May Pack Meeting

May's Pack Meeting Theme was "In the Spotlight".

Aaron worked hard and earned more belt loops,

Table Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee, and Art. As well as the Chess activity pin!

His leader, Sister Cottam, did the rain cheer. They slapped their legs softly to the pitter patter of light rain, then got harder and harder and faster and faster as the rain fell harder! Looks like they both enjoyed this one!!

Aaron got a special award. He sold the most Scout-O-Rama tickets in the whole pack and won a cool marshmallow shooter!!

The activity for pack was paper bag skits. This is one we used to do for family reunions. The leaders just brought bags with 5 to 7 really random things in it. The group assigned to that bag had about 10 - 15 minutes to come up with a skit using all the items in the bag. Then we all got to watch the skits. The kids did not disappoint.

WC - "Choose Ye This Day to Serve the Lord"

Julie B. Beck
General President of the Relief Society

She spoke at the opening session on the first day of Women's Conference. I was in such cramped quarters that I didn't get to take as good of notes as I wanted, just thoughts and impressions as I was waiting for the next class. I wrote that I so hoped I would get the chance to find it online or that they would replay it on BYU.TV so I could listen to it again. Wouldn't you know she gave a condensed version of the same talk in our Regional Conference on May 2nd!! Even hearing it twice I still hope to get a printed version to study it out more. Anyway, here's my notes from both times I heard it.

"We each are pivotal in the success of our families. - Be like Rebekah."

She talked about how We need to be lionesses at the gate of our homes. What's important to us will show in our lives and homes. We need to guard and protect our families and homes.

**When our priorities are not in order, we lose power!**

We need to prioritize with Heavenly Father's help. Take paper and pencil to our personal prayers with Him, so we can write down the promptings and inspiration that comes, so we won't forget.

She suggessted 3 categories

Essential - these things include ...
personal revelation
reading/studying the scriptures
fasting & prayer
keeping/making covenants
attending sacrament meetings & temple

Necessary -
homemaking- keeping a house of order, meals
It's important to make a place for the spirit of the Lord to come
Love and support Husband, spirit of meekness
Value things that are important to Salvation

Nice to do -Nice but won't save us
crafts
hobbies
recreational activities
travel
lunches with friends, etc.

I thought it was way interesting to hear her talk about how spending time at "lunches with friends" and what the world deems as "time out" is the nice to do list and is not life saving stuff! We need to spend more time serving and loving our families. But if we really organize our time and work on the mandatory (essential) and important things, we'll find we actually find time to do some of those things that are on our "Nice to do" list. Just remember they are NOT important and will not hlep us achieve exhaltation!

She said that single sisters are every bit as important in the Lord's work as married sisters!

She also strongly suggested that we take the time to really study and learn why we are here and what our purpose is.

WC - Sacrifice & Selflessness in Marriage

Here is my first attempt at writing my notes on some of my Women's Conference classes or discussion notes. I chose a shorter one this time due to lack of time this morning.

Sacrifice & Selflessness in Marriage
"Be Ye All of One Mind"

By Paul & Heather Savage

' "True marriage is based on a happiness which comes from giving, serving, sharing, sacrificing, and selflessness" (Pres Spencer W. Kimball). Marriage may require couples to economize, adjust priorities, postpone plans, or move away from family. How can we be a better "sacred support" and help meet for our spouses?'

(This is the synopsis that made me choose to come to the class)

I felt like they didn't stick to the synopsis quite as much as I would have liked, but my notes reflected a good way of thinking about it.

"We need to continually look at our spouse through the Saviors' eyes. Treat with kindness and love."

She really spent a lot of time explaining why we need to be one. That God intends for us to be one in marriage. Lots of quotes and scriptures. (This wasn't a question in my mind, I didn't need the proof that this was important, but maybe somebody did. So I felt this was wasting precious time.)

But I wasn't disappointed with this way of looking at our relationship with our spouse...

"We are emulating the Savior when we love our spouses with all our hearts. We MUST ACTIVELY repent and forgive in marriage. By always remembering Christ, we remember and better see and love our spouses as Christ does.

To remember Christ and forgive when our spouse has done something to hurt us, is keeping our covenants to always remember Him."

At first I didn't think they were very helpful at all, Or really stuck to the subject. But as I have reread my notes over the last few weeks and pondered this, I've come to the realization that as we put Christ first in our lives and in our marriages, as we repent and really strive to become better, as we strive to see our spouses as Christ does...It does help us to be a "sacred support" and help meet for our spouses!

ooooohhhh, I'm soooo Sore!!

