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/

Saturday, February 26, 2011

God has a plan for me

My Daughter who lives in Park City is doing a sharing time tomorrow in Primary and wanted a cuter bookmark than she had found elsewhere on the web, to hand out to the children.  The theme is God has a plan for me.  I realize that this is for Primary and my blog is for Relief Society and Visiting Teaching, but since I made it up and like to share all of my creations... then here is the bookmark for you to download and print off for your own use.  You never know when you could fit this bookmark into a Visiting Teaching lesson.  Enjoy!  Katie G. 

Friday, February 18, 2011

After 40 our Brain Cells must have all dried up!

I am laughing my head off as I returned home from what I thought was my Visiting Teaching visits.  My partner and I had appointments this morning and arrived at our first appointment and proceeded to the front door.  We rang the doorbell, and waited.  We rang it again and waited.  Then we decided that if they were in the basement, that she might not be hearing the doorbell, so we should knock.  After a very loud knock, and still no answer, we decided to go to our car and give her a call on my cell phone. 

She answered after only a couple rings, and she was oh so apologetic.  Says she totally forgot, and that she and her husband were on their way out of town.  I began to laugh, and I could only think of one things to say..."Thank you", you make me feel so much better.  That may sound like a bit of a strange reply, but in actuality, it was one that made me feel like I am not the only one who forgets things.  I have determined after about age 40+ our brain cells must be all dried up.  I have become so forgetful, even when there are post it notes, pasted all over my house... I still forget.  So here is my confession... When I was assigned to Visit teach this very woman who just forgot about our visit today, I forgot the very first appointment to visit her some months ago.  I was so humiliated that I forgot, as she had not lived in the ward for very long, and I was really looking forward to getting to know her better. But I forgot. Guess what... I almost forgot the second appointment.  Gee willikers... I can be pretty dense at times!!! Now can you see why I told her Thank-you?  I was so glad to be in the company of others who forget things too, and it makes me feel alittle more normal, even minus the brain cells.

So my story isn't over.....  We wait for the 45 minutes until the time to go to our next appointment, and my partner and I just waited at my home and chated for the interim.  Finally it was time to go, and as we pull up to the 2nd sisters house, her garage doors were open, and she was sitting in her car, ready to back out of the garage.  Her rear brake lights went on once she spotted us and she stopped.    She turned off her car, and came out the door toward us, and I simply couldn't  hold back the laughter. To totally busted up and said, "Looks like you forgot we were coming."  She said that she had programed in her telephone a reminder of our Visit for today, and had even set the alarm to remind her as well.  The alarm didn't go off, and she was on her way."  We all laughed together, and I said, "Well I don't remind myself with an alarm, but I have post it notes pasted on my bathroom mirror, my computer screen, my refrigerator, my purse, and still I forget things.  I told her how grateful I was that I wasn't the lone ranger and the only one whose brain cells were drying up!  We laughed again. 

Obviously we didn't get any of our intended visits in, but we did get to have a light moment of laughter and forgetfulness!  Sometimes we just need to let things roll off of us, and enjoy the moment and this happened to be one of them.  Now.... when will I be able to find the time to go back and visit these sisters again this month?  Who knows, and I must add that I had already visited them briefly delivering a Valentine Surprise on Valentine Day.  That's ok, and I am just grateful that we can all humor and appreciate each other, in spite of the lack of brain cells.

Now I thought I would tell you my brain cells theory.  Obviously it isn't in any medical journals, or spoken by anyone who is an authority on the subject, but because I must be the queen of lost brain cells, I have theorized what happens after about 40+.  (by the way... this is suppose to make you laugh)  I have done my homework, and evidently the general consensus is that a woman's brain weights about 2.8 lbs, and to make you feel even smarter, Albert Einsteins brain only weighed  2.71 lbs.  Anyway the average guess from the different websites that I did my research on .....is that the human brain contains about 100 billion cells on average. We lose about 10,000 brain cells a day after adolescence,  through a variety of different ways.  Some of the ways are listed here: http://4mind4life.com/blog/2008/02/22/50-things-that-kill-brain-cells/  Now women also lost a few more brain cells giving birth, so as I figure, I have had 5 children, and so I have that many less brain cells.  Right?   Stress can really cost us brain cells too, and women are the worlds best at being stressed, aren't we?  Gratefully for all of us, we have so many brain cells that when we lose a few, it doesn't matter... we just become a bit more scatter brained. 

Anyway, to sum all of this up, we are all the same, and we all have lost some brain cells or two thousand, but one thing is for certain, that no one is exempt.  We all need to just laugh about it, adjust ourselves, and let a whole lot more roll off of our shoulders.  We need to smile and laugh a lot more.  Everyone makes mistakes, and as I well know, some make more of their share of mistakes than others. (that would be me.) 

I did do some more research on the Internet and found that there are also some things that make brain cells grow including.... meditation, an enriched Environment, the act of learning, exercise, and even eating blueberries.  After reading that, I wondered just how many blueberries I needed to eat to get my brain cells back into a more normal range. Once again, I am laughing.  Wish we were alittle more like robots, and could plug ourselves into the power supply on the wall, and let the brain cell regeneration begin!

You know when you hear..."Laughter is the best medicine?" .....well maybe there is something to that after all!  Laughter reduces stress, and thereby, reduces the amount of brain cell loss!  Laughter boosts your immune system, and even lowers your blood pressure.  So there you have it from Dr. Katie... NOW go out and have a great day!!! 

