Walking Challenge

We are on our way... Fountain Valley 2nd Ward Relief Society Summer Walking Challenge **First group walk! This Saturday, 9am Meet at the Albertson’s parking lot on Brookhurst across from Mile Square Park. We will be walking the Edinger side and then those who want to keep going will continue on Euclid. Come find us if you can’t be there right at 9am! Strollers and friends welcome!

Walking the Road to Provident Living

Join us as we walk from

Providence, Rhode Island to Providence, Washington

2,832 Miles!

June 8th-September 6th

*Walk, Hike, Swim, or Jog your miles!

*Our Goal=to complete 2,832 miles as a Relief Society by Sept. 6th

*Keep tally of your completed miles each day on your log (log is attached).

*We will have reporting days so we can track our progress as a group.

*We will have a few organized group walks, but feel free to organize your own.

*We will have a few organized group walks, but feel free to organize your own.

RS Meeting 5/3/11: Reverence in the Home

Love Who You Choose -- keeping love in your marriage

Taught by: Kelley Gubernick

IDEAS FOR KEEPING THAT SPARK IN YOUR MARRIAGE:

1. Write love notes. Don't wait for a special occasion to tell your spouse how grateful you are for all he does for your family.

2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate.

3. Make your spouse your priority. At times we are so immersed in our children's lives and well being that we forget about our partner.

4. Make sure you take time with your spouse each night. Make sure your kids have a set bedtime and stick to it. That time you have with your spouse is priceless. Catch up on what took place that day, or cuddle and watch a show you both like.

5. Make sure you go out at least 2 times a month for date night, and at minimum make one of those nights a temple night.

6. Give your spouse a 10 second kiss every day.

FUN DATE NIGHT IDEAS

1. Kick the kids out for a night and send them to Grandma's house. Make dinner together for the two of you. Make it fun and end the night with a scavenger hunt. Have him look for all his favorite things, and end the hunt with you!

2. Go bowling

3. Walk on the beach, dig for sand crabs or build a sand castle. Make it a competition.

4. Crash a mid singles dance and have a blast.

5. Go to the airport and people watch

6. Go to color me mine and paint something for each other

7. If you have Disneyland passes, go by yourselves. It is not just a fun place for the kids.

8. Take classes together. Like dance classes of cooking classes.

9. Learn a new hobby together - like golfing.

10. Go to a local museum.

11. Do service together for someone else.

12. Go to Griffith Observatory

13. Take the train to Alvera Street in Los Angeles - Great shopping and food.

14. Go to Belmont Shores and take a gondola ride.

Heavenly Kitchen - attitude, behavior, togetherness, and food

Taught by: Paige Waldron

There’s no doubt that the food we eat affects our health as well as our attitude and behavior.

Nutrition and balanced diets that avoid most processed food and include lean meats, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as well as limit salt, sugars and starches can play an important role in the prevention and management of many kinds of difficulties in health, behaviour, learning and mood.

Family mealtime is also an important component in happy, healthy homes. It’s much more than just something good to eat! It nourishes the body, mind, and soul.

Sharing foods in a pleasant, social environment is healthy for families in many ways. The whole family benefits from family mealtime by:

Having better nutrition – Studies show that people eat more balanced meals and a variety of foods when they eat with family or friends.

Improving family communication – Time to share ideas, thoughts, and feelings builds relationships. Research shows that children who often hear adult conversation improve vocabulary, reading test scores, and speaking skills.

Fostering family traditions – Foods and memories created around the family table help shape and give meaning to our cultural heritage.

Teaching life skills – Children learn cooking skills, appreciation for foods, and other important life skills.

A nutritious diet and family mealtime benefit a family’s intellectual, physical, and emotional development and can help create an atmosphere of reverence in our home.

Create your own photo album

Mormon Helping Hands: 4/30/11

On Saturday April 30th, 2011, 325 members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints gathered to serve their community at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley California. These volunteers came from Fountain Valley 1^st, 2nd and 3rd wards and the SeaCliff Singles Ward. They ranged in age from toddlers to senior citizens.

Work duties included applying mulch to planters and tree beds, weeding and picking up trash as well as installing crushed rock into brick planters. Volunteers also painted the handball courts at the Recreation Center and the inside of the restrooms near the tennis courts. All totaled, the volunteers installed 3,400 square feet of turf grass, 300 cubic yards of mulch and 7 cubic yards of crushed rock. Families worked together along side friends and neighbors. Many hands made for light work and what would have taken many hours for city employees to finish the voluneers were able to complete in 4 hours. This service project was a huge success. We look forward to making Mormon Helping Hands a tradition of service to our community.

