This and that from this past week...

Saturday the stake held a basketball training day.  They had it well organized and taught the girls a lot.  I just wish more of our girls would have come to it.  Heaven knows we need the help!

It's kind of surprising  that Heather would enjoy playing.  She is the most timid, shy little gal, but when she's out on the court she really comes out of her shell.  It was fun to watch her and Calle  improve so much in just that two hour time.

We have been trying to think of someone who would coach the girls.  Mindy did it last year, but got put into the primary presidency and couldn't do it.  We talked about it and came up with a few names, but couldn't see any of them really working out.  Then Shauna told me that Tori didn't really want to play this year, but she might be interested in coaching.  So I talked to the bishop about it and he thought that would be great.  The team definitely needs her to play...I think last year she made about 90 percent of the points, but if she would rather coach, I am OK with that too.  She has become kind of disconnected from the girls since she's going to college now.

We have our first game this Saturday so I'm hoping the bishop can talk to her and get her on board to take on that calling.  Last year was pretty disastrous when I was trying to coach before we got Mindy.

 Lizzy has been acting very strange lately.  It seems like she is trying to tell me something but I can't figure out what it is.  She will practically climb right on my lap trying to get close to me.   Then she just stares at me with this really anxious look in her eyes.  I'll say "Lizzy do you need to go out?"  and she will tear off for the back door.  So I go let her out ( I don't know why I am the only one she will tell that she needs to go out...Kelley can be standing right by the back door and she will come tell me.)  Anyway, so many times right after I let her out, she wants to come right back in, so I don't think that's what she wanted.  Wish I could figure her out. She's getting pretty old and sleeps most of the time now, but when we go outside, she runs around with the energy of a puppy.  Won't let myself think about her not being with us anymore...I know I should be preparing myself but my heart just couldn't handle that right now.

 Just had to document the abuse my snowmen have to tolerate.  When I put away all the Christmas decorations I just didn't feel like putting away the snowmen yet....we are still in the dead of winter and they make me happy.  I guess Kelley is getting a little sick of them.  I'll put a bag on his head.

Monday night I went out to dinner with my girlfriends for my birthday.  I chose the cheesecake factory because I it's kind of in the middle for all of us.  It was such a fun night catching up with all these dear ladies.  So grateful for the many years of friendship we have enjoyed.  I've been thinking about the influence the people who come into your life can make and the big place in my heart that they fill and consider them a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.  This life has it's ups and downs, but it's sure a lot easier getting through it when you have good friends to share the joys and sorrows with.

Last night we went skating for our yw-ym combined activity.  The guys were in charge and decided to go to the Kearns Olympic Oval.  I had never been there before...just saw it on TV during the Olympics, so seeing it in person was pretty cool.  It is huge!

The kids were pretty excited about it...(mostly about chasing after and flirting with the boys (and girls) there.

Poor Heather was petrified to get on the ice.  Last year when we went skating, I spent most of the time trying to pry her off of the wall and get her to skate with me.  We ended up actually going around a few times without the aid of the wall.  The set up here was different so she couldn't really cling to the wall.  We tried to get her to hang onto several different people, but she wasn't having it.  Finally McKenzie came around and said she would help her.  They made it around once, then she was done for the night.  I was glad that she at least would give it a try.

 Tori had to come late because of school, so I met her by the front when she got there and helped her get set up.  While we were getting her skates, Jamie Larsen came and gave me a big hug.  She was there with her young women group too.  It was so good to talk to her.  She is such a sweet heart. She said Steve and Sherry are doing well.  She said Steve has several paintings in a few different gallery's and is selling a lot of them.  I miss her and her family terribly.  They are some of those special people that I was talking about that are a blessing in our lives.

 Bonnie is such a doll and just jumps right in and helps everyone put on their skates.

Chantel had told Elizabeth that she would skate with her but that she wanted to go around a few times herself before she did.  I could see that not going well, and tried to encourage Elizabeth to skate with some other kids but she said  that Chantel should be coming soon so she wanted to wait for her.  Well I saw Chantel zip by us about 3 times on the other side of the rink so I didn't think she was really going to come skate with Elizabeth.  A few minutes later, Chantel came hobbling in crying that she had fallen and broken a rib.  She could not be calmed down so Stacey called Laura and she said she would meet Stacey and her at the hospital.  It was about 8:30 by then so we rounded up all the girls and helped them get their skates taken back (that took longer than anything!  huge lines!)

Elizabeth had ridden with me but we decided  she would go home with Bonnie since her sister was in that car.  She told me before she left that she was going to go visit Chantel the next day and see how she was doing.  That girl is a pure spirit.  Even though Chantel left her in the dust, she has no bad feelings.  As I watch her the words "without guile" always come to mind.

Got a text from Stacey this morning saying Chantel was ok, just bruised up a bit.

Cute girls...love them!