Service for the Ward

 

This month was a busy month for moves! We helped this sweet family! She was pregnant and she had two young boys. Her husband will be attending UNC and earning his masters.  We spent a few weeks helping her pack and do a few things for the move and then come move day everyone helped pitch in! We had a small rain storm that day, which halted the move but it came at a much needed break.  It was extremely hot and Sister Beachum came with a trunk full of cold water and ordered pizza for everyone! Praises!!! We also helped move another woman Sister Black and she pretty much had everything done. We just had to move it out of one apartment into another! The work seems extra hard in this Carolina heat but the work is sweet. It feels good to help others. Service has never been a problem for our entire family to render.  Some are good at service and some are good at other Christ like attributes. It makes the work easy as we all work together.

 



 

 

Youth Temple Trip South Carolina Temple

Youth temple trips are always pretty special and amazing! We also get to know the youth a little bit better on these trips! Our temple is a little less than 2 hours away. Not great but not bad either! I definitely miss being 20 minutes away from the temple like we were in St. Louis and I'm grateful that we do not have to travel 2.5 hours to the Boston Temple when we lived in NY! So count your blessings each time you  have them but always so grateful that there is a temple nearby where ever we live!

In our other wards we had always been so careful and cautious not to add undue stress or cost to families pertaining to money for food after. But, I was told we did not have to worry about families in this ward. I think extra money out of pocket should always be a concern.

After the temple we just went our separate ways. I like the youth to gather briefly and share if they had any special experiences, especially if they happen to be fresh in their minds! The youth seem to transform when they are all in white. I truly love to see them in the temple!

I love serving and doing ordinances. It is such a blessing and wonderful service to do.

Christmas Youth Joint activity

Our Christmas activity was planned by Nicole Gubler! It was a lot of fun and the youth made temples out of gingerbread houses and had to have them resemble the LDS temples. We also had a white elephant swap which I quickly learned that full bags of candy were top priority!!

Glow in the dark Volleyball

You would never know by my pictures that the youth had a glow in the dark volleyball night! The Miamaids were in charge and they bought a lot of glow sticks and put them all over the net so you could see the net and taped them all down the court so you could see the boundaries! They also had these great glow sunglasses and had a glow in the dark volleyball! The only thing I would change is have two balls, one charging in the light while you are playing with the other! Obviously, I enjoyed the sunglasses a little too much!

Feb Harrisburg Ward ladies 2015

I went to lunch with a few ladies from church and got to know them better. It was really nice to chatter about many things! The first picture is with Sharon Middlebrook! I simply adore this lady. She is straight outta the south and her accent and southern girl mannerisms make her so endearing to me! She is also my visiting teacher and has a heart of gold and can throw a theme party like nobody's business! I feel like I hit it off with her perfectly!

 

These next two pics are of Lori Ianucci and Sylvia Willet, Sylvia was sure to keep me updated about our children and enrolling them correctly in seminary and is the sweetest nicest lady! She definitely has a great memory she often quotes talks and speakers and scripture like nobody's business! I can barely remember my name! Seriously, I still do not know Mr. Incredible's phone number and he has had it for almost 5 years! Yeah! Lori, has a servant's heart. She stays up late and is my late night chit chat texting buddy! She is so funny! I can laugh at her all day, and then she says something and always worries if she has offended or hurt someone's feelings! To me that makes her even more hilarious!!

 

Such a fun Relief Society night we had for the month of Feb. WE had plenty of sweets and made cards for our missionaries in the field and this is the Relief Society committee!

Sharon Middlebrook, Enrichment nigh, Katie Bledsoe, I just met her that night, Katie Mohr, RS secretary, love her! She is so funny and was willing to make basketball shirts for the girls! Her personality is young and vivacious, but then again, she is young and vivacious! Funny how that works! Katherine Rupp, she has 4 boys and  her youngest is a senior this year! She is funny, snarky and works at Vera Bradley! I mean what more is there to say about this lady, Vera Bradley?? Want to be my new BFF?? She is the 2nd counselor and Shelly Sweat, RS President! Hands down uber nice lady, will do anything for you and has a heart of gold! She is also so funny and I love her personality! So, what's there not to like about my ward?

 

 

Service Service Service

To say I have moved a few times is an understatement and to say I believe I have the best and most efficient way of packing, cleaning and moving is and proves to be an accurate statement! I would say I am an expert! With the 15+ moves that we have made. I can also say my strength has lessened some.  I am pretty strong. It is a natural thing. My mother is strong as an ox and I get it from her! I can't lift a weight bar above my head, easily but I can carry a couch, chair, lift a fridge (with help) and other large bulky things of substantial weight. It used to be a joke if I could out lift you, or win at arm wrestling stay home! Just kidding but not really!

Enough about me! This sweet family Miriam Hiatt and her young family are moving to Raleigh so her husband can finish his masters at UNC! Through serving her she has become one of my dearest friends. Look how cute she is and she's over 8 months pregnant!

 

 This is Dale Beachum now this guy can work any young guy under the table! His work ethic reminds me so much of my dad! he's a hard worker. I said I would get a few pics of everyone moving and I think he's saying, "We have work to do" what do you think he's saying? LOL, Kelly Nelson she is always up for a photo op! She would move some and check on everyone else and make sure they were packing and cleaning efficiently! What a great way to serve and help and get to know other members of your ward! Serving is building friends.

 WE also as a ward had the opportunity to move another lady! She had a lot of things but we were able to get it done. Many hands makes light work! My girls they carried a leather sofa up two flights of stairs and into the apartment! They are pretty strong just like their mom and dad!

 

Another opportunity to serve was a Ward project that helped benefit the community! This school is one school where parent involvement isn't at the highest and it needed a lot of landscaping help as well as help on the inside! Our youth and ward worked together by cleaning and weeding the grounds and the center court area.  Even the little ones were utilized! If you didn't have work to do outside there was plenty to do on the inside as well! Sweetheart and I helped put new poster paper on the bulletin boards in the hallway! Others cleaned out trash from class rooms and helped decorate classrooms! We arrived late I was scheduled to take pictures in SC for a dog shelter! So sad, every Thursday dogs are put down in this shelter and another photographer volunteers her services and takes the cutest adorable pictures of these gentle animals in a last effort to save and plea for their lives! She has saved many but many more have been euthanized. So sad, that humans have failed their pets left them to starve, beat them or just surrendered them! When you make a commitment stick with it and if you can't than find someone who is willing to take on your responsibility! Why does this bother me so when humans can't even take care of themselves or their human responsibilities to children, spouses or one another. Seriously, so sad!

 Mattingly Girls

 Sis Beachum and Sister Lewis

Sis Neusbaum and Sis McCracken