Relief Society Paint Night Activity

I've had a lot of callings in my life and I would say that the 2-1/2 years I've spent as Relief Society Activity Coordinator have not been my easiest. My early days in the calling were filled with misunderstandings, made worse by high stress in my life and some poor communication on someone else's part.  Dynamics with the new RS presidency (called about 1/2 way through me getting this calling and now)  have been MUCH more smooth and I'm happy to report, completely drama free.    Having said that though....I'm tired!   Planning activities for adults has stretched me waaaaaaaaaay  outside my comfort zone and, after doing it for a couple years,  the activities have been getting much harder for me to come up with and implement lately.  I just barely got released this past Sunday, so this post is all about the last activity I planned.   

This latest activity was one I'd had on my list to do almost since when I first got called back in the summer of 2022.   Every time we discussed it as a committee though, it seemed too complicated to implement.  We worried about the cost of materials, finding an expert willing to teach it, etc.   It just kept getting pushed back again and again.     Finally...I realized that, due to my own poor planning (thanks to laziness and  a whole lot of exciting things happening in my family in August/September), that I was essentially going to be on my own for planning and making the October activity happen.   So, why not do the activity that had been on my brain since the beginning?   That's how we (I) decided to have a Watercolor Paint Night!  

Invitation was designed with a template on Canva. 

All the  hurdles we kept worrying about turned out to be a nonissue.  We borrowed paints and brushes and the only cost was buying a few packs of watercolor paper (fairly cheap at Walmart), getting some styrofoam plates and cups for the paint/water, and getting some black and white copies made (also very inexpensive when providing my own paper).  Apparently you can print them at home too, but my printer is pretty wimpy with thick paper and I didn't want to fight it.  The inkjet ink can also bleed, which was another issue prevented with getting them professionally printed.  For 5 cents a copy, it was well worth it!   Also,  I decided to forego finding a painting expert and just give a quick non-expert's tutorial on using watercolor paints and let people channel their inner Bob Ross and just have at it.

  To decrease the intimidation level that some people might have felt with a blank canvas, I decided to copy simple outlines directly onto the watercolor paper, so they'd have a good place to start with their art.   I got the outlines from here (Christ)  and here (flowers & berries) and here (Mt. Timp temple).  I also cut up some 4x6 blank sheets of watercolor paper for people to test their colors on and to give them the opportunity to create their own design from scratch if desired. 

The biggest issue, by a mile, was the fact that I decided so late in the game what we were doing (and the fact that it was just after General Conference weekend)  that we ended up not having a Sunday to get it announced and advertised.     I emailed, texted, and delivered fliers to people's doors, but we still ended up with only about a dozen people in attendance or so, which is 1/3 to 1/4 of what we usually have.    Despite the disappointing turnout, however,  I think it was a fun activity for the dozen people that did come.  

It was the perfect kind of activity to be productive and social  at the same time, and I loved watching the conversations happening around the room throughout the night!

  Despite the poor attendance (which I view as my fault for planning it late), I consider the night a great success and I'd highly recommend it for anyone planning an evening for adult or teen girls!  

Dam Life Update

As has become tradition when we have a missionary out serving, here is a {quick and silly} life update taken from a letter we wrote to him on  2/5/23.
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Hello my dear missionary!  
How is life in the Town of Beavers?   Speaking of which...do you know how Beaverton got its name?   I'm going to look it up right now.  It seems like it's got to have something to do with beavers and dams, which means that it's time for some good Mom dam humor.

                                        <PAUSE while I look it up.>

Straight from Wikipedia:

"According to Oregon Geographic Names, Beaverton's name is derived from the settlement's proximity to a large body of water resulting from beaver dams.

The area of Tualatin Valley that became Beaverton was originally the home of a Native American tribe known as the Atfalati, which settlers mispronounced as Tualatin. The Atfalati population dwindled in the latter part of the 18th century, and the prosperous tribe was no longer dominant in the area by the 19th century when settlers arrived. The tribe named their village Chakeipi, which translates to "place of the beaver," which early settlers referred to as "Beaverdam.""

WHAT?

Not only is your Mom right, but it was originally called BeaverDAM!!!! THAT'S DAM EPIC!!!!  I think I am going to start telling people that you're serving in Beaverdam from now on!

