THE Gators 2007

The LA 1st ward decided to be nice and let the SM 3rd ward win again this year. It was the neighborly thing to do or maybe it had to do with that Golden Rule thing, I dunno. Either way, the GATORS were amazing!

Go Gators!

The Los Angeles 1st ward and Santa Monica 3rd ward HOMECOMING flag-football game has been an ongoing tradition for the past 4 years. I was on the activities committee for two of them, and after this weekend, co-chair for 3. My fondest memories include the very first game. It was held in January, in the middle of a down-pour. By the time it was over, everyone (whether playing or not) was soaked to the bone and caked in a muddy mess. It made for a fabulous ward photo.

Friday evening, we again take the field to regain the prized Honey Jar Trophy we lost to the SM Silver Monkey's a year ago. Coaches Rider (yes, Josh and Jason) have been feverishly teaching, throwing, and running their hearts out in preparation for this match. We are ready to rumble!

The GATORS are back and BETTER THAN EVER!

Watch out little Monkey's... the Gators' bite is a lethal one.

Craft Night

The first of many monthly craft nights kicked-off tonight at my apartment. I taught the art of Scherenschnitte and Calligraphy. I must say, LA 1st ward girls are mighty talented with tiny pairs of scissors and x-acto knives! Of all the designs, I think the dragons were the favorites. Allana's butterfly was a massive, but beautiful undertaking, and Julia's snowflake was pretty dang cool. Maggie created a Halloween card I'll never forget... complete with a skeleton and floating skull.

I must give credit where credit is due. I was completely inspired by Cindy's blog that I found through a common friend. She's incredibly talented at the art of paper cutting, what she creates is amazing. Check it out.

These are a sample of our first attempts. We did not draw these. I found these images on Scherenschnitte websites and photocopied them for the girls to create their own papercuttings from. As you can see... we rock.

Short Quiz

1. Have you ever heard of Andy Warhol?
2. Have you ever heard of Michelangelo?
3. Have you ever heard of Picasso?

If you answered YES to all three of these questions, then you're doing better than half the kids in one of my art classes at a UNIVERSITY. Be proud people. Be proud that you didn't attend the LA School District. I'm appalled... again.

Facebook (and my dog)

Like millions of others, I 'subscribe' to a couple networking websites (ie. facebook, ldslinkup, myspace). I rarely log-on to these sites anymore, but this morning (during class, of course) I got an email on my facebook account to add a friend. He was my brother's best friend growing up in NJ and I also use to babysit him (which he probably doesn't like to remember). BTW- I'm trying to use as many parentheses in this posting as possible (just FYI). Anyways, back to my story. It was fun to read up on everything he (and subsequently—his sister) have been up to. Then I found my brother and sister on there, added them as friends, and began photo-stalking (a favorite past-time).

And now my dog.

Cody is our little cocker spaniel. It seems Courtney and Clayton both had photos of our 'little chicken' (or in this cas, Dragon) on facebook. Maybe I didn't get the family memo. I don't want to be left out, so here are some of my photos of Cody (and 2 from my siblings' facebook accounts).

Church Activities

I've been the activities co-chair in my YSA ward since March 2005. Yes, it does seem like forever, but I love it nonetheless. From time to time I like to click on the church website and just see what's happening. Today I discovered a new link under 'Serving in the Church' — Activities!!! I was thrilled! It's been a long time in the coming, and it still needs a little more depth/resources, but it's a fabulous start. I finally feel slightly validated that my calling is 'offically recognized' on the church website! You may think this sounds ridiculous, but I've occasionally wondered why a calling that is so time- and labor-intensive never had any sort of online resources. Suffice it to say, I am very pleased with the web developers at church headquarters today.

Just as a reminder to us all...

Purpose of Church Activities
The purpose of Church activities is to bring members closer to Christ through worthwhile events that unite them as “fellowcitizens [in] the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). Activities can:

• Fortify and support the [ward] family.
• Strengthen testimonies and foster personal growth.
• Provide opportunities to apply gospel principles.
• Create unity and a sense of belonging.

In addition, Church activities can provide opportunities to reach out to less-active members, recent converts, and those of other faiths. Activities can also help participants develop talents, gain new skills, and give service to others.

Responsibility for Activities
Church activities are planned under the direction of stake presidencies and bishoprics. These leaders assign responsibility for each activity to the leaders of the auxiliary or priesthood organization involved. Stake and ward activities committees, called and directed by the stake presidency or bishopric, are generally responsible for activities that involve multiple organizations or are planned for entire families.