Football vs Centennial

I found this picture of me from Halloween in Elementary school when I dressed up as a cheerleader. My Mom and I made those awesome pom poms from crepe paper and she put an E on my shirt. 

Arin Lamb was outside with her boys as Avynlea was leaving for the game against Centennial and Arin took a picture of her boys with Avynlea. They are the cutest neighbors and are super fun to talk to.

Scotty, Avynlea and Bo

Natalie, Katie, Avynlea and Paige

Team picture with Centennial Cheerleaders

Avynlea, Hailey, Natalie and Paige were being funny and did a thigh stand stunt during halftime

 

Owyhee Homecoming Spirit week and Powder Puff

The next week was Owyhee's Homecoming Spirit Week. Rylee dressed up for the first day which was soccer Mom or BBQ Dad and Rylee chose BBQ Dad. She looked so cute and nailed the look using a combination of her things and her Dads clothes. She took pictures at school with her friends and sent them to me. 

Taylee and Rylee

Taylee, Naomi, Rylee and Ella

On Tuesday Avynlea had a student council retreat that she went to, they learned how to be better leaders and did bonding games.

Tuesday night was Rylee's Powderpuff game. She was on the Sophomore team and each team had their year on their shirts for their numbers. It made it really hard for the announcer to recognize who was doing what since they were all the same number. They did not have enough players for a Freshman team so Freshman combined with Sophomores and they played the Juniors who basically whooped them. I had fun watching Rylee play and try her best.

Alison came to watch and cheer on Rylee which was a lot of fun and super nice of her.

I didn't want Rylee to feel left out of having a Fathead so I made her one using one of her pictures from the first football game she went to. She didn't know I was making one and was quite surprised and embarrassed once she saw it at the game, hahaha.

 

Elder Peterson Week 55

 I know I've explained what TLC is before, but I'll do it again real quick. TLC is a conference new missionaries go to twice during their training (once a transfer). They do roleplays and get to hear from President and Sister Larkin and the whole thing is really just to test what they're learning and get new insights to help them improve. 

     Now the reason I bring it up is that it's awesome! Mostly because lunch is provided and you get to hang out with a bunch of other missionaries, but also because you get to develop your teaching and get other missionaries' insights on how to improve. I'm not in training and I am not currently training anyone, so I don't get to go. BUT, it takes place at the same chapel where the office is located at. So Elder Simpson and I decided to "accidentally" be at the office the same day TLC was going on. We didn't actually expect to be given any of the food, I just wanted to see some of the missionaries. We did get lunch though . We also helped with setting up lunch, so we were useful.

     We had a really cool devotional this past week. Elder Rascon (an Area Seventy) and Elder Pieper (a General Authority Seventy) came to speak to the mission. Since the mission is scattered around (obviously) only a couple of zones were able to come in person, mine included. The rest had to watch over zoom. They both spoke about missionary work and gave us super great advice and amazing motivation (something some missionaries have really been needing). Elder Pieper taught us some great ways to extend an invitation to be baptized and how to address peoples' needs directly as they come. Great stuff that is very useful. Elder Rascon actually remembered me from a fireside back in October where I approached him after the meeting and asked him some questions, so that was cool. 

     Yesterday was Stake Conference and Linda came! People talked a lot about temples and the blessings that come from working in the temple, which really increased Linda's curiosity and desire to go someday. After Stake Conference, we had a lesson with her and her friend Grace, and Brother and Sister Harris from our ward showed up. It didn't go as planned... Brother and Sister Harris were very excited and loved answering their questions. They went a little to deep on some subjects though, and I think it left Linda very confused. The other day she was telling us that she was ready to move towards baptism so she can get to the temple and help her son get his work done (her son passed away a little bit ago). But after the lesson, we asked her to plan for a specific date and she said she is not sure she is quite ready yet. She didn't completely reject it though, so we think she just needs more time to develop a testimony of the Book of Mormon and understand some more things. I promised her that it's okay if she doesn't understand everything, I definitely don't. What's important is that she finds out for herself that this Church is true and that she needs to be a part of it. I asked her to read Mosiah 18 and to keep praying about it until the next time we meet. she said she will.

     Not much more happened this past week, nothing worth writing about at least. So I'll share something cool I learned in my studies the other day. Something called a "straw-man" argument. This is something Missionaries get attacked with on the regular. It's when you create a false image from something true and then attack the false image to try and disprove the true image. For example (and this is an example given in the Book of Mormon institute manual), when a parent tells their child that they can't play until their chores are done and the child fights back saying the parents don't want the child to have any fun. It is taking something true and adding a touch of falsehood to it and then using it as a weapon. If you remember last week a guy was trying to prove us wrong because we believe that Lucifer was the firstborn of the Father. Well, we don't believe that. This is a perfect example of the "straw-man" argument. People get these false ideas about our church and then use them to fight us. You wouldn't believe how many people somehow get the idea that we aren't Christians. I think it is pretty obvious by the name of our church that we are. Anyway, this is just an interesting tactic the adversary uses. Studying it has opened my eyes to it and now I feel more able to shut it down. Interesting things!

