Ward Christmas Party

I'm on the Activities Committee.

I haven't done too much to help out just yet - mostly shown up when & where told to.

We have a wonderful leader, and she wisely decided that we should all share the work load by having each of us lead an Activity.

I got Christmas.

We decided this back in September, and it didn't seem like a big deal at the time.

Fast forward to mid-November, and here's what I started to look like:

OK, I shouldn't complain. It all went quite smoothly. We planned a family-style dinner, a photo-taking area, a service project, and ended with singing, storytelling, and a brief slideshow for entertainment.

I farmed out responsibilities, and took on the food and some of the decor.

With the help of a WONDERFUL food committee, we had a delicious meal of Artichoke dip + tortilla chips, ham, roast turkey, corn, tossed green salad, and rolls. Dessert was a potluck, and the Ward came through with two tables groaning with delicious treats. I've never had to plan or prepare food for 140 people, but with some strategic planning and helping hands, it was smooth sailing.

The decor was a little touch and go, but it all came together at the end.

As I told a friend, in my experience with different meetings and events, there isn't much that either a few phone calls or a little money can't fix. We didn't have to resort to either.


The entertainment was really nice. We created a little area in front of the stage that looked like a living room - couch, chairs, rug, lamp, fireplace, Christmas tree. The children gathered around a 'grandma & grandpa' who read a few stories, ending with the Nativity story from Luke. On the stage above we set up a barn backdrop with a manger, and had Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and a few shepherds to create a live-action tableau of the beautiful story. We ended with a slideshow set to the song Mary Did You Know? There were a few technical difficulties during the set up, but all was resolved by show time.

It was a pleasant evening for all, with a few (minor) lessons learned. But I am still glad the Christmas Party only comes once a year. It may be another 12 months before I can even think about cooking a ham or a turkey. But I'll take seconds on that artichoke dip.

Stop, Thief!

Someone stole/ borrowed/ 'found and kept' my sunglasses at church yesterday. They had fallen out of my bag & gotten hung on the outside of Big Sis' activity bag. I was juggling Big J and asked Big Daddy to put them back in my bag, so they wouldn't get lost. As to be expected, he teased me about someone taking them. So I backed down, and we put the bag on the high shelf in the coat closet exactly where I usually leave her bag.

When I strolled over to the coat closet after picking up Big Sis, the bag and its' contents were right where we left it. Sans sunglasses. I grabbed her bag and rooted inside it. Then I patted around the area of her bag. No shades. I thought maybe Big Daddy was playing a joke on me & he had snuck over & swiped them. But no, that was not the case.

There are many things that lower my expectations of human behavior, but attending church is not usually one them. So if you happen to have "found" a pair of glossy black sunglasses with oversize frames and little rhinestones on the earpieces - they're mine. Sure, I could go to Wal-mart and pick up another pair for $10, but so could you. And how gross is it to wear someone else's sunglasses? I hope you at least took them home and cleaned them with rubbing alcohol before you tried them on. And I also hope that if you intend to keep them that they break the first time you wear them. Thanks for ruining my Sunday!

Sick Sick Sick

Matt is sick today, so it's affecting all of us. He must be feeling better, because he was getting a little chatty. But now dinner may not be staying down, so he's back to laying on the couch and moaning ever so slightly every few minutes.

I've gotten nothing done today. Church is such a time sucker. I know I have a bad attitude about it, but I can't help it. By the time we get home again, it's 2 pm, and I have zero motivation to get anything done. I never felt welcomed here, and the one person who was cool to me moved out of the Ward. We've never had consistent Home Teachers or Visiting Teachers..... and I LOVE that people still ask me if I'm new. NO - I'M NOT NEW - apparently I am just invisible. Thanks for asking, and thanks for making me feel like an idiot for showing up and even trying to fit in a little bit.

Maybe I need to accept that I'll always be an outsider. As a convert I still miss some of the little "givens" that every seems to know. I'm sure that will get better with time, but for now, I just feel a little embittered. Here more than anywhere else (any other Ward we've been in), it seems that I am one of the only women who work. I don't have the opportunity to stay home with my kids right now, so I can't do any of the junk that's scheduled during the week. Add my hour-long commute to that, and it's tough for me to even be on time for the stuff scheduled after working hours. Being in Primary doesn't help either. I HATE that I have to find a sub for the times when I won't be there. It's horrible trying to call around and explain who I am and why I need a sub. Everyone either has a calling, or they have young kids & can't/ won't. I don't blame them - I wouldn't want to sub either. But cut me a break. I think I may just resign quietly. I'm about done with the whole rigmarole of church. If Peaches didn't like Nursery so much, I'd take a nice long break from it entirely.