Extraordinary Ministering Sisters

This blog is filled with all kinds of tips, handouts and ideas that can help to motivate and fulfill your calling as a Ministering Sister, and more because it is filled with helpful ideas for Relief Society related topics. PLEASE JOIN US ON our Facebook Group page called : Extraordinary Ministering Sisters https://www.facebook.com/groups/ExtraordinaryMinisteringSisters/

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!



I found this darling little Vintage Thanksgiving Card online and want to share the link where I found it as there are a lot of wonderful vintage pictures there to enjoy.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Thanksgiving-vintage-postcards

I wish to thank all of you for visiting my blogs and enjoying the things I create to help you in your efforts with Visiting Teaching, friendship or just for fun. I count my many blessings daily and want to publicly acknowledge my gratitude to my loving Heavenly Father for blessing me with some talents that I not only enjoy but can share and help in serving others. This time of year when we do count our blessings, I also count mine for improving health, for a loving and wonderful husband, for my children, and grandchildren and extended family. I live in Thanksgiving Daily ( Literally) and I have an attitude of Gratitude for all my blessings. I acknowledge the Lords hand in my life and know that my path is directed by Him.

May the Lord bless you and yours this Thankful time of year and may the choicest of the Lords blessings be upon you and your family. May your needs be met, and your hearts be full. Happy Thanksgiving!

Love, Katie G.


Another little Thanksgiving gift for you!

I have a new little printable gift idea for you for Thanksgiving that you might want to take a look at in my storage vault blog.... Visiting Teaching Surprise. Click on this link http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanksgiving-gift-or-table-favor.html
and it will take you there in a flash! Enjoy! Katie G.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

November 2009 Visiting Teaching

(As all of you know, the message for this month is to be taken from the October 2009 Conference talks found in this months Ensign or online at http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=a6246a008952b010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD I love it when twice a year we get to select from one of the talks and share that message with the women that we Visit Teach. I was especially happy about the talk that I selected for my message that I will give today and this coming Friday to my sisters. Both sisters that I visit have some heavy burdens that have been imposed on them through the actions and choices of their children. These actions cause them heartache and grief, as well all know who have had teenagers and children who have strayed. The talk that I remembered while listening to Conference was given on the Saturday morning session by Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy, entitled "That Your Burdens May Be Light". I remember thinking about where I have been in my own experiences and where I am now as a result of them. I thought about what I learned at the time and how I can help others from my experience. My husband and I are serving as part time service missionaries in the LDS Addiction Recovery Program. We serve weekly and have for the past 2 and a half years, being the group leaders in the Addiction Recovery meetings. We have served both the English and Spanish Speaking communities and have loved every minute of it. We believe that our experiences of the past have prepared us to be teaching in this program. The Lord prepared us and we have accepted and what a great blessing this is of serving Heavenly Fathers children who have strayed in one way or another, and are trying to come back. It is a spiritual feast, ever week and we feel so very grateful to be in His service.
Back to the lesson... The lesson begins by this..."Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection. The message begins with a visual by Elder Clayton of seeing an indigenous man high up in the Andes mountains loaded up with firewood upon his back. This load must have weighed as much as the man and he was bent down and leaned forward taking deliberate steps forward to keep balanced and moving toward the marketplace that he would eventually sell the wood. He made 2 - 3 trips loaded down like that daily. Elder Clayton then says... "People struggle everyday under burdens that tax their souls. They can be emotionally or physically ponderous. They can be worrisome, oppressive and exhausting and they continue for years".

He clarified burdens that come from three sources..

1. The natural product of the conditions of the world such as Illness, physical disability, hurricanes and earthquakes come from no fault of our own.
2. Other burdens are imposed upon us by the misconduct of others such as abuse and addictions, sin, incorrect traditions, repression and crime scatter burdened victims. Even misdeeds such as gossip, and unkindness can cause genuine suffering.
3. Our own mistakes and shortcomings produce many of our problems and can place heavy burdens on our own shoulders, and the worst one is sin. We all know the remorse and pain that inevitably follow our failure to keep the commandments.

