YW's Humor Happy Hour

This week, I planned an activity for our YW centered around humor... (this could also work for FHE)

I had two goals in mind for my "Humor Happy Hour": 

1. I wanted to teach/remind about using humor in positive, uplifting ways.

2. I wanted to let loose and laugh a little with our girls!

We started with reading this handout I created:

*journal card design by Tracie Stroud Designs*

We discussed that briefly and shared a couple of personal experiences, and then we got laughing!

We did a few different things:

1. MadLibs - I had found a few free ones on google though and just used those instead of buying a MadLib book. 

2. Jeff Dunham & Achmed - This is a YouTube Video (and our churchhouse blocks youtube, so we weren't actually able to watch it, but there is a CLEAN version HERE

3. Brian Regan - He is a comedian that I just love. I had the girls listen to the "Stupid in School" clip from "Brian Regan Live". I have the CD so I just ripped it onto my phone... (In that clip, there is one word that I just held my finger over the speaker and silenced it) ;) 

4. Laffy Taffys & Snickers - we snacked throughout and told the jokes from our Laffy Taffy wrappers

5. Laughing Contest - this was a HOOT! Simple. everyone just starts laughing...last one laughing wins. (I would walk around and laugh really goofily right in the girls' faces and that would get them rolling even more..)

Fun night! 

You can download the Humor Happy Hour Handout HERE!

Mint Mugs for YW Leaders

My counselors in Young Women have been such a blessing and continue to help the program run smoothly week after week. I learn so much from them and have been thinking lately about how much I appreciate their support and encourage"mint".... 

I gathered inspiration from Beneath My Heart Blog and created these

Mint Mugs.

the mint goodness inside:

Keebler Jumbo Fudge Mint Stick

Ghirardelli Mint Squares

Pearson's Mint Patties

Andes Mints

Lifesavers Wintogreen

Spearmint Gum

Mint 3 Musketeers - fun size

Here is a printable of some blank tags for you to use! Enjoy! 

*click the downward arrow to download!

Don't "Cheet" Yourself - YW General Conference Lesson

I have always taught a General Conference themed lesson the week before conference to get the girls geared up and minds focused on the importance of it... This year, I planned a lesson based around CHEETOS. Yup, you read right. Cheetos.  I found this fun idea for a conference treat over at Sugardoodle, my FAVORITE site for all things YW. (The idea was originally from Ondrea Slade) and I developed it into the following lesson.  

I'm starting the lesson by giving each girl the lesson's handout...instead of at the end! (Changing things up is always good!)

Just a lunchbag size bag of cheetos with my tag:

Then, the lesson proceeds:

Q: Why would not listening to general conference be considered cheating?
     Allow girls to think on this....and answer if they can.

[discussion prompts]:

·         Think about cheating at school. It's against the rules, right? Why?
School is there to help us learn...cheating gets around learning.

·         What are the downsides to cheating?
not learning; if you get caught, you’re in trouble.

So, let's compare cheating at school to cheating at General Conference. We are instructed to listen to prophets and apostles so we can learn about the gospel. If we “cheat” by not listening to conference.... not only are we held accountable for those things taught in conference, we also cheat ourselves out of great blessings that come from living in ways taught by the prophets and confirmed to us by the Spirit during conference. We are risking our salvation by not taking the messages of the Lord's prophets and apostles into our heart and applying them to our life.

To help us not "cheet" on this weekend's General Conference, we’re going to study up on some things we should know about General Conference.

[Each girl will be given a quote to read and all girls will be given this "No-Cheeting Guide to General Conference" to fill out when each quote is read]:

*the answer guide is included in the free download at the end of the post*

For the conclusion of the lesson, I will ask the girls to bring out their Personal Progress books and find which values they still need experiences for (specifically the optional "create-your-own" experiences).

I will ask them to choose at least 2 of the below experiences to complete during General Conference.

Finally, as I have done in year's past, I will give them the General Conference Youth Notebook designed by Melanie of Sugardoodle! You can download the packet for free HERE!

It helps the youth pay attention and gives a "notepage" for each speaker with prompts, puzzles, pictures, and other fun stuff to keep their focus on conference! 

And that wraps up my lesson...

