Sacrament Meeting Only- Oct. 25th

Spread the word to those who may need to know. We are only having Sacrament Meeting tomorrow, Oct. 25th. I know Sacrament meeting is first so it's not a really big deal but teachers who are preparing tonight can put it away.

Temple Dedication

If you are interested in attending the new Temple dedication on August 23rd you will need to meet with a member of the bishopric for tickets. The dedication is open to all baptized members of the church. There will be no block meetings that day. The dedication will be held in the Stake Center in Huntington.

A couple of things

Marilyn and Ed Olsen's daughter, Tiffney and her husband are moving to Ogden to go to school at Weber. The kids are excited but Marilyn could use a hug!


Christie announced today that the Emery County School District Office (on Main Street in Huntington)will be selling many of the items used in the school cafeterias. The prices are good and these are wonderful kitchen items. They will have products available from August 3-7th during regular office hours.

Horse n Buggy day fun

Horse n Buggy day dinner - Feeding the masses

Horse n Buggy day dinner

Enrichment Day Activities

Family Home Evening kits will be put together Wed Sept 16ht at 6pm. The cost for the kit is 12.00. Also, sanitation kits are still available at 40.00 each but the money needs to be in to one of the RS presidency or the Kerrie Staples by the 1st of Sept.
See you there!

Aaronic Priesthood

Sisters, your help has been requested to arrange to have our Aaronic Priesthood young men to the church in time to have the Sacrament set up and ready at least ten minutes prior to the beginning of the service.

Water Meters

Sisters, please take the time you need to find your water meters and clear the weeds, grass, or debris from around the lid. It is water meter reading time again and this saves the water company and you a lot of hassle.

Education Week BYU-Aug 17-21

Registration has started for those wishing to attend BYU Education Week this year. This is a wonderful experience which the church began in the 1920's. Thousands of classes are taught by hundreds of presenters. You will find almost every subject you could possibly be interested in. From learning more about the Lord to learning how to folk dance,scripture and music, gardening, history, Joseph Smith, overcoming depression, improving marriages and memory, family history, Abraham Lincoln, and learning how to better use the computer, all are there for the taking and many, many more.

Also, there are youth classes taught for those age 14-18. A youth dance is held on Thurs. evening and typically 2000 young men and women attend.

Elder Boyd K. Packer will be the Devotional speaker this year! There is a shortened schedule on Monday with classes ending at 4pm. The rest of the week classes begin at 8:30am and end at 9:30pm. Evening performances are also presented Tuesday through Friday.

Follow the link under "Linking Up" on the left of the blog page or call 1-801-422-8925 for registration. For a slightly higher fee you may also register at the door.

SURVIVE...

Physically and Spiritually! In RS this week two great ideas for SURVIVAL were presented. Sister Staples displayed a "sanitation kit" which can be purchased for $40.00 each. A list is going around in RS to sign up if you are interested. A "DUE DATE" wasn't mentioned so get in touch with Sister Staples or one of the RS Presidency, if you are interested.

Sister Irving showed her fantastic FHE book of ideas. She gave a couple of examples. The lesson plans, ideas for music and even the treats are there for you, all the helps for the lesson are included. It is all put together in a 3ring binder, each lesson individually placed in a plastic sleeve, and ready for use! Great idea. If there is enough interest we will have a Super Saturday to include the FHE books. Either respond here or get in touch with one of the RS Presidency!

Missionary Return

Jex Jensen has returned from serving the Lord exclusively for the past two years. He gave a wonderful talk in Sacrament meeting on getting to know the Lord through spending time with Him. Welcome home Jex; it is great to have you back.

Graduation Congratulations!

Congratulations to all our High School and Jr. High School graduates! What a great group of youth we have in this ward. It is going to be exciting to see how they change the world!

We are so excited about our new Primary Presidency. For those that weren't in attendence on Sunday...the president is Lisa Curtis, with Lisa Winn and Kelly Behling as her counselors and Kiersten Jensen as secretary. I welcome them to "heaven" (primary).
We thank those that were released for a job well done.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to our bishopric for the wonderful Mother's Day gifts! They are terrific! We also need to thank a special sister for helping the bishopric out but she wants to rename nameless. So...Ask sister Kathy Jensen next time you see her if she has any idea who the talented and generous sister was who helped!

