Relief Society Christmas Program and Dinner- December 11

 

We had a beautiful, sparkly, spirit-filled evening.

We used a variation of Judith Hoopes Hamilton's program "The Women Who Knew Jesus", found at this site:

http://www.homemaking-cottage.com/Special-Programs/the-women-who-knew-jesus.htm

We shortened each speaking part a little bit to better fulfill our purpose.

 

 

We had a baked potato bar and salads for dinner. And tons of yummy pies for dessert!

 

Each sister that read her part was draped in a simple "costume" to add to the effect.

 

Carrie shared a wonderful message at the end about us each being unique like snowflakes, yet each being united in our desire to come to Christ.

 

Thanks to our wonderful committee for all their hard work and many hours transforming the gym into a beautiful, peaceful, room worthy of a wedding reception!! Pictures don't do it justice.

Stake Preparedness Fair- November 15th

72 Hour Kit Project

“Members of the Church have been counseled for many years to be prepared for adversity. Preparation, both spiritual and temporal, can dispel fear. With the guidance of Church leaders, individual members and families should prepare to be self-reliant in times of personal or widespread emergency.”

 

For several weeks Kristen, our Provident Living Specialist,  sent out a weekly email with a list of items to collect for our 72 hour kits. It was nice to space things out and buy a little bit each week. At the end of the 6 week period, we gathered together to chat and see some examples of some 72 hour kits put together by sisters in our ward. It was so helpful to get ideas of what has worked for people.

Sister Moore has been building up her 72 hour kits for years. It has become a kind of hobby for her! It was so amazing and motivating to see what she had and hear her advice and experience.  She has a kit in each of her cars as well as a big one in her house.

She also shared some handouts with helpful info.

Here is one website she got info from-- a great one to get both parents and kids involved in preparing in case disaster hits. http://www.ready.gov/kids

 

 

 

Kimberly showed us what a young mom with children might have in their 72 hour kits! Different stages of life definitely require different priorities.

We all left feeling more motivated and inspired to get ourselves more prepared!


Below I have posted all of the weekly e-mails Kristen sent out. I know a lot of  time and work went into this!

“Members of the Church have been counseled for many years to be prepared for adversity. Preparation, both spiritual and temporal, can dispel fear. With the guidance of Church leaders, individual members and families should prepare to be self-reliant in times of personal or widespread emergency.”

 

If you are like me, then you are in need of a little encouragement to become prepared in case of an emergency.

Over the next 6 weeks I will be listing items in the ward bulletin and by email to obtain for a 72 hr kit.  At the end of September we will be having a provident living mini activity. Everyone is invited to come to my house and put together their 72 hr kits. I will also have some examples.

This will be a list of suggested items to get, don't feel like you have to get everything listed. Please modify to fit your situation and needs. Also look around your house for things you already have to keep cost to a minimum.

If you already currently have a 72 hour kit, this may be a good time to check your items and make sure everything is still usable and add any items listed that you may not have in there.

 

WEEK 1:

Last week the listed item to get was a container.

*You can use a backpack, duffel bag, suit case, ice chest. For larger kits consider something with wheels, water tight containers are also ideal. If you are interested in using a 5 gallon bucket, you can get one for free at Sam’s Club. If you go to their bakery department you can ask for an icing bucket. They don’t always have any available but if they do they give them away for free, you just have to clean them.

WEEK 2: 

This week the items to obtain are water, first aid kit, and medication/prescriptions.

 

*For water we need 3 gallons of water per person. If you drink soda or juice you can fill those containers, or you can purchase water bottles. It is also a good idea to have a case of water bottles in your car, especially since it has been so hot.

 

*First aid supplies: an assortment of bandages, ointments, gauze pads, cold/hot packs, tweezers, scissors, and sanitizer.

 

*Medications to include prescriptions, and non-prescription medication such as pain relievers, stomach remedies, etc.

 

WEEK 3:

Sisters,

 

This week for our 72 hr kits we should obtain:

 non-perishable food for 3 days, a whistle, a flashlight with extra batteries, and a roll of quarters or other small bills.