"Our unique individual experiences can help us prepare to return to him. The adversity and afflictions that are ours, however difficult to bear, last, from heavens' s prospective, for "but a small moment; and then, if [we] endure it well, God shall exalt [us] on high." (D&C 121:7-8)We must do everything we can do to bear our burdens "well" for however long our "small moment" carrying them lasts". "Burdens provide opportunities to practice virtues that contribute to eventual perfection.... Thus burdens become blessings, though often such blessings are well disguised and may require time, effort and faith to accept and understand."

Elder Clayton goes on to say that Further, bearing up under our own burdens can help us develop a reservoir of empathy for the problems others face. The Apostle Paul taught "Accordingly, our baptismal covenants require that we should be willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; yea, and [be] willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." (Mosiah 18:8-9) Those who offer such assistance to others stand on holy ground. In explaining this, the Savior taught: "When saw we thee and hungered, and fed the? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? "When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? "Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and and came unto thee? "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt 25: 35 - 40)
Through it all , the Savior offers us sustaining strength and support and in His own time and way he offers deliverance. Then it goes on to talk about the Story of Alma and his followers when they had escaped from King Noach and established a community called Helam. They tilled the ground, built buildings and were prospering until the Lamanites brought them into bondage and they knew that they would not be delivered unless it came from the Lord. Their deliverance didn't come right away. The Lamanites put tasks on them and threatened them that if they prayed that they would be put to death. The Lord did deliver them though stages beginning with easing the burdens that they had "that you cannot feel them upon your backs even while you are in bondage and this I will 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." (Mosiah 24: 14 - 16)
This story doesn't end here, it goes on to tell that the burdens of Alma and his brethren were mad light and that they were strengthened so that they could bear their burdens with ease. Because of the faith and patience of these people in bearing their burdens so well, the Lord came to them again and said, "Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage." Well we know what happened on the morrow. The Lamanites were all caused to be in a deep sleep and the people of Alma simply walked out of their bondage and the city while the Lamanites slept.

I love the next part of this story. After they were far enough away, they pitched their tents and prayed and praised the Lord. They expressed their gratitude and thanksgiving for their deliverance. How many of us who are delivered from Bondage from the Lord remember who made it possible for us? How much praise and Thanksgiving do we offer, or as time goes on, and passes, do we forget? I submit, during this season of Thanksgiving, that we bring back to remembrance, all the great and wonderful blessings that the Lord has given to us. In prayer, in our words and deeds, we can give back to Him who has blessed us so greatly.
Mercifully, the Son of God offers us deliverance from the bondage of our sins, which are amoung the heaviest of all the burdens we bear. During His Atonement He suffered "according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according the power of his deliverance." (Alma 7:13) Christ "suffered those these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent." (D & C 19:15) When we repent and keep the commandments, forgiveness and relief from our burdened conscience comes with the help that only the Savior offers, for "surely whosoever repenteth shall find mercy." (D & C 19:16)
The last paragraph of the talk says, I remember that man in Peru, hunched over and struggling to carry that enormous sack of firewood on his back. For me he is the image of all of us as we struggle with the burdens of life. I know that as we keep the commandments of God, and our covenants, He helps us with our burdens. He strengthens us. When we repent, he Forgives us and blesses us with peace of conscience and joy.

You can find the handout that I prepared to go with this lesson for the ladies that I Visit teach at this link http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/2009/11/november-2009-visiting-teaching-handout.html

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Kidmarks


I thought I made up a new word, but I looked it up on the Internet and someone else defined my word. The word is Kidmarks and they defined it as "marks left on walls and window's by kids". I guess that just about sums it up. Everyone has them, or at least those who have kids around. Parents have kidmarks and so do grandparents, and I want to say that I have them and consider them as a badge of honor. Kidmarks to me mean that I have had my little grandchildren around and have enjoyed them and ignored the messes they've made or the kidmarks they have placed in my house. Instead, I have some wonderful memories each and every time of time spent enjoying their presence in my life. These memories and time we share together are irreplacable, but the kidmarks can be wiped off any old time.