Download Lesson Pack HERE.

(contains a zipped folder. includes the lesson text, cheetos bag tag, "no-cheeting guide", and Personal Progress experience idea list)

Happy General Conference!

Angry MORMON Birds: Youth Activity

My friend and Young Women counselor, Melanie, planned this super fun combined youth activity last week.

The "kids these days" are obsessed with Angry Birds (okay who'm I kidding? kids, adults, my husband...they're all obsessed with it)... so she incorporated a Book of Mormon scripture search contest into this popular quirky game.

(The following is a quick narrative with pictures, but you can download the full game instructions and rules at the end of the post.)

She made the pigs and birds herself...homemade bean bags!

We had the youth and leaders collect boxes well before the activity so we'd have a variety of sizes and shapes for setting up the structure.

We split the youth into 2 teams and had them come up with a team name. Then, the 1st team started it off with a scripture search...

They drew Book of Mormon trivia questions from a bowl and were allowed to use their scriptures to answer. They had only 3 minutes and could answer up to 5 questions (but each question had to be answered correctly before drawing a new question).

The number of questions they got right were the number of pigs/green balls they got to set-up in their box structures for the next team to try to knock over.

Next, they got to work building their structure within a marked off area (following certain rules previously established). They could use as many boxes as they wanted, make it as tall as they wanted, and put the green balls/pigs wherever they wanted as long as it was possible for them to actually fall.

While they were busy building, the other team was now answering questions, only they were accruing red balls/birds. The more they got, the more chances they had at knocking down the box structure and the green balls/pigs hidden within.

When that 3 minutes was up, it was time for the birds to knock over the pigs!

The designated shooter(s) would aim and shoot, while the rest of the team was next to the box structure telling the shooter where to aim! (sort of like "zooming in" on the real game).

We had a sling shot, but it broke half-way through, so the youth just used their hands to throw/shoot from then on. It worked just as well.

If this team knocked down all the pigs/green balls to the floor, then they'd get 2 points on the board.

That ended the round...then, it started all over...in reverse order. The previous red ball team was now the green pig team and answered questions first.

The team which had the most points on the board was the winning team. (points for each question answered correctly and any points for knocking down all the pigs)

We played until time was out and then served cookies. It was a fun activity! Thanks, Mel, for letting me share!

You can download the:

Book of Mormon Angry Birds: Prep & Rules and Trivia Questions & Answers HERE (It's a zipped file, so you'll need to unzip it/extract files on your computer first)

Heads Up:

There are TWO great giveaways going on now!

Monogrammed Silver & Pearl Necklace at Love Actually Blog (thru 1/29)
My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software HERE (thru 1/30)

YW Fundraiser & Ward Western Night

The Young Women were trying to raise money for Girls Camp (and fundraisers for Girls Camp are acceptable), so the girls and leaders put together this ward activity (which would involve more people = more money).

Ward Western Night & Auction

It was a blast... Here are all the details!

POSTER & FLYER:

We printed two of these in large poster size to go on an easel in each foyer. We also printed 4x6's as flyers/handouts/reminders for the Relief Society and Elders Quorum.

DECOR:

- An entry table with mini hay bales (from Michael's), cactus cutouts. This is where members would registration for the auction and pick up their number stick (to hold up during the auction).

- Burlap (brown, red, and tan) squares covered the round tables

- On each table: a basket lined with a red bandanna with chips in it and a salsa bowl (from Dollar Tree)

CHILI COOK-OFF:

Members signed up in advance to bring chili and then we had them register once they showed up. (so each chili was assigned a letter for people to vote after eating). We also had cornbread and honey. The YW provided lemonade. The winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd) were given prizes at the end of the night.

A soup ladle was 1st place, bottle of hot sauce was 2nd, and a jar of salsa was 3rd. The best corn bread was given a bottle of honey.

The cases of root beer were awarded to the "best linedancer" and ...something else I don't remember. :)

AUCTION:

We asked (in advance) ward members to donate items or services for the live auction. We were surprised when people who hadn't signed up for this actually brought things that night to donate. The live auction raised over $1,000 (which was enough to send our girls to Girls Camp for several years before another fundraiser was needed).

Members were given numbered sticks, which our girls made before, to help with bidding.