Hey Sisters,
Sister Carren Durfee is in need of our prayers and service. She is discontinuing all meds and home hospice is going to come in.

Congratulations to Madison Jensen. She participated in a gymnastics competition this weekend and placed first in a couple of competitions. She is the daughter of Stoney and Kiersten Jensen. Good job Maddie!!!

Easter and Conference

The days and weeks are zooming by and still....it is snowing outside! Even hail today. Is this the Spring everyone is so crazy about? Give me sun, lots of sun....
General Conference was wonderful and can be rewatched now by visiting the church web site, LDS.org. It was so great to receive such positive messages at a time when the world seems to be in such tormoil. And, last Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of our Lord with fasting, prayer, and testimonies. We are such a blessed people!

Getting To Know You - TAMMY ALLEN!

Tammy moved to Elmo from Pleasant Grove, grew up in Orem, and her full name is Tamara Kathleen Thompson Allen. Tammy and Danny Allen Curtis met at the mall. Tammy was with a group of her friends and he was with a group of his. They met and exchanged phone numbers. For their first actual date Danny invited Tammy over and cooked a spaghetti dinner for her.(This man knows how to impress a woman!) and Tammy was impressed. Tammy's family has been LDS for many generations and Tammy knew nothing about other religions until she was older. When she was younger she wanted to be a beautician and loved cutting and styling hair, however her aunt and mom talked her out of that endeavor. Most of Tammy's family lives in Utah and Salt Lake Counties. She does have a brother who lives in Maryland. All of Danny's family lives in Utah County. Danny and Tammy have two children, Kailey Anna age 15 and Randy Curtis 14.
Tammy's favorite movie is the old version of Parent Trap. (We need to have a RS showing; this movie is getting lots of votes!) Favorite books are the "Ramona" series by Judy Bloom. They are about a little girl who is often misunderstood and getting into mischief and reminds Tammy of herself when she was little. The most resent book she finished was "The Host" by Stephanie Meyers, author of the Vampire series, and right now Tammy is reading "Les Miserable" by Victor Hugo. Her favorite song is "The Mummers Dance" by Loreenna McKenitt, it is a Celtic folk song. She really loves history, antiques, and classical things. "I am very sentimental. Most people who know me would probably be surprised at that."
Given the opportunity to eat anything she wanted, without consideration of cost, calories or health Tammy would choose Stuffed Manicotti, a salad with sliced avocados, any veggie, grilled salmon, a slice of pie, sugar cookies and Cheese Cake! (I'm going to dinner with this girl!). She has a talent for cleaning but only on her own "want to" schedule. If visiting any country she wanted was an option she would choose Scotland or Ireland. She has always wanted to learn to dance.Tammy loves to work in her garden, sew, cook occasionally (With Danny making spaghetti, Tammy why do you cook?) and do crafts or decorating projects. She reads and sometimes writes. To de-stress she wants to eat her favorite snack, go for a walk or read a good book and take a bubble bath. Her kids make her laugh. They are always being silly together. Her favorite item of clothing is her blue jeans. "When I want to indulge I buy one of those big sugar cookies with pink frosting and sprinkles at the gas station. Tammy's words to live by are: "Work with all your might, love with all your heart, and enjoy life's simple pleasures" by herself! We LOVE you Tammy and loved learning more about you! Welcome to our fun, and sometimes funny, little town.

Survival-72hr Kits-Food Storage

Sister Nicky Neilson has consented to take on one of the blog spots and help us with our "Preparedness Plans". We are going to drop the "Recipe File" and Nicky will be helping us in that same spot from now on. Please feel free to comment or make suggestions to improve this spot.

Getting To Know Larna Jensen!

Sister Larna Jensen was born in Cleveland, Utah. Her mother died when Larna was just under two years old. Larna's dad lived with his in laws, Larna's grandparents, until he remarried. Larna has two brothers who both live in Cleveland, one brother in Bountiful, a sister "who doesn't know where she lives but she has a home in Cleveland." Her mom is 91 yrs old and still lives in Cleveland but her father died a little more than 15yrs ago. Larna grew up in Cleveland, was baptized by her father in Orangeville when she was eight, and when she married Fred she made the BIG move to Elmo. Fred's brother's, Glen and Ted, live here too.

