A few pictures from the ward Christmas party...it was fun to have the Taylorsville Madrigals come sing for the program because Abby is in the group this year.  I think they were about the best bunch  I've heard.  They did one song where they were singing to chopsticks and several of them took turns running around the piano playing parts of the song.  It was pretty impressive how many of them knew how to play the piano and the girl that played for all of their songs was really good.  They had asked Arnolds to be in charge of the Christmas party this year and they did a great job with it.  Lots of people there that you never see at church...that's really what it's all about.

This is our cute young women and young men up at the Joseph Smith Building.  We went up to see the lights at temple square for our combined this month and oh man it was cold.  Seriously, I think it was 9 degrees when we went. Everybody dressed warm, but it was just unbearable to be out in it.  So we kind of ran from the Joseph Smith building to the visitors center....oooo, ahhh pretty pretty. OK lets go.  It was nice to have a gal that lives by Bonnie that we hadn't met before come out.  Bonnie had seen her outside and asked her if she would like to come see the lights with us.  She got along great with the girls.  I was really impressed with Abbi and Brielle that night...they made her and Candice feel comfortable and welcome and hung around with them all night.  They are really great that way...accepting and friendly to everyone.

Last Sunday at church we had asked the yw presidency (the young girls) to teach the lesson.  We divided the lesson up between the three of them and told them to take about 10 minutes each.  We were a little nervous about it, wondering if they would really follow through and do it, but wanted to give them the experience.

Sunday morning, I got a text from Emily saying she wasn't feeling well so she wouldn't be there.   But the other two came totally prepared.  Mckenzie went first and did a great job.  She had really put some thought into her presentation.  Then Alicia did her part.  She had her mom come in to tell about an experience she had had that really added a lot.  She had a lot of questions to get the class involved too.  Then she bore her testimony about standing as a witness of Christ.  It was pretty powerful and the spirit was strong.  I know it was really a hard thing for Alicia to do this assignment and she was terribly nervous, but she thanked us after for giving her the opportunity and was glad she did it. It's an amazing plan they have set up for the young people now to prepare them to be missionaries and leaders in the near future.  It's pretty cool to watch it in action.