Ward Christmas Party

Yes, I did get to be Mary for the ward Christmas party tonight

 and, yes, I am wearing a Snuggie.

Christmas Traditions

"Traditions offer opportunities to create memories, share love, and build strong bonds between family members.  They will not only help your family life be more peaceful and rewarding, they will also give your children memories they can draw on no matter where they go or who they grow up to be."     -Linda and Richard Eyre

I love Christmas so much!  When we moved across the country, I experienced a serious case of homesickness.  It was ridiculous.  The only thing that comforted me was surrounding myself with holiday traditions from my childhood.  I wanted to share some traditions that Mitch and I have started in our own tiny family...

To download fake fireplace click the following:

Print X3 copies LARGE BRICKS

Print X1 copy SMALL BRICKS

Print X1 copy FIREWOOD

Print X2 copies FIRE

To download Christmas Pictionary Cards, click here.

Lime Sorbet

7-Up

Green Sprinkles

CHRISTMAS CD

Mitch and his brothers record Christmas songs and make CDs for the family to enjoy every year around Christmas time

Christmas morning we like to sleep upside-down in bed so we wake up half confused and excited!  Then we enjoy a Christmas breakfast and eggnog.

And my FAVORITEST FAVORITE Christmas Pretzels

Preheat oven to 200 Degrees

Place a layer of pretzels  on a wax paper covered cookie sheet

Top each one with a kiss

Bake for about 4 minutes until the kisses are really soft

Immediately place 2 M&Ms on each one

MERRY, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

I can't wait for it to get here!

Time Out For Women 2013

Such a fun weekend.  Everyone who gets the chance should attend at least ONE Time Out For Women during their lives.  It's always a fantastic experience and a great time to take a break and get spiritually rejuvenated.  

We were so blessed to hear from so many inspirational speakers and talented musicians.  I told my mom I'd take notes for her since she wasn't able to go, and I thought, "Hey, I might as well share them with everybody!"

My disclaimer is that I know I worded some of these quotes wrong.  Hopefully I'm not putting words in peoples' mouths.  Hopefully what I wrote down and what the speakers actually said share a similar message.  No promises.  These may just be things that comforted my spirit and translated into something I personally needed to hear.

It was Justin Cash who said, "I believe everyone in this room has something they're meant to do."  What is your dream?  Go do it!  God put that dream in you for a reason.

This really hit me.  Just recently I asked Mitch for a priesthood blessing.  In the blessing I remember being told by the Lord something similar.  Even though I desire more than anything to be a mother, the Lord has a different plan for me and a different role in mind for me right now.  I feel like he's pushing me to finding my passions and my strengths.  I feel like I'm supposed to make a difference in another way besides motherhood.  I'm still in the process of finding that desire and that dream I'm supposed to be pushing towards, but this quote gave me a new confidence that I will figure it out and discover what it is exactly that I am "meant to do" right now and how I can contribute to changing the world in a better way.

It was also amazing to hear Chris Williams speak.  Wow!  I can't even begin to describe how much I appreciated his words and how he helped me realize my countless blessings.  I have so much to be thankful for.  It makes me frustrated with myself knowing I get upset about the trials I have to go through.  I have it so easy compared to what others have to experience in this life.

Brett, from Jericho Road, gave a great thought when he said that the new star at Jesus' birth would have had to start shining 30 years earlier before its light could reach the Earth.  Keep shining and someday your light will be appreciated.

Side Note: Jericho Road.

First time I met them… I was 12 years old.  And I was wearing a bright blue snow hat.
 And I was so special.

Second time… They were staying at my aunt's house when they were in town because she owned the church bookstore there.  So, we got to go eat dinner at IHOP together after one of their performances.
I felt extremely special.  

And today…. we were special, special gems.  And I don't regret it. 

Talking about reading General Conference talks in the Ensign daily… 

"A talk a day keeps Satan away"

-Jennifer Brinkerhoff Platt

Aaaaaaaaaand my absolute favorite wisdom of the day was from Emily Freeman.  

She told a story about a mother who was telling her children to try and remember during their trials the things that helped them and brought them peace during their challenges.  She said that if you can bring comfort to one other person going through the same trial as you experienced, then that trial was worth it.