Larna can't remember the first time she met Fred. He was her stepmother's cousin but she does remember thinking he was dumb because he got on the bus every morning without a coat. Later she learned he didn't have a coat to wear. They both attended Clarasee and Del Rae Brotherson's wedding reception in Cleveland. After the reception Fred took Larna home.

She always knew she wanted to be a mom and she and Fred went on to have five children.(Fred died while all their children were still at home.) Their girls, Lylis and Nan and the boys, Lavar (Pres. Jensen), Doyle, and Earl who is deceased. They have 27 grandchildren, 14 greats and one more great expected in May.

All time favorite movies? White Christmas and Parent Trap. She doesn't have a favorite book but mysteries are her favorite read. Her favorite song is "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day". It has helped her through some difficult times in life and she is especially fond of the fourth verse - "Then rang the bells more loud and sweet - God is not dead nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on Earth, good will to men."

Larna insists she doesn't have an imagination and hated English and writing stories and poems, however, she authored and directed the Christmas pageant that was performed in Elmo for several years. And, wasn't she the one who had the run in with the Grinch?
We love you, Larna. You are such a great example to all of us and we are grateful to have you here in Elmo.

His Image

A wonderful young missionary returned last week from serving in the Netherlands. She began her talk Sunday with the following poem. It was written by Bob Moorehead. She was kind enough to give me a copy. I was very moved by it and thought this might be appropriate for our Blog. Before you read it remember what Joseph Smith said to the early saints, "When you joined this church you enlisted to serve God. When you did that you left neutral ground."

I am a part of the fellowship of the unashamed.
The dye has been cast.
I have stepped over the line.
The decision has been made.
I AM A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST.
I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure.
I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need pre-eminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity.
I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded.
I now live by Faith, lean on HIS presence, walk with patience.
I am uplifted by prayer, and labor with power.
My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven.
My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few, my Guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed.
I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the cause of Christ.
I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till he stops me.
And when He returns for His Own, He will have no problem recognizing me. My banner will be clear.

Is that so wonderful?! It is this sisters prayer that we might each live our lives so when we meet Him he will have no problem recognizing us. His image will be in our countenance.

Getting to know Celeste Johanson!

Celeste is the wife of Larry who grew up in Elmo. Her full name is Celeste Robinson Johansen and she moved here from Castle Dale to be Larry's wife. She grew up in Springville (where her HS mascot was the Red Devil), and most of her family still live in Springville, Roosevelt and Milford. Celeste and Larry had a mutual friend who introduced them. They went on their first date to the Lamb Fry and then the Castle Valley Pageant and she even remembers the exact date; July 27th of 2004! Celeste and Larry have 5 children. Dani, Shane, Shelby and Tayler and Shane's twin, Andrew, who passed away at age 4 mo.
Celeste was born in the church, baptized at eight, and wanted to grow up to be a Veterinarian.
Celeste's favorite movie is "Sound of Music", favorite song is "Mountain Music" by Alabama, and her favorite book is the Book of Mormon. However, she and daughter Shelby have been reading a lot of Winnie the Pooh books lately.
When asked if there was something she loves that others might find unusual she answered, "I love old cars, hence the name Shelby (Shelby Mustang).She also loves animals, dogs, cats, horses...
On a limitless menu she would order soup, she is really good at doing dishes and would love to see Australia some day.
When Celeste is overloaded she likes to de-stress by soaking in a nice warm tub with the lights off.
Her favorite wardrobe item is one of Larry's shirts and he's the one who makes her laugh. Her "feel good" food is soup and her "live by" motto is "Everything happens for a reason."
We LOVe you, Celeste. We are so blessed to have you here in Elmo and are so glad Larry found you!

A Brand New Week With Lots of Good News!

Let's begin with all the GOOD NEWS of the week. We've got lots of new grandkids being added to our list of loved ones. Sister Pam has a new granddaughter, her name is Anga (I may be spelling it wrong) and she is 17! Now THAT is the way to get KIDS but I'm not sure about grandkids! While up north visiting Anga, Pam got to attend the open house of the new Draper Temple and said it was the first time she's been inside a temple and it was "so cool". We look forward to you seeing the inside of the Manti temple soon! Congratulations Pam.

Sister Shirley is the mom of Travis (grew up in Elmo) and Amber and they have had a new little one.Grandson, Keaton Lad Coyne is five days old today.