Ward members were very generous, which was really nice! Well, sorta. I was involved in the auction, so my husband was doing all the bidding. He bid on a cake and a platter of cookies for $65!! (I was a bit disappointed to find out that, while the treats were tasty, they were not made of gold.) haha... :)

KIDS GAMES:

The young women rallied up the kids to play some western games: 3 legged races, Pin-The-Tail-on-the-Pony, and a "Wild West Shootout" with a rubber band gun. (you can grab my printable to cover the cans over at Love Actually)

All the kids were given the same prize: a sheriff's badge (from the dollar store). They loved it!

LINE DANCING:

For one of our Wednesday night YW activities before this, we taught the YW 2 popular line dances so that they could teach ward members who wanted to participate that night.

That's it, y'all!

Emergency Preparedness for Couples

It seems to me as if a lot of the resources for emergency preparedness are directed to families...with houses...with extra freezers...and lots of storage.

I don't have any of those things.

BUT-- that is no excuse! I still believe being prepared is super important, even for couples still in school, young professionals, etc. It's taken me a while (and a few times of doing it wrong) to finally figure out how to make this work for us (in our small apartment). Hopefully some of you young couples can use this to your advantage and get your emergency supply organized!

72 Hour Kit

We keep this backpack pre-loaded and ready to go in a moment's notice. We keep it in a closet near our front door.

There are sooo many 72 hour kit supply lists as you look around the web and I sorted through many to create a list best suited for our needs.

In addition to our backpack, I have a "Grab List" of items that are not in the backpack. They are things we use regularly and cannot keep pre-loaded. Our plan (if we have the time...) is to throw these things into another backpack. (change of clothes, extra water bottles, extra flashlight, passport, wallet, phones, sunglasses, extra keys, cash/coins, a book, deck of cards, etc.). We'd also want to grab our sleeping bag kept in storage.

It's important that you know what's in your 72 hour kit, so make a list. If you want to easily add to or replace an item in your kit, it's a lot easier to refer to this list then to have to dig around in the kit to see what you have (it's going to be packed pretty tightly and you want to keep it that way!) Also, for food items and medication, you want to rotate or replace the perishable items according to their expiration dates. Having this list makes this a convenient and quick process:

These items should last years, but when the expiration date approaches, you'll know without having to pull out each item! Hit the grocery store and replace the items as needed.

Our new resolution is to check our 72 Hour Kit every October (during LDS General Conference) to make sure everything is still in good condition and replace/rotate any soon-to-expire food.

2 Week Supply

There's no food storage room in our apartment, but we have one cupboard dedicated to a 2 week supply of food (in addition to our regularly stocked cupboards). (Tiny kitchen? What about under your bed...in a closet? Make an extra shelf up high in a closet. Whatever you gotta do!) We also have one large plastic tote for an emergency essentials supply (in case we couldn't leave the house, stores didn't have food, etc.)

I decided on 2 weeks because, honestly, that's all I have room for. You can do less or more depending on your situation.

Our 2 week supply is based on having no electricity and using a camp stove with camp fuel inside our house. (yeah....I know you're not supposed to do that. it's an emergency, people!) It includes meals we LIKE....surprised? It's not just a cupboard filled with cans of beans, corn, and bags of rice.

Our 2 Week Supply is organized by meals as such:

(*ps--the lunches section is missing 2 meals...I'm still working on that!)

Some meals are duplicated (as indicated by "x2") and I make sure I keep these supplies stocked in that cupboard and rotated out when I buy any of these items for my regular grocery list. Again, most of these items will last YEARS (even past the expiration date) but a great way to keep the stocked items fresh is to put each meal part on your menu once or twice a month and then replace with new supplies. But again, during October (general conference), I'll make sure I haven't overlooked any items and check dates.

Helpful Tips:

- If it's just the two of you, don't buy bulk-size jars or cans. Although it may be cheaper now, in cases of emergency once opened, you may not have a way to keep the rest of it good. So, buy only the size you need for each meal.

- If space allows, keep your storage in the coolest place in your house...try to avoid warmer spots near appliances, vents, or other heat sources. (Mine happens to be above my fridge...not the BEST of spaces in theory, but it actually doesn't get too warm, so it's okay).

