General Conference

 Do you pick a favorite weekend each year?

I do :)

Well, actually I pick two favorite weekends:

The first weekend in April

and 

The first weekend in October

 On both of these weekends

my church

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

broadcasts a

2-Day

General Conference

Thousands attend in the 

Conference Center

in Salt Lake City

but Millions watch on TV or their media device

(like me)

It's quite nice to stay home and watch church

and I always line up some fun quilting projects to be accomplished, too :)

 But, the main reason I love listening to our church leaders

is to hear messages of Christ

 And, to be reminded of what matters most in this life.

There are (2) two hour sessions on both

Saturday and Sunday

I come away encouraged and inspired to 

do better and to be better.

Most of all I feel

God's always extending love for me 

and for each of us.

If you would like to listen to the messages given today

you can tune in on your computer or media device

HERE

Those Mesa Ladies Summer Sewing Safari

 Yesterday was my favorite day of the month

with 

Those Wonderful Mesa Ladies

 Peg was in charge of hosting for June

and she always makes everything so fun!

She e-mailed us in advance and said the day

would have the theme of

Summer Sewing Safari

The invitation said:

Dress in your animal print attire - if you want to...

Gonna Go Wild, quilting.

Door Prizes: Like, every half hour, just saying.

Lunch: Don't mess with me, I've got this, ladies!

Show and tell: This a favorite part. Bring your fun stuff to show.

Duh: We'll be sewing/quilting/cutting, whatever you wish

 So I dressed up in my best leopard shirt...

 grabbed my zebra scissors 

and

Cheetah glasses

along with my sewing machine and quilting supplies

 and headed to the church.

 Peg and Candice had the room

ready for our arrival

with Safari treats and door prizes.

Music from The Lion King's

Hakuna Matata

would erupt through out the room

about every 20 minutes

and a door prize would be given.

 All were jungle themed

Peg really was creative in her selections!

Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my!

Who would not love a tiger or zebra car?

I personally received some very cool

Jaguar cupcake liners

and a zebra night mask.

Renee went home with animal print flip flops.

 Peg even made 

wrist pin cushions for each one of us!

 I now have my very own Cheetah wrist pin cushion.

Are you jealous?

 Have I mentioned before that Peg has an extensive background in catering?

She and Candice provided the most delicious boxed lunches.

Chicken salad on croissants

fruit cups

veggies and veggie dip

and dessert

Wild, Crazy, Exotic!

I loved every minute of our day!

Thank you Peg and Candice for a truly Wild Time  !!

**

tomorrow I will share with you our

Show and Tell from the group.

My Favorite Weekend

 The first weekend in April

and 

the first weekend in October

are my most 

favorite weekend's of the year.

It's General Conference time

and we get to 

stay home and watch church on T.V.

A time to listen to wonderful messages

about our Savior

and to focus on what matters most.

Gilbert Temple Dedication

 Today is a very special day

here in our area of Arizona

A long awaited event.

After years of anticipation

The Gilbert Temple

of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

will be dedicated.

 Yesterday over 12,000 youth performed in a 

dance and song celebration...

In the Rain

We live in a desert.

It rarely rains here in Arizona

It's been over 70 days since we've even had a sprinkle.

But, last night it poured buckets

and yet the show went on.

These kids were such troopers.

They have been practicing for months.

Hours upon hours through homework, sports

and other busy life commitments

All volunteered in honor of this great Temple

which will now be in our midst.

I was so proud of their efforts!

And for me personally,

I look forward to spending as much time as possible

communing with God

in this peaceful place

only a few miles from my home.

Gilbert Arizona Temple Open House

 We attended the Open House

for the 

Gilbert Arizona Temple 

yesterday

As members of 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

we are so excited to live within a few miles

of this beautiful temple!

Construction began in 2010

and every time we have driven by the building site, 

we anticipated and looked forward to this day.