Sister Gloria has a brand new granddaughter-that's were she was last week-visiting a new little one!We missed you Gloria but glad for your GOOD NEWS.

AND...Elmo is getting just a tiny bit larger with the summer arrival of a new baby for Sister Hailey. She announced to the sisterhood today that they are expecting their third in August. How fun for ALL of us!

Sister Irving expressed her thanks to Elmo for the quick recovery of their "heat" at home. Seems they have been experiencing a Co2 leak from their furnace and into the house. The fire dept. had to turn the furnace off till it can be fixed which may take a few day. Before the fire dept could clear out, space heaters were gathered for each of their bedrooms and firewood provided for their fireplace. Hopefully their furnace will be up and running this week sometime. In the meantime, if you hear of a job for a driver, her husband has his CDL and is looking for a new job. Put the word out, Elmo style!Linda says she has learned, "In any emergency this town is at your door before you even think the word can get out." Those of us blessed enough to live here for any amount of time know what she says is so true!

MORE GOOD NEWS
Sister Tammy (Funk)'s daughter, Kylee was chosen as 1st attendant at the Sweetheart Dance. AND, son, Chet took 9th at region wrestling. Great kids!

PICTURES of US are wanted from the RS presidency. The activity isn't till March but the weeks are rushing by and they need them as soon as possible so lets try to remember. Baby or very young child pictures please!

BISHOP Curtis reminded us to be grateful for each of our blessing; express our gratitude and SHOW our gratitude by being happy. He reminded us that we are going to be as happy in the Celestial Kingdom as we have learned to be here on this earth.
Sister Janessa Rassmusen gave a great talk and taught us to prepare carefully to go to the temple, and Bro. Guymon of the Stake High Council urged us to attend the temple more often, making it a priority in our lives.

New Bloggers!

Sister Alert! We've had two more sisters join our blog list! Molly and Kelly have both agreed to share their blogs with us. Take a look at the the fun families they have!

Sunday's lesson on Repentance

Christy Reed gave us a terrific lesson Sunday on Repentance. Repentance, we learned is more than changing our lives, it is letting the Lord guide us towards a new and better change. It is more than stopping a habit or action, it is allowing the Lord's atonement to act in our lives. Christy did a great job and we are so blessed to have her serving as our Relief Society President.

Reminders and more stuff- Temple, pictures,cleaning

If you want tickets to the Temple open house get in touch with Christy Rasmussen. She has a few but will turn them back in soon.

Don't forget to bring a picture of yourself (as a baby or small child) to one of the RS presidency. Write your name on the back so it can be returned to you. It is for our RS Birthday party on March 18th.

And, we have some good manners training to do! We've been asked to wipe our feet before entering the church (which, sister's I think means we are letting our husbands and little ones forget to do this). And, when we leave the classrooms on Sunday we need to stack the chairs so cleaning can be done easier.

Steve and Glenna Sumsion

As we discussed on an earlier blog Karen and Glen Jensen's daughter, Glenna and her husband Steve were here for the holidays when Steve suffered a severe stroke. He was in the hospital for 5 wks and then discharged but has to stay in Provo for physical therapy as long as he is making progress. He can walk again! His attitude is outstanding! And his sense of humor hasn't been damaged a bit. He can't use his left arm/hand yet and walking is slow but he is making wonderful progress! That is Steve and Glenna above, showing off his walking skills! Continued prayers are appreciated!

Lemonade Luncheon AND....

Sorry sisters, I really did take pictures of our Lemonade Luncheon. However, none of us had on our happy faces and they just didn't turn out that good so... It was really fun, so nice to visit, and the lunch was great. A big thank you to all those who made it possible for us!

RECALL ALERT ! ELMO 72hr KITS!

Kari has alerted us that Costco has informed her the peanut butter crackers purchased in August of 2008 were on the recall list. Unfortunately these are the crackers we put in our 72hr kits made at the September Enrichment. Costco will refund the purchase price IF we return the Austin Peanut Butter Crackers to Kari BEFORE Wednesday February 11th.
For more info on the recall visit www.keebler.com

Getting to know Jackie Allred!

