A little of this and a lot of that...

!!!HOLY!!!

I have a lot of catching up to do!!! So here goes...

Trip to the Cannery...

Our church operates a huge cannery that provides food for those in need. Members of our church sign up to go and volunteer to help with the operation. It is quite an amazing thing to watch. Dave and I went a few weeks ago. It is so well organized and the missionaries who run it are very strict with the regulations. The USDA inspector made a visit while we were there too.

Need a new look? Well, check out these beautiful hairnets! Aren't they just SO flattering? Bleh! Actually Shanne doesn't look too bad in one (bottom left) ...as for the rest of us, well...

We were all just glad they didn't kick Shanne out for not cutting the mustard...er... gravy. She was having issues with her station! Probably because she was having a little too much fun!!! I was jealous I wasn't working on her station!


We did Beef Stew. This was my station...↓ (top left) doing potatoes. We didn't have to peel them, just remove any bruises or black or green spots.

See the cute little old lady on the top left photo (that will be me in about 40 years!) ...she was a hoot! She managed that knife like an army soldier that wasn't going to take any guff. When we had a break she would just sit there with it aimed at anyone that dare get near her! Daisy is at the bottom right. That woman makes the most amazing cinnamon rolls!

This is the stew after it was put in cans and then the gravy going in.

I am standing by all the ingredients before they are mixed together (bottom left) while Dave was running the can operation (bottom right). Our shift lasted three hours, from 7 -10 a.m. It was a lot of fun and a great service for those in need.

My favorite part was going out to breakfast at Village Inn after. Yum! I had these Orange-Cranberry-Almond pancakes with Orange Sauce! Can you say Mmmmmm!!!

I think Dave is looking pretty happy too! It was D-lish! He's not too bad either! ☺

Visit to the Humanitarian Center

My Young Women group went to Salt Lake City to tour our churches Humanitarian Center a few months ago. I never got around to posting about it but thought it would go well with the cannery one. We took two quilts to donate that we had made at Girl's Camp. It was an eye opening experience that left us all walking away feeling very blessed for all we have and so grateful we belong to a church that is able to help those who are less fortunate throughout the entire world.

This is from the Humanitarian website:

Working under the attentive eye of Church leadership, the LDS Church Welfare and Humanitarian program is responding to areas of human need more than ever before. Present priorities include care of the world's poor and a greatly expanded employment support to elevate men and women from circumstances of need to the blessings of self-reliance. Gifts, bequests, and endowments for these initiatives extend personal reach around the globe to help victims of disasters, homelessness, hunger, and disease. Teachers receive needed training, facilities, textbooks, and supplies, weapons in their war against ignorance, poverty, and hopelessness. Orphans and street children find relief from the daily struggle to survive. Job training opens doors of opportunity. Micro-enterprise turns ingenuity into prosperity. Jobs appear where there were no jobs before. The unemployed find stability; the underemployed begin to realize their greater potential and create the surpluses that transform them from receivers to givers. These are effective opportunities, those that build lives.

Pictured above is some of the donated clothing that will find it's way into another country where the need is so great.




























The facility is very large as well as very organized and efficient.



























More shots of the huge amount of clothing and where it may go.






























Above is pictured a few of the many ways we provide to the needy across the world.


President Thomas S. Monson said, "We have a responsibility to extend help as well as hope to the hungry, to the homeless, and to the downtrodden both at home and abroad."
























Here we are with our quilts!!!

Go HERE to read more about what we do as a church to relieve the needy, distressed, homeless, jobless, hungry, poor, and victims of disasters. You will be amazed!

Just another day in paradise...

We get A LOT of deer in our backyard. We usually have does and fawns. This year we have a set of twins that enjoy eating our shrubs and flowers! Lately though, we have been seeing this beautiful buck.

~More Creatures~
Look what was in my house! Well...technically the garage, but STILL!

It's not a real big surprise since we get a lot of these at this time of year, but I prefer that I don't SEE them! Dave found this guy. DANG good thing too! If it had been ME...oh the drama!

Good Mail!

This came from Steph @The Daily Grind

It is soooo cute! I can't wait to use it! Thanks Steph!!!

McKay's First Band Concert

McKay is a drummer in the 6th grade band. The first year they don't allow percussion, just bells.

He got to play the Bass Drum and even got to do a solo!

For your listening enjoyment here is his solo... which I might add, I had NO idea he was even going to do. I also didn't know he was playing the bass drum. Why didn't I know?????????

Because he is a BOY!

The only part of his solo you will hear are the last TWO beats. Listen closely because it will be over before you know you missed it! Why only the last two beats? Well, since I didn't KNOW he was doing a solo, I didn't have the video ready. Once I got it ready, his solo only had TWO beats left. Why again?????????

Because he is a BOY!

♥BOYS! Gotta love em'♥



Be prepared or you will miss it! The very first two beats on here are the only ones I got of his solo. The rest is of the other sections!

Saturday was the annual Turkey Trot! I ran it with my neighbor Julie.

It's a 4 mile race and the prizes are Pumpkin Pie and Turkeys!

I didn't win a turkey...(sob)

But I did win a pumpkin pie for getting 2nd place.

For more photos and the rest of the tantalizing story go HERE!

At least for now!!!