Service Sunday

For December, we didn't have a designated Service Sunday because we participated in several service projects.

First off, I had the kids donate money here & there when we came upon a Salvation Army bucket. They think it's cool.






Secondly, in our church, we took a couple of names from the Angel Tree and bought some clothes for kids in our church as part of their Christmas.

Third, Todd's co-worker had some financial issues come up and they had to take back the gifts they got for their 3 year old granddaughter in order to get money. As a group, Todd's sales department participated. We were in charge of toys so we bought some toys for this little girl. The kids had fun choosing toys for her and we hope she enjoyed them.

Christmas always brings out the best in people and makes people want to serve and give more. We enjoyed participating in these activities this month.

"The BIG talk"

Oh boy! I've known I needed to start thinking about this conversation with Abby for a while. I knew it was definitely time when during Sharing Time in Primary they were discussing the birth of Jesus & Christmas and Abby asked, "What's a virgin?" Poor Sis. Moore.

It was time.

I ordered these two books as they were highly rated in reviews and the authors, Linda & Richard Eyre, are LDS which helps me.




This little book was also mentioned by the Eyre's as a good resource too.

So...last Sunday, Todd and I told Abby we were having a talk and her first question was, "Is this about me getting my period?" Nope. Her next question, "I don't want to wear a bra!" That's not it either. We had already read The Care & Keeping of You by American Girl so that was helpful and I highly recommend that book.

The "talk" went very well and I do agree with the authors that you need to have this conversation with your kids at age 8 (we're a year behind) because at that point they've not heard much about it and they have no preconceived notions and they are open and honest. It was a really good discussion and we told her we want her to be able to ask us any question because we want this important info to come from us, not her friends.

Phew! Glad that part is over....it will only get harder now!

Recital

Abby wanted to join the Primary Singers group at school so desperately but logistically we just couldn't accommodate it. She then tried out for a little local children's choir but needed a little practice before she could join the group. Again, she was devastated but you can't win everything and I believe it's a good lesson to learn.

Abby then started some voice lessons with the lady who directs the choir, who also happens to be in our ward. After several voice lessons, Abby participated in a recital and she did a good job! She is now a member of the children's choir and will begin in January and she couldn't be happier. Good things come to those who wait (and practice!).

Abby's Christmas concert

Today was Abby's final Christmas concert at the Primary School. It's bittersweet to have this be the end. The concert was great! She played the recorder, sang and danced. All the kids did an amazing job but I do believe Abby was the best in her row!

Elfin' Around

Well, Elf Season 2011 began early this year...much to my dismay. Elves seem to cause trouble.

Here are Abby's elves...Buddy (the white one), Harold (the black one), Margaret (the lone girl):



First sign of trouble:



Seriously?

Over the last few weeks we've had some trouble, constant note passing and I can't afford to feed these creatures anymore. They are eating us out of house & home!





Here are the letters that have been going back and forth:













Did you notice the question about a reindeer? What? There are more creatures available?



She's resorting to begging? And constant status checks?





A magical elf scavenger hunt took place:





















Coco has been welcomed into the family:



Good times.

Ward Christmas Party

The Primary Presidency was "nominated" to be in charge of the Ward's Christmas party this year (we also handled the Ward Trunk or Treat too but who's counting...) so we planned early and planned well.

We really wanted to do something different...a little more special than we've had in years past. We didn't want the traditional ham/turkey, potatoes and green bean dinner.

It was decided that we would go old school...I mean really old school, like Bethlehem old. We put together a wonderful menu, a simple program and the ambiance.

Our theme for the party was:

Follow the Star

Our menu consisted of the following:

Lemon Chicken
Tabbouleh
Pine nut and golden raisin couscous
Roasted red potatoes
green salad
yeast rolls
tasting plate on each table (hummus, flat bread, dried fruit, nuts, grapes)

We, as a presidency decided that we would be in charge of cooking the majority of the food. We each marinated & baked 20+ lbs of chicken, we assigned two sisters in the ward to make the Tabbouleh, we cooked the couscous at the church, purchased salad from Sam's Club and ordered 17 dozen rolls from Golden Corral.

The program was simple yet included everyone in the ward. We asked each Primary child to dress up as either an angel, shepherd or wise man. We asked people in the ward to lead the music, to play the Christmas hymns and to be the narrator. As music was softly played during the narration, the children would walk in and take their place near the manger scene and the entire congregation would sing the hymns when directed. It was really beautiful.