 

 

Below are some helpful hints that I have found. At the end is a list of websites where I have found everything.

 

Food

 

When preparing for a disaster, store at least three days of non-perishable, nutritious food that requires little or no water or cooking to prepare. Don't forget to store a manual can opener with non-perishable food items. When assembling items, remember that you and your family may be without water, gas, or electricity for an unknown period of time. Some options are as follows:

 

-MRE’s

-Heater Meals

-Dehydrated Meals

-Emergency Bars

-Survival Bread

-Regular food

 

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables

Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)

Staples--sugar, salt, pepper

High energy foods--peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix

Vitamins

Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons with special dietary needs

Comfort/stress foods--cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops

(avoid strong odor foods like minty gum, because they will make everything smell and taste like mint)

 

If you have canned food don’t forget the manual can opener

 

Survival Bread

From: selfreliantsisters.blogspot. com

 

2 cups oats

2 ½ cups powdered milk

1 cup sugar

3 TBSP honey

1 (3 oz.) pkg. orange or lemon Jello

3 TBSP water

 

In the mixing bowl combine the oats, powered milk, and the sugar. Mix well and set aside.

 

In the medium sauce pan mix the water, Jello, and honey. Place on the stove top and bring to a boil. Slowly add this into the oat mixture. Make sure it is all well blended together. If the dough is a little dry, add a small amount of water one teaspoonful at a time. It should be firm but doughy

 

Once it is ready shape the dough into a loaf, about the size of a small red brick. Place the bread loaf onto the cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. If you increased the recipe for multiple loaves you can place several at a time onto the cookie sheet for baking. Don't place them too close together.

 

Once the bread is baked remove from the cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. The bread can be wrapped whole in the foil for storage. This bread can be stored indefinitely.

 

Flashlights

•   When purchasing flashlights LED lights are the best. If you use incandescent lights, make sure you have spare bulbs. LED lights have the advantage of not needing the spare bulb.

Batteries

•   Never use so-called "heavy duty" batteries. These are old-fashioned carbon-zinc batteries that have a very short shelf life and run down quickly. Alkaline batteries have a decent shelf life about five years. Lithium batteries are even better, they typically have a ten year shelf life, work better than alkaline in the cold and also weight about half less. But, lithium is usually found only in AA and AAA sizes.

 

•   Make sure that you don't store your batteries in your flashlights or radios. Wrap them with tape so that the ends don't touch. This was they will be fresh when you need them.

 

Cash

Have small bill on hand for cash. People won't have change in an emergency & the ATM's will run out quickly too.

  

I obtained most of my information from

http://selfreliantsisters. blogspot.com

 

other helpful websites are:

http://ready.gov

http://preparedldsfamily. blogspot.com

American Red Cross | Disaster Relief, CPR Certification, Donate Blood

 

 

WEEK 4:

 

This week for our 72 hr kits we should obtain a change of clothes, work gloves, personal hygiene items, and garbage bags with plastic ties.

 

Here is a list of helpful hints that I have found. To keep costs down look for items you already have in your house. Remember that these are suggestions, please modify to fit your needs.

 

Change of Clothes

 

Pick clothes that will work in most weather conditions, and if you have kids pick bigger sizes than what they currently wear, that way you have to rotate less often. If you are like me and wear flip flops all of the time you may want to consider keeping a pair of tennis shoes in the car. Some families have matching tie-died shirts which could be a fun FHE activity.

 

Suggested Clothing Items:

 

2 pairs of underwear

2 pairs of socks

long sleeved shirt

short sleeved shirt

long pants (sport pants dry faster than jeans)

closed toe shoes

hat

working gloves

 

For colder weather

 

Mittens/ gloves

Coat

Rain-poncho

Beanie

 

 

Personal Hygiene Items

 

If you stay in hotels keep the toiletries they give you, and the samples you get when you visit your dentist. Choose travel size to keep items small and light weight.