Enjoy!  Katie G.

P.S.  How many blueberries did you say you ate today?  Oh and another piece of food for thought, and yes punn was intended.... If anyone wants to do the math, times our daily brain cell loss by the age we would like to live to, and subtract that from 10 billion, and that should give you a ball park number of how many brain cells we will have left by then.  Maybe it is a good thing that we all die oneday so we can go back and live with Heavenly Father to regenerate!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine Day

I hope that you have a fun Valentine day today, filled with lots of love, family, friends and frivolity.  My husband and I spent our day in Park City yesterday with our two children and their families who live there.  One family made us lunch and the other made us dinner.  We enjoyed the grandchildren, and played with them and gave them our Valentines.  They loved them.  O speaking of which, I added to my other blog, a few of the Valentines that I gave out this year to my little Grand kids and children.  I have to design them specially to fit the gift I am giving them, as that is the designer in me.  Things have to match.  Anyway, if you are in need of Valentines to Print go to that blog, and the link us under the blog header to get there.

Here is a printable valentine note card for you, or for you to print and take with you when you drop off a thoughtful little gift or card of love to those sisters you teach, just to let them know you are thinking of them.  I have to add one more thing... I don't think everyone will agree with me on this one but since this is my blog, I am going to share my opinion.  When I take a Valentine gift or card over to the sisters that I visit teach, I don't consider that my visit for the month. I consider it a friendshipping effort, and a way that she really knows I am thinking of her.  I will also plan a Visit for the month, but when there are holidays and I feel so inclined to drop something by, that isn't the visit. 

Happy Valentine Day!!!  Love, Katie

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

February 2011 Visiting Teaching Message

The Visiting Teaching message for February is entitled "A restoration of all things."  It can be found in the Ensign, Feb. 2011, page 7.  I have provided the direct link to this message by clicking on the post title, and I encourage you to go to the site and once there, beautiful Mo Tab Choir music will begin playing so you can enjoy reading the message even more. Music puts our hearts in a very receptive mood and I believe it also provides inspiration as well.   The Church website has really been changing, and I encourage you to go take a look around and see all the neat new things they have included.   Enjoy your February Visiting Teaching. Be sure to scroll down and see your Valentine from me and go to my other blog http://visitingteachingsurprise.blogspot.com to get some darling Valentine ideas, and printables.  Love, Katie G.

Happy Valentine Day

Have you looked at the numbers of people visiting this blog lately.  The number is over 100,000 visitors and that is totally amazing to me.  I love it, and it really makes me feel like this blog is worth keeping and continuing.  So.... though this is a repeat from last year, I wanted to repost this Happy Valentine Day poem that I wrote for you, to say thanks for all the visits, to this blog.  It is heartwarming to think that possibly some of my ideas and suggestions have helped others to serve the Lord in their callings, and in particular in their Visiting Teaching calling.  How blessed I feel to be a apart of a wonderful sisterhood.
Happy Valentine Day!
Love, Katie G.
P.S.  I have posted some really cute ideas for Valentines Day on my other blog.  Click on the link just under the title of this blog to magically take you there.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Spiritual Thought about rededicating ourselves in the Service of the Lord

I am assigned the spiritual thought for this month's presidency meeting and I put one together and thought others might also benefit from this, for use either at your own presidency meetings, or other meetings where you need a quick spiritual thought. It is perfect for giving out to the sisters as a goal to rededicate their lives in the service of Visiting Teaching. I also made up a bookmark to print off and hand out as a reminder of this goal. Feel free to use is as it applies to whatever you are in need of it for.


"The Lord Needs Missionaries", Liahona, Jan. 2011, page
4 –6 Thomas S. Monson.
Bike to the Future  By Peter Evans and Richard M. Romney

Lots of young men prepare financially to serve a mission. In Africa part of that preparation is earning enough money for a passport. Sedrick Tshiambine earned what he needed in an enterprising way: by selling bananas from the back of a bicycle.
Sedrick lives in Luputa, Democratic Republic of Congo. He’s one of 45 young men in the Luputa district who is working to save money for a passport to go on a mission. In DR Congo a passport costs $250, which is about two-thirds the cost of building a house.
But Sedrick was undaunted. He earned his mission money by cycling 15–30 kilometers (9–19 miles) from Luputa to small villages, where he purchased bananas, then cycling back across the hot African savanna, his bike heavily laden with fruit to sell in the city. Each week he traveled about 180 kilometers (112 miles) along the sandy roads, and only once did an unbalanced load cause a tumble.
For his efforts Sedrick earned about $1.25 a week, or $65.00 a year. It took him four years to save enough to purchase his passport, but now he knows his future will include a full-time mission because he is financially ready to answer the call to serve.
The scripture found in Matthew 16: 28 comes to mind as I think about this story. “He who loseth his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come.
We are so blessed to live in an area of the world, where going to church, attending the temple and serving in our wards is so easy, close and relatively effortless… really only requiring the sacrifice of our time. Because we have it so good, we sometimes take for granted our blessed circumstances. . We should be mindful of the sacrifice so many others have to make just to attend church or like the young man in this story, to be able to earn enough just to get a passport so that he can serve a mission. May we all today, rededicate our lives in serving in the capacities that we are called, with all our hearts might mind and strength, and like the scripture in Matthew 16:28 says, “losing our lives in His service, that we might find it (meaning our lives) in the world to come. (Matthew 10: 39)

Enjoy!  Katie G.

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.
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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.
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