Help!

I was asked on Sunday to teach a 20 minute craft or decoration for Christmas at a Relief Society enrichment activity. Does anybody have any ideas? It doesn't have to be something they can do there....It can just be an idea for them to do later! HELP!!!!!

Our 28th Temple

So yesterday we were blessed with the opportunity to attend our 28th Temple. (Eddie says we can't actually count it as our 28th Temple!) We got to go to the Re-dedication of the Mexico City Mexico Temple....at our Stake Center. Our ward had about 25 tickets. Some people didn't go because they thought there would be a language barrier. For a change we got to wear the headphones and only 4 of the talks were in Spanish.
Before the Re-dedication session started we got to see the different rooms in the temple while Mo Tab was singing. They weren't there, it was all pre-recorded. The temple is beautiful!

This is some of the wood working! It's just beautiful!

It was a wonderful opportunity for us. Eddie had never been to a temple dedication, so he was very excited to be there. We also had Patricia with us. She was baptized in August! She loved it! I loved the choir! It was about 17 people! They opened with, "Let the Mountains Shout for Joy!" I didn't need any translation. That's the first song I ever sang in an "adult" stake conference choir! It was fun hearing it in Spanish!

It was a great experience to be united with our Mexican brothers and sisters both in our stake center and in Mexico City. President Monson was funny! In his talk, he told us that he wished he could speak Spanish and then he shared what he remembered from 7th grade Spanish. He rattled off the months of the year! As Pres. Monson said them in Spanish the interpreter said them in English! Then much to my delight!!! He said a few lines of the song I learned in 7th grade! Alla in el rancho grande!!!! Alla donde vi via! He even remembers the same lines I do. I was grateful he didn't finish with the last line! It talks about underwear!!!! He shared stories of LeGrand Richards too. It was a great service. So glad we were able to attend!

My New Favorite Recipe

Ground Turkey Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 (120 g) box turkey stuffing mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk or water
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
3 handfuls craisins

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
Transfer to a greased loaf pan,.
Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.
Remove from heat and allow to rest for ten minutes before slicing.

I made this last Sunday. It was so delicious. We had it with mashed potatoes and green beans. It kinda tasted like thanksgiving! It was delicious. Of course Eddie had his own little meatloaf with just ground turkey, a torn up piece of bread, one egg, worcestershire sauce, and bread crumbs to soak up some of the egg, various seasonings...um....garlic, Mrs. Dash original, pepper.
He thought his was delicious too!!!

The original recipe was so tasty!!! Tastes just like candy! I added the craisins to the recipe. I thought it called for them, but it must have been another recipe. They added a delicious sweetness to the loaf!!!

Try it and let me know what you think!!!

Question

If Obama ran on a platform of change.....

Why is he surrounding himself with all the former Clinton-ites?

Change can happen....but what kind of change?

God Bless America.......we need it!

Back to the 1800's we go!

So I guess it's our turn to feel the persecution of the early saints. It's so depressing. I don't understand why a group can call one group "haters" and yet we're not the ones threatening to burn down temples, churches, etc. We're not the ones saying, "You better watch your back!" "If you're getting married in California, you better get more security and your flowers, tuxes and cakes may all be ruined in some way. If that isn't hate, then I don't know what is. I guess this is what the Bible means when it says, "by their fruits ye shall know them." Had things gone the other way and Prop 8 not passed.....would we be out in the streets protesting same-sex marriages, boycotting businesses that were against Prop 8, etc.? No, we would go on with our lives as we always do. Perhaps school classroom sizes would shrink, perhaps there would be a vast migration elsewhere., who knows, I'm sure in a coming day we will find out.

Before the election I told Eddie that if it did pass, we might know a season of peace, but only for a season. It would only be a matter of time until they get their way. And like the temper-tantrum throwing children they are....eventually I'm sure they will get their way....but that won't be enough. They will move on to other causes and issues that really give them nothing more than what they already have, but take away our freedoms and our peace and our security.
I find it fitting that tomorrow's RS & Priesthood lessons are on The Second Coming and Millenium. I think it all can't come soon enough! There still is a lot to happen before then and yet I do believe it's not as far off as we might like to think.
I suppose now I'm feeling it might not have been so hard to leave a home, a land or everything I love for a place of hopeful peace without persecution. Believe me, I look forward to the day when I can leave this place.
Funny thing, prophets have warned through the ages of the calamities that will befall us if we do not support the family and I do believe that destruction will come. While the true haters go on persecuting....who will be the first to run to their aid when such destruction hits? Yes, that's right...we will!
I guess if they can re-define Marriage....they can redefine Hate and Tolerance and Diversity.
I say if you're going to talk the talk, you best be learning how to walk the walk. So much for tolerance!

We had the Elders for dinner!

They tasted good! HA!

Actually, Eddie made his world famous French Toast!!!!

Elder Pennington did a great job of catching the toast as Eddie threw it off the griddle! It's become a tradition of sorts. I wasn't home the first time!
We love our Elders! Elder Beck from Utah, Elder Ball from Chihuahua, Mexico, Elder Pennington from West Virginia and Elder Choy from Korea. They are very fun and provide great opportunities for us to get out and serve. They also bring a wonderful spirit into our home!

WOW!

A More Determined Discipleship
By Elder Neal A. Maxwell Of the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy
Ensign, Feb 1979, 69–73
(Portions of) An address delivered at Brigham Young University, 10 October 1978

Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel.
There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself.
Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, “summer is nigh” (Matt. 24:32). Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat!

It rained this morning!

That's not dew on the Roses!
It's Raindrops!

Such pretty flowers!

Bill's morning glories 46 years later!

I was so excited when I woke up and could hear the pitter-patter of raindrops.

It was beautiful outside and I just love the smell of the earth when it rains!
I had to run outside and take pictures before the sun came out!
Even as it got lighter, the clouds were pretty cool!
I had to take a picture of the airplane!
Pretty clouds! I love palm trees!
A shot looking across the street. The flood control district and Bluff Rd.

More clouds, blue skies and palm trees!
And a picture of the Avocado tree. Yes, for those of you who haven't seen Gma's house in a while, there is actual grass growing under the tree! Thanks to Eddie!!!!

The fun of the rain didn't last. The sun came out and dried up all the rain and brought yucky humidity with it!!! I hope it gets cold soon!!!

A picture paints a thousand words!

copied from www.meridianmagazine.com