Jackie grew up in Ferron, moved to Elmo from Huntington, and her full name is Jackie Lynn Huntsman Allred. Jackie met Seth at Emery High (home of Scholars and Athletes-The Spartans) at the first dance after the football game. Jackie was a sophomore and Seth was a junior. Their first official date was to a "girls choice" dance. (Do they still call that the Sadie Hawkins' day dance? - probably not, I doubt the kids know who Sadie Hawkins is anymore.) She was born and raised LDS and they have two wonderful kids.
When asked what it was she wanted to be when she grew up she said, "I'm not exactly sure what I am now!"
Jackie's mom still lives in Ferron (and those of us lucky enough to know her love her!) Her siblings live in Heber, Sandy and Ferron. Most of Seth's family live here in Emery County except a brother who lives in Altamont.
Her favorite movie is Narnia...or maybe Tombstone. The Christmas Box series is the last book she read but doesn't have an all time favorite. And, her favorite song is I Stand All Amazed. (this girl has great taste!)
On a limitless menu Jackie would order steak, halibut or salmon with lots of fresh fruit. And, for dessert eclairs, cream pies, and lemon with anything OR Stawberries with anything! But, for comfort food Ice Cream "does wonders" for her and so does warm bread.And, her favorite clothing items are comfy jeans and warm socks.
Hey, and this girl is good with spreadsheets, only she doesn't sound like she knows how awesome that is. She'd like to visit Hawaii or Ireland and someday would like to go scuba diving.
Jackie likes to sleep when life gets too tough but if that isn't an option likes to watch a good "cry" movie with her family or READ! She has also found out that a good trip to the desert is great; "nothing helps more than to walk a ways and hear nothing at all." She is discovering that she "Didn't know how much I didn't know." (about the desert). Her whole family enjoys going out there and finding new places. In a former life she liked to cross-stitch, crochet and read. She also likes making candy, bottling and baking cookies. And, to make her laugh all she has to do is listen to Seth playing with the kids.
Her words to live by are: "Don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff." And, keeps the book by her computer.
Welcome to Elmo, Jackie. You will learn to love us; we already love YOU!

Getting to know Mary Lofley!

Mary is one of the stalwarts of our community and can be depended upon to show strength, commitment, and faith in any situation. Mary's full name is Mary Carolyn Murray Lofley. She is married to Jerel Lofley and they have two boys, and two girls all grown up! Mary grew up in Dove Creek, Colorado where her HS mascot was the Bulldogs, and moved to Elmo from Altamont, Utah. She met Jerel while teaching school in Altamont as they interacted as faculty. Mary and Jerel went on their first date to the Ute Bowling lanes in Vernal but she didn't tell us who won!

Mary grew up in the church after her parents converted when Mary was about two. Mary was baptized at eight years old, by her father. Her parents lived in Elmo for a number of years but have since died. There were here in town long enough for us to get to know them and love them. They were a dear couple and admired by the whole ward.

Mary thought she would be a nurse when she grew up but says "teaching is just as great!"

Mary has a brother who lives in New Mexico; Jerel's family all live in Elmo.
Her favorite movie? Right now it is Amazing Grace and many of the older Disney ones. Her favorite book is the one she read with the Second Thursday Book Club in December. Mary loves bagpipe music, instrumental music and Jenny Baker Oaks.
She doesn't think there is anything about her that would surprise us. Doesn't like seafood and is really good at directing traffic in her home. She would love to visit Ireland or ancestral lands but would also like to travel to the church historical sites beginning in New York.
When she is overloaded she likes to sleep or just zone out. She loves Family History, collecting recipes, cutting coupons, walking and just enjoys being with her family. Her favorite outfit is a dress suit or comfy jeans, loves happy children's faces and hot chocolate,apple juice, lemon juice and in the summer likes cold drinks and frozen items.
Sister Mary shared a poem with us that Sister Dalton shared and Mary particularly likes it.
"You don't have to tell how you live each day;
You don't have to tell if you work or play;
A tried and true barometer stands in its place-
You don't have to tell, it will show in your face
If you live close to God and His infinite grace-
You won't have to tell, it will show in your face."

We've added Kari Staples blog!

Brady and Kari Staples blog has been added on our list at the bottom left corner of this blog. It is called Our Busy and Chaotic Life. Go and look at their darling pictures and you HAVE to read Garrison's "booger" adventure. Funny! Oh the life of moms!

You get to VOTE!

Well, not vote exactly but your opinion is being asked for. The RS presidency wants to know what kinds of things you would like to do for mid week activities? One suggestion was home made lotion. Sounds fun! Anything else you'd like to participate in? Also for a "Enrichment Day" activities.

