a lot of effort into her calling and we thank her.

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I wrote an update. Where has the time flown?

Thanks to all who attended the stake RS Birthday Party celebration. It was a wonderful day. Thanks to J'lene Mena who was our ward's representative on the committee. Our stake leaders went to a lot of effort for us and we appreciate them.

We have a lot coming up. Please make note on your calendar. AND feel free to call if you have questions. Toni (324-7687)

1. deleted!

2. March 30: Temple Cleaning***Contact Marcy Ambrose***324-5448

3. April 6: Cooking class***Casseroles using beans from your food storage***Marcy's Ambrose's house***7:00

4. April 7: Sealing & Initiatory Sessions***1:30***Contact Marcy Ambrose***324-5448

5. April 7: Soup Kitchen service: Please contact Dionne or Andrew Crozier***421-4378 This is a great opportunity to serve. We always come away uplifted. If you have not had the opportunity before, please consider it now.

6. April 9: "Hemming pants and skirts, sewing on buttons, and other things I wish I knew how to do" will be taught at the church at 9:30 AM by Sister Dixie Dixon. You are welcome to bring your children. They will play in the room with us. Please bring with you what they will need to be comfortable.

7. April 13: "Serving as He Serves" Sister Nadine Tateoka will teach how to better serve as the Savior served. This will be a wonderful evening. Please come prepared to feel the Spirit. 7:00 pm in the RS Room. Refreshments will be served.

A children's class will be provided.

8. Quilt Group will be starting a new project. I will soon post a picture on the blog for all to see. Sister Hall and Sister Dixon will be teaching us quilt making from beginning to end. This means ANYONE can come. You do not have to have had prior experience. The first meeting will be April 17th (a Saturday). We are going on a field trip. Meet at the church at 1:30 pm and travel with us to the Quilt Barn in Kimberly. They are going to let us use their classroom to study color & fabric choices. There will be no pressure to purchase fabric. We are doing this so you can actually see samples of what is being taught. This will take the place of the 3rd Tuesday get-together for April.

9. April 29: Book review: "The Voyage of the Dawn Treador" from the Narnia series. Toni's house 7:00

REMEMBER APRIL 13TH!!!

Thanks! Coming Soon!

Thanks to Marcy for the great lesson yesterday. I know I had some thoughts about agency that were new to me, and I am going to go forth and do better.

Also, thanks to all of you who pitched in at the last minute to help with music, prayers, etc. We were chaotic yesterday and you saved the day.

Please keep your ears open for some announcements concerning upcoming events. For instance, April's cooking class is going to be on casseroles. May's will be taught by Lara Miller on basic rues, sauces, and gravy. We always have a great time. More information will be coming. If there is an interest in doing these classes during the day time, too, please let me know.

Sister Dixie Dixon is going to have a daytime class on hemming pants, skirts, sewing on buttons, and other basic repairs to clothing. Date, time and place TBA.

Libby has been asked to organize our craft activities. We all know how enthused she is! Thanks, LIbby!

One of the old "big four"

Sisters, please keep your eyes and ears open for announcements concerning our Relief Society Meeting set for April 13th. It will be worth your while.

My Good News

My parents celebrated their 60th wedding last weekend with a party in Meridian. My entire extended family was there.
As a result, I was lucky enough to have my children, grandchildren, and granddog here.

Stake Conference

Wasn't stake conference awesome? I love these meetings. Thanks to all those who spoke or in anyway helped to make it a spiritual feast.

Family Blogs

Is there anyone out there who wants to have a blog but doesn't know how to make one? If so, let us know. It is very simple and we would would be glad to help you set one up.
I know our family loves keeping in touch this way. Many of you are already blogging.

Food Storage

This is a food storage site that I like. If you sign up for their email list, you will receive a list of ideas every couple of weeks. They don't seem to pressure you to buy their products, but get to busy building your storage bit by bit. You might want to check it out.

Pie Class

Thanks to Sharon Kerswell for opening her home to us last night. We had a wonderful pie class. Everyone learned something new. We visited and laughed. Plus, we got to taste six different kinds of delicious cream pies. Thanks, Sharon.

The-Women-in-Our-Lives

The-Women-in-Our-Lives

Lifting-Burdens

Lifting-Burdens

Elaine Ford's Good News

Elaine & Pres. Ford were able to go to Arizona this last week and visit their son, Dave, and his wife, Claire. They had a wonderful time.

Upcoming Quilt Group Information

On February 16th the quilt group will be meeting to begin a sampler quilt for this next year. Each month we will be learning a new block. Sister Dixon will be teaching in February.
Anyone can be a part of this group, regardless of sewing/quilting experience. I was able to attend this month for the first time. It is a very supportive, non-judgmental group...a good place for beginners and those with experience...lots of fun!
In March, we will be meeting at the church to tie a quilt for the Humanitarian Center.
Contact Dixie to find out more about it.

Let's Make a Pie!

On Tuesday, February 2nd, Sister Sharon Kerswell will be teaching us how to make homemade cream pies. This promises to be a wonderful evening! Sharon's house * 7:00 p.m. What a great Valentine surprise for your family!

Brother Bill Bates

Our hearts go out to the Bates family. Bill has been an enthusiastic, hard working member of our ward and will be greatly missed. We are grateful that his suffering has ended.
Please keep his wife and family in your prayers.
The funeral will be this Saturday at 11:00 at the church. If you would like to help, please call Donna Mix.

