Primary scriptures

I am so excited. After waiting over a year for this, part 2 of the Primary Scriptures set has finally arrived! Produced by some amazing people in the US, this new child friendly Book of Mormon set was released in line with Come Follow Me in 2020, but being that the 2nd book was taking so long, they moved ahead with part 3 first, to make sure it was released in time for people to use as they studied Come Follow Me. 

As it has with so many other things, the covid-19 pandemic delays interfered with production and printing amongst other things and it was delayed again and again until it finally arrived in the US at the beginning of this year and was imported to Australia by an LDS store in QLD earlier this month. My friend and I were very very excited as the two of us have been waiting to complete our collection this entire time and they are finally here! I can't wait to get the kids reading them! ❤

scripture eggs: a primary easter handout

i finally got these made up just in time to hand out to our primary families this sunday for them to learn a little more about easter at home - and teach their families too! i really love this idea which i have used a few times, here and here but i certainly streamlined it a lot more when i had 20 sets to make! it's such a wonderful lesson for kids of all ages and adults too!

my lovely friend jen donated 20 clean egg cartons to me (thank goodness cause they were going to cost me a heap to get new plain ones!) and all i had to do was peel the stickers off and get going with all the items i'd bought online to make them up.

here are the scriptures and contents for you if you want to make your own set, plus the printable above to stick on the cartons:

1. matthew 26:15 30 silver pieces

2. 3 nephi 11:11-12 & matthew 26:39 sacrament cup

3. matthew 27:24 small chunk of soap

4. mark 14:29-31, 53, 66-72 mini chicken

5. matthew 27:28-29 red fabric

6. alma 11:42 piece of rope

7. john 19:24 dice

8. matthew 27:51-54 rocks

9. john: 19:39 rosemary stem

10. luke 24:1-10 round white pebble

11. john 20:25-26 nails

12. matthew 27:59 & matthew 28:6 white fabric

highly recommend for an easy and effective handout this easter! our primary kids and their families loved them, we had amazing feedback from parents.

relief society pjs party

last night we had our additional meeting for october: a "pjs party" 

• prayers • journals • scriptures • 

the things you'd do before bed...

the purpose of our evening was to increase a love and desire in our sisters to participate in regular prayer, journalling and scripture study. we had each of our presenters speak on the evening for around 10 minutes (with the exception of blogging, which was 2 minutes following the journal speaker)

sisters arrived dressed in their pjs and were seated in the relief society room then given a journal each to take notes on the evening and then keep using at home. we watched a short clip found on youtube before each speaker introducing the topic, as they spoke on prayer, journals (one sister covered scripture journals, bullet journals and general conference journalling, with another (me!) speaking briefly on keeping an online journal- a blog) and scriptures. 

the speakers were given these pointers to cover during their time:

prayer

-how to to have a good relationship with your father in heaven

-how to feel a greater desire to pray regularly

-perhaps a specific example of how/when you have received an answer to prayer

-how prayer can help us grow stronger as families

journals

-how to feel motivated to make journal entries

-what to write about

-how you feel when you look back on past entries and see how you/your family have changed spiritually (and just in general!)

-how you feel your journals will be to your family and future generations

scriptures

-how to more effectively study the scriptures

-how to feel a greater desire to do so

-how to retain the information you read

-how to grow closer to your heavenly father as you do so

decorations were simple, lots of cushions, quilts and lamps about the place... with desserts to share afterwards, accompanied by fruit infused water and crock pot hot chocolate. 

crock pot hot chocolate

ingredients:

1/2 cup cocoa powder

2 x cans sweetened condensed milk (i always buy the woolworths or coles brand, they are exactly the same)

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

marshmallows to serve

directions:

1. in crock pot combine, milk, water and vanilla

2. add dry cocoa and salt, stir until smooth

3. cover and cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours

4. top each serving with marshmallows

water with frozen strawberries and mint leaves

+ water with frozen lemon slices

we were especially thrilled because it's almost summer here and it was cold and raining! perfect for getting around in your pyjamas.

  

as usual there was plenty of food... mormons gonna morm!

our three lovely speakers who did an incredible job (yes we had a bishopric member as a special guest speaker).

we have the best relief society... i feel so lucky to be surrounded by such amazing women ♥

twas the night before christmas

twas the night before christmas and in the kendall house, as per tradition there were things to do!

a few christmas carols and then luke chapter 2 is always on the agenda, this year doug's father steve read it aloud to us... i love to hear the story of christ's birth, straight from the scriptures, a simple yet everlasting account. we then watched the church nativity video, which always makes me so emotional, marys trust in the lord, the savior being born in a stable... it's so incredible. 

steve reading from our family bible

our beautiful tree ♥

maddie was old enough this year to want to leave milk and some treats out for santa, she was so cute, she picked out just the right ones, they had to be arranged "just so"... and she had to pour the perfect amount of milk. i am sure she'll get a thrill out of them being gone in the morning.

i love christmas... it's the most wonderful time of the year. ♥

'twas the night before christmas

it's christmas eve!! the best night of the year. where tradition flows thick and fast. mum and dad have come down to spend the night with us... and after reading luke 2 (about the birth of the savior) and watching the church nativity video, by the lights of the tree... we put the kids to bed ready for a long day tomorrow. (we also usually watch the first presidency's christmas devotional, but not this year. too many tired people - shall have to watch it in the next few days, it is one of my favourite things at christmas time!) there is no place i would rather be, than with my little family... 

merry christmas to all, and to all a good night!!

(from the nativity video - wise men still seek him!)