The last thing I wanted to share was music by Calee Reed.  So talented.  So adorable.  She had such a bright, bubbly personality.  And this song she wrote for her mother is so precious and makes me cry every time I watch it.

Why Is It Important To Gain An Education? Why Does The Lord Want Me To Be Healthy?

I have been a major slacker this month.  So, to make up for it, I'm morphing this week into a DOUBLE LESSON!  BAM BAM KA-CHAOW!!!!!

Get the links to the actual lessons here:

 Why is it important for me to gain an education and develop skills? 

Why does the Lord want me to be healthy?

WARNING:  I'm straying from the Come Follow Me manual this week and going my own direction with the subjects.  I think these areas are important and should be focused on individually, but I also feel like there's a bigger picture here that can encompass them as a whole.  And it compliments the month's theme of being self-reliant too.

When Christ was on the earth, He set the perfect example for us to follow.  We can study the scriptures and learn from the choices He made how we should act and live our lives.  But here's the thing… When Christ was in His youth, we hardly have any information about who He was.  We know the story of him in the temple when He was 12, but then there's a huge gap between then and His ministry when He was a lot older.  

How can the young women relate to him during their teens?

This ONE scripture pretty much sums up his ENTIRE youth:

Luke 2:52

 And Jesus ^aincreased in ^bwisdom and stature, and in ^cfavourwith God and man.

The footnotes for "favour" in this verse translates to "relationship."  We are told four things about the Savior during his teens:

 He increased in wisdom,

He increased in Stature,

He increased his relationship with God,

and He increased his relationship with man

Isn't that awesome?!?!  I LOVE THIS SCRIPTURE!  I love it because, to me, it shows that Christ was WELL BALANCED.  Yes, He was spiritual and spent his youth studying the scriptures and increasing his testimony, BUT he also was able to enjoy other activities.  He was physically active, he had a social life, and he gained knowledge and learned other things outside of the gospel!

When Doctrine and Covenants 58:26-28 talks about being anxiously engaged in a good cause and doing things of our own free will, it makes me happy knowing our Heavenly Father wants us to enjoy our lives and make our own choices to participate in uplifting activities that don't necessarily have to be completely church related.  He's happy when we're playing sports or when we join the school choir or when we dance or when we go bowling with our friends.  As long as it brings to pass righteousness, we are following our Savior's example and we are pleasing our Heavenly Father. 

BALANCE

"You remember lesson about balance?  Lesson not just karate only.  Lesson for whole life.  Whole life have a balance.  Everything be better."

-Mr. Miyagi

Bob Mathias was the Olympic Decathlon gold medalist back in 1948 and 1952.  At age 17, he was the youngest gold medalist to win a track and field event.  My dad used to tell me about him.  You know why he was awesome?  He never came in first in any of his events.  "But Jesse, how can you win the decathlon without placing first in an event?" you may ask.  I'll tell you….

He was well-rounded.  Mathias would always place towards the top of each event.  Most people were ridiculously awesome in a single area, but lacked skill in others.  Bob was balanced and could keep up with the top athletes for each event without necessarily being "the star" of a single area.

Random side note: Ashton Eaton, who just won the Olympic Decathlon last year, went to my rival high school. So we totally competed at the same track meets.  No big deal…

Since we dissected that Luke verse earlier, we can split the lesson up into four categories

MENTAL-

Education is an important part of our Heavenly Father's plan to help us become more like Him.  Obtaining an education provides understanding and skills that can help us develop self-reliance.  Education will also prepare us for greater service in our families, the Church, and the world.

Assign the young women to read individually one of the five paragraphs from the "Education" section of For the Strength of Youth.  Ask them to explain to the class what they read, and discuss why it is important to work diligently now to gain a good education.  Invite the young women to think about and share their goals to gain an education.

PHYSICAL-

Good health is an important part of being self-reliant.  Safeguarding our health will allow us to fulfill our divine potential and serve others more effectively.  The way we treat our bodies affects our spiritual health and our ability to receive guidance from the Holy Ghost.  In order to preserve our health, we should obey the Word of Wisdom, eat nutritious food, exercise regularly, and get adequate sleep.

