Young Women in Excellence

In Senior Primary their are two classes for the Valient 9 year olds. Rylee has been in Sister Mahans class and has really loved her. She has been so good and loving to these kids and it has been a good experience for Rylee. The other day I got a call from the Primary President asking if it would be ok if they moved Rylee and her friend Brynn Givens over to the other class with Sister McMurdy. On paper the two classes are even but in reality Sister McMurdy has a lot more inactive kids in her class and so on Sunday her class is usually really small and sometimes only has one child in attendance. Rylee was really sad to leave Sister Mahan but was willing to make the change. Sunday was her first day in the new class and she said she really liked it. Sister McMurdy even brought cupcakes to celebrate a birthday and Rylee really enjoyed that. A couple minutes into class time there was a knock on their door and Addy Lewis poked her head in to request that Rylee and Brynn come back to their old class for just a minute. When they went back Sister Mahan gave them hugs and told them how much she would miss them. She gave them the cutest little good bye gift and promised to invite them to any class parties they will have. It was so sweet and the little gift was the cutest! I am so glad Rylee was able to feel so much love from Sister Mahan 

That night we went back to the church for Young Women in Excellence. 

It was a very nice program and I loved talking with the girls and seeing all of the projects they have been working on. I couldn't help but think back to a year ago when we were brand new in the ward and attending YWIE. It was awkward and a bit uncomfortable not knowing anyone and feeling so out of place. What a difference a year makes and I have grown to love this ward and feel so much more comfortable.

Kenedy and Sophie Buxton

Avynlea displayed the dress she made and she received a lot of compliments on it. 

Avynlea, Katie Myers, Ashleigh Snow and Shaeden Albert

Meridian Temple

On Tuesday Kefford and I got 

to take a tour of the Meridian Temple. Before it opens to the public the Temple will have VIP tours and because Kefford and I were on the printing committee we got to go through as VIP's. It was pretty awesome to finally be able to go inside. I loved every bit of it, from the Baptistry to the Brides room. It was so beautiful and made me even more excited to start spending my Temple Tuesdays in this Temple.

Kenedy volunteered on Wednesday at the Temple to be one of 12 youth to put shoe coverings on the guests going through. She said it was a little chilly but she enjoyed performing the service. She saw Brit and Kelsey's family and Brit sent me a picture of Kenedy with their two eldest Brielle and Qiana. After her shift was done Kenedy was able to take a tour inside and she said she loved it. I was sad I couldn't be there with her when she went through but I am glad she took the opportunity when she could.

And on Thursday I took Avynlea, Ryker and Rylee out of school a little early so that they could go through the Temple with us. It was a beautiful day and I was really excited to take these three through the Temple.

First we looked at the Angel Moroni perched on the top of the Temple. I thought the stick coming out of the top of his head looked strange but Kefford said it was a lightening rod and that made sense to me.

It was pretty awesome to go through another Temple with my kids. They loved every bit of it and especially loved seeing the Baptistry. Rylee and Avy thought the Brides room was so pretty and imagined themselves standing in their one day wearing a beautiful white dress.

After the tour we hung out in the Reception tent for a few minutes to get a couple of pictures.

Kefford liked making himself appear shorter and had fun cracking himself up.

Ryker is just like his Dad and has a hard time cooperating seriously for pictures. Little stinker

A New Calling

I have been teaching the 15/16 years olds in Sunday School for the past year. I was super hesitant and nervous when I first got the calling but have really grown to love the kids I teach. So it was mixed feelings when I was called into meet with Brother Blazek and told I was getting a new calling. I was really excited to be asked to be a Beehive Advisor, it has been a long time since I have served in the Young Womens, but sad to be released from my Sunday School calling. On my last Sunday I made the kids promise that they would still be my friends and I enjoy chatting with them when ever I see them.

I served a little while in that calling with my friend Chelsey Olson and she sent me a picture of one of our kids, Carson Ray. She was at an Agriculture expo at her kids school and saw him there. The picture really made me smile.

