Young Women's Evening of Excellence

Tomorrow night the young women in our church (12 - 18 yrs old) will present their Evening of Excellence. Each girl showcases something they have achieved some excellence in this past year. Since DD Kristina has been sewing small projects all year and has a couple quilt tops in the works too, she and I came up with the idea of making a pillowcase. I found this cute fabric with all their Young Women values on it and we knew it would be perfect. It's from ldsfabric.com. Kristina says she saw the green and had to have it. It's flannel too which will be nice and cozy for a pillow. She found some red fabric in my stash and picked it for the accent stripe. Here are the simple directions for making one:
3/4 yd main fabric
1/4 yd border (cut to 9" wide)
3/4 yd trim (cut to 1 1/2" wide)
Iron trim in half lengthwise. Place border right side up. Place main fabric on top of border also right side up. Then place trim on top of both layers with raw edges even at top. Sew through all layers 1/4" seam.
Open out border. Press the seam towards the border. Also turn under top edge of border 1/4" and press. Fold border in half, press. Make sure it covers the seam line. Top stitch close to folded edge.
Fold pillowcase in half with right sides together. Stitch 1/4" around the side and bottom. Zig zag around the the edges for a nicely finished seam. Turn right side out and enjoy a good night's sleep!
I'm so proud of Kristina. Not because she can sew or likes something that I like, but because she is such a beautiful person inside and out. She seems to have been born with a knowledge of who she really is, a daughter of God, and never questions it nor does anything not in harmony with that knowledge. The world has such a strong pull on women these days and my prayer is always that my girls will radiate every day that inner purity they have and that their armor of God will keep them protected from all the fiery darts that are thrown at them. Sometimes it's so hard to watch them grow up and experience the world. But other times I find myself gaining a sweeter and sweeter kinship, friendship and love with each daughter the older they get. What a beautiful tender mercy this is.

Elder Sean letter10-20-08

Oct. 19, 2008
Dear Elder Sean,

I'm trying to concentrate on writing but Alex just walked in from a stake youth fireside on testimonies. He's here with Dallas and Tanner munching on anything and everything they can find in the house.

Dad is actually at work today and hasn't gotten home yet. Must have gotten really busy at work. I know he really hates to work on Sundays. I missed seeing him at church today. Brian Redmond gave his farewell talk today. He's going to San Antonio on his mission. In the 8th ward Cameron Dumas reported on his mission and Evan Gines gave his farewell, so Alex went to their ward too.

I taught RS today and enjoyed it. Seems like it's been quite a while since I was up in front of the sisters and it began to feel very familiar once I was up there speaking. My lesson was from the Joseph Smith manual on the 76th section of the D&C. I learned a lot from my studies this week. I really enjoyed reading the account of one of the 12 other men who were in the room at the same time the vision was received. He gave an account of what he saw and heard while Joseph and Sidney were caught up in the spirit of the vision. He said "I saw the glory and felt the power, but did not see the vision and that Joseph would, at intervals, say 'What do I see?' as one might say while looking out the window and beholding what all in the room could not see. Then he would relate what he had seen or what he was looking at. Then Sidney replied, 'I see the same.' Presently Sidney would say 'what do I see?' and would repeat what he had seen or was seeing, and Joseph would reply, 'I see the same." "This manner of conversation was reported at short intervals to the end of the vision, and during the whole time not a word was spoken by any other person. Not a sound nor motion made by anyone but Joseph and Sidney, and it seemed to me that they never moved a joint or limb during the time I was there, which I think was over an hour, and to the end of the vision." "Joseph sat firmly and calmly all the time in the midst of a magnificent glory, but Sidney sat limp and pale, apparently as limber as a rag, observing which, Joseph remarked, smilingly, 'Sydney is not used to it as I am."

I then went into the 76th section and dissected it by noting the points I felt most impressed to talk about. All in all, I felt like I was able to convey what I had learned and felt during the week which is what I prayed for.