"At 85,000 square feet, the Gilbert Temple 
is the largest temple

the church has constructed in 17 years.

The temple's spire reaches 195 feet, 

making it the tallest building in Gilbert."
Temple Worship Focuses our Lives 
On Jesus Christ

The Open House runs through February 15th

Everyone is invited to attend

Each day about 20,000 people stand in line to view the interior.

The lines move fast, and were so well organized that we 

were only there

from beginning to end

 about an hour and a half.

Within the 5 week Open House event

they anticipate nearly half a million people will 

view this Temple.

 Camera's were not allowed inside, but

I was able to take a few exterior shots before entering.

Magnificent !

is the best word to describe.

Every inch was designed with great detail!

The Temple is the most sacred place 
on Earth

for members of our church

 The Angel Moroni sits on top of many of our temples.

What we learn in the temple gives

meaning and direction in our lives.

 The motif of the Agave plant,

native to Arizona

is used through out the temple

 "The Agave signifies the influence of one generation on another.

The agave's lower, older leaves create impressions on the upper leaves,

just as ancestors' legacies leave an impression on

the generation that follows."

We invited our friends The Hollands

to attend with us.

The weather was a perfect 75 degrees

with the Arizona sun shining brightly

in the midst of azure blue skies.

A very special day.

Houston Texas Temple Quilt

 Picking a favorite quilt at a quilt show

is a little bit like picking a favorite child.

In reality, you

Love Them All

 But, if I were to pick a favorite 

from the IQF Long Beach Show

it would be

Houston Texas Temple

by 

Carolyn Allison

Pearland, Texas

 Carolyn expressed my very deep felt sentiments

when she wrote

"The Houston Texas Temple has a special place in my heart.

It is a place where serenity and peace

are found,

and religious doctrine is taught.

 This temple is a source of strength for me and many others.

As I made this quilt I listened to  Josh Groban's

You Raise Me Up

and came to understand even more that this is what 

the temple does for me-

 -it raises me up to 

more than I can be."

 The Houston Texas Temple

was dedicated in 2000

 Carolyn did an excellent job of

replicating the exterior architecture and

 look of the

 Luna Pearl granite.

 Such amazing detail

clear down to the

stain glass windows

and doors.

 Carolyn's techniques:

Machine Pieced, Applique

Design Source:

Pictures she took of the temple

Currently our church

The Church of Jesus Christ of  Latter Day Saints

has 141 operating temples through out the world,

with 13 under construction

and 16 announced to begin.

I Love To See The Temple!

If you would like to learn more about 

why we build temples

visit

HERE

Campfire Cones

 In our church 

we have an annual tradition 

where the men and boys gather for an overnight

Father and Sons Camp Out

They head to the mountains,

pitch their tents

cook food

let the little boys run in packs

(and get plenty dirty)

and tell stories around the campfire.

It's a "GUY THANG"

and I don't know who is more excited to attend

Mr. Cactus 

our son-in-law

or our grandsons.

 I sent along a fun little treat

that I saw on Pinterest.

Campfire Cones

by Laura of Come Together Kids

 You start with a waffle cone

 and frost the inside with peanut butter.

 Fill the insides with a mixture of 

chocolate chips

mini marshmallows

and chopped bananas.

 A mouthwatering blend of flavors.

 Fill as many as needed

for an ooey-gooey time.

 Campfire Joy

 Wrap each individual cone in foil.

 I packed the 

Campfire Cones in a zip-lock bag with 

easy to follow instructions.

 Turning every few minutes, the cones only need 5-10 minutes on the coals

to melt the chocolate with the marshmallows.

 Then be prepared for some happy faces.

 Our grandson Noah said he couldn't decide what he liked more:

Campfire Cones

or 

listening to grandpa tell stories

in the campfire darkness

about aliens

who sucked up camper's tents

and transported them into spaceships.

*fortunately, all ended well  :)

yep, it's a guy thang.