Reflections on Relief Society

Saturday evening was so uplifting. I'm so grateful that I have been able to be apart of this wonderful Relief Society Organization. It has been such a blessing in my life.
1. The friendships I have made
2. The lessons I have learned
3. The service opportunities
4. The mistakes I have made and tried to learn from
5. Wonderful examples of leadership that have served as models to help me in my church callings
6. The many skills I have learned
7. It has given me a sense of belonging
8. The service that has been given to our family
9. The example of my Mother as a Counselor in Relief Society, toting me around all over as she lovingly and willingly fulfilled her calling from the earliest age I can remember. She called me her Relief Society Baby.
10. The glass grapes, amazing clocks and quilts that were in our home growing up, all products from Homemaking Meetings.
11. New recipes
12. Sisters who I could relate with on almost every aspect of life.
13. Sisters who were dealing with concerns the same as mine.
14. Sisters who I could connect with on a spiritual high
15. Wonderful Visiting Teachers
16. Making friendships through being a Visiting Teacher
17. Humanitarian Projects
18. Super Saturday Workshops
19. Cooking Classes
20. Delicious meals that we use to take turns making. Some how the food always tasted better when someone else cooked it.
21. Enjoying Relief Society with my daughters and knowing the blessing it is in their lives.
22. Love, service, learning, spirituality and unity are all blessing I have received from Relief Society and I will always be grateful for this organization and for all the sisters through the years who have greatly touched and made an impact on my life, for good.

Our Precious Young Women

In the past week I have had several moments when I have seen that our Young Women are getting it. It is worth every minute we have spent trying.
The Young Women that I have now I have been their Achievement Day Leader and not too long after one of their Young Women Leaders. We have been on quite a journey. I am finally seeing the fruit of those years and it has been a beautiful and amazing glimpse. They are so precious. Several of them are now Seniors and they will soon be set free. I pray they continue to remember and apply what they have been taught.
They have taught me a great deal and I am grateful for the lessons they have opened my eyes too.

Congratulations Dallin!!!

Congratulations Dallin on acceptance to the University of Utah. We hope that you enjoy your experience there as much as we did when Doug was going there.

Dallin will be working towards his Entomology degree which is the scientific study of insects.

Fun times with Ashley and the gang, Happy 8th Birthday Ashley

Fun at Sunset Beach in Oregon.

Ashley, Jade and Tavis enjoying time together at the Family Reunion.

Ashley was so excited to have a new little sister that she could hold.

Red Rover seems to be a classic.

I miss when you use to live close-by and we got to see you about every week.

Fun with Mark and Lilly at your grandparent's pool.

Our cute little poser.

You had a lot of fun on that hammock.

The birthday classic.

Elizabeth and Ashley

I love this cute little duck.

Ashley and Tavis

Ashley and Lindsay at the Rose Garden, I hope you will always be friends.

What a sweet family. (Sorry Hailey you weren't born yet.)

Doug enjoying one of his favorite pastimes with some of his grandchildren. They were really serious fisherman and woman

After Johnathan's Baptism

Fun in Utah

Enjoying the moment

Johnathan looked like a Missionary on his special day, with a great smile to match.

Johnathan's Special Baptism Day

Johnathan's Baptism was a very spiritual experience. It was so wonderful to be there with him and the two other children who were being baptized.

We Have Had Visitors

Our neighbors have four turtles. We found that out by accident. A couple of days ago one was on our back lawn and our dog was attacking it. I'm not sure what Cuddles (our dog) wants with it. I wonder if she is just curious because it moves and hides or if she really wants to eat it.
Doug caught her in a small plastic garbage can and he wasn't sure what to do with it. Our neighbors have quite a few pets and Doug thought that was a good place to start. Yup, it was their daughter's girl turtle. I think the other three are boys.
Today after church I kept on hearing this squeaky sound. I wondered if Cuddles had gotten stuck somewhere. Instead I looked out and found Cuddles moving another one of their turtles around like crazy. She didn't appreciate me bringing her into the house. She has decided that turtles are a lot of fun.
I could have swore that the turtle was flat. I thought Cuddles had sat on it or something. I waited until Doug came home from church and let him return the bigger turtle to our neighbor. They aren't at home so he returned him to a pond they have made in the backyard.
I would think that this turtle and the last one would be smart enough to stay away from our yard for fear of any more trauma. There are two more that have not made the journey. We'll have to see if any more are brave enough to come visit. We can't find where they are getting in.
They have added a little excitement around our house.

This Article is Worth Reading even though it is LONG

Subject: Comments from CBS evening news
Ben should be a carpenter-he sure hits the nail on this one. I like this and so I'm sharing it...The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS SundayMorning Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestorswas Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when peoplecall those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees.. I don'tfeel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what theyare: Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'MerryChristmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting readyto put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it It shows that we areall brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn'tbother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a keyintersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a crïeche,it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew,and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for beingChristians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired ofgetting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept camefrom that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it inthe Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did theidea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowedto worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'mgetting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering wherethese celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one anotherfor a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be ajoke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on theEarly Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something likethis happen?' (regarding Katrina) Anne Graham gave an extremely profoundand insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened bythis, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out ofour schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. Howcan we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if wedemand He leave us alone?' In light of recent events... terrorists attack,school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare(she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn'twant prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said youbetter not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt notkill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And wesaid OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank ourchildren when they misbehave because their little personalities would bewarped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr Spock's son committedsuicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. Andwe said OK. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have noconscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn'tbother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hardenough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' Funny how simple it is for people to trash God andthen wonder why the world's going to hell Funny how we believe what thenewspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you cansend 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when youstart sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice aboutsharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freelythrough cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in theschool and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you willnot send it to many on your address list because you're not sure whatthey believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what otherpeople think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not thenjust discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard thisthought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape theworld is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein

hungry-girl.com

I was told about a wonderful free website that is very helpful for those of us who are trying to beat the battle of the bulge.
I haven't had a lot of time to check it out but what I have seen is very helpful. It is hungry-girl.com

The Next Michael Phelps

Our Birthday girl

My posts are mixed up but today is Hailey's 4th birthday. I decided I would start with her birthday and post some of my special memories with her and then continue with all of our other grandchildren on their special day.

Adam had a very special bond with you. In January he will be excited to renew that special relationship.

Hailey kicking back and enjoying a relaxing moment.

Hailey and her buddy Tavis. They love spending time together.

Hailey our Birthday Girl

On each of our grandchildren's birthday I wanted to make a slideshow of fun times spent with them. I have not mastered that trick yet. Instead here are pictures of a sweet little Hailey.
Happy Birthday from Grandpa and Grandma Adamson

Hailey being held by her sweet sister Ashley

You came into this world receiving a great deal of love and attention.

This was a very special day. Your baby blessing was in Corcoran Branch and your Great-Grandma Couch is holding you afterwards.

Grandpa taking care of you at the beach.

Favorite Pictures of our Birthday Girl

She does love her Mother and stays pretty close by.

Hailey in a tree at Silver Falls, Oregon

Hailey with most of her girl cousins.

Hailey with her cousins closest to her age.