I am sure feeling it today! I worked almost the entire day in my yards, yesterday!

I spent 3 hours in the front, 2 hours on the side and 3 more hours in the back. It is starting to look so good! I should have taken before and after pics, sorry you'll have to take my word for it! :)

I can't believe how much more there is to do, yuck! I am so looking forward to getting my vegetable gardens planted. Oh how I love fresh vegies from the garden. I sooo hope they do as well as last year!

I'm hoping to get more done in the next few days, but I don't know if the weather will cooperate, or my body for that matter!! LOL

Seminary Graduation!

I can hardly believe it's that time of year again!

This one really crept up on us. I vaguely heard the announcement last week, but didn't put it together that it was this week! It seems silly to have graduation when they still have 3 weeks left, but it makes sense to want to not be competing with all the other graduation events going on!

Our Stake Pres, Cory Hanks once again gave a fabulous talk! He told another story about an activity he did as a Bishop with his Young Women at camp one year. They took the girls out tree hugging. They blind folded the girls walked them around a grove of trees got them all disoriented then "hooked" them up to a tree and told them they had about 10 minutes to get to know their tree. He talked about how amazing it was to watch them all blindfolded the differences of how each one went about getting to know their tree. Some took it very serious, some just sat down against it and fell asleep. Others set out very meticulously feeling every branch, knot and curve of the tree. Then they brought all the girls back together and likened the tree to their Savior. How seriously are we getting to know our Savior. Also that our Savior knows us very well. Then without blindfolds, they were challenged to go find their tree! He said again, it was amazing to watch how these girls went about looking for their tree. He bore a powerful testimony of the love of our Savior and of the love of our Stake Presidency to these young Seminary Graduates. I feel very blessed to have such a wonderful and powerful Stake President! Every time he speaks, it is an incredible experience!!

Congrats to Ben!

Congrats to the Bountiful 20th Ward Seminary Graduates!!

State Track Meet

Melanie and I packed up the girls and spent the whole day at the BYU track! We left right after sending the elementary kids off to school. We got there about 9:30ish. We missed his first race, the 110m hurdles. He placed 14th, which means he didn't make the finals, but still did a great job.

When Melanie and I first got there we found a place on the bleachers and right away knew it wasn't going to work with the girls even for a few minutes. So Mel went in search of a better place. She found a nice patch of grass right under the score board where we could lay out some blankets and let the girls run around a little bit. It was perfect!

She took them for a walk and found an even bigger patch of grass and they rolled down it for a little bit!

On Friday, the weather was so back and forth, real sunny and warm, then lots of clouds and pretty chilly. Here we are waiting for the last race!

Ben ran in the 4 X 100m relay and they placed 5th which put them in the finals to race the next day! After lunch he ran the 300m hurdles, he placed 7th which also put in the finals to race the next day! 2 for 3 pretty great!! Then the very last event, he ran the first leg of the 4 X 400m relay and they placed 2nd, Made the finals for the next day! It was a long, but productive day.

The girls did great, considering that we were there 9 1/2 hours before we finally left. Melanie was invited and decided to spend the night with Holly, as we were dropping her off, Ben was invited and decided to stay as well. They all ended up staying with Andrea and Garrett. It made it so much easier for him to not have to get up so early on Sat to go back on the bus. (Thanks, guys!)

I drove back on Sat morning and we were lucky enough to get the same patch of grass! It was a good spot! Jennie and the girls showed up to watch Ben run. It was fun to visit inbetween the races and play with the girls!

Ben's 4 X 100m relay placed 4th in the finals. Ben went on to take 7th in the 300m hurdle finals, only .3 seconds behind his personal record set in the region meet! The coaches decided to pull Ben from the final 4 X 400m relay and run another team mate. They took second place.

It was fun, but it sure made for a long weekend!!

Utah Interest Report

Kim is finally done with her Utah Interest Report! They used to make them do a county report in 4th grade, now it's a Utah Interest. Which means they can pick any one or thing that's Utah based to study and do a report on.

Kim chose to do Lagoon! We've been working on the whole thing for 2 1/2 months! This had several components...

Poster

Written report - notes, rough draft, then final draft

Oral report - She chose to do a puppet show. I really didn't think it would work, but she pulled it off and it's actually pretty cute!

Project - she chose to make a diarama