Wednesday nights for the next month will be spent in a warehouse in Boise wth all the youth in the Stake practicing for the Meridian Temple Youth Cultural Celebration Dance. Michelle Ray, 2nd counselor in the Young Womens, couldn't be at the practice on Wednesday and asked me to take a few pictures of some girls she still needed pictures of for a slideshow she was putting together. She needed one of the Young Womens first counselor Emily Young and so I took a selfie with her so it wouldn't look awkward with her by herself.

I also got a picture with these cute girls who rode over with me in my car. I have been working on learning names and girls and was happy to have gotten to know these cuties on the drive to and from the dance practice.

Olivia Newman, Alivia Munson, Maddie Hughes, Ashleigh Snow, Katie Myers, Kaitlyn Lindley and Avynlea Peterson

I did my eye shadow a little darker this day and thought it might have been looking a little too dark. I took some selfies in the sunlight to see and I can't even tell I am wearing eye shadow. It is weird how make-up just kind of fades away when I put it on.

5k Temple Run

Saturday morning was our Linder Stake first annual 5k Temple Fun Run. I had signed all of us up to participate but Ryker had Scouts that morning and Kenedy had tumbling so they couldn't make it. Kefford was going to run it with us but when he heard that we would have to walk about a mile back to our car he decided to park at the Temple and wait for us at the finish line. 

Kefford and the kids were at The Barnyard Friday night and when they came home they had brought Brielle and Qiana to stay the night. The next morning I got the girls up to have them get ready so we could go run. I asked Brielle and Qiana if they were told about the run and they said yes and seemed to be ok with doing it. We got to the start about 15 minutes before the scheduled race time which was 8:30 am, after we got our bibs pinned on we waited and tried not to freeze. It was pretty chilly but not unbearably so. 

I had planned on us doing a walk/run with this race, I knew the girls would want to walk some of it which was fine with me but I was definitely thinking we would do a little more running then walking. Once we started the girls were by me and we were running and then they stopped and started walking. We were barely out of the church parking lot and probably hadn't even run 100 yards. I encouraged them to start running again but they were not inclined so I just kept running and left them to walk. I felt a little bad leaving them but then remembered they had each other and knew that they would be fine. 

I hadn't done any training for this 5k and it hurt a bit as I was running but I was determined to run the entire way once I had ditched the walkers. It was a little frustrating that they didn't have mile markers or anyone telling us how much we had gone or how much longer we had but I just pushed through and tried to distract myself. At one point a lady who was helping with directing did say we had a half mile left so that was nice to hear. 

I finally saw the finish line and I saw Kefford was standing with Bishop Ricks. Kefford and Bishop were cheering for me and it was making me smile. It reminded me of when I was on the swim tam and competing with the breast stroke, every time I came up out of the water I could hear my Dad cheering me on and I would just have a big grin on my face. 

I finished with a time of 31:28 which wasn't spectacular but I liked it and thought it was a good time considering how unprepared I was. 

The Stake had gotten a lot of donations from local businesses and they had doughnuts, muffins, bananas, sweet breads, water and chocolate milk waiting for us when we finished. I drank a bottle of water and then had a doughnut, yum, while we waited for the rest of my team to finish. 

Avynlea came in next, she was running with a friend she had found from our ward. I missed getting her picture as they ran in so I made her recreate it so I could get one. She said they walked some and ran some but mostly did speed walk.

Later Rylee, Brielle and Qiana came running in. It was hard to see with the sun being behind them but I managed to get Rylee and Qiana in the pictures, not sure where Brielle was, probably just out of the frame. They said they walked the entire way but they had a lot of fun doing it so I am glad.

Rylee on the left and Qiana on the right

Once everyone had their fill of food we headed over across the street to the Temple to walk around and get some pictures. 

Brielle, Rylee, Qiana, Avynlea and Elizabeth

I am glad that we did this fun run and I loved that it was our Meridian Temple fun run and that we live so close to this Temple. 