     Anyway, I think Elder Simpson is getting bored, so I'll end this so we can go shopping. Have a great week! If you want another example of a "straw-man" argument, study Alma 30 and see if you can find it. 

    Until next week!

-Elder Peterson

Meridian Homecoming Dance

The theme for the Homecoming dance this year was Wonderland and the group Avynlea and I were in were in charge of the ticket booth, photo area and the front part of the foyer. Our group consisted of Avynlea and I, Katie and Jackie, Hannah and Tara, Paige and Amy and Natalie and Diana. We spent a lot of time leading up to this week planning , creating and organizing and we were pretty happy with how well our areas turned out.

We needed to tape these oversized playing cards to the ceiling and the kids didn't want to bother with a ladder and instead used their cheerleading skills. Allen and Paige lifted Katie who was able to tape the cards up no problem.

Avynlea, Hannah, Katie, Natalie and Paige

Our photo area turned out really cute and once we were done we got pictures of our groups cheerleaders posing with the photo props.

Amy, Diana and I were once again in charge of shoe check. Once we got our area all set up we took our own picture in front of the picture wall we created and then we got a picture in the shoe check area, our last shoe check.

Amy, Diana and Elizabeth 

Avynlea didn't want to go to Homecoming with a date, she actually found out a guy in her seminary class was going to ask her and she told her friends to tell his friends that she already had a date. She doesn't like going to dances with dates and just wanted to go and be with her friends and have fun without worrying about having to stick with her date. I didn't see a problem with it and fully supported her letting the guy down gently. She went with Sadie, Madison and her boyfriend, Anna, and Ruby and she had a really great time. 

After the dance Amy, Diana and I got pictures of our girls and with our girls and it was fun to see them all dressed up and having fun. 

Avynlea, Natalie and Paige 

Avynlea and Elizabeth

Natalie, Diana, Avynlea, Elizabeth, Paige and Amy

Paige and Diego, Avynlea, Ryan and Natalie

 

Meridian Homecoming Spirit Week, Powder Puff and Game

Because she is on Student Council and Cheer Avynlea had to dress according to the theme for Homecoming Spirit Week. Monday was Dress like Adam Sandler day and Tuesday was wear a sports jersey.

Wednesday was twin day...

For cheer pom practice they did "anything but your poms" for a theme. I love that Avynlea chose to bring loofahs which are basically shower pom poms.

back row: Hannah, Hailey, Avynlea, Natalie and Paige

front row: Kylee, Roree, Melanie and Dreya

Thursday was Minion day for school and for cheer each stunt group had to dress like a storybook, Avynlea's group did goldilocks and the three bears, so cute!

The Powderpuff game was this week and Avynlea was number 0 on the Seniors team. The Seniors played the Juniors and beat them pretty good. Avynlea had some amazing plays and I got on video her grabbing the flag off the girls running with the ball, if it were tackle football and not flag she would have made an impressive tackle!

The Seniors won with a score of 26-0, Yeah Seniors!

Avynlea, Natalie and Paige 

Rose and Avynlea

Rose, Avynlea, Natalie and Paige

Amy and I were not able to get pictures with our girls so we got one of the two of us, the best cheerleaders around!

Friday after school for the first time ever I was able to go to the Homecoming parade. It was short but fun and I liked seeing Avynlea cheering her way down the street. She is in the middle facing me, this was the best picture I got of Avynlea. I had to laugh in that a lot of candy was being thrown at the kids watching the parade but not a lot of the candy was being picked up, I am not sure why but their was a lot of candy left on the street when it was all done.

Friday morning I went to the Homecoming assembly to watch Avynlea cheer and do her thing with Student Council. All of the Seniors on fall teams got to nominate a Teacher as their Meridian Hero and Avynlea nominated Amanda. Amanda was her cheer coach sophomore and junior year and Avynlea has been an office aid working with Amanda for the past two years. She has really looked up to Amanda and loves her a lot and I am glad she was able to show her some of that love by nominating her.

Avynlea and Amanda

Student Council 2022/2023

Avynlea is kneeling in the front row on the far left

Katie, Natalie, Coach Allysia, Avynlea and Paige

Rylee is in Parent and Child Development class at school and for their grade they have to bring home a robot baby and take care of it for the weekend. Rylee got hers on this weekend and was playing around with it before it turned on and she had to get serious about caring for it.

Kenedy and Tyler came home for the weekend to watch the Homecoming game. They made posters for Avynlea and it was a to of fun to have them in the stands cheering with us.

Our neighbors, the Lambs, came to the game to watch Arin's niece perform in the choir. I like to video the Warrior Walk and was standing at the fence so I could do that, Bo, Arin's youngest was watching with me and Kenedy took a picture of us.

We played Highland for the Homecoming game and we won which was awesome. So far this year Meridian Varsity Football is undefeated and we are hoping to keep it that way. This was a fun last Homecoming game for Avynlea.