Christ learned from his earthly father, Joseph, how to be a carpenter.  Do you know how strong carpenters are?  Handling all that heavy wood and equipment every day?  My dad worked in a lumber yard before he left on his mission and because of it, he gained some major arm muscle.  Out of all the missionaries in the Barcelona mission field, he was undefeated at arm wrestling.  He even beat some kid who was a New York high school state wrestling champion.  And he wasn't this huge football player or anything.  He was all skin and bones.  I mean… Look at this guy!!

P.S.  Finding pictures of your parents and grandparents from before you were born is just fantastic.

I like the PHYSICAL HEALTH video this lesson includes.  It's a little long, but I love it when they show different perspectives of youth all around the world.  It's easy to get trapped in your own personal bubble and forget that there are others around you experiencing the same kinds of things.

SPIRITUAL- 

We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us and wants us to draw near to Him.  He has given us the opportunity to pray to Him and has promised to hear and answer our prayers.  We can also come to know Him as we study the scriptures and the words of latter-day prophets and as we strive to become more like Him by following His will.

SOCIAL-  How can the girls work on their relationship with others?  Have the girls read the "Friends" section of For the Strength of Youth.

*****

My desire this week is for the girls to recognize the importance of balancing their lives.  If they find an area they're struggling with or trying to avoid, they should focus on improving it.  All these areas are important and things that Christ worked on developing as well.

You know the FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES quiz you can take to find your love language strengths?  I made a quiz kind of like that to help the girls find out the areas in life they need to work on.  I'm not a scientist or psychiatrist or whatever I need to be to make this a legit "studies show" type of test.  So, it might not actually mean anything logical.  But I thought it might be fun for the girls to help them determine what areas they need improvement in…

FOR EACH PAIR OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS, CIRCLE THE ONE THAT DESCRIBES YOU BEST. 

1.  I’m happy when I’m playing sports.  B

      I love reading.  I could curl up in bed and read for hours.  A

2.   I love weekends when I can go out and hang with my friends.  D

      I try to make it to all my church activities, even if I have to miss out on other activities.  C

3.  Getting good grades at school is very important to me.  A

      After school, I like to go to my friend’s house.  D

4.  I enjoy attend seminary and getting a spiritual boost in the morning.  C

     I love that feeling after working out when you’re sweaty and sore, but know you just did something great for your body.  B

5.   I love it when I log on to Facebook and have lots of new notifications.  D

      I always enjoy P.E. at school because of the activities we get to participate in. B

6.  When I watch TV, I don't mind watching educational channels or documentaries.  A

      I try my best at reading scriptures and praying everyday so I can have the Holy Ghost as my constant companion.  C

7.  When I’m hungry for an afternoon snack, I always try and grab something   healthy, like fresh fruits or veggies from the fridge.  B

     When I pick my class schedule, I get excited about choosing extracurricular activities and taking classes that I actually have an interest in.  A

8.  I enjoy reading General Conference talks and The New Era magazine in my spare time.  C

      I don’t like being home by myself.  I’d rather call a friend and go out.  D

9.  I’m pretty outgoing when it comes to making new friends.  D

     I love the feeling when something “clicks” and all the sudden I understand my homework.  A

10.  I try and workout and exercise on a regular basis.  B

        I like having gospel discussions, even outside of church.  C

11.  I enjoy learning and my classes and teachers at school.  A

        I love going to church and feeling the spirit during all my lessons… {especially Sister Blackburn’s awesome YW lessons}.  C

12.  I like going to school sporting events.  Not so much for the games… Mostly just so I can meet my friends.  D

       I enjoy competing in sport activities and working on improving my athletics.  B

13.  I look forward to graduating and getting my college degree.  A

       When I go out to eat, I try to be aware of what’s healthy on the menu while making my decision.  B

14.  I love Sundays.  I love the spirit I feel when I get home from church and spend the rest of the day relaxing and keeping the Sabbath day holy.  C

       I get excited when I see I got a text message from a friend.  D

15.  I feel guilty if I eat too much junk food.  B

        I like going to girls camp because of the spiritual experience. C

16.  I always look forward to lunchtime at school when I can sit and talk with my friends.  D

       If I finish my homework super early, I don’t mind getting ahead and working on things for class I don’t need to worry about until next week.  A

NOW GO THROUGH YOUR QUIZ AGAIN AND COUNT HOW MANY “A, B, C, AND Ds” YOU CIRCLED AND PLACE THE NUMBER IN BELOW.