PT Conferences and Senior Pictures

This morning Rylee and I went to her school for Parent Teacher Student Conferences. The student is supposed to lead the meeting by talking about how well they think they are doing in the subjects of math, reading/spelling, social studies and overall attitude. Rylee evaluated herself pretty fair and gave herself medium to high scores. Her teacher agreed with what she said and told me how she was above average in most of her subjects. He let me know that he sees a determination in her to keep at things until she gets them right or understands them. She is not afraid to ask questions when she does not understand something and I am so happy to hear that she has that quality. I find it so important for my kids to be able to speak up and not be afraid to ask questions. 

Rylee gets really nervous during these conferences and I was talking to her before hand about needing to relax and not act like a scared puppy. I told her that I loved her, that her teacher really liked her and that she was a good kid and shouldn't be nervous. During our meeting she was a bit nervous but not like she has been. She was able to speak up and talk about herself with much better confidence. I am pretty proud of this girl.

Rylee's class made some pretty awesome art projects that her teacher had put up outside the classroom. I had her point to hers so I could get a picture.

After the conferences we went home so I could do Kenedy's hair for her Senior pictures that we were getting done mid morning. I asked my friend Lindsey Hurst if she would do her pictures and she agreed but we had a hard time finding a day/time because of Kenedy's crazy schedule. They had finally decided to do it later in the month on two different Thursdays which sounded hectic to me. When I figured out the kids did not have school for most of this week I asked Lindsey if she had any time. She was going out of town Wednesday night but said we could do it mid morning if the day was overcast. I had looked earlier in the week at the weather and saw a week of sunny days. When I checked it on Tuesday I saw that Wednesday had changed to a cloudy day. This had to have been a tender mercy from the Lord!

We dropped Ryker, Avy and Rylee off at her house to play with her kids, picked Lindsey up and headed off. We got some pictures of her in her uniform at the High School, we went to the Camille Beckman place for some shots, Eagle Island and along the Emmett Highway. Lots of locations but they were pretty quick. We wanted some pictures on the field at the High School but they had football practice going on so Lindsey decided to take some in the front of the school and then after we went to the other places we went back to the High School to finish up on the field. By the time we got back to the field we were getting cold, the wind had kicked up and we were all ready to be done so we did not take too long there. I snapped a couple of pictures of Lindsey in action on my phone and am excited to see the edited ones when she is done. 

Conference Sunday

Sunday morning I took the kids and drove out to Nyssa to watch conference and spend the day with family. It had been a while since we have been out there and all the kids but especially Kenedy were missing their Grandparents and Cousins. Kefford was really sick that day so he stayed home to watch conference alone and rest.

For the first session it was me, the kids and Bob and Alison. After the session was over, Whitney came over with her family, Jeremy and his family came, and Trevor and his family came over. We had a good lunch and then everyone left except for Jeremy's kids and Whitney and her family. It was fun to have more people to watch the second session with but it was also a lot more noisy and hard to concentrate. 

I snapped a couple of pictures but wish I could have gotten more.

Kenedy, Mikayla, Alison and Bob

Ally and Avynlea

Rylee and Madison

Meridian Homecoming Dance

That night I helped KEnedy get ready for Wilson to pick her up for the Homecoming dance. She didn't have any ideas for how she wanted her hair and I was really struggling with getting her hair to look right. I think I have been getting a little too prideful with my hair styling availabilities and needed to be knocked down a peg or two. It worked, I was getting so frustrated and then finally found something that worked. 

Kenedy had a hard time pinning the boutonniere on Wilson and so I stepped in to help her out but I wasn't much better. I need to start watching Youtube videos on how to pin then on, it's a lot harder then it looks. We finally got it on and he kept it on for pictures and then took it off when they got to the dance. 

Boys have it so much easier with the corsage, all they have to do is slide it on the girls wrist.

They went to Kleiner park for pictures and then Kenedy said they went to one of the guys neighborhood clubhouse where his Mom had dinner waiting for them. She said the dance was so much fun and she had a really great night!