- If you write the expiration date with permanent marker on the package or can where it's easy to see, rotation is a much easier process.

- In addition to our 2 Week Meal Supply, we also have a supply of bulk foods that will keep us alive if need be. My parents sent us a couple of Family Food Storage Starter Kits ($31) which we keep in storage. This will also be nice when it's time to build up our longer-term storage.

As I mentioned, we also keep a plastic tote filled with our emergency essentials...

(It's a little random still, but we plan to keep building on this... every little bit could help!)

Finally, Water.

SUPER important. You've got to store water!! I've lived in Boston nearly 4 years and there have been 2 times in which our water source has been deemed "contaminated" so we couldn't drink our tap water. It was only for a few hours, but even in that short of time, people went NUTS! Within minutes, people were fighting over bottles of water at the store and it was sold out quickly! I wasn't concerned for a moment because I knew I had my supply.

You can store this up with each grocery trip if have none stored now. A great place to start is buying this 7 Gallon Tank from Walmart for $10.88.

I keep this water tank, plus 2 cases of bottled water and a few gallons located in random places in my kitchen. If you don't have space for it, then buy 1 gallon of water at a time and/or cases of bottled water. Remember, planning meals and cooking is useless most times without water. Storing water is a priority.

...............................

Now for the free printables... I've included the 3 Photoshop Files for each list so you can customize them for your needs. They aren't fancy, but if it'll help you organize, they're all yours. You can download HERE

It doesn't have to be complicated or even expensive... but there is a lot of peace that comes from following the counsel of leaders who discuss the importance of being prepared!

Don't get overwhelmed...just do the best you can and build up your storage as space and money allow. Best of luck!

-------------------------------

I've had several questions via email. I'll post the ones here that might be helpful for everyone!

Question: I noticed that you have bread for a couple meals (toast, sandwiches, etc). Do you have the stuff to bake your own bread, or are you just buying bread and rotating it out every week?

I buy those Krusteaz bread kits from walmart or target (or any other grocery store) because they only require you to add water and minimal prep. We recently purchased a Camp Chef outdoor oven/stove combo, which cooks using propane (that we can stock up on). You can also make an oven using a cardboard box and tin foil (google it! or ask a local boyscout!). 

DIY Temple Canvas

I love going back to visit Utah...mainly because we have family there, but also for the crafty boutiques and fun stores. Last time I was there, we hit up a few boutiques in American Fork.

My favorite was Crafters Boutique where I picked up this Salt Lake Temple Metal Art thingy...(what would you call it?)

And then.... I made this:

I bought a small canvas from Walmart, covered it with white fabric (I only hot glue gunned the fabric to the back of the canvas frame. No modge-podging or anything. I put a few dabs of hot-glue on the back of the Temple Metal and then placed on my fabric.

I tied ribbons around the Temple Canvas in colors that were our wedding colors. (Fall: brown, orange and red), which coordinate with my couch's throw pillows. I know...matchy matchy. :)

And when I was finished, I placed it on the window ledge....

....and the heavens shone down in approval!

Scripture Word Art: D&C 121:7-8

Doctrine and Covenants 121:7-8 is my favorite scripture thus far in my life...

What's odd is that I haven't had any real serious afflictions or adversity in my life, but I find it helps me in even the smallest instances of adversity or struggle. It helps me to keep an eternal perspective.

And, c'mon....how could you resist the promise of triumphing "over all thy foes"? Amen to that. :)

If it's as meaningful to you as it is to me, feel free to frame it, put it by your bedside, or keep it in your scriptures as a bookmark.

You can download the set HERE and choose the one you like best.

*update: the image above shows an error on the right and left WordArt images. In the download, these have been corrected to include the words "shall be but a". :)

The 12 Days of Christmas: Mormon Style

The youth and youth leaders were asked to do a song/skit at our ward Christmas party this weekend.

A friend (and YW counselor) and I adapted a version of The 12 Days of Christmas meant for Mormons in Utah. They say the church is the same everywhere you go....which is partly true. and partly not. Member population alone changes things a bit. And New England's LDS population is minuscule compared to Utah....so, our song was adapted as such.

