Friday, February 28, 2014

Thanks for Giving

Thanksgiving is always just incredibly wonderful. I feel so blessed to have family so close by and I indeed have so much to be grateful for-I am so blessed by my Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for my loving husband, family, employment, our home we make beautiful together, warm clothes, health, means to help others, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his infinite Atonement. I have this everyday and need to show more gratitude. I am grateful for the Holiday that helps me remember and put my life back into perspective.
This year we were lucky enough to get to have a Thanksgiving meal with both families-talk about turkey! Both meals were perfect and we were so happy to be there. I was pretty happy with the Lattice Berry Pie I made.

 

Halloween

Halloween this year we were Frankenstein and Bride. I gathered from existing and we bought Mr. Finch some Green Face paint that was much stickier that we expected. He was a trooper for a bit before it had to come off. Jaynes Family party is always fun with Grandpa Scary Story. Halloween Night we headed over to Stacy's home for delish eats and fun. 
Our pumpkins lit our family room and we enjoyed Brandon's Goulish Grin for All Hallows Eve. These are the only pictures I got but we had lots of cute, creative costumes, minions, and rock stars. Happy Haunting.






Fall


I had a lot of fun making this pallet board art piece for my Mother-in-law Cindy. Brandon helped me cut old pallets that my dad gave me from his warehouse. I created a stencil for the letters and the shape of the leaf. I used carpet tacks and embroidery thread for the string art. Very easy and excited to do some more!


Women's Conference

Brandon warned me that after our successful planning of the Ward 4th of July party I may be called on to help again. I replied "No, other people need to have the turn to help." Well I guess I had more helping to do. A call from my Relief society president to be on the decorations "committee" for an upcoming stake women's conference we were hosting had me planning again. "Committee" was kind of misleading. I thought of course I can be on a committee. I'll keep my mouth shut for the most part and volunteer to make the programs or something simple. Well welcome to my committee of one. Just me. So I started planning. I was informed that there was no budget and they planned on having hundreds attend. The key speaker, recently released General Young Women's President, Sister Elaine Dalton. Presidency members had been planning for months and envisioned a royal event for the attending women. I can do royal, I can do events, but usually at least a small budget is waiting for me to create and be resourceful with. Also a color scheme of Gold and Purple had already been selected. That made gathering a little more difficult. This event would NOT have happened without my mother. No Way, No How. Everything used for the event was collected from her home and mine. Also, enormous thanks to Mr. Finch. He put up with flowers everywhere, trucked trees around and was my constant support. He's a little event planner in training! Overall it was a lovely event- the most lovely part was of course the uplifting words from Sister Dalton and the classes that followed. 
Vases: I can't even remember how many I painted! At least 70. Paint swirled inside then drained. Then filled with silk flowers my mom had accumulated. 
 This really is not even 1/3 of the arrangements!
 The Display in the Chapel for Key Note: Sister Dalton
Cultural Hall for Lunch