I've been watching a couple talks from General Conference each Sunday afternoon, the ones that I tivo'ed and I am really enjoying it. I think I'll always Tivo conference and watch them again and again. In between sessions they showed a biography of Pres. Monson's life which was amazing. I'm going to have the family watch it for family night. He is a man truly in tune with the spirit and on the Lord's errand.

Yesterday was Kristina's birthday. Now we have 2 teenagers again. Last night was our ward chili party. I left after an hour with Kristina and her friends so they could start her party here at the house. Dad stayed and line danced with Nikki and Leah. The Pinder's played bluegrass music for the party. I was only wishing there was a better sound system.

Alex is splitting the cost of a stereo system for the Mustang and we drove it down to RC Willey to let them take a look and tell us how much it would cost to get one installed, etc. He's getting tired of singing to himself while driving. I'm thinking we should put in a new dash while we're at it. It's pretty cracked and old looking. I figure the car is over 40 years old, so what's the rush in getting it completely fixed up. Actually, most of the decisions are cost prohibitive. But it's been running great so I'm happy about that.

Also yesterday, Alex got asked to Sadie's. The doorbell rang and on the doorstep this is what we saw...


so it was pretty funny.

Last Tuesday EHS had their fall choir concert. Alex had a scat solo and he did an awesome job. His confidence is definitely up now and he's even hoping to get a solo for the Christmas concert. EHS won their football game this week as well as BSU, BUT BYU LOST! In fact, they got creamed. Here they were ranked #9 in the BCS polls and they lost to TCU. So now BSU and Utah are still undefeated and sooo happy that BYU has lost their ranking. You would have enjoyed the halftime show at BSU this weekend. They only showed part of it on ESPN, wish I could have been there, but the band played Rhapsody in Blue and they brought out a beautiful, blue grand piano onto the field where someone played Rhapsody in Blue on a blue piano on a blue field. Too cool.

I was anxious to hear your report from your meeting with Elder Nelson, but you didn't write much. What were the highlights? How are Maxi and also Maria Cristina coming along?

Just curious, as a zone leader, what are some of the things you do on a routine basis? Do you meet together as a zone often? Do you speak to them or have round table like discussions? Do the companionships report in to you regularly? I know it all seems normal enough to you, but I don't have any idea what does on, so let me in on things when you get a chance. How is your ward?

Dad just got home from a long day at work. He sends his love. He's reminding me that we'll be sending you another package right after Halloween. Most likely you'll get a plethora of candy in that package, since we'll be weeding out what the girls get. I've also included a couple pix from last week's activities.


We actually got apples this year. Don't they look great. The McCauleys got a bazillion (Sis. McCauley's word) apples this year and so we're going to go pick some to try and make a teeny dent in their bazillion.

I hope you are well and happy. I love reading your letters because I can tell how much you love what you are doing. It makes me so happy. We are well here and always hope you can feel our prayers and support, your name and mission are mentioned numerous times each day in all our prayers.

Have a miraculous week.
Love you,
momxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Nikki/Leah conversations

Today driving in the car running an errand with Nikki and Leah, the conversation went something like this:
Leah: Mom, I think my thighs are too big.
Mom: Yours aren't too big, Leah. In fact your thighs are supposed to be the biggest part of your leg. They're nice and strong and help you run faster.
Leah: Well, I just don't like looking down at them and don't want anyone else to see them.
Nikki: I have big thighs, Leah, and I like mine.
Mom: Yes, you both have beautiful legs.
Nikki: Yeah, Leah, it's like how I have a mustache and I don't like having a mustache, and you have a little bit of a mustache but you like it, but you don't like having big thighs and I like it.


On the way home, it went like this:
Nikki: Mom, I don't have anyone to be a twin with for spirit week. All my friends already picked someone.
Leah: I can be your twin, Nikki.
Mom: Yeah, that would be good because you two look alike.
Leah: No, a boy in my class didn't know Nikki was my sister and when he saw her, I told him, but he said "she doesn't look like you".
Nikki: Yeah, that's cuz I have brown hair and Leah, you have black hair. And my nose is flat and yours is pointy. You're kind of like an Idaho girl... you're almost white.