A: __________  B: __________  C: __________  D: __________

Which letter had your lowest score?

                    A = MENTAL {KNOWLEDGE}

                    B = PHYSICAL {HEALTH}

                    C = SPIRITUAL {SPIRITUAL}

                    D = SOCIAL {RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEOPLE}

Young Women In Excellence: WhOoOo Is Ready To Stand In Holy Places?

I just wanted to show a couple pictures from last night's Young Women in Excellence activity.  Our Personal Progress leader did such a fantastic job!  A week ago the girls made little rice owls for our "WhOoOo is Ready to Stand in Holy Places?" theme and had the chance to show them off along with some of their projects from throughout the year.  Their owls turned out so cute.

The ideas for the theme and decorations came from Hang a Ribbon on the Moon.

How Can I Learn To Be More Patient?

Get this week's lesson here.

My husband teaches the young men on Sunday, and he's started a tradition of introducing the lessons each week with a funny home video that "semi" has to do with the lesson topic.  I've given in.  It's ridiculous.  So here is my "Patience" video to kick off the beginning of class.

PATIENCE


Invite each young woman to write on a piece of paper a situation that would require patience (encourage them to include not just major traumas but also day-to-day irritations or inconveniences). Have them exchange papers with another young woman, write a response that would show patience, and then share with the class what they have written.

I made these papers to hand out at the beginning of class.  The girls can fill out part one and exchange their papers so they can fill out someone else's part two.

I want to mention the scripture story in Mosiah about Alma and his people who fled into the wilderness and were later captured…

Mosiah 23

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

Mosiah 24

10 And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

15 And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.

Has this ever happened to you before?  Through the Savior's atonement, your burdens can be lightened and you can endure your trials with ease.

I've always wondered about the story where Christ was carrying his cross through the streets and they pulled a man out of the crowd to help him.  I wonder if Heavenly Father allowed that to happen so the Savior could have the opportunity to experience what it feels like to have a burden lifted from His shoulders.  It's like foreshadowing of what He would do later in each of our lives.  How special must that moment have been?

If you look back at the scripture we read in Mosiah, I think a key word in the last verse was CHEERFUL ("they did submit cheerfully…").  We can't just drag ourselves through adversity, we have to continue to have a positive attitude.  No matter what we're dealing with, we can always look around and find things to be thankful for.

ACTIVITY: Give the YW ten seconds to look around the room and try to memorize everything RED in the room.  Make everyone close their eyes and catch them off guard by then asking them to list everything YELLOW they saw.  Explain to them that if we're too busy focusing on everything that's negative in our lives, we miss out on all of the positive blessings surrounding us at the same time.

When Frodo had to destroy the ring and wished it never came to him and that none of this had happened, Gandalf explained:
"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.  All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

Nerd.  Yes, I am a nerd.

Marjorie Pay Hinckley has the best quotes.  I tried to make a handout for one of them, but I ran out of room.  So it's only parts of her quote put together, but it gives the same message  … I tried.

My particular assignment right now is to prepare to be a mother.  This time spent waiting has taught me a lot about patience.  I have learned to trust in the Lord and recognize that He has a better timetable than me and that there's a reason why we haven't been able to have kids.  I don't know the reason yet, but I'm sure when I look back, everything will make sense someday.

I want to explain to the girls how there will be times when we think we know what's best.  But what we don't realize is that we only see a little piece to the puzzle and our Heavenly Father is looking at the whole picture.  I found these pictures at floorsix.blogspot.com that I thought would make a fun activity. The girls can look at these close up shots and try and guess what each picture is.

CLOSE UP

WHOLE PICTURE

CLOSE UP

WHOLE PICTURE

CLOSE UP

WHOLE PICTURE

Also, I have to share this video.  I love President Uchtdorf.  This is seriously one of my favorites…

How Can I Become More Christlike?

Get this week's lesson here.

"Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect."