The following is an excerpt taken from a letter of appreciation sent to our stake president, President Frank Parker by the Mayor of Fountain Valley, Steve A. Nagel:

“The great volunteer effort, commitment to public service, and community

spirit demonstrated by the Huntington Beach California Stake and the

Fountain Valley 1^st , 2^nd & 3^RD Wards is what makes Fountain Valley a "Nice

Place to Live." Please pass on our thanks and appreciation to all the

wonderful people that made this event a great success.”

(RS Presidency Side note: Many thanks go to Sharri Clonts and the others of her committee whose tireless work culminated in a very rewarding and successful experience for all those involved. Well done!)

This free photo slideshow generated with Smilebox

Lesson Highlights 5/15/11

Given by Emihlie Wells

"Chapter 32: Tithes and Offerings," Gospel Principles

We have been given commandments to help us prepare in every way to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. He has given us a way to thank Him for our blessings. Willingly paying tithes and offerings is one way we thank Him. As we pay these offerings, we show that we love Him and will obey His counsel.

"This shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever" (D&C 119:3–4).

The First Presidency has explained that "one-tenth of all their interest annually" refers to our income (see First Presidency letter, Mar. 19, 1970).

When we pay tithing we show our faithfulness to the Lord. We also teach our children the value of this law. They will want to follow our example and pay tithing on any money they receive.

It is important to give willingly. "When one pays his tithing without enjoyment he is robbed of a part of the blessing. He must learn to give cheerfully, willingly and joyfully, and his gift will be blessed" (Stephen L Richards, The Law of Tithing [pamphlet, 1983], 8).

Speaking to Latter-day Saints in the Philippines, President Gordon B. Hinckley said that if people "will accept the gospel and live it, pay their tithes and offerings, even though those be meager, the Lord will keep His ancient promise in their behalf, and they will have rice in their bowls and clothing on their backs and shelter over their heads. I do not see any other solution. They need a power greater than any earthly power to lift them and help them" ("Inspirational Thoughts," Ensign, Aug. 1997, 7).

The Lord will also help us grow "in a knowledge of God, and in a testimony, and in the power to live the gospel and to inspire our families to do the same" (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Heber J. Grant [2002], 124).

Humanitarian Aide 4/5/11

After natural disasters around the world and with calls from our prophets and apostles to serve those in need, our Relief Society sisters have been hard at work fulfilling some of the needs of the LDS Humanitarian Center. For our April Relief Society Meeting, we worked on 3 different projects to donate: hand puppets, file folder activities and games, and made a quilt (thanks to Kim Hoke!). All of these items are listed as immediate needs for families and children around the world. Thanks to our Relief Society committee for creating the opportunity to serve!! There will be more opportunities to work on some of these projects at home in the near future. To see what the current needs are, visit this website: http://lds.org/service/humanitarian/help?lang=eng

This digital slideshow made with Smilebox

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Here is a dish to help you celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Enjoy!

Lori's Healthy Chicken Enchiladas

3 c. cooked chicken breast, shredded

10-12 low carb wheat tortillas

1 can healthy request cream of chicken soup

1-2 TB. Taco seasoning

2 c. light shredded Mexican cheese blend

1 c. plain greek yogurt ( or light sour cream)

1 pkg. Lawrys Enchilada sauce ( prepared with water and 1, 6oz. can of tomato paste)

Mix soup, yogurt, chicken, taco seasoning and 1 to 1 1/2 c cheese together and set aside. Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Fill tortillas (about 3 TB of mixture), roll and place tortillas into pan. Pour the prepared Enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 15-20 min or until bubbling.

From: http://davisfamilyeats.blogspot.com/

Lesson Highlights May 2nd

Relief Society Lesson Notes

May 1, 2011 by Paige Waldron

“Press Forward with Faith and Hope”

*What do you know??

Some responses:

-I am tired!

-I know where I came from.

-I know I’m supposed to be a mother right now.

-I know that this is where I am supposed to be right now.

-I know that who I am and what I do matters for my children.

-I know my Heavenly Father knows my name and loves me.

*Although we don’t know everything, we know enough to continue our journey.

*Faith is not a feeling, it is a choice. We must choose faith, then make a commitment to progress.

*We know enough to keep going and get through our difficulties.

*Some misconceptions that are NOT true:

1. “I am not enough.”--Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love you. The Lord loves righteous women. The Lord loves me, so that should be good enough for me to love me.
2. “I can never do enough.”--Discouragement is not a God-given emotion. We CAN do enough just by being a righteous woman.

Scripture References:

Mosiah 4:27

Psalms 46:10

D&C 6:20

Ether 12:27

Joshua 1:9

"You Know Enough" by Elder Neil L. Anderson, October 2008 General Conference

http://lds.org/general-conference/2008/10/you-know-enough?lang=eng