Coming this week!

Tomorrow night (Wednesday, January 27) is our soup kitchen night. This will be the final meal in the present facility. They are moving on Thursday. I am going down tonight to put the main dish in roasters. As a result, I do not need a 10:00 crew this time. I am still short a couple on the 3:00 shift. If you can come, please call or email me. Thanks!

Thursday night is the Narnia book review. This month is "Prince Caspian." It will be at my house at 7:00. Please come join the fun if you are interested.

Coming up on Tuesday, February 9:
OUR FIRST CRAFT NIGHT. It will start at 7:00 at our ward building. We will be making bead watches. The watch faces are $10.00 and the bands are $15.00. Ashley has a big variety of faces and beads. Each watch will be designed by the one making it. She is great to help if you want or need it. I attended this activity in the 3rd ward before Christmas. A couple of the sisters brought a watch face that they already owned to save on cost. Remember, this evening is totally optional. Please do not feel pressured to do this if your budget does not allow for it, or if you don't like them. We will be doing other, less expensive, projects in the coming months. These occasional craft nights will replace our fall "Super Saturday." You are also welcome to come visit and skip the watches.

Good News from the Millers

Good News from the Millers!
Lara & Darren celebrated their 20th anniversary in December and went on a cruise to the Bahamas. Congratulations!

Good News

Anyone out there with good news to share?

Quilt Group on Tuesday

Just a reminder that the quilters will be meeting at Dixie's house at 7:00 on Tuesday. Remember that you don't need to be an accomplished quilter to attend. In fact, you don't have to be a quilter at all.

Soup Kitchen Assignments 2010

Sisters, the soup kitchen assignments for this year are as follows:

January 27th
April 7th
June 16th
August 25th
November 3rd

I thought if you knew ahead of time, you might be able to plan to help. It is a great experience. Because they are feeding so many more people now, we will have three shifts, 10:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., & 5:15 p.m. We could really use men on the last shift, as we lift heavy dish pans and take down tables and chairs.
Hope you can plan on helping with this worthwhile cause.

Jill's Good News!

Jill's good news moment today was going to the temple with Joe to receive his endowments. What a great day for the Crozier family. We're happy for you. PS I put this here...Jill was not bragging or being prideful. (If you weren't in RS this a.m., we listed sins and those were among them.) I just wanted to get the good news rolling.

Good News!

If anyone has a "good news moment" that they want to share during the week, let me know, especially sisters who work in the Primary and Young Women. We never get to hear from you, and we love you!!!

New Craft Nights

We will not be having a super Saturday this fall. Instead, we will be holding a craft night on the second Tuesday, every other month.We will begin in February. Each time, the project will be pictured on this blog, and we will have a sample at church for a few weeks prior. Some things will be quite inexpensive and others will be more pricey. Please pick and choose only those things which interest you and which fit into your family budget. We have heard tales of sisters feeling pressure to do these kinds of things and sad when they can't. Please note that there are different times and seasons in our lives when things are possible and when they are not. This is not a "group" activity. You may come many times, once, or never...totally optional.

Thanks, EK!

Thanks to Ellen Kay for another great newsletter.

Visiting Teaching

Do you have the world's best visiting teacher? Has your visiting teacher done something that you felt was going the extra mile? Does your visiting teacher give inspirational messages that really motivate you for the good? If so, please tell me about it, and I'll tell the world on the blog.

New Schedule

Remember our new meeting schedule as of January 1st.
This year we begin with Relief Society at 9:00, followed by Sunday School and then Sacrament meeting.

Quilt Class/Group

Our quilt group is open to anyone who wants to attend. No previous experience is needed. These sisters made some beautiful projects this last year. Call Dixie for more information. 324-9300

Narnia Book Group

If you haven't been a part of our Narnia group, it's not too late. We meet on the fourth Thursday of the month. This month we are reading Prince Caspian.

January: Prince Caspian
February: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
March: The Silver Chair
April: The Last Battle

Libby

I would like to express my deep gratitude for, and appreciation to, Libby Ricketts. She has worked tirelessly the last few years as enrichment leader. She has been called to work in the Primary, and I am sure she is needed there. But, I will miss working with this lovely young woman. Thanks, Libby!
(I sound like she's moving to Siberia instead of three or four doors down the hall.)

Sewing Class

Anyone interested in a basic sewing class, please contact Elizabeth or Toni. We would cover such things as hemming pants and skirts, sewing on buttons...real basic things that anyone can do.

No Cooking Class this Month

We will not be holding a cooking class this Tuesday night. We felt like it came too soon after the holidays, and all of us needed to relax a little. We are hoping to do cream pies the first Tuesday in February. Check back for more details.

Upcoming Events/Meetings

We met in early December to set our basic calendar for the year. As soon as I know what has and has not been approved, I'll post more here.
We are going to be using our 2nd Tuesday night a lot. We have had this night reserved for our ward Relief Society for years. As the program has changed, the use of it has altered. But you might just mark those dates off on your calendar. More will follow.

Happy New Year!!!

I'm so happy to have a whole new year at my disposal. I watched the movie, "The Ultimate Gift" with Kristin. My favorite part of that show is always when the little girl says, when asked what her dream is, "A perfect day...I'm finishing it now...with people I love..." That's far from quoted exactly! But, I am grateful for each wonderful day here on this beautiful earth that Heavenly Father created.