Also, There has been some discussion about having a social gathering after the block on one Sunday a month, or once a quarter. Everyone is starving after the block so we'd do a pot luck or have hot bread and jam, or scones, something easy and just visit. Many wards do this to promote the brother/sisterhood of the ward and the Bishopric is interested to know if we think it is something we'd like to do. Sound fun? I'm IN!

A couple of things...

We had a great time at the Lemonade Luncheon today! Such fun to get together and have some time set aside just to visit! If you didn't make it we missed you. We had a new sister there. Her name is Amber, darling girl with I think 4 (was it three?) kids kindergarten to 12 yrs old. Welcome Amber! We have had just a ton of new ladies move into Elmo in the last several months; the secret must be out! We are thrilled to have each and every one of you!

Don't forget: The RS presidency wants a baby picture of YOU for the RS birthday which will be held in March - date to be announced - Write your name on the back so they can give it back after the party. If it is precious, don't loan your only copy out without making a copy! I don't know what they have planned but it sounds fun!

Choir practice has changed and will be only on Sunday from now on. It will be at 7pm and last 1 1/2 hours.

YM/YW has changed to Tuesday nights. Make sure your kids,neighbors,friends, know about the change!

If you could use a chuckle...

OR a full belly laugh... Sister Dottie Grimes suggested I post this connection. (p)
northlandchurch.net/webstream_worship/index.html

You will probably have to type it into your address box. I can't get it so paste. Any suggestion?

Family History DNA

How "into" Family History are you? Questions and Ancestors, or is it Answers and Ancestors,(KBYU) had a guest this week who spoke about DNA testing and the many ways it is being used to search for family connections, research diseases, and many other services. They are asking for volunteers to help in their database. You go to the website, fill in your information, and they send you a DNA kit to be used and sent back. You must also be able to give them your four generation sheet. All your information will be kept confidential. Please don't think this is an endorsement! I haven't researched it. It was on the BYU program on Ancestry and sounded good. If you have used this service or know more about it, a blog post would be appreciated. In the meantime, the web address is: www.smgf.org. See what you think and let us know.

Changes in our Relief Society Presidency

We are losing Sister Marilyn Olsen as our RS Secretary, and gaining Josie Stillson as she accepts the new calling. However, Marilyn gave a wonderful farewell lesson today. Marilyn reminded us that we don't have to let the feelings of this past season go. "We have the opportunity to feel these same feelings all year." She urged us to make the choices that keep us within the gospel and on the right path. "The gospel gives us the opportunity to NOT be mired down by poor decisions of our past." Sister Olsen helped us see that our goals are standards, ideals, skills or destinations we want to accomplish or improve. In setting and accomplishing our goals we add to Heavenly Father's eternal goal of "Bringing to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" and thereby add to His power on this earth. Some of the New Year's resolutions suggested by the sisters were: Studying the SS lesson weekly, improving our temple attendance, continue reading and pondering the Book of Mormon as we study the D and C this year, learning how to organically restore our garden soil and, adding to our food storage. Sister Olsen asked us to be prayerful and meditate about new goals asking Heavenly Father's guidance in showing us where we are weak and where we need to improve. She told us to consult 1 Nephi 3:7 and realize Heavenly Father makes it possible for us to "go and do all the things which the Lord hath commanded me." It was such a terrific lesson and got us on track for the coming year. Sister Tonya Jensen summed it up perfectly and then reminded us what a great gift repentance is, allowing us to refocus our lives and set new goals. 

Getting to know Tabitha!

Tabitha was WONDERFUL about answering our survey at such a crazy, busy, season but she did and so here she is!

Tabitha's full name is Tabitha Ann Lott Kelly and here is her story. Welcome home Tabitha!

 

"Ryan and I rented a little home in downtown Price when we were first married, that only lasted a few months, neither of us liked it in town. We bought a home in Lawrence (where Ryan grew up and his mom and dad still live) we lived there for 7 years. When we decided to build we decided that it would be here in Elmo, so we sold our home and rented a little duplex in Huntington that was in the 1st Ward. We had been in the 5th ward and we had the best opportunity to get to know some of the most wonderful people, we knew it was temporary but still had a hard time leaving. We finally arrived here in Elmo in 2007 after many struggles with the home building process. We are so happy it is all we imagined and more.

