Enrichment

Circle the Wagons
On Tuesday, March 11th we will celebrate the birth of the Relief Society and our heritage as women. Join us for a light dinner and look back through time—from as recent as our own baby photos to women who left their legacy long before these latter days. We hope to see you there! A nursery will be provided. We will be gathering at 7:00pm at the church.

We had a dinner of beef stew and rolls with yum-o honey butter followed by apple pie and icecream. The tables were around a "campfire" complete with a dutch oven and covered wagon. We scrap-booked baby pictures of women in the ward and showed it on a slide show during dinner. Those who identified the most baby pictures correctly won a prize. After dinner, we had a play. Sisters from the past shared their stories of struggle and triumph. We had sisters playing the parts of Eve, Ester, Sariah, Emma Smith, Mary Fielding Smith, Elizabeth Horrocks Jackson Kindsford, and 3 modern women with modern trials. I've seen the play twice in practice and I still cried! The summary at the end:

Everyone of us has our own challenges and hardships. It is through these challenges that we become the women that God would have us become. And it is through our daily trials that we develop the faith and patience we need to handle the larger trials of our lives. But we don't have to go through it all alone, we have been given a wonderful gift to help us learn-we have been given a sisterhood of experience. The chain doesn't begin or end with us, but we are a part of it. As we remember to love each other and serve each other we will feel the joy of this world and the world to come on a daily basis. We truly will become Sisters in Zion.

Our ward requires the stage to be set up (it comes apart and is stored in a closet), so Taylor and Josh (Jacque's husband) along with a few others came on Monday (after FHE) and helped us set up. We also had some great help with the technical components. Besides the projector for the slide show, we were able to use spotlights, microphones, and even had a CD of river sounds plugged into the microphone system for background during dinner. We had tons of help and I think it turned out great.

Taylor with a piece of the stage.

The stage fits together like a giant, heavy puzzle.

Ella and Brayden got to test the microphone system.

The only shot of the stage once it was all set-up. Not a very good one.

The fire--we had orange Christmas lights and orange cellophane to make the "embers" glow.

My scrap book page.

This post make me feel so Mormon that I need to go eat some green

Jell-O. Excuse me for a moment. . .

This was a full week! My sister Jessica and my niece Ellie came to visit and it was great! Ellie is the same age as Kylee, so the two of them got to terrorize together. Ellie even shared her cold with Kylee. Can there be a greater love?

Jessica arrived just in time for Enrichment. Thank you Taylor for coming home and watching all three kids! On Wednesday we went to the playland in the mall and Jessica did some Christmas shopping. Thursday we tried to go to story time at the library, but I drove to the wrong library (oops!). That night we went to Incredible Pizza and had a great time! We were there from about 6:30 to 9:50. I can't believe both one-year-olds lasted, but they did.

Friday we went to Toys R Us to let the kids play and on Saturday we went to the aquarium. We managed to watch three movies, play a game of Qiddler, and make some over the top brownies. Needless to say, it was a fun week.

Today it is ice-storming. We didn't go to Stake Conference because it is quite a distance and the roads were terrible. I heard they still held the meeting-with no power. There was no heat, no lights, and no microphone. Talk about the pioneer spirit.

Mall Play land. After playing, we got some delicious goodies at Starbucks.

Shopping with Aunt Jessica is so fun.

More pizza, anyone?

Kylee in the same room as something that can be climbed. Need I say more?

Yum, ice cream. That makes Kylee happy!
Kylee: Are you sure it's time to leave?

Ellie and Kylee both pet a sting ray.

Ellie with the fish.

Snack time.

Ode to my sister Anna and lunch ladies everywhere.

Both girls liked to hang out on the trampoline.

Ready for bed.

This week was Enrichment, I think it turned out well--I forgot to take a picture until we were almost all cleaned up! We had a family home evening. Taylor and my in-laws Haylee and Josh came and helped me gather all the couches from the foyers of the church. We arranged them in the cultural hall like a living room. We then added the piano from the RS room, a fireplace, and a Christmas tree. I had the names of those participating made in vinyl lettering so I would have a real FHE board for the evening. To finish it off, I pulled the poinsettias from the chapel (kinda cheating, I know).

We started with a musical number and the group joined in for the 3rd verse of Away in a Manger. The lesson was "the last straw" (thanks Grandma and Grandpa) about a family that secretly does nice things for each other and then adds a piece of straw to a manger for the baby Jesus. Then on to the activity-Christmas Trivia. The treat was provided by all and was incredible!

We then made vinyl letting projects, including FHE boards and sent everyone home with an FHE packet that included everything we had done (and a recipe for haystack cookies) and a Christmas ornament.

The advertising.

Part of the living room set-up.
My good friend Jodi, Vanna "White-ing" the Christmas ornament.

My Family Home Evening board.