What brought up this subject? Well .... two days a week, my husband has a part time employee come to our home and do some work for him. Her office is in the basement, but she enters through our front door, passing by my husbands office, before getting to the stairway to the basement. Every morning that I know she is coming over, I think about the kidmarks left on the glass panels by the door, and that I need to shine my windows so that the kidmarks don't show. My husband has double glass french doors that enter his office, and they are usually loaded with kidmarks, so I would need to go shine them as well before our employee enters our home. In fact, I am going to take a moment to stop this post, to go shine the kidmarks before she comes. I'll be right back.....!

Ok, now the kidmarks are gone... but not the memories of the children who left them. This past weekend, I went down to southern Utah to a Boutique and fair that I chose to participate in. I invited my mother to go with me. The trip was a long one and I knew that it would not be fun with my Mom as she tends to really irritate me with her backseat driving, so I made a plan. Since I am on my wards Family History committee, and I know that I need to get my own family history done, I thought I would take the opportunity to interview my Mom about memories that she has of grandparents that I never knew. My mother is 76 now and who knows how long she will be with us, and her memories will go with her. I also knew that if I got her talking about other things, she wouldn't be able to backseat drive as bad as she does, and I could be much less irritated.

I asked Mother about her grandparents on her Robinson side. I never knew them however I have seen pictures. Not much as ever been said about them, and I wanted to know some of my Mothers memories of her Grandparents. She began to tell me that when she thinks of this grandmother, she sees a woman who hardly ever smiles, wearing an apron and always carrying a wash cloth around in her hand. This grandmother was an absolute perfectionist and nothing was ever out of place or had any kid marks whatsoever. Mother told me that her wood floors always shined like they were freshly waxed and that everyone had to remove their shoes before even thinking about entering her house. The lawn, trees, shrubs and gardens were always meticulously manicured but there was never a toy or swing set or anything that might detract from the beauty of their land. When my mother went to this grandmothers house, she was a tin soldier, trying not to make a move for fear she would get in trouble.

My mother mentioned that her grandmother's daughter who lived at home until she was married in her 30's also wore crisply ironed aprons, and constantly carried a wash cloth around in her hand. She remembers seeing her grandmother and Aunt, wiping behind them when they touched the banister, or a wall, or even the chairs. Towels were spread where the grandchildren sat on the couch or chairs, just in case the grand kids made any kind of a mess.

My mother told me she has NO memories of playing in that house with her grandmother, sitting down and drawing or even catching a ball together. When she went to her grandmothers house, she never had a happy feeling, and always felt that her presence there was an imposition or a possibility for grandma to have more cleaning to do. My mother remember one day when her younger brother who had to be only 3 or so at the time of this memory, went up to the front door and pressed his little hands and face against the window panel by the door. When Grandma saw this, she went into a complete tizzy, getting angry with little Gary and telling him that he can never touch the windows.

My mother told me of how she hated to go over to this grandmothers home for dinner because she always felt like she was going to get in trouble if she spilled. When she would arrive, t here were towels spread all over the children's chairs that they would sit on, and underneath the chairs and even under the dishes and utensils so that if one spill happened, it would be caught. My mother lived in fear of spilling even one crumb on Grandma's shiny floor, or her embroidered lace tablecloth. No fond memories were made at this grandmothers house. No happy times were shared. To this day the childhood memories of my mother about her grandmother are cold and unfriendly. How very sad that is!

In contrast to this story, my own mother had a grandmother on their mothers side, who was the exact opposite. Grandmother Cunningham was left a widow shortly after the birth of her 13th child. Her husband was a brick mason and fell off a platform while working on a multi story building in Provo, Utah. It was presumed he had a heat stroke as he was working in the hot sun. Anyway, having many children must be the reason that she was so kid friendly in her home. There were kidmarks found everywhere as they lived in a 3 room home for many years. Kids were everywhere, yet she provided an environment where each child knew they were loved and wanted.