-3 Nephi 12:48

Give each young woman a copy of the attribute activity on page 126 of Preach My Gospel, and ask her to take a few minutes to complete the self-evaluation. Invite the young women to share what they learn from this activity. Invite a few to share a Christlike attribute they admire in another class member or a family member.

Download PDF version here.

Isley's Baptism

My sweet little niece recently turned eight years old and made the decision to get baptized.  You know how most baptisms have that awkward 10 minutes right after the baptism ordinance is performed where the audience tries to think of something to do to kill time while the kid is changing in the bathroom?  And everyone usually ends up singing lots of primary songs?

I asked Isley if she wanted me to interview her and make a little baptism video that could be playing for everyone while they waited for her to change and she was all about it.  She ended up getting baptized the same day as her best friend, so we made it a video of both of them.  We met at the temple and just had fun walking around taking pictures.

Then I was honored when she asked me to speak on The Holy Ghost at her baptism.

I made the girls think about the best Christmas or Birthday gift they ever received.  I told them about how when I was their age I got a Princess Wishing Star for Christmas.  Does anyone else remember these??  (Starts at 00:15)

Then I told them how today they get to receive one of the GREATEST gifts they'll ever get in their lives ... Better than 500 Princess Wishing Stars!!!  They get to be confirmed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Unlike Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, who have glorified bodies of flesh and bones, the Holy Ghost is a personage of spirit who communicates to our spirits through feelings and impressions.

There's a difference between the GIFT of the Holy Ghost and the INFLUENCE of the Holy Ghost.  Before you are baptized, from time to time, there are opportunities where you might feel the Holy Ghost, but after your baptism and confirmation, you have the right to the constant companionship if you keep the commandments.

I compared it to when Mitch and I were dating.  I hated having to say goodbye to him every night.  I would get so sad when he would go to his house, and I would go to mine.  I just wanted to be with my best friend all the time.  Once we got married I could always be with him.  I didn't have to say goodbye to him every night anymore.  We could stay up late and eat Sea Salt and Vinegar chips at one in the morning together.  Or build forts in the living room and have a sleepover anytime we wanted to.

Kind of the same way, you can always have the spirit with you, and you no longer need to say goodbye to him until next time. 

And he can be your best friend too.  Think of all the traits it takes to be a best friend.  It's someone who...

Helps you be a better person,

comforts you when you're sad,

helps you be brave when you're scared, 

tells you, "Ummmm, you probably shouldn't do that" when you're about to get into trouble.

The Holy Ghost does all of these exact things!!!

He is one of my best friends.  He has comforted me when I have been very, very sad.  He has helped me find courage at times when I was afraid.  He has protected me and led me out of dangerous situations.  He makes me smile, because I'm happy and uplifted when I feel His presence.  And He has helped my understanding and testimony to grow.  It is because of Him that I know I am a daughter of God who has a Heavenly Father who loves me.  I can feel the love of my Savior and so much more because I have the Holy Ghost in my life.  I am so grateful for Him!

I ended by giving the girls little gifts to remind them of the real gift they were receiving that day.  They got some cozy socks and cozy gloves to remind them of the comfort that the Holy Ghost can bring them.

He is the comforter.  As the soothing voice of a loving parent can quiet a crying child, the whisperings of the spirit can calm your fears, hush the nagging worries of your life, and comfort you when you grieve.

If You Could Hie To Kolob

I love my mom so much! She wrote this song for me so we could perform it together. If You Could Hie To Kolob is my favorite hymn, and this is her arrangement. I usually can't get through it without tearing up. She was truly inspired from a higher source when she wrote this. It's one of those songs that you have to hear live though.  A recording doesn't do it justice! So, I usually listen to it with my headphones blasting. I love you mom! Thank you so much for sharing your talent!

If you could hie to Kolob

In the twinkling of an eye,

And then continue onward

With that same speed to fly,

Do you think that you could ever,

Through all eternity,

Find out the generation

Where Gods began to be?

Or see the grand beginning,

Where space did not extend?

Or view the last creation,

Where Gods and matter end?

Methinks the Spirit whispers,

"No man has found 'pure space,'

Nor seen the outside curtains,

Where nothing has a place." ...