12 Days of Mormon Christmas
Youth Christmas Skit

On the first day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
movies rated G or PG.

On the second day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the third day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the fourth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the fifth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the sixth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the seventh day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
7 kids and counting, SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the eigth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
Ate a lot after fasting, 7 kids and counting, SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the ninth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
9 AM church for the New Year, Ate a lot after fasting, 7 kids and counting, SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the tenth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
ten percent tithing, 9 AM church for the New Year, Ate a lot after fasting, 7 kids and counting, SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, this is what you'll see, eleven callings per person, ten percent tithing, 9 AM church for the New Year, Ate a lot after fasting, 7 kids and counting, SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, this is what you'll see,
twelve apostles preaching, eleven callings per person, ten percent tithing, 9 AM church for the New Year, Ate a lot after fasting, 7 kids and counting, SIXteen, now I’m dating, 5 CTR Rings...... forever cougars, 3 Sunday meetings, two years on a mission and movies rated G or PG!

As we sang the song, we acted out or assigned a part to a specific person. Here's what we did:

1 - A youth stepped forward holding a DVD covered with a label: "PG"

2 - A youth stepped forward wearing a missionary tag and pointed to his tag
3 - We all held up 3 fingers and then "wiped the sweat off our brow" with a "phew!" look
4 - A youth held up a BYU shirt (a BYU flag would be better!)
5 - We all held up our hands to show rings on our fingers
6 - a guy and girl (2 married youth leaders in our case) flirted and looking the "dating" party
7 - one of our pregnant YW leaders stepped forward and rubbed her belly
8 - we all rubbed our bellies with a "I'm so full" look

9 - one youth held up a skewer with a clock pointing to 9 AM on it (our church rotates time each year)
10 - one youth held up a tithing slip/envelope
11 - we didn't have to do anything. the crowd just laughed.
12 - a youth held up a picture of the 12 apostles

Oh, and those of us without a prop to hold, we played the kazoo. just a little added fun to the show!

YW Lesson: The Spirit of Christmas

What's YW?

This is a special Christmas lesson I gave in YWs....hopefully it can help other YW leaders.

Read White Stocking Poem with white stocking displayed. (I do not have permission to post the text from this original poem). However, you can find similar poems online.

I won't stand up here and tell you that I push aside worldly traditions and only focus on Christ's birth. I do celebrate the commercial aspects of Christmas as well. I don't think there is anything wrong with celebrating those things because that is part of the spirit of Christmas. It puts in our hearts a desire to give joy to other people. But, the celebration of Christmas should also put in our hearts a desire to keep our promise to always remember Christ and His gifts to us. And that remembrance should create a desire in us to give gifts to Him.

These gifts can't be found in a store or bought online. He has given us his "wish-list" of gifts that will bring Him joy.

(I had a mini tree on the table with mini gift boxes under it which held a slip of paper for each gift. I had each girl pick a gift as we went along.)


Gift 1: We can give Him the gift of doing for others what He would do for them.

Matthew 25:37-40
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? 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 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.”

Each act of kindness to anyone becomes a kindness to Him because He loves all of Heavenly Father’s children. And because that brings joy to Him, it also brings joy to His Father, to whom we owe thanks beyond measure.

Many of you have already done that and felt His appreciation. It may have been making cookies for a sick friend. It may have been joining with others in a project to help those in need.

Invite girls to share any experiences.


Gift 2: We can give him the gift of praying always, thereby remembering him in all things.

3rd Nephi 18: 19-20
19 Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name;
20 And ^awhatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

- Giving gratitude to Father for giving his son.
- Remembering his infinite generosity

Gift 3: We can give him the gift of sharing the gospel and be a good example to help bring others to Him.

With all the kindnesses we give for Him, the greatest we can offer is to point those we love and serve toward Him, the only source of eternal life.

This might be at the top of his wish list (as he repeated it three times in a row)
John 21: 15-17
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon,son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, ^aFeed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him,^aFeed my ^bsheep.

Feed is sheep is referring to teaching others, sharing the gospel openly….

Another way of bringing others back to him is by your example.

Matthew 5:14-16
Ye are the light of world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel……

Gift 4: When we make mistakes, repent quickly and improve!

