Primary Pennies

Yesterday in church I was introduced to the "Pennies by the Inch" program which benefits Primary Children's Hospital. Has anyone else heard of this? It's a program designed to cover hospital services for children whose families cannot afford to pay. You can learn more about it by clicking here. Our Primary is helping out by getting each of the kids in our ward involved. Each person (teachers included) who brings their scriptures to church on Sunday receives a penny from the Primary Presidency. You then get to put that penny in our donation bin which will in the end be donated to Primary Children's Hospital. I think it's a wonderful way to not only contribute to those who need medical help, but to also introduce our kids to the beauty of service and the blessings that follow.

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Spelling Lesson

Each Sunday I have the opportunity to teach and be taught by the CTR 5's in our ward. I have a classroom full of 5 year old boys who are all very excited to have just started Kindergarten. We have some pretty interesting conversations in class- spiritual and sometimes just really random chatter. Last Sunday while the boys were coloring Xavier turns to his neighbor and says, "You know what Jesus starts with? It starts with the letter G... you know how I know that? Because I'm smart! Jeeeee-sus... Gee!"

{I love my class}

2008 Primary Program

We had our annual primary program today in sacrament. I can't believe I have 2 little ones in primary (soon to be 3 in January.) I remember this time of year when I was once in primary. My mom would always get us all dressed up in new fancy dresses- I hated it! And yet I find myself doing the same thing with my kids. I was planning on going shopping for new dress shirts, but decided to just whip out their black suits that have been hanging in the closet. They've only worn them once (at Neo's wedding), so I thought that I'd better put them to use.
Once we were at church the nerves started to kick in... mostly worried that Nici wouldn't be able to be reverent long enough for the program to end. I was praying that he wouldn't have a case of the wiggles today so I kept asking him over and over if he could be reverent while he was up on stage, "Yup! I can Mom!" As they lined up the first set of kids at the mic, Ti Tonga leans over and says "Guess who's first?" Of course our little Nici would be the one to kick off the program. After a little mic check (he seriously got his hand out and tapped the mic twice to make sure it was working properly) he delivered his lines with ease... "I am Nic and I am a soccer player." They had each of the kids play a part in writing their own talks this year and that was what Nici came up with. Each of the sunbeams talked about different roles that they played... we had soccer players, football players, singers, and dancers... but they reminded us that they were all Children of God. It was so sweet. When it was Mote's turn he stood up there and completely froze. One of the primary leaders tried helping him, but he kept nodding his head NO. So she got up to the mic and said his lines for him... "I like to visit my grandma and grandpa with my family." He just stood there nodding his little head No, while the congregation chuckled. Me and Ti Tonga laughed- we were the only ones that knew that he was nodding his head No because the primary leader was telling him the wrong lines. It's okay Mote, you still did an awesome job. I was surprised to see Nici singing along with the rest of the kids... and he did exactly what he said he was going to do. He was completely reverent the whole time- Hallelujah!

Our CTR 5 Timote, Siope (still in nursery, but wants to be part of the action), & Nicolaus who is our Sunbeam