Grandma Cunningham had a huge, ball and claw dining table, where ever night mom and kids would gather for prayers. Grandma had always prepared the chairs, so that the seats faced outward instead of under the table, so that the kids could kneel and rest their arms on the chair seats. My own Grandmother Robinson, or my mothers mother, remembered how hard those wood floors would feel on their knees, as they prayed every night. She remembered when Grandma Cunningham would pray, it was the worst, because her prayers were long as she expressed gratitude for everything she had from the cow, that gave them milk and cream, to the apples and peaches on the trees, and for the home and shelter, and on and on, that by the time that she was done, each child felt like they were the richest of humans, because of all the things that Grandma thanked God for. They never realized just how poor and humble they were, because Grandma Cunningham's gratitude made them feel rich.

My Mother shared memories on that long trip of her Grandmother Cunningham's wonderful way of making her feel loved. She remembered that there was always a quilt up in the living room, and all the grandchildren played house and dolls under those quilts. Grandmother would get out her buttons and let the grand kids play with them and my mother remembers sorting them for hours at a time with her cousins, and vying to get the best buttons. She remembers how dusting grandmothers figurines were something to be sought after and the person that Grandmother chose to do that chore was so honored to do so. Nobody ever touched Grandma's figurines and curios, except for those who were chosen to dust them. My mother said that those figurines were nothing spectacular, costly or even valuable, but Grandmother Cunningham was grateful for all she had and treated everything with love, respect and care. This attitude for gratitude was passed on to all her children.

The stories that my mother shared with me on this trip made the trip wonderful. Though there was still alittle back seat driving, these stories created a diversion from the focus on that to something that was meaningful and wonderful to share. I will never forget the memories that have been created with my mother, by this drive to a fair, and neither will she.

Back to kidmarks... When my little granddaughter and grandson from Park City come to my house, I know that they are here when I hear a tap, tap, tapping on my side panel windows at my front door. There like two little monkeys one on the others shoulders figuratively speaking, are the faces and hands of these little ones, stuck to the window panel. When I get closer to the door, I see the smiles on their faces, and noses scrunched up pressing on the window. I see their little hands waving wildly with anticipation of seeing me walking toward them. I open up the door and both of them grab hold of my legs and hug me tightly. I bend down, and each of them give me a 'Tight Squeeze" as they call it around my neck. I lift them up and plaster them with kisses on their cheeks and tell them how happy I am to see them. Their little voices are all a flutter with wanting to be the first to tell me their stories of what happened lately in their lives.
As all of this transpires, I notice the kidmarks on the windows. How blessed I am for those kidmarks and I hope that they will always be there for me to enjoy. No washcloth in hand to wipe off kidmarks of windows an doors, for me, because there is no room for a washcloth as I am holding the hands of my precious little ones.

To close this epistle I just want to say... Enjoy every single moment in the lives of your children and grandchildren. Take the time to love and laugh and talk and giggle. Take the time for tea parties and cookie baking days. Take the time to make the memories that will last with your children and grandchildren. Those kidmarks will always be there, and they can be wiped up when the kids go home, and you will remember long after the kids are gone who made them, that they were there, and you were happy to have them in your life even for but a moment. Make the moments last forever in the lives of your children, and engrave in your own memory!

Hand prints
Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my hand print
On furniture and wall

But everyday I'm growing
(I'll be all grown someday)
And all those tiny hand prints
Will surely fade away.

So here's a final hand print
Just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When they were very small.
--T. Lambert, Jr.

I found this cute poem and the blue hand prints at karenspoetryspot.blogspot.com/

Saturday, November 7, 2009

November 2009 Visiting Teaching Message


Since the November Ensign contains the General Conference messages from October 2009, you should select a message to share from those talks. Good luck choosing just one as they once again, as in all Conferences, were fabulous. You can find them online here.... http://www.lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1117,00.html Enjoy reading or listening!!!!


General Conference Talks

Hear the words of the living prophets.
General Conference Reports
Proceedings of Recent General Conferences
There is no question in my mind, that we who call ourselves Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints are indeed Christians. Those who would say otherwise remind me of the words my Savior, Jesus Christ spoke as He hung upon the cross... "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." This same Jesus Christ attoned for my sins, and died that we all might live.

What shall we give?