 

Extra glasses or contacts

Contact lens solution (get a sample from your eye doctor)

Toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss

Shampoo/conditioner, lotion, body wash

Deodorant

Lip balm

Razor

Comb, brush, mirror

Hand sanitizer

Tissue

Toilet paper (take our inner cardboard, fold in half and put in baggie. No one wants wet toilet paper)

Baby wipes

Feminine items

Bug repellent

Sunscreen 

 

If you have a baby include diapers and wipes. Make sure you update the diaper size as your baby gets bigger

 

Include garbage bags and plastic ties and grocery bags for personal sanitation.

 

Helpful websites

 

http://selfreliantsisters.blogspot.com

http://ready.gov

Prepared LDS Family

 

WEEK 5:

 

Week 5 for our 72 hr kits we will be getting a NOAA weather alert radio, shelter, pillows, blankets, sleeping bag, duct tape, and additional money in small bills.

 

We will be getting together on Thursday September 25^th at 6:30pm at the Hansen’s house to put together our 72 hr kits. Everyone is welcome even if you aren’t putting a 72 hr kit together.

 

Radio

 

NOAA weather alert radio either hand crank or battery operated plus extra batteries. There are also hand crank radios that can also charge cell phones if you want to get real fancy.

 

Shelter

 

Tent

Large tarp

Plastic Sheeting

Rope (50 ft nylon)

Duct Tape

 

For a shelter there are multiple options. If you have a tent that works great. You can also use a tarp and rope to make a lean-to. You can also use Plastic sheeting and duct tape to seal the room for sheltering in place.

 

Bedding

Pillows, Blankets, and Sleeping Bags.

Blankets-Wool, fleece, emergency reflective, make sure it can fit around your body and feet.

Emergency Reflective Blanket - These are lightweight, compact and cheap, and fit perfectly inside a kit. They use your own body heat to keep you warm and are waterproof. They can be found at Walmart, hardware stores or emergency supply stores

Sleeping Bags- Consider outside temperatures and look at temperature rating of the bags.

Re-think where all of your camping gear is located throughout the household. Keep in one area if possible for easy access so youʼre not looking in the dark with a flashlight for things.

Money

Keep enough cash for immediate needs in small denominations.

 

 

Week 6:

 

This week for our 72 hr kit we will be getting paper supplies, local road and area maps, medical history lists, personal documents, emergency contact phone list, updated family picture and a disposable camera.

 

Keep in mind these are just suggestions, by all means please modify to fit your needs. I also realize that there are a lot of things listed. Consider putting essentials in a backpack and the “non”essentials in a different container such as a 5 gallon bucket.

 

Paper supplies include note pads, markers, pens, pencils, plates, napkins, paper towels, utensils, baby wipes, etc.

 

Maps- Include a detailed map of the surrounding areas with highlighted evacuation routes. Following a disaster, roads may be closed and travel out of the affected area may not be possible. Become familiar with alternate routes to and from your home.

 

Medical History Lists - For every family member in your home make a list of medical history, all medications (by name) and dosages.These items are crucial for emergencies. You may not have time to grab an existing prescription bottle during an evacuation, but a copy of the prescription would help you get a refill once you are gone. Include current tetanus shot and immunization record date

 

Personal Documents - You and your family may be displaced after a disaster. Be prepared, ensuring you have all necessary records with you - ID, passport, birth certificate, and insurance policies.

 

Contact Info - Keep a list of family phone numbers and addresses as well as a copy of your out-of-area emergency contact card in your preparedness kit. Note that it is often easier to make a long-distance call rather than a local call after a disaster strikes.

 

Family Photo - Put a current family photo in your kit so you can help identify a family member you may get separated from. The photo may also encourage you while family is separated.

 

Disposable camera would be used to record damage.