Sunday evening dinner. Harold had to work this Sunday, I was tired and just happy that I was finished giving my lesson in Relief Society and didn't really feel like cooking a big meal. So I decided to just make grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup. I called the kids in and Leah anxiously asked, "What are we having for dinner?" I told her and her face beamed with excitement as she said, "Wow, this is like heaven." If only I'd realized earlier in life that heaven was this simple, it could have saved me many hours of cooking on Sunday afternoons.

Trip to Yellowstone

The kids had 2 days off school this week, so we decided to make a quick trip to Rexburg to see Kirk at BYU-I and spend one day at Yellowstone. We like road trips and going to Rexburg only takes about 4 hours by car, so it's very doable.

We left early Friday morning and stopped in Rigby at The Quilt Shoppe on the way in to Rexburg. Mary Lutz works at the store and we met her there. Of course, I managed to pick up a couple yards of fabric for a quilt border I'm working on. Amy Hamberlin owns the shop and it comprises the front part of her 100 year old home. She has great taste and is very creative, but running a business like this takes its toll on the family. She still has little ones at home and I could see that you can't do it all. I never had that desire to do something else while my kids were young, at least nothing that would take me away from them for an extended period of time. I truly loved being with my kids every day and still do. I'm crazy about them.

After Rigby, we checked into the Best Western in Rexburg and met up with Kirk and his girlfriend Rachel at a volleyball game. During the game, we actually managed to squeeze in some bowling on campus. The little girls love to go bowling. None of us did very well, but it was fun. Afterwards, we all went out to dinner at a pizza buffet called Craigos. The pizza, especially the crust, was very tasty. And of course, afterwards, a trip to visit one of our kids in college wouldn't be complete without taking them to the store to let them fill the cart with what they need. Mary enjoyed picking up some essentials too.

Back at the motel, the girls went swimming in the indoor pool. Sometimes I think that's the best part of the trip for them.

We got an early start in the morning heading over to Yellowstone which is about 80 miles away. Rachel and Kirk came with us and we managed to all fit in one car. It looked like it was going to be rainy all day, but as it turned out, the weather was mainly just overcast. We were very lucky. One of our goals in going to Yellowstone is to try and spot as many animals as we can. Never once have we seen a bear there and once again we only managed to see people who had just seen a bear, but we never got to see one. There was plenty of elk, deer, and bison though to keep us pretty entertained. We drove the northern loop this time and went to Mammoth Falls. It was beautiful. While there we actually ran into Jennifer Bergmann's daughter Erin and her husband. We haven't seen her since we lived in Hilton Head so it was an odd encounter, but fun nonetheless.

We made another pilgrimage to Old Faithful and it was still just that, "old" and "faithful".

It was a long day and we didn't get home until 8pm. We were really trying to make it back by 6pm so the boys could go to General Priesthood mtg. We were also disappointed that we couldn't get any radio reception in the car so we could listen to the Saturday sessions. Luckily I remembered to Tivo them back home.

Back at the motel, I asked Harold and Kirk to give me a blessing for my esophogeal problems I've been having lately. It was so nice to feel that priesthood power and especially to feel it coming from my husband and my son.

The girls packed up their bags and excitedly got ready for their sleepover with Mary in her apartment. They'd been looking forward to this for a few weeks now. Mary is the best cousin. They just love her. Alex spent the night with Kirk, so Harold and I had a nice evening all to ourselves.

Sunday morning Harold and I watched Sunday morning conference and then halfway through we checked out of the motel and went to Mary's to watch the second half. Mary had made cinnamon rolls for everyone and the girls were still hyper with sleepover excitement. Kirk and Alex also met us there.

I loved Pres. Monson's talk about change and hope. It's amazing to listen to him speak. The mantle of the prophet is so evident and it's so comforting.

We made the trip back home after conference and we were even able to listen to the afternoon session in the car. The trip home went by fast (in part because of the fact I was working on Leah's baptism quilt the whole time). Friends said it had rained all weekend back home, so we felt very fortunate that we had had such good weather.

I love little getaways. They always lift my spirits. Exploring new areas is one of my favorite things to do.