I think you should make this your new profile picture.  I'm sure your mission president will approve.  

Also, I have no idea what I'm writing to you next.   

I guess I should probably tell you about life at home, but that seems so boring.  So I think I'll show you the awesome postcard I got today.  It's my favorite type and it made me smile.  

Also, you have some silly sisters....

And a Dad who likes to go fishing...

even when it's cold and snowy! 

So, I guess maybe I am telling you about home now.   Here's a more detailed synopses of what's happening: 

1. I had a RS activity last week that we advertised to be Mindfulness, Movement, Munching, and Mingling.  

 

 

We had a spiritual thought based on these two articles (#1 & #2), then split off into two 15ish minute classes.  One class was glow stick dancing (MOVEMENT) with a teacher speaking a little about the importance of continuing to move our bodies.  The other class was a 15-minute meditation (MINDFULNESS) session. Everyone had a chance to do both classes if they wished.  At the end, we all gathered back together for MUNCHING on healthy snacks and MINGLING with the other sisters.    About 30 people came and I am considering it a success! 

2. Dad is getting a lot of action on his resume and has had several interviews already. 

3. Ellie is Ellie. 

4. Lucie is convinced that all animals say, "Baaaaa".  I think I already told you / showed you that, but it's so stinking cute I had to mention it again. 

5. Also, I think Lucie identifies me as the "Dancing Grandma" now.   Whenever I get on facetime with her and she sees my face, she starts dancing.   It makes me smile and I look forward to dancing with her in person in a couple weeks!   

6.  Kiwi and Denali are getting along better now.  It was a rough few days after Denali's haircut with Kiwi acting aggressively toward her.  We had to keep them separated, because Kiwi seemed totally convinced that she was a strange dog that looked and smelled funny.  

7.  Did I mention that my digestive issues have been much improved since my surgery?   It's been weird and I don't understand the reasons why, but suddenly my stomach is much less sensitive than it previously was.  I've even tried gluten a couple times with success.  Granted it's a specially processed flour that it is much different than what you can buy at a grocery store, but I now have 50 lbs of it and I've eaten bread made with it twice now without consequence!   Woohoo!

Here is a pizza crust I made with the special flour.   I ended up leaving it, along with directions, for Ellie and Spencer one night, while Dad and I went on a date....but I COULD have eaten it and that's awesome!  

8.   I feel like I need something random to throw in here again, before you fall asleep with the boringness of this letter, so here's your sister having some kind of moment with Denali while laying on the fireplace hearth.   

9.  The cold and snowy conditions continue here in Utah and the other morning I had the experience of standing ON TOP OF THE SNOW without sinking in.  It was about 15ish degrees at the time and the experience brought  back all sorts of memories about my Minnesota days.  For the record, I may look happy in this picture, but I am not happy with how incessant this winter has been.   I literally don't think it's been out of the 40's since October and I'm tired of bundling up in my cold weather gear every single stinking day! 

Here is another random picture from that same walk.  It's just a bunch of female longhorn cattle standing on top of a large mound of dirt/snow while the males waited patiently at the bottom for them to come down. 

Alright, it's getting to be my bedtime and my brainwaves are degrading into fuzzballs quickly.   I'll close off with a quick spiritual thought.  It's a quote I found that went along with the CFM reading this past week:  

"It is this living water, freely offered by Jesus Christ, that we all seek to quench our own spiritual thirst and that is critically needed to end the gospel drought that continues to plague mankind. As His disciples, we are the primary distribution system for delivering the living water from its everlasting source to His cherished children in need. We largely determine who will receive the water as we, by our ­service, control the irrigation system headgates. We preserve the purity of the water as we reflect to the world the value of the ­living water in our own lives. If we irrigate when the living water is required, rather than when it is convenient for us, we determine its vitality. It is only the living water of Jesus Christ that can and will bring a happy, successful, and everlasting life to the children of men."  {The Living Water of Jesus Christ, H. David Burton, BYU Speeches, January 2000}

That's what you're doing....bringing the living water of Christ to the people of Beaverdam!  You're awesome.   I love you!!! Have an amazing P-day! I look forward to talking to you tomorrow. 

LOVE, 
Mom 💕