We also wanted there to be the ambiance to reflect the special occasion so the night before we hung Christmas lights to be the "stars" and it offered just enough light. We had a beautiful manger hand-crafted by a guy in our ward. It was truly a work of love & art! We set the manger scene with lights, straw and of course, the star.








The tables were decorated with burlap, a lantern, tea light candles, a tasting plate & a water carafe. It was lovely. The food tables were also set with some fabric, we used white serving dishes, baskets for rolls and had bowls of clementines out as well. It was lovely!











One of the biggest problems at ward parties is that you have 200 people in line trying to get food, kids running around and chaos! We set a few rules in place: We numbered each table and invited the tables up one at a time, ONLY if they had children at the table. Our plan was to get the children to eat first because we had set up Santa's Workshop in the RS room. We had a table of candy, a table with coloring sheets and movie, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" playing. This gave the kids the opportunity to have some fun without running around the building (all other rooms were locked up...smart!) and also time to change into costumes if necessary and it also gave the adults time to have a quiet meal and to enjoy dessert.



The entire gym was really transformed and we were so pleased!



We worked hard, planned well and were happy when it was over!

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving was really wonderful this year.

I spent most of the day on Wednesday baking/preparing all the desserts. We had about 20 people coming so I wanted to be prepared. I made 2 pumpkin pies, 1 coconut pie, a chocolate sheetcake and a BTS dessert.

Here's the destruction of the kitchen!



Thursday morning rolled around and Sam's small cold blew up into a massive cold. We wondered if I should just stay home with him but we decided to at least make it to the Club then decide from there.

The entire family meets at the The Capital City Club for Thanksgiving lunch and it's really great. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet of some pretty yummy food...salads, shrimp, oyster shooters, prime rib, brunch items, and the typical Thanksgiving fare.

We have quite a group and require a lot of space!



After filling our tummies with way too much food, we let the kids run around a bit outside and they always love that!

Abby & Jonathan:



Judy with most of the grandkids:
Logan & Austin were getting a family photo taken:



A quick family photo...blinded by the sunlight:



We then went back to the condo to get changed and a big group of us went to see "The Muppet Movie." The kids seemed to enjoy it but the adults feel more could of been done. I fell asleep so I have no opinion either way.

The men spent most of their time watching football:



The kids enjoy playing at the pool table:



There was also free make-overs by Sydney & Ava:




We then proceeded to eat once again but it was all traditional food and it was delish! Once the guys cleaned up, we were able to enjoy the fireworks!




Video:




After the fireworks, I pulled out ALL of the MANY desserts I made and barely any of it was eaten. I brought most all of it home and proceeded to throw it away after a couple of days. A sad waste of time, money and delicious desserts.

We had a really wonderful day and grateful that Sam managed to keep to himself enough so we could be there with everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another first

Sam has been 12 for 6 months and due to his "early to rise" schedule, he's been unable to attend the temple with the youth. Luckily for him (and me), they scheduled an appointment to do baptisms for the dead during the Thanksgiving holiday.

That day, the weather did not look good. They were forecasting high winds, lots of rain and possibly tornadoes. I was quite reluctant about going but decided to give it a try. We met with the other youth at the church and we drove up. The weather held out just in time for us to get inside the temple.

We coordinated the evening so that Sam could go first so that I could get him changed in the girl's dressing room quickly enough before the girls came in. Sam was a bit wary but decided to give it a try. After asking for his goggles, which I didn't have, he was able to do two baptisms and that was enough for him. It was a very special moment and I know that those two men who he was baptized for were there in spirit.

After he was changed, you could just hear the torrential rains coming down. It was very loud but we were safe and where we needed to be. Sam also managed to do ten confirmations so he got to experience everything which I am grateful for.

Once we were finished, we walked out and the rain had stopped. We took 20 people to Chick-Fil-A for a late dinner and then headed home. It was a really wonderful experience to be able to see my own child help and serve others who can't help themselves.

Service Sunday

For November's Service Sunday we helped Todd's mom clean up and plant new flowers around Stacy's (Todd's sister) grave. It looked pretty sad with all the leaves tangled in the pansies & rose bushes but we all worked hard to get it looking good.


This is the before photo of the headstone:



Sam working hard

There was some old pinestraw around the tree and we pulled it all out and Judy & Abby planted some ivy and some pretty purple flowers.

After photos:

So much nicer.

Afterward, we got some frozen yogurt.

It was a nice day to spend time together and honor Stacy.