Baking Fun

There was a wonderful cooking class. We learned to bake cinnamon rolls. Thank you Sister Jeppesen! All the sister who came had a great time! A big thanks to those who came and participate, too! (I will get better about adding names with picture. I wasn't there and I still have a hard time remembering names. I am trying, though.) We got some great shots here of the sisters in their "baking" action!

A quick note. With no picture.

I wanted to welcome our new second councilor in the relief society. Tuppence. I know she will do an awesome job. For those of you who don't know Sister Bailey be on the look out of a spotlight on her soon!

I also wanted to thank Erica for the great job and service she has done for me and all of us. I know she has been a great blessing in my life and many of yours as well. So, thank you Sister Schifsky.

Just a reminder to RSVP to Erica for Thursday the 30th. We would love to see you there. Macaroni Grill.

Stake conference this Sunday. 10am is the general session. Get there early for cushy seats.

New ward, new pad, new husband

Marlene Weller is no stranger to change; she has lived in New Mexico, Texas, Alabama, Utah, Arizona, and she served a mission in Uruguay. Recently as the title of this blog states she has had some other major changes take place in her life. When I first met Marlene it was on the set of one of our ward activities. The My Big Fat Greek Restaurant Ladies Night Out outing. She came in and started visiting with everyone like she was old friends. She was all smiles and very fun to talk to and be around. She had been in the ward for a week and married for 2 weeks to her husband Alan.

The dinner was a big gab fest and I was at the opposite end of the table from Marlene, so I had her write a few things about her self she wanted to share with you, dear blog readers. "I am a fine Artist, a photographer and a bus driver. I love, love, love to sing."

My second meeting with Marlene was over the phone. She was just as happy to talk with me then. Except she was at work so it was a very short conversation. She has now been in the ward for 3 weeks and that means she has been married for just about 4 weeks!! Welcome Marlene and congratulations on everything!

By day she is a diaper changing-dinner cooking lady...

Callie Harding is a wife and mother if 2. Austin age 2 and Jackson age 3. She currently stays home with her youngin's during the day so her husband can go to school. She is waiting until he is done with school and then she plans to go back. She worked in orthodontics and pediatric dentistry. Now a days she has the joy every Sunday of hanging out with the 18 month old to 3 year olds in our ward.

Callie grew up in Albuquerque. She moved to Provo to start working for and orthodontic. She was in a Singles Ward. She met her husband in Provo. He was the activity committee director and she was called to be on the ward activities committee. They lived in the same apartment complex, too. They got to know each other because of their callings and fell in love. They moved here for her husbands schooling.

Callie misses New Mexico and all 4 seasons. (What? There are 4? I thought there was hot and sixteen days of cold.) She enjoyed seeing the colors of fall and the new greens of spring. We are happy to have her here in the painted desert with all of us.

Do you know who has 10 kids and 18 1/2 grand kids?

It's our very own Darla Patterson!
Darla has been married to John (how many of the sisters in our ward are married to a man named John? At least 3 I have interviewed!) for almost 14 years. In April it will be 14 years. When they got married she had 7 children and he had 3. 10 kids! Wow that is fun! Now she is proud to be a grandma to 18 1/2. Yes, a half. There is one on the way. All but three of them live near by. When I asked Darla what her passion was she said, "My kids and my grand kids."

Darla is a customer service rep for a cable company that primarily services Sun Lakes. She loves to read. She read different types of books in spurts. For example she went from reading the Twilight series to Kingdom and the Crown. She also enjoys cooking and singing. She says she is not very good at singing but she enjoys it very much. She is practicing with the stake choir to sing in stake conference on April 26th.

Ladies Night Out

For Ladies Night Out we went to My Big Fat Greek Restaurant. It was very greek. We had a good time. There was talking and laughing and visiting and eating, of course.


We would love to see you at the next "outing!"

AZ born and raised

There aren't too many who can claim native Arizonian status. A person who is born in Arizona and has live here all their life. With Arizona being a melting pot (in more way than one with our summer heat) and more and more people coming here to enjoy the painted desert, you really don't find to many natives. Well, folks, we've got some in our very midst. Amy Reed was born in Phoenix, AZ. She has been in AZ her entire life. She met her husband Sam in Thatcher, AZ. They married 13 years ago.
Amy's 3 children also claim AZ native status. Billy is 9, Samantha is 7 and Porter is 4. Amy loves to watch Sun's games with her basketball fan, Billy. One of their favorite family activities is going to the drive in movies. They get their snacks all prepared and hop in the car and drive up. "And you get to see 2 movies, too!" Billy advised me.

Amy works at Arizona's native grocery store Basha's 2 days a week. She is the second councilor in the Primary and she loves it.

Not too long ago there was a ward conference and members of our stake were visiting our ward. During primary sharing tine the stake presidency was sitting in the back observing. The sharing time leader held up a picture of Adam and Eve. Right away, upon seeing the picture Porter yells "I don't like them!" Amy still recalls her embarrassment. But she tells this story with a laugh and a twinkle in her eye. You can tell she loves her lil' man.

Her favorite Twilight character is Alice, who's yours?

Kat (Katherine) Upperman is married to Matthew and she is a Twilight Mom of 2. Her sons are Aiden (5) and Gavin (3). She is on the Enrichment committee. I met Kat for our interview at Pecos Ranch Park in Chandler. Right off Kat greats me with a huge welcoming smile. She was wearing her cute Twilight Mom t-shirt. Her sons were off playing in the playground near the picnic tables we met at for the interview and lunch. Kat is into fitness and it really does show. She knows so much about getting healthy and into shape. And she enjoys it. She said, "If anyone wants to get into shape and lose weight, call me." We talked a bit about the different diets there are out there and what "really" works. She sure knows her stuff.

She loves fantasy books and comic books. Like I mentioned Kat is a Twilight Mom. For those who do not know what this is, I asked Kat and looked it up on the internet. "TwilightMOMS.com started out as an effort to bring adult fans of Stephenie Meyer together to discuss anything and everything about The Twilight Saga..." and then "Members began forging life long friendships with each other, meeting up with others in their area, and rekindling passion and enthusiasm through talents and interests that had gradually fallen into the background as life’s responsibilities naturally became the central focus." Kat has met other Mom's in the area after becoming a Twilight mom, herself. There are rules to being a Twilight mom. You've gotta be a mom or at least 25 years old if you are not a mom. There are other things required, too, but they are an accepting group. Kat enjoys this... um.. dare I say hobby? and spending time with the other moms. It is really great. I enjoyed learning about it and talking to her about it. It made me tempted to pick up a book. Ahh.
As our interview wound down Kat excused herself to go check on her boys. Twilight, or no twilight, this is one great mom!

Lunch Bunch / Play Group...So Fun!

 

Today's Lunch bunch/Play group was a lot of fun. Each month our ward has a day time activity for sisters to get together and visit with each other where you bring your kids and your lunch. The kid get to play together and the sisters get to visit. It is a lot of fun. I usually have to work during the day but the last 2 months I just happened to be off when the Lunch bunch/play group was schedule and I am so happy I got to attend. I have loved visiting with the other gals who have attended.

You don't have to have kids to come, either. If you just want to come to visit with the other sisters that is great! They/we (when I am lucky enough to have the day off) would love to have you come. This really is a great way to get to know more people. Be on the look out for the Lunch Bunch announcement for next month and mark your calendar and don't forget to come!