To download the SHEET MUSIC for the PIANO click here.

To download the SHEET MUSIC for the CELLO click here.

To visit my mom's music blog click here.

I love my mom's wording when she explains writing this song.  "The piece beings with contemplation--mysterious almost, but soon gains in strength and urgency, as one reaching desperately to comprehend greater things.  It's the music of a soul yearning for higher understanding."

How grateful I am that our Heavenly Father allows our curious minds to reach a greater understanding when we search it out.  He welcomes our questions and rewards us with inspiration when we do our part of pondering, praying, and studying.  I'm grateful for the mysteries of the gospel that allows us to seek Him out on our own and receive personal revelation allowing our testimonies to grow.  The lyrics to this song inspire me to do just that.

Why Are We Commanded To Keep The Sabbath Day Holy?

Get this week's lesson here.

This survey comes from the Sunday School Course 16 Manual

Download PDF version here.

Or, for the young men, I made a manly version here.

I found an amazing object lesson for this week by MeckMom.  She mentions how our minds, bodies, and spirits all follow a pattern of needing to rest and regenerate.  Try and have a young women memorize a long number and write it down on the chalkboard (example: 2657483619274958).  Impossible, right?  Read the number to her once more, but this time break up the digits into fours (2657-4836-1927-4958).  With the little rests between, our brains are able to gather the information easier.  Our bodies and spirits do the same thing!

I also shared the story President Monson told about Brother Clayton M. Christensen....
When he was 16 years old, Brother Christensen decided, among other things, that he would not play sports on Sunday. Years later, when he attended Oxford University in England, he played center on the basketball team. That year they had an undefeated season and went through to the British equivalent of what in the United States would be the NCAA basketball tournament.

They won their games fairly easily in the tournament, making it to the final four. It was then that Brother Christensen looked at the schedule and, to his absolute horror, saw that the final basketball game was scheduled to be played on a Sunday. He and the team had worked so hard to get where they were, and he was the starting center. He went to his coach with his dilemma. His coach was unsympathetic and told Brother Christensen he expected him to play in the game.

Prior to the final game, however, there was a semifinal game. Unfortunately, the backup center dislocated his shoulder, which increased the pressure on Brother Christensen to play in the final game. He went to his hotel room. He knelt down. He asked his Heavenly Father if it would be all right, just this once, if he played that game on Sunday. He said that before he had finished praying, he received the answer: “Clayton, what are you even asking me for? You know the answer.”

He went to his coach, telling him how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be playing in the final game. Then he went to the Sunday meetings in the local ward while his team played without him. He prayed mightily for their success. They did win.

That fateful, difficult decision was made more than 30 years ago. Brother Christensen has said that as time has passed, he considers it one of the most important decisions he ever made. It would have been very easy to have said, “You know, in general, keeping the Sabbath day holy is the right commandment, but in my particular extenuating circumstance, it’s okay, just this once, if I don’t do it.” However, he says his entire life has turned out to be an unending stream of extenuating circumstances, and had he crossed the line just that once, then the next time something came up that was so demanding and critical, it would have been so much easier to cross the line again. The lesson he learned is that it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time than it is 98 percent of the time.

Something that has always helped me invite the spirit into my home is uplifting music.  The church website has so many great songs that you can download for free.  I made the girls a CD of Sunday songs they could pop in a CD player, or add as a playlist on their phones to listen to when they're putting on makeup in the morning before church, or throughout the day.  It has EFY songs, MoTab, and a couple songs that my mom wrote as well.

The image I used to print on the CDs came from Melonheadz LDS Illustrations.

I tried to decide what I could do this week to make this lesson stand out.  I realized that when the girls grow up, they probably wont have many days where they look back and remember that one lesson we talked about why we're commanded to keep the sabbath day holy.  BUT... maybe they will remember the day we went to church and ate ICE CREAM SUNDAES!!!!  Then they can associate that memory with feeling the spirit that day, right?

I wish I brought my camera to church.  It was so fun.  I filled little mason jars with sprinkles and cherries and nuts, and we used little DoubleBerry Frozen Yogurt spoons.  Then all the girls piled on chocolate syrup and whipped cream and created their own sundae masterpieces.  I heart ice cream.