Last week we were to get pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags. I received an email from Sister Moore and she suggested using Army poncho liners. There is an Army surplus store in Killeen and they start at $20. She also suggested using 550 cord for the rope. (See below for more suggestions from Sister Moore)

 

Source:

 

http://www.redcross.org/flash/ brr/English-html/kit-contents. asp

 

http://preparedldsfamily. blogspot.com/2012/08/diy-72- hour-kit-food-supplies-list. html

 

http://www.utah.gov/beready/ family/documents/72- hourchecklistpdf.pdf

(suggestions from Sister Moore)

Howdy. Just an idea. The pillows can be nixed. They aren't essential. You can use your clothes bundle instead. The heavy and bulky blanket/sleeping bag can be replaced by a military poncho liner. They are thin, light weight and extremely warm. They are also water resistant. They also have strings on the edges that double as shade/shelter. They cost $35 which sounds high but they are super high quality and replace the tent and sleeping bag (and fit into your bag.) I do carry a tarp and a poncho liner. I've used the liner at soccer games when we got cold and also when I had to sleep in the car with family members in the hospital. (Can also roll them for a pillow.) 

I've got everything but the $$ in my bags. I can't seem to leave it alone! I do have an empty can of peas in my cabinet ready to put some more $$ into. I'll bring my can opener to your meeting. Have people bring a small can of veggies (LeSeur Peas, silver can is the right width for bills and my kids leave it alone) and a Baggie to keep the veggies. My can opener opens the lid but leaves the lip so you can put it back in the can. 

Week 7

 

Tools- Wrench or Pliers to turn off utilities (you especially want this if you have gas utilities), Broom, Shovel, Hammer, a Multi-tool like a leatherman, aluminum foil, axe, compass, and a dust or filter mask(N95 mask) which is readily available at a hardware store.

 

Entertainment-magazine/book( Ensign or Friend), scriptures, card games, crayons, stuffed animals, bean bags, dice. Find what suits your families’ needs. If you have a reason to use your packs, your kids will have a reason be stressed and most likely scared.  Have something for them to occupy their mind.

Ziploc bags- We will need these to organize and keep everything clean and dry. You will want separate bags for clothes, food, light, entertainment, hygiene items, etc.

Pet supplies- Assemble things your pets will need during a disaster, like food, leashes, medicine, etc.

 

Other helpful tips:

Children and adults keep their emergency kit(s) in their bedrooms. Let the children have responsibility for their own backpack and have the older children buddy-up and take care of younger brothers or sisters. Mom, dad take care of baby.

If a senior citizen resides with the family, also buddy-up and help them for they move slower and a backpack may be too heavy for them to carry.

Sources:

http://urbansurvivalsite.com/ 50-survival-items-you-forgot- to-buy/

 

http://www.howdoesshe.com/72- hour-kits-for-kids/

 

 

http://www.redcross.org/flash/ brr/English-html/kit-contents. asp

 

http://preparedldsfamily. blogspot.com/2012/08/diy-72- hour-kit-food-supplies-list. html

 

http://www.utah.gov/beready/ family/documents/72- hourchecklistpdf.pdf

 

October Midweek Meeting

In Loving Memory of Sweet Sister Rosemary

 Rosemary Cummings

April 3, 1954--September 12, 2014

Sweet Sister Rosemary passed on Thursday morning after a long struggle with the failings of a frail mortal body. She was always kind and good-natured through her challenges. 

She will be missed.

Here are some pictures from her beautiful memorial, for those who were unable to attend. 

Beautiful remarks by Carl McKinley and Phil Ainslie, 

and "How Great Thou Art" sung by Kate McKinley. 

A sweet remembrance of her life, full of stories that made us smile. 

Many guests attended to show their support for the family.

Family luncheon.

Thank you to our generous sisters who provided the food for the luncheon.

We are mindful of you and hope you felt at peace today. 

We know that life continues beyond death, and are so grateful for our knowledge of 

the Plan of Salvation. 

We know we will see you again.

Until then, we love and miss you Rosemary! 

Relief Society "Spa Night"

We had an AMAZING turnout for our Relief Society mid-week meeting-- our "Spa Night." Seems women were drawn to the idea of taking a break from their busy lives and coming to pamper and rejuvenate themselves.... go figure!!

