* Katelyn went to her Annual Valentine's Tea Party with her friends.
(Her friend's grandma, who lives about 50 miles away, has them over every year for this event.
They go in their "Sunday Best,", use REAL porcelain tea cups/dishes to eat/drink from,
make big hats to wear, do a craft, pamper & primp,
and come home with a "goodie bag" of sorts!)
Katelyn feels so lucky to always be invited since it is limited to just the # of friends who can fit into their car!
This year, her friend's grandma had made them all CUTE pillow cases!
Do you like how Katelyn was "Valentine-ing it Up" with her heart night gown & heart jammie pants that match so well? ;)
* We went to the big "RIVALRY GAME" for Kyle's [rec] basketball team.
It was the "Bearcats" vs. the "Rejects" (kids all from the same High School, but on different teams).
It was very serious. The Bearcats (Kyle's team) put in an extra practice during the week PLUS a "team bonding" hanging out session to get ready for the game.
The Sophomore class was divided; picking sides, either for the Bearcats or for the Rejects
The Bearcats called for a "blackout" game - all their fans were suppose to wear black.
(which was easy enough for me, I have lots of black in my wardrobe!)
In addition to us parents, their following of "Bearkittens" (girls their age) and the "Bearcubs" (boys their age) turned out in droves to support the Bearcats in the big game.
We're talking posters, painted faces, standing for the whole game, Bearcat "growls," and lots of cheering!
In the end, I think the Bearcats expending all their energy get psyched up (or psyched out?) for the game, and
didn't have enough left to actually play the game.
The "Rejects" crashed the boards like crazy, and were able to score from their third & fourth chance shots.
The Bearcats lost.
But, they went out together to celebrate - or commiserate - afterwards anyway!
There was a wait, but it was OK. I still needed to get some Fitbit steps in for the day,
so we went walking around the parking lot and neighboring businesses in the meantime.
We were at the restaurant for a while......I ate veeeerrry slowly. You see, I may or may not
have been eating cinnamon lips candy lately, and there's an ingredient in
cinnamon candy/gum that makes my tongue swell, which in turn makes me talk funny and it's hard to move it/eat. ;)
* My sister-in-law invited me to her stake's Women's Conference, so I went.
There were a few things that were impressionable to me that I have already shared many times with others.
(I'm going to check out the "book on CD" from the library!)
She also had us all stand up and recite, out loud, a portion from Elder Holland's General Conference talk he gave in October 2012. She had us insert our own
name instead of the name, “Peter,” who Christ was responding to, in Elder
Holland’s nonscriptural elaboration.)
“What I need, Peter (your
name), are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my
sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith.
I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in
Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a
fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned
to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change
the world. So, Peter (your name), for the second and presumably the last
time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and
serve loyally...”
It really was impactful to me. And it was inspiration for a Relief Society presentation that I am currently preparing for. I have been asked to speak on the topic of "Hastening the Work of the Lord" in an upcoming meeting, and I just think I might use this little bit!! ;)
* Matt & I had a "date" at the plasma donation center. Matt & I ended up on the same row, but a few beds down from each other, and the phlebotomis saw me wave & talk to him a bit.
He asked me if I knew him, and I replied, "Ya, and I kinda LIKE him, too!" ;)
* After a break (3 months) due to the holidays of not doing private dates with our children,
we finally started up again and it was Haylee's turn.
But, there's no seating there (it's just pick up & delivery), so we got hers from there,
and then went down a few doors to Big Daddy's Pizza (where they do have seating AND we had a coupon!) and
ordered mine & Matt's pizza, so we'd be able to eat at their tables.
Then she wanted to go shopping at the D.I. - don't be jealous! ;)
She LOVES finding $0.50 treasures!
AND we found some brand new, with-the-store-tags-still-on clothes for all of us!
We finished off by going to Menchies. (we had a coupon!)
* Churchy-Church on Sunday.
We had a Missionary Homecoming, which was great. The returned missionary
was someone who was in Young Men's when I was serving in Young Women's.
He's gone and come home already? Wasn't that just the other day?
Time flies......when it's someone else's child! :) haha.
* We had our New Beginnings in the evening for Haylee & all the Young Women.
They did such a good job! It's so different (& nice!) to just be part of the audience and not
be in charge of it. I thought it was way better and cuter than the ones we did....probably because I could really sit back and enjoy it - unlike the last three years when I was IN YW! ;)
Look how adorable our "cruise ticket" (program for the evening) was:
{front}
{back}
The mutual theme for this year is D & C 4:2, "Oh, ye that EMBARK in the service of God...."
so they pretended we were aboard a "ship" for the evening.
That video presentation can be viewed HERE.
There are GREAT YW leaders now, it's good for everyone to change it up!
* Finished the weekend (like I always do these days) by writing my letter to Ryan on his mission,
while "Talkin' Sports" was on T.V. in the next room.