<>Other wonderful Christmas Videos, go to \http://www.lds.org/topic/christmas/christmas-videos.html

An Apostles Easter Thoughts on Christ

"This Easter and throughout the year, may we have uppermost in our minds His divine teachings, the unparalleled example of His pure love, and His willing sacrifice of self to accomplish the holy purposes of God, the Eternal Father." The First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints"

This short video is an Important message from the mouths of our Prophets!

My sister sent this to me today and I feel like it is an important enough message, that I wanted to share it with all of my blog readership. The words spoken are directly out of the mouths of our Prophets, past and present. Hear them, heed them. Love, Katie G. You can find this at this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehD390q9G3k

July 24th - Pioneer Day

July 24th - Pioneer Day
Click on the picture and it will take you to the last post. Did you get your Visiting Teaching done by today? If not, just keep on trying, just like the pioneers. I would love to hear what you have learned from these wonderful Pioneer Women's stories. I know that I have learned alot about sacrifice, and persecutions of the early saints, and of a strong testimony that these Pioneers had to have to endure all that they did, and gave in establishing zion. Once again, I say, Blessed, honored Pioneer! If you would like to comment, please email me at ktgauger@gmail.com or click on the link and comment on the last story. Happy Pioneer Day! Love, Katie G.

July 22 -Maggie Anna Ferrell Orr

July  22 -Maggie Anna Ferrell Orr
Copy and paste into your address bar and this will take you to the story of Maggie Anna Ferrell Orr, another of the wonderful Pioneering Women.

By now you should be alittle curious about your pioneer heritage.

By now you should be alittle curious about your pioneer heritage.
Do you want to find out if you have Pioneer ancestry. This site is most useful to those who have had members of their family tree that belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the Mormon migration period of 1847-1868. By the way, the goal for this Pioneer Women Journey is about to reach it's end. You only have one more day to do your Visiting teaching, before the 24th of July, which was the goal. You still have time to push the proverbial handcart up the hill, so get out and get it done. Share a pioneer story with your sisters, and you have pleanty to choose from right on this site.

My broken wagon wheel, hath bit the dust!

My broken wagon wheel, hath bit the dust!
Wo is me, I am so behind on my own treck of keeping up wonderful Pioneer women posts. Actually I have a great excuse, and almost made it when I realized how little I have to complain about. Ok, so I am going to tell you anyway. My air conditioning has been off for 6 days now, and I am having to live in my basement, though my computer in upstairs. It is ten degrees cooler in the basement, but my main floor has been up to 92 degrees inside my house. Wo is me.... and what do I have to moan about. I began thinking about the pioneers in their covered wagons, crossing the hot, hot prairie, and their only hope of relief from the blazing sun is the cool shade of a tree, or a stream, or night time if it cooled off enough for them to actually sleep. I have not slept well until I decided to go in the basement. Wo is me. What do I have to complain about. I have been so sick from the heat and a medication change that I have been nauseated all day long. So what do I do... hop in my car and go to Walgreens and get some acupressure wrist bands that took away some of my nausea. Wo is me, but what do I have to complain about.... the pioneer women suffered without any relief. If herbs didn't work for them, or if they didn't have access to them, they just suffered. I feel so blessed to live in this day and age where even if I have to be inconvienenced by having no air conditioning, I still can go in my basement, or hop in my car and turn up the air full blast, or just drive down to a store and walk around and shop, or even go to the pool and cool down that way. You know that poem.... "Father forgive me when I whine, I have two legs, the world is mine"? I have no reason to complain, but you still didn't get the updates on the Pioneer women because I am still too sick and hot to stay upstairs long enough to do them. Count this one as an update and count your blessings along with me. The wagon might be broke for a bit, but once the wheel is back on, the wagon will keep on rollin. Now, I am going to hurry back down stairs and try to replenish the sweat that is pouring off my face and body with gatorade. Don't give up on me, I will be back! Love, Katie G.