 

 

After letting the sisters chat for a few minutes as they arrived, we took a seat and got started.

We sang "Be Still My Soul." After which, the theme of the evening was introduced. A quote from M. Russel Ballard was shared,

"Water cannot be drawn from an empty well, and if you are not setting aside a little time for what replenishes you, you will have less and less to give to others..."

 

Debi led us in a wonderful discussion about taking time for ourselves. We are all in different stages of life but we are all busy-- between being mothers, working, serving in church callings, volunteering, etc. Selfless service is what Relief Society is all about! But, it is important that we also take time to nourish ourselves. 

She asked for sisters to share what types of things they do to replenish and rejuvenate themselves. What an amazing thing it is to have so many sisters in a room freely sharing their insights and experiences! Many ideas were shared-- from yoga to stargazing to personal scripture study to gardening.

She then asked how taking time for ourselves can help us spiritually. Sisters voiced their feelings that if you are too stressed it is harder to feel close to the spirit. Finding peace in our lives brings us closer to God.

Lastly, we talked about how taking time to take care of ourselves can actually make us more able to serve others. Just like Elder Holland said, "water cannot be drawn from an empty well."

 

 

After our wonderful discussion, we let everyone loose to enjoy any or all of our

"Pampering Stations."

We had stations set up around the perimeter of the gym. Each station was prepared by a different sister in our ward.

 

 Keep Calm and Soak On

Carrie put together a station about bath salts and their benefits. She was great to stand at the table and share great information with anyone interested!

 

 She even had a cute little sample of some lavender bath salts for the sisters to take home!

 

Click to see her handout about the Health Benefits of Bath Salts (click the words)

 

Keep Calm and Polish On!

Amanda headed up a nail painting station for us! She brought some different polishes and tools for sisters to use. Sisters had also been invited to bring any nail polishes from home to share! 

Ladies really enjoyed painting their nails together and chatting!



Check out Amanda's Tips for an Easy At-Home Manicure. (click the words)

 

 

Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate

 

Need we say more.....??

We provided at chocolate fountain and sisters in the ward had signed up to bring different goodies for dipping. Strawberries, angel food cake, pretzels, marshmallows, graham crackers!

 

Homemade Body Scrubs

Ann shared her love for natural beauty techniques and taught us how to make a homemade pineapple body scrub!

 

She was mixing up batches at her station and letting sisters either try it out there or take a sample home.

 

Click the link for the handout for the Pineapple Scrub and other homemade scrubs.

 

Also, an interesting page about using Pineapple for Healthy Skin.

Keep Calm and....GET A FREE MASSAGE!?!

 

We had asked Katja, a massage therapist, to share some tips and techniques for

self-massage.

Not only did she do that, but she graciously decided to bring a massage chair and give a massage to any sister who wanted one!!

 

This brought many sisters to a much happier and relaxed state!

 

 

"Be Still and Know that I am God"

 

We had one more station set up in a separate room.

The lights were low, peaceful music was playing, and a few seats were set up facing a large painting of Christ with our meditation display below it.

 

This was a calm environment for sisters to sit and reflect on the Savior and pick up some handouts about Christ Centered Meditation.

 

Click for the handout about Finding Inner Peace Through Meditation.

(Or here for the link to the original article.) 

 

Also, another handout about some every-day types of Meditation that can be worked into our daily routine.  

 

 

 

A the close of the evening, Carrie shared a wonderful quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

"Fatigue is the common enemy of us all—so slow down, rest up, replenish, and refill. Physicians promise us that if we do not take time to be well, we most assuredly will take time later on to be ill."

 

 

It was such an enjoyable evening!

Sisters were able to visit, enjoy chocolate, check out whatever pampering stations they wanted to, and most importantly

take a little time out of their busy lives to rejuvenate.

 

 

Everyone was having such a good time it seemed like nobody wanted to go home!! We lingered and chatted and soaked it all in.

 

 It was a relaxing night for all!