Enjoyed the Journey

Today was my last day teaching in Young Women. After 8 years I finally got released from Young Women. I remember when I got called Kenzie was only 6 years old and I would have to drag her to the activities. I served as a Beehive Counselor and Mia Maid Advisor. Several times as Ward Camp director and Rick and I were Ma and Pa on the Pioneer Trek. I loved every minute serving with the great leaders ( I think I served under 4 Young Women Presidents: Marisa, Sarah, Diane H. and Nettie) and all the beautiful Young Women in our ward. It's been an incredible journey and I've learned so much. I am now going to be a teacher in the Relief Society and a Activity Day Leader with the younger girls. It won't be too much different in the amount of time I spend teaching and doing the activities.

Service Rendered

This looks kind of creepy...but it's the LDS Humanitarian Center where lots of service is rendered. These are models for the Easter Pageant, this is where they sew the costumes for the pageant. Our Young Women and Relief Society went down and sewed school book bags.
It was fun using the sewing machines, I had never sewn on a surger before.
The room is very organized with all sorts of material, jewelry, and anything you'd need to make
a Pageant costume. There's other rooms where people are sewing quilts, cleaning and repairing
dolls, I come down every other week to get more yarn for my friend Dolores who has made over
438 crocheted snow caps for the needy. Her goal is to make 1000 hats, she keeps me very busy supplying her with all the yarn.
These girls don't look too happy, but it is a happy place with everyone busy doing good. Busy
hands make happy hands.

Young Women - Moving On Graduates and Leaders

Louisa gave a great lesson in Young Women today about Friendship and Love. She always does such great lessons. In this picture Mackenzie, Christy and Dannika were getting a disease of heart stickers on their faces if someone gave them a compliment. Then everyone was giving compliments out to each other and getting heart stickers on their faces.
Louisa read a story and Lexi let go of the balloons to represent friendship. "Friendship can make your spirits Sore".
Noel Frame is Mackenzie's Beehive Leader. She is in the middle of the picture and it's hard to tell because she looks just like one of the girls. It was her last Sunday with us because she is moving out of the ward. We will miss her and her family so much. Kenzie's other Beehive advisor Emily Johnson is also moving. We are dwindling down in numbers. Plus we had two High School Graduates moving on to Relief Society: Carly Weed, who is sitting down in front and Whitney Stine who is second from the left. I have been in Young Women for 8 1/2 years and this
is my second batch of Young Women graduates to leave me since their Beehive Years. It doesn't get any easier to watch them go but they will love Relief Society and will be welcomed with opened arms.

Wednesday Night Activity

Beehive ActivityKenzie came home last night with a beautiful cake she learned how to decorate in Young Women. She was so proud and happy. Thank you leaders for all the time and effort you spend away from your family to serve the Lord and help these young women.
Mia Maid and Teachers Joint Activity: We played dodge ball with these googlily eyes I made with styrofom cups. It would have worked out better with a heavier ball. I bought too light of a
ball and the ball floated so gently in the air. But it was still fun with the disadvantage of not being able to see so well and was quite entertaining to watch. One good thing came out of it, we had 5 non-members come and participated. Our ward is so small that we have to recruit from around the neighborhood to get enough people to have fun! Afterward we sat in a circle and ate popsicles and found out things we didn't know about each other.
\The Priests and Laurels got together and did a slip and slide at the retention basin.

Young Women Of Excellence Night

This week was our wards Y. W. of Excellence Night. The theme was in honor of the Olympics this past year in China. So everything was coming up Asian. The place was decorated to the hilt, compliments of Louisa and Nettie. We had the leaders carry a big dragon and the girls marched in with their flags of the country of their ancestors and all the parents were waving banners at them. Carly lit the torch and Nettie said "Let the games begin". It was a sight to behold! We ate a great meal of fried rice, won - tons, and egg rolls, almond cookies, and fortune cookies. Then the girls and parents played fun games, like ping-pong, basketball relay, personal progress word puzzle, and a search and find relay. The girls displayed all their projects they have been working on in their Personal Progress Book. Kenzie passed off her Faith Project and made Faith Boxes. Everyone enjoyed themselves and we all appreciated the work that went into it.

Young Women Leaders Have More FUN

Happy Birthday!!
Young Women Leaders are out for their birthday luncheon in honor of Jane B. Taylor's birthday who is the 1st Counselor and works with me over Mia Maids. We had lunch near the Campus of ASU in Tempe.The place was named "House of Tricks", we don't know why but it sounded alluring. Food was excellent, I had the BBQ Chicken salad, yummy. We ate outside on the front porch on a gorgeous sunny day. Louisa was the organizer and did an excellent job as always. Nettie was there (our newly appointed President), Julie (our new secretary), who loves quiche..... Noel , Marisa and her daughter Brianna and baby Holly, Diane G. and Diane H. two of my favorite women who just got released from Young Women but will always be honorary leaders. I've been in Young Women for about 6 1/2 years now and can say I still am loving it. It's totally the leaders that make it so wonderful (and the girls too). I learn so much from everyone and look forward to the weekly lessons, Wednesday night activities, girls camp, Stake Dances, Firesides, Pioneer Treks, Stake Youth Conferences, Ward Youth Conferences, etc. etc. I guess you get use to the constant commotion, but hey - if it can keep me young. We had a great time, as always and like I always say, "Young Women Leaders Know How to Have Fun"! ( That's our job).

Girls Camp June 4th - 7th 2008 Camp Lomia

Well after serving over 10 years in some leadership capacity at girls camp I finally get to enjoy it with my own daughter Mackenzie! I was her cabin mom along with 4 other 1st year girls. We were Super Heroes in Training. Our ward was The Flash. This was the best year ever because we had great weather, and all the girls seemed to get along and we just had a really fun time.