July 17 - Handmade by the Pioneers

July 16 - Margaret Alice McBride

July 16 - Margaret Alice McBride
....You know the drill... click on the photo and it will take you to the story of Margaret Alice McBride. Enjoy! Katie G

July 15 - Julia Ann Chapman Lee

July 15 - Julia Ann Chapman Lee
This story is told through the eyes of Julia's husband. It is a short but touching story, all to familiar to Pioneers. Click on the image and you will be directed to the story.

July 14 - Louisa Miller Belleston

July 14 - Louisa Miller Belleston
I thought it was important to realize that not all pioneers only traveled from Missiouri, Ohio or other Eastern States, but many were converted to the church and traveled from overseas. This story tells of the Church Emigration fund, and Louisa's family traveling first by boat and then on to Utah. Their travel took them 8 months to get there, with their fair share of challenges. Click on the picture and it will take you directly to the story.

July 13 - Mary Ann Payne

July 13 -  Mary Ann Payne
This is a cute little story about Mary Ann Payne that I found, and I know that you will enjoy reading about her. She is the top right photo. Click on the photo and it will direct you to the link that has the story. Enjoy!

July 12 - Margaret McNeil (Ballard)

July 12 - Margaret McNeil (Ballard)
Click on the picture of Margaret and you will be taken to the link that you can read about her.

July 11 - Jane Jenkins Howe

July 11 -  Jane Jenkins Howe
Please click on the photo to see the history of Jane Jenkins Howe entitled - A WIDOW SUPPORTING HER FAMILY

July 10 - Julia Anne Phippen Eldredge Evans

July 10 - Julia Anne Phippen Eldredge Evans
Click on the photo and it will take you to the link to read about Julia Anne Phippen Eldredge Evans

July 9 – Camilla Dorothy Jacobsen Corbett

July 9 – Camilla Dorothy Jacobsen Corbett
Click on the photo and it will take you to the link to read about this amazing Pioneer woman

July 8 - Catherine Gougar Goodman

July 8 - Catherine Gougar Goodman
This is a short story of a non-Utah Pioneer woman, who was taken by the indians as a little girl, and to read the rest of the story, you will have to click on the picture and it will take you to the link you need.

July 7 - Elizabeth Case Miliam Wheeler

July 7 - Elizabeth Case Miliam Wheeler
The life of this marvelous Pioneer woman can be found by clicking on the photo which will take you directly to the link. This woman is classic Mormon History as her story tells of her being apart of so many of the historical accounts in Nauvoo, Hauns Mill, handcart pioneers, and so much more. I found her story so interesting that I couldn't stop reading until it reached the end. It was also interesting to me that she was given 3 Patriarical blessings in her lifetime, and she was truely a wonderful woman. I know you will enjoy reading about her as I did. Love, Katie G.

July 6 - Pioneer Cooking

Since all of us cook, I thought it might be interesting to find out what Pioneer Women cooked, how they did it and recipes they used. I found quite a few recipes, but I would like to open this one up to you and if you have any authentic pioneer recipes, please send them to me and I will add them to this post. My email is just to the right of this page.

Click on this link to take you to the Pioneer Recipes:
http://visitingteachingsurprisedocuments.blogspot.com/2009/07/pioneer-recipes.html

I was also thinking that if you were to copy some of these recipes and print them off, that might be a fun handout for the Sisters you Visit Teach!

July 5 - Ann Parker

July 5 - Ann Parker
Sorry I am so late posting this story, but click on the photo and it will take you to the link where her story will be told.

July 4 - Margaret Ann Howard McBride (My Ancestor)

July 4 - Margaret Ann Howard McBride (My Ancestor)
I had to post about someone very special to me on this day. I chose one of my ancestors whose trek took her with the other ill fated pioneers of the Martin Handcart Company. I could not locate her photo, so I substituted one of her son's wives photos. Click on the photo and it will take you to the account given by two of her sons, of what she and her family dealt with after joining the church.