Alma 34:32–33
“I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance … ; behold, if we do not improve our time while in this life, then cometh the night of darkness wherein there can be no labor performed” Simply feeling remorseful is not repentance. True repentance leads to a new and righteous pattern of life.

Just think---he went to a lot of trouble to ensure that we could come back to live with him and Heavenly Father. In Gethsemane, Jesus took upon himself not only the sins of the world but also the pain, afflictions, temptations, sorrow, and sadness of all God’s children. Jesus felt everything as we feel it in the flesh, including the temptations we endure It would be a tremendous gift and honor to Him for each of us to come back. We cannot do that unless we truly repent and try to become more righteous. It would make him very sad to see you not accept his gift of the atonement and falter from the gospel.

Gift 5: We can give Him the gift of keeping his commandments.

John 14:15, 21
If you love me, keep my commandments.

Very simple, yet direct. Does this only refer to the 10 commandments? No, modern day revelation as well.

Hymn #185 – last verse
Be obedient, I implore,
Prayerful, watchful evermore,
And be constant unto me,
That thy Savior I may be.

By keeping his commandments, we ourselves are able to return back to him and he is able to be our Savior.

Gift 6: Let Christ lift you up when the world weighs you down.

Moroni 9:25, John 14:27
25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto ^adeath; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and ^blong-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your^cmind forever.

Sometimes, a good gift can be letting others help us...and Christ really wants to help us. He's asked us to let Him in. Let him be there when you're suffering and when you need help. We need to be humble and meek as a child. (What does that mean?) Compare to a mother and child… child needs help and lets his mother help because he couldn’t do it without her. Apply to us and Christ. We need Him and his atonement. Let Him in.

.............................................

Have you noticed anything odd about what happens when we give him these gifts?

What's one of the best things about birthday parties? Favors! It's fun that you go to give a gift, but you end up going home with some treasures yourself.

This is just like these gifts to Jesus. We give him these gifts, but he gives us so much more in return! He sends us home with our own treasures!

In those words in the scriptures, He makes clear what gifts we might give Him. As you do, you bring joy to yourself and to Him.

This handout from Holy Handouts works great as a take-home for the girls to apply the lesson to their lives. You can download it free at the link above.

Leave the girls with your testimony and of course, a handout...a mini white stocking (I made mine out of paper) and treat attached.

You can right click on the below image and save to your computer.... these are the little slips that go in each box under the tree.

LDS Mission Book

My husband served a mission in Honduras. The pictures and letters and mission memorabilia had been scattered amidst our various moves over the years after his mission. But, I began gathering it all in hopes to create a mission book. Not scrapbook....just book. It comes off more masculine that way. :)

I spent months sorting through his letters, trying to make sense of the order (for non-dated letters home), digitizing pictures, linking what he said in his letters to the pictures he took, etc. In short, it was A LOT of work. But well worth it.

It's such fun to look back at old pictures of my dad on his mission and hear the few stories he remembers. As such, I want my children to have the same experience.

And, so....here it is.

The Mission Book.

(...that Mission emblem? Came off his old Mission shirt that he threw out....and I redeemed.)

As you open the book, his mission call letter is on top, the program from his sacrament meeting farewell, and then tabs for each area of the mission... starting with the MTC.

Under each tab/area, his letters home are in sleeves. I wrote a synopsis for each letter (because who really sits down to read every word of every letter?). I just summarized the most important parts of each letter so the viewer can flip through quickly while still catching a glimpse of his mission.

I also included letters from the mission president (for example, calling him to be zone leader, or whatever else he was called to).

I organized all the photos by the area he was in and placed them in sleeves in that tabbed section. Pictures or photographed events that were talked about in specific letters were placed in sleeves next to that letter.

At the very end, I included Honduras stamps torn off envelopes that were sent home. This would be a good place to include pictures of souvenirs from the mission or larger items that he'll want to remember in association with his mission. Over the years, they may get lost, ruined, thrown away, etc....but they can always remain here as a memory!

Also, years after his mission, they announced a temple in his area... the first. That's a pretty big announcement that I'm confident he played a role in. I included the temple announcement and picture which I obtained from LDS.org.

I learned a lot about M while working on this and I hafta say---I'm pretty proud of my missionary.