"I  grew up in Price way out of town on Stake Farm Road. My dad managed the church farm, so I grew up with lots of room to run around. I also grew up on the back of a horse and have never lost that love for all animals. When I was about 12 my parents divorced. My mom and I moved a few times around town in Price. When I was 16 my mom's husband worked for the Union Pacific Railroad and was transferred to Las Vegas, so we moved to a little town named Logandale, about 30 miles south of Mesquite and 45 or so miles north of Vegas. It was very hard to move. I think a lot of it was my age. I didn't want to leave my friends, particularly my new best friend, Ryan. But it turned out to be a wonderful experience. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. My testimony grew so much in the next couple of years. I had the best leaders between Young Women's, Seminary, and RS. I also did well in school. I did make new friends of course and brought my GPA up to a 3.9 for graduation. I also finished my senior year in one semester and worked full time until graduation.

"I mentioned that I met Ryan just about a year before I moved to Nevada. We met at my cousin's wedding reception. He was buddies with the groom. When I moved I didn't think there was any way it would work, but we couldn't even make it that first night without calling to check on one another. He traveled the 6 hour trip to see me at least once and usually twice a month. And here we are still together over ten years later. We went to Lagoon for our first official date and we got rained out so they gave us tickets to come back within a week or something but of course we couldn't being so far away. I remember being so disappointed but it was fun anyway.

"Ryan and I have 3 beautiful children. Devin R Kelly is 6. (Devin's middle initial,  stands for Ryan, Ryan's dad Robert,  and for my dad, Rodney.  Isaac Cale Kelly is 4. (Isaac was going to be Isaac Kent like his Dad but we lost my Uncle Cale at age 33 to cancer just weeks before Isaac was born) Grace Ann Kelly is 10 months. (Ann is my grandmother's middle name, my mom's middle name, my middle name and now Grace's too.) My children are the greatest blessing from God but also my hardest work here on the earth. I am so grateful for them and pray daily that I can rear them up the way my Heavenly Father would have me do. I am so proud of them but I know I have a long ways to go.

"I was fortunate to be born in the covenant to a mom and dad who are active members of the Church. I was baptized at age 8.

"I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I used to pretend I was a secretary when I was little but when I was in college I majored in Child Psychology. After getting my two year degree I wanted to start my own family rather than a career. I realize the most important thing I will do while on this earth is raise my children.

"My only sibling is my brother who still lives in Nevada. My dad is in Elberta, Utah up near Santaquin, still working for the Church. We hope he comes back here to Elmo when he can. I am very blessed to have my Mom in Carbonville where we still don't find time to see each other as often as we probably should. Ryan's mom and dad are still in Lawrence and his two brothers are in Huntington. We were just talking about how lucky we are to be so close to so much of our family, especially at the wonderful holiday season. We hope my brother decides to come home, he's kicked the idea around for awhile now.

"My favorite movie was Titanic but I haven't watched it in years. I don't seem to find much time to read but I've enjoyed all the books I've read by Debbie Macomber. I don't have a favorite song but a few I like are, Sammy Kershaw's Love of My Life, You're Still the One by Shania Twain. I Am a Child of God was my childhood favorite and I still love The Spirit of God.

"Some may find it odd that throughout my life I have had more best friends that were animals rather than people. " Favorites? "I love pastas...lasagna and most all treats anymore, I'm not picky. By the way, my New Year's resolution is to curb that. I am very good with animals. I have ridden horses all my life, always had a dog and a cat or two. I think I  just have  a great deal of love for them. I know I have always had animals that would do anything for me.

"I have always wanted to hang glide but now I have turned into a sissy. I don't know if I would if I had the opportunity. I have too much at stake if something happened to me.

"When I am overloaded I like to go to the temple and feel the peace that can only be found in the House of the Lord. I also like to sleep! I think it is the stage of life I am in, with little kids I just cannot seem to get enough.   For fun, I like to go horseback riding. Animals are great listeners. I like to do crafts, scrapbook, and exercise.

"I have many goals for 2009 but my most important ones are: To be more patient and loving. Lose weight (I have honestly never had that as a New Years resolution before and now it is needed more than ever, yikes! I'm blaming that third baby but we all know the truth).

I hope you made it to this point, Have a great day! Tabitha"