July 3 – Elizabeth Simpson Haigh Bradshaw

July 3 – Elizabeth Simpson Haigh Bradshaw
I hope that you are enjoying so far, the stories of these wonderful Pioneer women. I hope too that your testimony will strengthen as you read about those who came before us and the unimaginable things that they had to do to pioneer the way for us to have what we do in our wonderful church. My gratitude and love for them has deeply increased, and I would echo the words in the hymn..."Blessed, honored, Pioneer!" Click on the photo of Elizabeth and it will take you to her history and for more reading about Elizabeth, you can go to http://students.ou.edu/G/Erin.R.Ging-1/story3.html Also there is another account of Elizabeth found in a book that you can read by going to this link... http://books.google.com/books?id=rzkAcWtngX4C&pg=PA104&lpg=PA104&dq=BRADSHAW,+Elizabeth+Simpson+Haigh&source=bl&ots=UJEtgTZ4Sf&sig=2h_qWhKeYEiK6hM8ev95tiRuu2M&hl=en&ei=kHE-SpW4JpDosQOe94n0CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4

July 2nd - Diana Lucina Spicer Block

You can find the posting of a marvelous Pioneer woman, whom I have chosen to spotlight on my other blog that is located at http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/ and just click on the link and it will take you there! I hope you are having some good Pioneer fun!

July 1st - Anne Eliza Leavitt Baker

July 1st - Anne Eliza Leavitt Baker
Did you think I forgot? Actually my life became so hectic today, that I am just getting some time to make my first Pioneer woman post. I hope you will enjoy reading about these marvelous women who came before us. I hope that you can feel their courage and understand that we too have a purpose for living in our generation. We are the generation that lives to prepare for the second coming of Christ,though none of us know when that will be.... and with that I will just say... Keep your wagons rolling along in good works, do your Visiting Teaching, strengthen your sisters through your testimony and determination to get your visiting Teaching done. Click on the photo and it will take you to the link where you can read about our Anne, who is most likely the woman in the middle front of the photo, holding the baby.

Visiting Teaching Tips, handouts and Ideas
For many years, I have been creating very cute and fun things to take to the ladies I Visit Teach. I have shared from time to time, my ideas with others and they have really appreciated them. I decided that since I do these anyway, I would start doing one every month and then post it on this blog to share with anyone for their Visiting Teaching. I do need to make a disclaimer.... the ideas, thoughts, stories, graphics etc. used are created by me and they are not in any way official LDS Church quotes, handouts or ideas. They are my creations or others as noted, except for the quotes that will come directly from the Monthly Visiting Teaching message found in the Ensign. Also, many thanks to the talented designers of the digital paper and elements that I use to create the beautiful artwork, and handouts you see on my blog.

You can go to http://www.lds.org/ and look up and even print the monthly message if you do not have your own Ensign magazine subscription in English or to choose to read the Liahona or Ensign in a different language go to http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=03103c7ff44f2010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD&locale=0.
For Spanish you can go to http://www.sud.org.es/

I highly recommend you get your own subscription because you will find a wealth of really good & wholesome, moral reading, that you can't find anywhere else. If you go to http://www.lds.org/ and click on "Gospel Library" then click on "Magazines" you can order your own Ensign, Liahona, New Era, or Friend magazines.
Posted by Katie Gauger at
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Downloading

When you click on the pictures or ideas that I have on my site for you to download, sometimes the picture ends up really large. What you need to do to size it is to go to the "page button" then click on zoom. Take it down to 50% and that should fit better on your screen for viewing . Also, if you right click "save picture as" then save it to a file on your computer, you can size it using your own desktop publishing program and then print it off with my compliments! Enjoy!

A February Enrichment Idea

A February Enrichment Idea
"The Hearts of Angels" dinner & program. Click on the picture and it will take you to where you can find the entire program written out. Once you get to the site which is my Visiting teaching surprise, make sure to scroll down a ways because there are alot of other great ideas, printables and handoust before you will find this wonderful "Angelic' program. Enjoy!

Enrichment Ideas Anyone?

Enrichment Ideas Anyone?
I have also been enrichment leader from time to time as well as have been asked to do many projects for Enrichments. I am not sure if anyone would be interested in some of my ideas, but if you are, please leave me a comment and I will respond. One thing that relates to Visiting Teaching that I wanted to share is something I have taught for many years, and in fact my Daughter in her Park City ward just used this idea in their Super Saturday last week for the second time. It is Glass etching and it is really pretty easy and turns out to be a great project. The etching I do is etching glass casserole or platters with the name of the person who will receive this gift or for whomever is signed up for the class. I have given etched casserole dishes as wedding gifts and have taken many casseroles, rolls, cakes, and all kinds of goodies to people, and always get my dish back, because it has my name etched in it. Go to http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com/ to get instructions.

Gardening with Kids

Gardening with Kids
Read the idea below

"Returning to the Past" A Relief Society Activity Idea

This is an email I received from a wonderful sister as well as a new Relief Society President about an idea that they will be doing as a theme for their activities for this year. (if you have a great idea to share, please email me at katie1956gauger@mindspring.com and we can add it to all the other terriffic ideas!

Dear Katie,
I just found your blog. It is so great. I love the idea of the Hearts of Angels. I am trying to figure out how we can use it for our VT conference and incorporate some of the things for our VT interviews. I am a new R/S president and all these things we have to do throughout the year are a little overwhelming. I love all of you ideas. So much work involved, thank you for being willing to share with all of us! I would love anything else you could pass my way.
WE had the thought earlier to use a theme of "Returning to the past" for our activities this year. So all of your old-fashioned pictures will be great to use as invites and handouts.
You might be interested in the idea we had for our B-Day dinner. We always have a progressive dinner in December to the homes of different sisters. We divide them up into about 5 smaller groups and go around to the different sisters homes in the ward. Because of the weather we cancelled it and had it at the church. We decided to do it for our B-Day dinner instead when the weather would be better. We are having the women bring a sack lunch with them and to wear something old, like a grandmothers broach or shawl, or to dress up in the time of the 1800's, and to bring a pint jar with a lid. We will have the sisters make lemonade at the first house and take with them in the jar that they brought, and then go to the next house. At the last house we will have and old fashioned cake to serve like apple walnut cake or something like that.
We still have some details to work out but at the end each member of the presidency will be at a different home and will share a prepared script. It will be written as if they were at the very first R/S meeting when the prophet Joseph Smith organized the R/S with just a handful of women.
Anyway, thank you for sharing what you have! You have a great talent!
Stacey McClellan - Blackfoot, Idaho


SELF RELIANT SISTERS BLOG HAS A GREAT ACTIVITY ABOUT GARDENING WITH KIDS - go to http://selfreliantsisters.blogspot.com/ It is well worth the time and a terriffic idea as Spring is just around the corner! Here is a tiny bit of information that you will see at the site.....

Gardening with Kids has great tips on getting kids started with gardening. Give your child some space; literally! Kids loving having spaces that are all their own, whether it`s their own desk area in the house, or the tent they've created with chairs and blankets in the family room. The same is true for gardening. Dedicate a small plot of the garden just for them. Put a fancy border around it, perhaps purchase one of the stepping stone making kits found at crafts stores in which they can mold their name and make their hand print.
Let them join you at the nursery. Let your kids know you value their opinion. Ask them which kinds of plants, flowers, and vegetables they like. Explain what will work well in your garden and what won't.
Give them (limited) choices. While you're at the nursery, ask them if they'd like pansies or petunias, marigolds or zinnias. This will give them the feeling of power without letting it get out of control.
Remind them money doesn't grow on trees. With older children discuss the budget. Let them help select seeds and blossoming plants at the nursery - and turn it into a math lesson. Let your child do the money calculations; they can tell you when the money runs out.
Let your child do what he will (especially if you have a preschooler). Let him dig, explore, play with bugs. You may be tempted to steer your child in another direction (like actually watering or weeding his garden), but this is a great way for your child to explore this exciting new universe.
Plan, plan, plan. If you have older children, say 8 or 9 or older, let them plot out their own garden on paper. Provide him or her with graph paper, pencils and seed catalogs. Give them a group of flowers and vegetables from which to choose, and then let them draw out their garden.
Get them their own gardening tools. Nothing will motivate your little gardener more than having her own little shovel, her own gardening gloves, and her own watering pail. And don't forget those bright colored rubber boots.
You need to go to the site and explore all the rest of the links and ideas.